Difficult to Install Bilsteins in the Driveway?
#2
04-17-2010, 02:19 PM
fronts were super easy, took about ten minutes a side. I chose to re-use the factory upper bushings as they were a different style than what came with the Bilsteins.
Jim
Jim
#3
04-17-2010, 02:52 PM
I can see the bottom shock bolt but what holds the top on... how do you get at it?
#4
04-17-2010, 07:21 PM
I did mine in my driveway. The hardest part of the entire change was getting the top nut off of the shock. Mine was a little rusty but I sprayed penetrating oil on them a few days before I did the install. I found that a wrench with a built in ratchet worked the best because of limited swing and the fact that you need to run the nut off of about 2" of thread. The top of the threaded part needs to be held also. There are a couple of flats to get a wrench onto to hold the shock from turning inside of it's body.
Had a helper doing mine, took about 30 minutes but you could easily do it yourself.
Last edited by Bunger; 04-17-2010 at 07:23 PM.
#5
04-21-2010, 01:14 PM
its really easy. Here's a step by step:
1. Put it in park, engage the parking brake.
2: Get the jack out of the back door. (Unless you have a floor jack that can lift about 2 feet, most can't)
3: put the jack in the middle of the front skid plate, directly underneath the cross member, BUT NOT UNDER THE STEERING RACK.
4. Place the tire wedges behind the rear tires.
5. Jack it up until both front tires are off the ground.
6. place jack stands under the front end to stabilize the truck.
7. Remove the driver side tire.
8. Push the rubber guard back until you can see the top of the factory shock. Its not that hard to find, its just one bolt at the top of the shock.
9. get a wrench that fits the nut on the top of the shock. (I can't remember what size it was, i want to say 9/16. I recommend a wrench with a ratcheting ring on the end.)
10. Place the ratcheting ring wrench on the nut. Then clip vise grip pliers onto the very top of the shock, above the wrench. The vise grips should be clipped on tight enough to support themselves.
11: loosen the nut. The shock will begin rotating at first but the vise grips will stop the rod from turning when they hit the inner fender. Keep loosening the nut until it comes off.
12: with the top nut off, take out the bolt holding the bottom of the shock to the lower A arm.
13: remove the shock.
14: install the new shock by repeating steps 7-12 in reverse order.
15. Repeat on the passenger side.
Sounds like a lot on paper, but its really easy and when you actually start the job you'll see how simple it is.
BTW, if you are replacing the bump stops, using a ratcheting tie down strap is the easiest way to remove the old bump stops. Wrap one end of the strap around the bump stop and the other end around the crossmember under the front seats. Tighten the strap and the bump stop will come right out.
1. Put it in park, engage the parking brake.
2: Get the jack out of the back door. (Unless you have a floor jack that can lift about 2 feet, most can't)
3: put the jack in the middle of the front skid plate, directly underneath the cross member, BUT NOT UNDER THE STEERING RACK.
4. Place the tire wedges behind the rear tires.
5. Jack it up until both front tires are off the ground.
6. place jack stands under the front end to stabilize the truck.
7. Remove the driver side tire.
8. Push the rubber guard back until you can see the top of the factory shock. Its not that hard to find, its just one bolt at the top of the shock.
9. get a wrench that fits the nut on the top of the shock. (I can't remember what size it was, i want to say 9/16. I recommend a wrench with a ratcheting ring on the end.)
10. Place the ratcheting ring wrench on the nut. Then clip vise grip pliers onto the very top of the shock, above the wrench. The vise grips should be clipped on tight enough to support themselves.
11: loosen the nut. The shock will begin rotating at first but the vise grips will stop the rod from turning when they hit the inner fender. Keep loosening the nut until it comes off.
12: with the top nut off, take out the bolt holding the bottom of the shock to the lower A arm.
13: remove the shock.
14: install the new shock by repeating steps 7-12 in reverse order.
15. Repeat on the passenger side.
Sounds like a lot on paper, but its really easy and when you actually start the job you'll see how simple it is.
BTW, if you are replacing the bump stops, using a ratcheting tie down strap is the easiest way to remove the old bump stops. Wrap one end of the strap around the bump stop and the other end around the crossmember under the front seats. Tighten the strap and the bump stop will come right out.
#6
06-01-2010, 07:51 PM
Thank you so much for this...I've been looking everywhere
its really easy. Here's a step by step:
1. Put it in park, engage the parking brake.
2: Get the jack out of the back door. (Unless you have a floor jack that can lift about 2 feet, most can't)
3: put the jack in the middle of the front skid plate, directly underneath the cross member, BUT NOT UNDER THE STEERING RACK.
4. Place the tire wedges behind the rear tires.
5. Jack it up until both front tires are off the ground.
6. place jack stands under the front end to stabilize the truck.
7. Remove the driver side tire.
8. Push the rubber guard back until you can see the top of the factory shock. Its not that hard to find, its just one bolt at the top of the shock.
9. get a wrench that fits the nut on the top of the shock. (I can't remember what size it was, i want to say 9/16. I recommend a wrench with a ratcheting ring on the end.)
10. Place the ratcheting ring wrench on the nut. Then clip vise grip pliers onto the very top of the shock, above the wrench. The vise grips should be clipped on tight enough to support themselves.
11: loosen the nut. The shock will begin rotating at first but the vise grips will stop the rod from turning when they hit the inner fender. Keep loosening the nut until it comes off.
12: with the top nut off, take out the bolt holding the bottom of the shock to the lower A arm.
13: remove the shock.
14: install the new shock by repeating steps 7-12 in reverse order.
15. Repeat on the passenger side.
Sounds like a lot on paper, but its really easy and when you actually start the job you'll see how simple it is.
BTW, if you are replacing the bump stops, using a ratcheting tie down strap is the easiest way to remove the old bump stops. Wrap one end of the strap around the bump stop and the other end around the crossmember under the front seats. Tighten the strap and the bump stop will come right out.
1. Put it in park, engage the parking brake.
2: Get the jack out of the back door. (Unless you have a floor jack that can lift about 2 feet, most can't)
3: put the jack in the middle of the front skid plate, directly underneath the cross member, BUT NOT UNDER THE STEERING RACK.
4. Place the tire wedges behind the rear tires.
5. Jack it up until both front tires are off the ground.
6. place jack stands under the front end to stabilize the truck.
7. Remove the driver side tire.
8. Push the rubber guard back until you can see the top of the factory shock. Its not that hard to find, its just one bolt at the top of the shock.
9. get a wrench that fits the nut on the top of the shock. (I can't remember what size it was, i want to say 9/16. I recommend a wrench with a ratcheting ring on the end.)
10. Place the ratcheting ring wrench on the nut. Then clip vise grip pliers onto the very top of the shock, above the wrench. The vise grips should be clipped on tight enough to support themselves.
11: loosen the nut. The shock will begin rotating at first but the vise grips will stop the rod from turning when they hit the inner fender. Keep loosening the nut until it comes off.
12: with the top nut off, take out the bolt holding the bottom of the shock to the lower A arm.
13: remove the shock.
14: install the new shock by repeating steps 7-12 in reverse order.
15. Repeat on the passenger side.
Sounds like a lot on paper, but its really easy and when you actually start the job you'll see how simple it is.
BTW, if you are replacing the bump stops, using a ratcheting tie down strap is the easiest way to remove the old bump stops. Wrap one end of the strap around the bump stop and the other end around the crossmember under the front seats. Tighten the strap and the bump stop will come right out.
#7
06-01-2010, 08:38 PM
BTW, if you are replacing the bump stops, using a ratcheting tie down strap is the easiest way to remove the old bump stops. Wrap one end of the strap around the bump stop and the other end around the crossmember under the front seats. Tighten the strap and the bump stop will come right out.
I'm really not even sure what a bump stop does...
#9
06-03-2010, 11:08 AM
Mansons... I would say it's not mandatory but a good idea 90% of the time... The oem bumpstops are smaller in height and dexterity than aftermarket... The prevent excessive nose dive after leveling the front end... Essentially when you level your front end think that you are pulling the nose of the truck up... The suspension droops, just as if you were to put a Jack on the skid plate and raise it up... The gap between the control arms and the oem bump stop increases because of it, and this the front end dives when braking... It goes from the new height you leveled it to all the way down to the point it would prior to leveling... The bump stops prevent a that travel, thus improving the feel while braking and some handling... If you decide to not get them I would think after a few days you'd change your mind...
#10
06-08-2010, 11:10 AM
It really depends on how much you raised the front.
I had mine at 24.5" and the nose dive and turning lean was terrible, the 1/2" extended bump stops fixed all that.
But after awhile I figured out that running at 24.5" was making annoying wind buzzes on the highway due to the changed nose angle, so I lowered it back down to 23.5" and had to change back to the original bump stops because the ride extremely rough with the longer bumps. I'd say keep an eye on how much space there is between your lower A arm and the bump stop. Examples:
Visible pressure on new bump when parked = go back to stock bump stop
Bump lightly toughing the A arm = probably ok, might have a firm ride
1/64" to 1/4" of space between A arm and bump at rest = perfect (in my opinion)
1/2" or more between A arm and bump = too much nose dive, put in extended bumps
I had mine at 24.5" and the nose dive and turning lean was terrible, the 1/2" extended bump stops fixed all that.
But after awhile I figured out that running at 24.5" was making annoying wind buzzes on the highway due to the changed nose angle, so I lowered it back down to 23.5" and had to change back to the original bump stops because the ride extremely rough with the longer bumps. I'd say keep an eye on how much space there is between your lower A arm and the bump stop. Examples:
Visible pressure on new bump when parked = go back to stock bump stop
Bump lightly toughing the A arm = probably ok, might have a firm ride
1/64" to 1/4" of space between A arm and bump at rest = perfect (in my opinion)
1/2" or more between A arm and bump = too much nose dive, put in extended bumps
Last edited by supsam86; 06-08-2010 at 11:15 AM.