bryan5791

Anyone replaced shocks on a 2002 4x4 2500 CTD lately, I believe it is time to after 111K miles. If so how did you go about it? It looks as if you jack up the truck remove the nut on top of the shock, but then I'm not sure from there. Thought if I asked before I started it would save me some time.

TIMMY22

I did mine on my 96.

just basic wrenching, I took the shock towers off and my air cleaner had to come off to get at the passengers side.

the only mistake I made was not tightening the front lower bolts enough. It rattled after I changed them and it was driving me crazy till I posted the question here and everyone said to torque the bejemmies out of them.

I used my torch to cut the rear bolts because I didn't feel like messing with the rusty bolts.


maybe someone else will chime in on a 02

bryan5791

on my 02 the shock is inside the coils, not sure if the 96 was the same way.
does the shock come out of the coils through the top or ?/

AggieJustin

The shocks come out through the top. You'll need to remove the three nuts that secure the shock tower to the top of the spring cup. The passenger side is easy because there is nothing in the way you can come straight up. The drivers side is more complicated since you have all the brake lines and routed in the way. What you can do is jack up the frame and let the drivers tire droop as far as the suspension will let it. Then remove the shock tower nuts and manuver it out. If you don't droop the suspension (or secure the shock in some way), when you remove the nuts the shock will extend to full length and push the tower up into the middle of the brake lines. Then you have to fight the shock extension while trying to manuver it out.

bryan5791

thanks that is kinda what I was expecting, thanks for the info

cditrani

Yeah, don't underestimate the time/effort it will take to get bolts/nuts off. Took me most of a day to get my old shocks off. I have since bought a cutting torch.

bamadzl

Definitely jack up the drivers side frame. I didn't and I really had to fight to get that shock out. Passenger side was easy. Rears were easy for me.

Brad

dieselbeef

if yer replacing the shock and are able to just cut the shaft in half and they come out no sweat. i got a torch but a sawzall or grinder works if you can get it in there. 2 piece shocks almost fall out

MDMIKE

Thats a BIG X2. Make sure you tighten the heck out of the bottom front shock bolts or they will rattle and drive you crazy.
Story time: Had a guy come in to the shop a while back with a 1500 he had a leveling kit put on over a year ago. He said he had a noise in the front end that couldn't be diagnosed by anyone else. They told him everything from bad lower control arm bushings to bad ball joints (the truck only had 50,000 miles on it) I remembered reading here somewhere the lower shock bolts could be a problem. I dragged the air gun outside and hammered the heck out of the lower shock bolts. Problem solved!! You would have thought he won a million dollars he was so happy.

Moral of the story: Make sure those suckers are tight!!

MIke

alexschultz1

roooookieeessss... impact wrench the nuts. most of the time they pop right off.

TIMMY22

big difference in a 10 yr old nut in GA and one from the north...trust me!

cditrani

Yeah, if I had a dollar for every time my 500 lb/ft impact wrench, over-aired, just sat there making a lot of noise and killing my hands while mated to a bolt/nut on my truck...

jfpointer

Those bottom shock bolts are slightly tapered on the end, and they're very hard, so it should be ok to beat on them a bit to get them in as well. Both times I've replaced shocks on a 2nd Gen the lower shock bushings have been so tight in the mounts that I've had to use a big screwdriver to pry them down into the lower mounts far enough to put the bottom bolts partway in, and then knock the bolts in place with a small sledge. No trouble getting the nuts on afterward, either.

TxDiesel007

THis works perfectly

Since i have the dual shock kit, and since down here rust isnt an issue, with some cheeter pipe, those 3/4 bolts and nuts come off no problem. Its really straight forward tho, I had no problems with the passenger side, just remove the airfilter in my case, or the tube sleeve connecting stock air box to turbo, shocks come right off no problem, The front might be a bit more trouble some gettin the tower itself off, but its not a problem. once u do, pretty straight foward...

Rick