xp8103

Spent the balmy Saturday and Sunday putting my new shocks on. The difference was immediate over the stock units. On their softest setting, the truck no longer crashes over bumps. I will probably adjust them up a setting or two to find the best trade off.

And it is clear that I have a 5:00pm truck. And it is also clear that, on the assembly line, shocks go on before the sway bar in the rear. I know this because on the passenger side, the bottom shock bolt was put in from the outboard side and with the sway bar on, the bolt will not come out. Neither jacking nor dropping the rear end completely frees the bolt. I ended up having to pry on the sway bar and milimeter my milimeter slide the bolt out. I eventually got it but it was a pain in the neck.

Mexico City. Late 2001. 5:00 pm local time...

"Hey, Pedro, let's go! Cerveza's are waiting!"

"Hold on Jose. I have one more shock bolt to install...... "

"Ey Carumba! Let's GO! Just put it in and let's go!!"

And secondly. How the heck are you supposed to get the driver's side front shock out thru the top??? Just HOW??? The fuse box, the master cylinder, the ABS and all it's plumbing. All right in the WAY! It took nearly an act of congress to get the darned thing out. OF course, the top mount nut was rusted. PB MIGHT have worked had I been able to actually swing a wrench AND put a pair of vicegrips on the top. But you couldn't. No room. I had to wiggle, pry and pull to get it out with the top mount still attached. How foolish.

BigBlue

For the drivers side shock I just use a bunch of extensions. For the rear, I switched the bolt around so it would come out easier next time. Did the same for the upper rear sway bar mount next to the gas tank. Makes dropping the axle that much easier.

xp8103

I swapped the rear bolt as well.

The problem wasn't getting at the bolts for the mount on the front. It was the very top bolt. I could have gotten on it with an extension and a socket but I wouldn't have had any way of holding the piston rod.

RowJ

Love mine too! Been over a year and still remember the difference...both empty and heavy.

I don't remember having sway bar trouble on the rears?? I remember after looking over how to do the front shocks ( and not having my garage available yet), I copped out and had the 4X4 shop that sells them, put them on for me! After watching two guys, with a lift and all the right tools, struggle for almost two hours...I did not mine paying.

I settled in to #3 rear and #5 front when empty. Good place for you to start from, to find your personal preference.

RJ

xp8103

RJ,
I put mine on for a couple of reasons. First because my 01 still have the OE shocks on it at 4 years and 76k miles. Second was because we are getting a slide in camper and I needed to upgrade. I told me wife to remind me when we are sitting on the beach on the Outer Banks next August basking in the sand and surf of this past weekend.
Interestingly enough, the passenger side front was simple. Pull the airbox and the three nuts on the mount and the whole thing comes right out. Grind off the old nut, chuck and replace. Removing the three nuts on the driver's side was simple. Gettting the whole thing out wasnt. If I had a torch, I would have cut thru the sheath and piston between the spring coils. that would have made it much easier as I could have angled the whole thing more.

Thanks for the settings. Will give them a try.