Here I am

HELP!!! I'm in the middle of changing shocks and have big problem!

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This will be quick. As I said, I'm changing shocks as I write this.



I am putting on Rancharo 9000s. I have a service manual and Issue 31 of TDR where on page 12 in the M2M article Steve St. Laurent has a great discription of how to change shocks.



Here is my problem. It is the right rear shock (passanger side). It is the last shock need to complete the job. I have the top bolt and flag nut off. However, after I removed the lower nut and tried to back the bolt out, the bolt head hits the rear stabilizer bar (forward of the rear axle).



I've tried everything I know to back the bolt out. I've jacked up the right rear via the frame. Then I jacked it up via the rear axle. I can never get enough room to get the bolt out.



Need one of the brains of this board to tell me what to do!



Looking forward to solving this problem.



Bill Cook
 
BC,

I had the same problem as you when I did my Rancho's. What I did was to unbolt the sway bar and pry on it with a long screw driver or pry bar just enough to get the bolt out and put it back in. No problem - just took about extra 10 minutes total. Good luck.



vc
 
vc,



That is exactly what I've been thinking. I had one question though, I was worried that if I unbolted the "sway bar" that the truck would drop, I don't know, on my head maybe. Maybe my head isn't all that pretty, but it is the only one I got!



Another question, where is the way bar? My guess is that the "sway bar" connects to the rear stabilizer bar forward of the rear axle. Or is the "sway bar" another name for the rear stablizer bar... sorry, not trying to be a smart a$$, got the thing's name from a service manual.



Thanks for the help. I'll come back in a check this thread about 7:30. If anyone else sees this tread and wants to call, my number is 770-815-8727.



Thanks,



Bill Cook
 
Bill, the sway bar and the stabilizer bar are the same thing. Drop the bolt out and you should be home free.
 
LSmith,



Which bolt?



The sway bar and the stablizer bar are one in the same. I understand. But which bolt? There are several bolts that hold the sway bar to the bottom of the axle.



The sway bar also attaches to a vertical rod ( don't know it's name) and the vertical rod attaches to the frame. Is that what I undo?



I'm not trying to be a pain, but I have been having lots of unplesant thoughts about what I'd like to do to the fella who designed this shock bolt.



Also, the service manual, and the article in issue 31 said nothing about is bolt. I knew the front shocks were going to be tough. I did them first. Then the right rear, no problem. But what I thought would be the easiest shock of all has turned out to be a severe pain!



I'll try to undo the bolts that attach the sway bar to the bottom of the rear axle.



Bill Cook
 
I removed my stabilizer bar altogether once to see if it affected the ride. It did. You can remove any part or all of the bar and it's linkage to make room for the shock installation. It bears no weight. It only controls lean so put the truck on level ground and you can remove one or both saddle brackets on the axle and move the bar out of the way.
 
Hi Bill.



Just got back home and saw your question about which bolt.

I dropped the bolts that were just behind the shock bolt and pryed that bracket away from axle. I'll have to go look at it and post back in a minute. I did nothing with the bolt on the vertical part you mentioned.



vc
 
Ok Bill - just looked at it. On that shock mount,which is welded to the axle, also mounts the sway bar(stabilizer bar) on the bottom. There are two nuts you have to take off this "u" shaped bracket which has a bushing in it and holds the bar in place. Once you take these nuts off you can pry the bar just enough to get that pesky bolt off and then put it back on.

Let us know how its coming along.

vc
 
Bill, as the others have said, disconnect the sway/stabilizer bar at the axle. There is no tension on this component (unlike torsion bars). All the weight is born through the leaf springs and axle. Just did this myself about 3 weeks ago to change my springs and shocks.
 
Kurt, vc, Steve, and LSMITH,



Thanks for coming to the rescue!



The shock job is completed, thanks fellas for all the help!



If anyone else reads this thread looking for info on installing shocks here's what I learned today.



First, I have never changed my own shocks before. My experience is very limited. Reading this board made me want to do it myself. So if you are not a wrench head, you can do this, it will just take a while. How long is a while? Come up with a guess on the number of hours it will take. Whatever that number is mulitply it by about 3. That's how long it will take you. Again, this estimate is only for beginners like me.



Second, get a shop manual. I just got mine and it cost about $85. It is worth it. Lots of pictures.



Third, in order to do your own shocks, I strongly recommend reading Issue 31 of the TDR, page 12. St. Laurent wrote a great article on how to change shocks... specifically changing to Rancharo 9000s. Read his article about 15 times. The instructions that come with the Rancharos are awful! The Dodge service manual pays it lip service. St. Laurent's article made all the difference for me. I never would have been able to accomplish my mission without his article!



Fourth, the only thing I'll add is about that blasted sway bar that no one has ever mentioned. The above explanations, in earlier posts on this thread, are right on.



I had tried everything to get the bottom right shock bolt out. As you slide it out, the head of the bolt hits the sway bar, so it won't come out. Why? Because whomever designed this set up was an idiot.



I jacked the truck up via the frame rail along the right rear. The sway bar was still in the way. I jacked the truck up via the left rear frame rail. The bar was still in the way. I jacked up the truck via the right rear axle. The sway bar was still in the way.



I came to the board needing help, and got it from the guys mentioned above.



In order to move the sway bar enough to be able to get the bolt out, I undid the nuts on the bottom of the bracket that holds the sway bar in place under the right rear axle. The nuts are on the bottom of the plate, the bolts the nuts are attached to won't come out or spin as you turn the nuts. Once both nuts are off, the sway bar will have more play that it did before. I got a 3 foot crowbar. I used this to pull down on the sway bar using the rear axle as the wedge point. I had to pull hard in order to have enough room to get the shock bolt out. It took several tries but with enough force it came out. It was even more fun getting the bolt back in when the new shock was in place.



O. K. , it's way way past my bed time.



Thanks again fellas for all of the good info. Was glad to get it done today.



Bill Cook
 
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Kurt,



You are right about the fingernails, plus my hands just ache. My hat is off to all the mechanics out there, hell of a job you have.



One more whine to go: I work on my trucks, tractor, etc. out back between my shop and a 40x60 pole barn. The ground is baked Georgia clay with #5 rock put down on top. That's what I get to lay on when working underneath the 3500. With that said, you ought to see my back. Ouch.



Again, thanks to everyone for the help. If anyone is wanting to change shocks, please fell free to contact me for some pointers.



Bill Cook
 
BC

Get a large box and cut it down the side and use that to lay on. It's not a Serta, but it will feel like one compared to what you are used too.



Darren
 
Last time I laid carpet in the house, I had a 3' X 8' piece if carpet pad left. It's a great little thing to lay on.





I spent the day on it yesterday putting in a new 4" Jardine system.



Andy
 
Originally posted by BC

Kurt,



You are right about the fingernails, plus my hands just ache. My hat is off to all the mechanics out there, hell of a job you have.



One more whine to go: I work on my trucks, tractor, etc. out back between my shop and a 40x60 pole barn. The ground is baked Georgia clay with #5 rock put down on top. That's what I get to lay on when working underneath the 3500. With that said, you ought to see my back. Ouch.



Again, thanks to everyone for the help. If anyone is wanting to change shocks, please fell free to contact me for some pointers.



Bill Cook
Bill I have four inch limestone crushed rock drive with half inch filler lime stone mix . I use a old throw rug the wife put out in the trash real thick as a work ground cover , hose it down now and then ,leave it out in the rain some times for a wash . Glad to hear of your shocking time LOL Ron in LOUISVILLE KY:D :D :D
 
Reminder...

Just a reminder to all those who do suspension work. On any component with a rubber bushing, make sure the truck is off the jack and unloaded before tightening the component. An exception to this is the shocks, as the bushings do not affect ride height.



If you tighten the swaybar with one side up in the air, you will have a funny ride and a premature bushing wear problem. This reminder mainly applies to vehicles with a-arm suspensions, sway bars, and upper/lower trailing arms.



Just a reminder and have fun with your rig!:D
 
BC:



I had the same problem recently. I ended up by loading the camper on again. Not the most elegant solution but one that works (in other words, get some decent weight in back like maybe a lot of your buddies and some beer).



Cheers.
 
BC:



I've just read my initial reply and realized it's somewhat ambiguous. Reason I mentioned loading the camper on was that the weight drops the truck to the point where it's easy to move the bolts for the shocks (at least on my 00 3500 4WD). Hope this helps.
 
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