How to install rear shocks easily?

[kowaliga]

On a one-ton SRW, should I lift the rear frame until full-droop on both wheels or jack up one side of the axle; something told me to ask before I cut the plastic band on the Geno's Bilstein 5100's. I'm sure they are stronger than I am.

 

[scootergmc]

I don't know how strong you are, but I did it that way (frame lift). After everything was said and done, I could've bolted up the top, compressed the shock, let it decompress into the axle mount and slip a prybar between the shock and axle mount, using the prybar to align the bolt hole. I guess it would depend on how strong you're feeling. Good luck.

 

[R.Taylor]

Pretty easy with out a jack. I just removed the old ones, Put the bilstein's in top first, Cut the strap, guided it into the lower bracket and used a bar to raise it up enough to get the bolt through. They are not that hard to compress. The fronts are a slight pain... Unbolt the three nuts holding on the top tower then unbolt the lower mount and pull the entire unit up and out from under the hood. The lower mounts get pinched a little and you will find that trying to get the shock into the mount is a pain in the a**, I found that filing the steel bushing a touch on the new shocks lower mount made them drop right in. Using a hammer and drift punch to spread the lower bracket is out of the question as there is no space on the axle to really get in there. Once you get the front lowers bolted in you simply push the tower down onto the three studs and put the nuts on.

 

[TimothyLong]

I do the same thing that R. Taylor does with the rear shocks. Even if you miss getting the shock on the lower bracket, a nice sized pry bar will give you all the leverage you need to push it into place and get the bolt through it. On the fronts, I spray a little bit of silicon spray on the lower brackets and the sides of the shocks. Makes the shocks go in a lot easier. Pushing on the shock tower is a bit awkward for me, so I jack the frame up just enough to get the nuts started on the bolts that hold the tower down. A ratchet takes care of the rest.

 

[WCounts]

I used a floor jack

Billy

 

[kowaliga]

The 'key' is not to miss the axle bracket, after cutting the restraining strap. I guess I was expecting an explosive expansion to double its size, and no place to squeeze it back together. Can't imagine driving fifty miles on one rear shock. I take that back; the way the rear recoils on bumps now, its like no shocks. Thanks for real good advice.

 

[Turbo_Bob]

It was a little tricky, I did pretty much as the replys above.



One thing that I needed was a very long 1/2 drive extension to loosen the top, passenger side shock bolt.