Shocks, it is time.......

[inlinesix3million]

So was there a discernible difference between the two series of shocks?

I did not notice a difference.

 

[mwilson]

Well, thanks to UPS dropping the ball and holding my package in Shrewsbury, Mass for an additional day my shocks did not come in until today. So it will be the coming weekend before I can install the rears....will update then...

Mike.

 

[inlinesix3million]

Watch your fingers when you push these up onto the shock mount to slide the bottom bolt back thru.#@$%! I had to rest the bottom of shock on a pry bar and work it around a little to get the
bolt thru. I first tried it without "help" and it bit me:{

 

[magic carpet pilot]

Anyone want to shoot a ball park figure on service life of shocks?

 

[AH64ID]

OEM ±100K miles at best... mine where done long before, Dad's 06 made it 100K.

Aftermarket should be good for 100-150K or more.

 

[mwilson]

OEM ±100K miles at best... mine where done long before, Dad's 06 made it 100K.

Aftermarket should be good for 100-150K or more.

I'd say that was a fair estimate, I'm near 140,000 BUT the first 50,000 miles or so were 99% Interstate driving.

Mike.

 

[Regcabguy]

My OEM's had a life of one week after bottoming out continuously with my camper mounted.
My wife who's no Amazon could easily compress them with just her body weight vertically on the garage floor.
The Bilstein's should be a huge improvement in control.

 

[JLitton]

I have 68K on my '03 and just replaced the OEM with Bilstein 4600's. I really like them. My wife, without prodding, even mentioned it while we were pulling our fifth wheel that is rides better since I got them installed.

 

[mwilson]

Just took it out for a quick test drive, I gotta' say there is a definite improvement in ride. I was worried about degrading the ride for no good reason apparently as the Bilsteins are a step up. Rides ALMOST as good as Hoopty the Caddy.

Had three new shocks on it yesterday and it acted like a three legged dog when I took it to town.....the right front was in bad shape and that was the one that I had not changed yet. Took care of that yesterday afternoon!!!!

 

[jgillott]

I have my new set from Genos sitting in the garage. I hope to get them on this weekend. I ran about 300 miles on the highway yesterday and almost couldn't stand the constant bouncing.

 

[mwilson]

For which truck?? The '07??

 

[jgillott]

Yes, the '07. Almost 92K on it.

 

[mwilson]

Ok, let me pass along some new found knowledge........

On the rears....the nuts for the upper shock bolts are flag nuts and you can't see the flag as it is bent around the hanger.........so if you have fender liners (like me) and your 1/2" drive air gun is too long to get to the bolt head on the left hand shock even with a short impact socket because of said fender liner......and you think that you are going to be real clever by reaching the nut by laying the air gun on top of the spare tire while holding the head of the bolt with a box end wrench....and then pull the trigger and watch the flag (that you didn't know was there) straighten out some, spin with the nut and cut the rear end vent line off right behind the vent breather.......just sayin.........

 

[jgillott]

I will certainly keep that in mind. :-laf

 

[mwilson]

The left front shock is worse, the manual says that the shock and tower assembly can come up through. Not in my world it can't. Too much potential for damage to hoses, wires and other valuable stuff. You would have to get pretty ignorant to get that up through there on my truck at least. After some deliberation I decided to remove the fender liner. Then you can access the top of the shock. I managed to get the upper shock nut off by cutting the plastic shock shield off with a short blade on my Sawzall. Then I could weasel a small Ridgid pipe wrench into one of the openings in the tower. Then I could hold the shaft while removing the upper nut. One the tower was off the shock will pull up through without damaging anything.

To install I enlisted the wife for a few minutes along with some strong nylon string. I placed the lower washer on the shock shaft and then compressed the shock. Had the wife tie it down while I held it. The washer gives you a surface to hold the string. Just looped it around the bottom of the shock the same way that the rear ones are held with the green nylon strapping in the box.
Put it into place while compressed, put the lower shock bolt in finger tight, installed the tower, installed the spacer into the lower rubber, put the lower rubber on the shock shaft and cut the string. Guided the shock up through the hole, installed upper rubber and washer. Tighten it up. Tighten lower shock bolt to 100 ft lbs. Install fender liner and have a beer......Right hand side is real easy, really seems easy after doing that frigin' left one.....

Nut on new shock nut is 19mm, the hex in the top of the shaft is 6mm allen.

 

[jgillott]

Thanks for the heads up. Hopefully it will go relatively smooth for me.

 

[Slsbl77]

Changed my Rancho adjustable for Bilstein 5100's today. The Rancho were so bad at 60K miles that I could compress them with one hand, stupid bad. I installed the Bilstein with the green bands in place. Compress them, slide the lower washer and bumper in place on the shaft, replace the bands on the shock (aren't you glad you didn't cut them), work the shock into place, place the lower mounting bolt in and run it in 80% (do not tighten to final), place the shock tower over the mounting stud, jack the truck up at the frame and you will see the tower coming down into place on its mounting. Start the 3 15mm nuts onto their studs tighten about 1/2 way, center the upper stud in the tower and cut the green band. Pull it out of the assembly. Tighten the 3 15mm nuts. Lower the truck, remove the jack, final tighten all nuts with the truck on the ground. You will not have to remove the wheels or fight the shock trying to extend. i did not have any frozen nuts to contend with so it only took an hour.
Bob

 

[mwilson]

My front 4600 shocks did not have the green restraint band.

The rear ones did have the green restraining band but I had changed those out the day before and took the bands to the dump that day.

I wish that they would have had a band but then my wife would not have been able to help.........

 

[Slsbl77]

Changed the rear Rancho shocks today, as bad as the fronts were, maybe worse...who knows. 57,000 miles on the truck and they were trash. Bilstein 5100's now front and rear, huge difference in ride quality. I'm certain they will last as long as 57,000 miles and they were much cheaper than the Rancho adjustable.

Bob

 

[jgillott]

Finally got mine finished today. They went in front and rear fairly easily. Certainly wasn't necessary to remove the batteries to do the fronts, but I tossed 2 of these at it while I was at it.

The extra room or the drivers side with the battery out was very useful.