Installing new front shocks

CloudDriver wrote:
I installed new Bilsteins on our 2003 Minnie with the E450 back in 2009. See my description of the job in this thread. A post on the second page suggested that jacking on the chassis so that the wheel is off the ground would have made getting the old shock on the front driver's side out from the very confined space easier.

I just read you post in your link and you brought up several great points and I wanted to share two that I learned. One you are right about compressing the Bilsteins which can be a pain. You need some heavy duty twine like blind cord and I found the best way was to go get a 1/4 inch turnbuckle with the loop on one end and the hook on the other (abt $2 at HD/Lowes). Tie the cord around each end of the new shock with a loop in the end and with the turnbuckle attached at one end. Then use a long 3/8" drive extension bar in the "hole" end of the shock to compress it and "hook" the hook end into the free loop on the shock that will compress it and hold it. I also found you want to use a jack on the frame to raise the vehicle some and compress the shock just enough to get it mounted where it will stay. Then VERY CAREFULLY lower the vehicle "SLOWLY" till the top part of the shock with the two rubber washers fit's snuggly and get the top nut started and snug. The re raise the vehicle just enough to get the shock where it will just move. Then tighten the top nut fairly snuggly or even to full torque (about 35 ft-lbs per Bilstein for the fronts and I used the same number for the rear) and this will ensure the top bushings are properly centered in the hole in the frame.

I couldn't get a torque wrench on any of my shocks except the driver's side from underneath and I had to use a crow's foot open end adapter on a "bar" type torque wrench. The others were done mostly by feel using the ratchet wrench attached to the torque wrench to get a "FEEL" for what 35 ft-lbs should be and by sight of the compression of the rubber washers and a LOT OF JUDGEMENT.

Good luck and again I emplore you to invest in the GearWrench pass thru socket set, but make sure you get the one with the flex head ratchet which will run you around $60 to $75. A lot of the GearWrench pass thru socket sets have the non flex head ratchet and only one comes with the flex head ratchet and that is the 23 piece set.

Larry