Project Shocks

Cowboy09 · July 12, 2008

It's not really a big deal or a groundbreaking replacement, but in case any newbies are thinking about it, I wanted to make a post.

My 90 still had its stock shocks on it and SWMBO was complaining. So, I went down to Advance and grabbed 4 new Monroe Gasmatic LT's. I've put on the rear and it was a really simple procedure. Jack the rear end up and put it on stands. Remove the two mounting bolts from the top of the shock, then remove the lower mounting bolt. Due to the age, it took some WD-40 to get those bolts moving plus a torque wrench on the lower bolt for leverage. Once I got the old ones off, it was amazing the difference! I had to really really push hard to compress the new ones just a tad, whereas the old ones I could just barely press and they would bottom out quickly.

Installation was just as easy. Mount the lower part first, but don't tighten it all the way. I put the shock box up against the frame so when I cut the restraint it wouldn't jam itself anywhere. Simply aim at the hole and cut the restraint. Chances are the mounting bar won't line up with the truck mounts. I took a flathead screwdriver and pried it between the shock and the truck mount (there actually seemed to be a detent for this). This allowed me to compress the shock just enough that the mounts were close. I then used another flathead to rotate the shock mount and slid the bolts through. Just tighten the upper bolts up and tighten the lower bolt to where it should be and you're good to go.

It's a pretty quick procedure and really isn't that hard at all. It started raining, so the front will wait until tomorrow.

July 13, 2008

i replaced the back shocks but now i really want to replace the front ones

along with the pitman arm and the idler arm....

Zembonez · July 13, 2008

i replaced the back shocks but now i really want to replace the front ones

along with the pitman arm and the idler arm....

It makes a huge difference in the drive too. Those old shocks that you can play like an accordion are doing nothing. Let us know when you have them all on and do a test drive down a bumpy road.

Cowboy09 · July 14, 2008

Well, no front shocks today. I didn't get to it until later and found out there was no way to get the retaining nuts off the shock post. I'll be picking up a nut splitter tomorrow and finishing it.

I will say that just the rear shocks have made a huge difference. When I take off, it barely tilts back even when I gun it, but the front end dive is terrible when I shift. The handling is much improved, and I suspect that the handling will be stellar once I get it all done.

Cowboy09 · July 15, 2008

Ok, finally got the front ones on. It was a pita, lemme say. There isn't much clearance and you have to use two wrenches- one for the retaining nut and one to hold the shock stem. One of them took a nut splitter plus a drill. My suggestion is to have a bunch of penetrant on hand because you'll likely need it. Once you get those upper nuts off, jack it up. There are two bolts that hold on each shock on the lower end, so remove those and just slide it out. Make sure you put the rubber stoppers in properly and slide the new shock back up into place. Tighten up the lower two bolts, then tighten the upper one and you're good to go.

The difference is immediately noticeable. Barely any dive in either direction and the handling is awesome! It's one of the best $110 I've spent.