So my 2wd screw was in need of a shock change. I got all 3 around except for the drivers side rear. Reading all the horror stories of how long it takes and cutting and what not. So I went out and bought new vice grips new 18mm deep socket and saw blades. I spent my first hour chipping away at the bushing. Didnt work. Then I spent another hour trying to saw off the dust guard. But I couldn't get it all the way off cuz of the exhaust piping. So then I just decide to start ratcheting the top stem nut off. I forgot that the shock dust guard things are welded on, on 2wd's. All I did was grab the metal guard thing and racheted it and got it off in 2 min. But I got lucky cuz my truck is relatively rust free.

 

lol... on my 97 2wd I ended up just taking BIG wrench to mine, cutting torch. lol