Hey Guys,

Im ready to get rid of the stock shocks and put on some new ones. How hard is this to do in the driveway? I mean, can I get under the truck take off one of the shocks and then bolt in a new one? Do I need a jack or anything?

Could use some step by step advice.

Thanks!

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The Truck: 1997 Black F-150 Flareside. Regular Cab ORP and Towing Package
The Mods: K&N Filter, Eurolid Hard Tonneau, Profile Windstream Side Deflectors and Lund X-Terminator Bug Deflector.
The Site:
Triton's 4.6 Liter Web Page

 

The front ones are pretty easy. But the rear is alittle difficult. The top mounting bolt for the shocks is alittle pain to get to. The frame and the spare tire brackets are in the way. To make your job easy; remove the spare tire, get a floor jack and two stands. It only took me about 1 1/2 hours to do, and I used air tools.

1999 F250 lightduty SC XLT 4x4
5.4L, 3.73, 4R100 trans.
Flowmaster 40, K&N, Superchip, Poweraid, RSX shocks

 

I did the shocks myself. I got a 4x4 and found that jacking up the front and removing the front tires made it very easy to take out and swap in the new shocks. The front shocks are pretty easy to do, they did have a tight fit with the bushings on the bottom, but thats why WD-40 was created.

As for the rear shocks they were a little more of a pain, only becuase you have very little room to use a wrench to unbolt and rebolt the shocks plus you have to hold the shocks to unbolt them (an air ratchet would have made this easy). Also if you jack up the rear body of the truck it helps to compress the shocks to fit in. I installed the edlebrocks and it wasn't hard to compress them if you lay on your back and bench press them.

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black 97' x-cab 4x4, 5 speed 4.6, black westin nerf bars, 6 cd changer and a 12 premier sub, pilot ground searchers, borla SS split rear exhaust, K&N genII, bosch +4 plugs, superchip, flexalite electric fan, v-tech oval side window covers, IAS shocks


still to come: new spark plug wires, new rims and tires.

 

OK, so do I jack up the truck after taking the old shocks off? Seems to me that jacking the truck up with compress the old shock thereby making it difficult to get off.

 

You do not need to jack up the truck to do shocks. Some people take the front wheels off to make more room to wrench on, but not needed.

Shocks do not control the ride height. In the front it is the torsion bars, and in the rear the leaf springs. So basically unbolt them, swap and bolt the new ones on. It may be a little tight, so others have suggested to lower the rear spare to make it easier access.

 

I only raised the rear so I could have more room to work under. I was able to compress the rear ones with my hands.

The front ones: put the truck on stands and remove the old shocks. I did have to use the jack to push up on the lower control arm so I could install the mounting bolts on the shock. Don't worry, it's alot easier that you think, just take your time.

Bill

 

Taking off the front wheels just gives you more room to work with, making it easier.

As for jacking up the rear, it helps also. But jack up the truck from the frame, not the axle. I put the jack under the tow hitch to raise the body and keep the wheels on the ground still, which gave more room for me under there and also more room to fit the shocks in.

Really it's an easy job, took me a little over 2 hours with no air tools.

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black 97' x-cab 4x4, 5 speed 4.6, black westin nerf bars, 6 cd changer and a 12 premier sub, pilot ground searchers, borla SS split rear exhaust, K&N genII, bosch +4 plugs, superchip, flexalite electric fan, v-tech oval side window covers, IAS shocks


still to come: new spark plug wires, new rims and tires.

 

I just had Rancho 9000s put on and it cost me $10 per shock for the install. At that rate I did not want to bother doing it myself.


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97 F-150, 2WD, Reg Cab,Flareside,Dk Toreador Red, Windsor 4.6, Magnecor 8.5mm wires, Bosch Plat +4s, 3.55 LS, EGR Bug Deflector, ******* Bed Cover, Bed Liner, XL Full Length Running Boards, Air Aid Kit, Gibson Single Out Cat Back, Superchips, TransGo Shift Kit, Hellwig Rear Sway Bar, Hellwig 2500# Overload Springs,Energy Suspension Polyurethane Front Sway Bar Bushings, 265 70 16 tires, Rancho RS9000 shocks

 

TEllenberger,

How did you get $10 a shock?

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The Truck: 1997 Black F-150 Flareside. Regular Cab ORP and Towing Package
The Mods: K&N Filter, Eurolid Hard Tonneau, Profile Windstream Side Deflectors and Lund X-Terminator Bug Deflector.
The Site:
Triton's 4.6 Liter Web Page

 

Read my post again. That was $10 per shock for the install. Meaning the labor for them to install each shock was $10, $40 total labor. The shocks were a bunch more. But I figured at $40 labor I would not get dirty.

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97 F-150, 2WD, Reg Cab,Flareside,Dk Toreador Red, Windsor 4.6, Magnecor 8.5mm wires, Bosch Plat +4s, 3.55 LS, EGR Bug Deflector, ******* Bed Cover, Bed Liner, XL Full Length Running Boards, Air Aid Kit, Gibson Single Out Cat Back, Superchips, TransGo Shift Kit, Hellwig Rear Sway Bar, Hellwig 2500# Overload Springs,Energy Suspension Polyurethane Front Sway Bar Bushings, 265 70 16 tires, Rancho RS9000 shocks

 

LOL!!!

I reread...thought you had an inside connection there.





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The Truck: 1997 Black F-150 Flareside. Regular Cab ORP and Towing Package
The Mods: K&N Filter, Eurolid Hard Tonneau, Profile Windstream Side Deflectors and Lund X-Terminator Bug Deflector.
The Site:
Triton's 4.6 Liter Web Page