Eshocks says that they are the right ones for regular and extended cabs 4x4, but supercrews have dirrerent ones... http://eshocks.com/bil_veh3.asp?Mode...tein&SubChar=Q yours is an extended cab right? I think you have the right ones?

 

Huh !! Thanks for the info .. I'll try to loosen them up again..

 

jbrew...another sanity check you can perform is jack the truck up by the frame and let the front suspension hang free. The upper control arm bump stop (top arrow) should completely press up against the top of that big frame piece (near bottom arrow) so that the two arrows come together. That would be full suspension droop on our trucks. If this doens't happen, your shock is too short and limiting travel. This condition is where things are gonna break eventually. All this discussion about your bottom bushing not flatening out further leads me to believe it's too short because it's not pulling up far enough, but guess I could be wrong about that one. I've never had one tighten up like that.

As I mentioned before, and Bvette said, don't get wrapped up in a particular torque setting. You're looking for the bushings to get smashed properly. That's why yes, there should be two nuts on top, one to tighten and one to lock.

I wonder why regualr and extended cabs have one shock but supercrews have a different number?????? That really doesn't make any sense since it's the exact same shock mounting and front suspension???? Unless the valving is different for some reason, which I still wouldn't think so. Intresting...Maybe it's related to why my '97 regular cab had the loooong torsion bars and the ones on my '02 Screw are much shorter.

 

Galaxy - Great points!! I'll check out the control arm travel.. It's in the shop here - Fortunately I have a couple other F150's here I can use if I need to next week, so I'll work on this one Monday night . I'll take better pics of everything and post em up around 10pm this coming Monday. Might as well get it figured out..

Thanx.

BTW - I have those monster torsion bars that extend all the way back to the freakin tailshaft ..

 

jbrew...that's your truck in the picture up on jack stands correct?? If so, then the 2489 part number is correct for your truck. That number fits everything except '01-'03 SuperCrews that use the 2574 part number. So according to that, you're good. I still don't understand why a different shock for the two trucks though.

 

That's what they say , but I'm not convinced. I have a few things to check out now. Yea , the F150 I own is a 98 Super Cab..3 door.

 

The bilstein shocks only require 1 nut on the top...the stock ones have 2 so you can loosen the top nut and hold the bottom nut...but the bilsteins have a flat spot at the very top of the threads that you can fit a 6mm wrench to hold the rod from spinning. My bilstein rear shocks had an allen (hex head) wrench at the top to hold the rods.

Jbrew....You might want to make sure you have the right size nut for the fronts...my kit came with the wrong nuts and this might be part of your problem...the nuts they sent me were, I belive a 7/16" coarse thread...and im pretty sure that you need a 10mm coarse thread...I would double check them because this issue gave me hell on the front shocks!

 

Jbrew your truck going to be togther for next sat? id feel bad if it wasnt . you dont need front shocks to drag race

 

Nah , I don't need the shocks to race you . Prolly only need half of my motor to beat yuh - I'll be their..

 

Seems like I would have noticed that - the rear shocks went on well , it was time consuming torquing that nut at the top - no room to maneuver but there good and tightened like they were suppose to.

I'll check the front shock top nut and threads out tho..Thanks.

Something else came to mind - maybe I was suppose to tighten with the front end off the jack stands?? That shouldn't matter ..Idunno , I 'll see..

 

i dont have the added weght of the 4x4 but you also have a few mods i dont also you have 330CI i have 281CI and i have a mod i think you dont....i say close race but i still say you pull out. should be funn thoe we really need to start a thread for this race because were all over the place with it lol

 

LOL - take your video camera point it at your speedo , turn it on and floor it..Take your foot off the pedal @ about 80mph. Post the vid here. I really don't think No one is interested.

Besides -

That will tell us if it's worth the gas to race each other..

 

i really dont have anywere around here i can go 0-80...maybe getting on M-5 but thats about it. i still cant belive i beat that 01 from a 45 rolll to 98 *speed limiter*. kensington isnt that far. maybe only like 5 gallons both ways i still say itd be funn

 

I figured I'd comment as I experienced EXACTLY what Jbrew is describing. I could, and it took forever, just barely get the front nuts started. I just tightened till the rubbers were compressing a bit, what I figured 22 ft lbs would be. I got the 2489 shocks (Bilstein) and the 2490 rears. So far, it seems a bit still and rattley in the front to start, it seems to go away though. The ride is alot nicer as the fronts were shot and the rears weren't far behind. I thaught it would be an easy job................ ya, bullsh+t!!!! It called for every tool I pretty much didn't have, like 18mm stuff. Next time will be easy, but man I was sore for days after. I'll have to take pics and crap like that, but presently they are coated heavily in road salt having been in a major snow storm I was in a few days ago.

 

I just put my Bilsteins on last night and it was a PITA! I ran in to the same problem of the 2489 seeming too short on my 99 reg cab 4x4. I know it is the right shock but I couldn't get the nut started on top with the supplied bushings. After scratching my head for a while I reused the factory bushings just to get the shock mounted. I took it for a spin, and it rides like crap, I have to go tighten them down more because the truck feels like something is loose in the front, and the shocks are the only things I touched.