Just recently got a new axle put into my F150 by a well known garage shop. My suspension has recently started doing a lot of squeaking. Especially in the front left. Today I replaced shocks in the front. I figured it was ball joints making the noise, but it was time to do shocks 140k. Anyway the guy at advance auto parts said take silicon spray and hit everything in the suspension with it.

As I was spraying the back suspension I noticed the right rear shock was completely missing. Looks like they forgot to put it back in when they put the car back together. I have been driving the vehicle without a left rear shock for about a month. What damage can be done by this, and how should I handle this tomorrow when I show up to the garage.

 

Wow that's crazy. I doubt it did any damage though but did you notice a rougher ride? I would ask for some kind of discount but be nice about it.

 

in theory you could weaken the spring if you had it overloaded and hit a bunch of bumps.

 

Well since it was a month ago, they need to replace the shock, and last I heard they need to be done in pairs, so my expectation is to have a new pair of shocks out of this deal. I'm just worried that this might have caused me damage to the rest of the suspension.

I am a city driver mostly, what I noticed was squeaking, very annoying squeaking.

 

Since at 140k, you really did not have any shocks to speak of anyway, I doubt whether anything was hurt.

 

Well I shouldn't even be admitting to this, but this was a blond moment on my behalf. Apparently in the back, one shock goes backwards and the other one goes forwards. I thought they both went backwards, anyway, the second shock was there the whole time.

The squeak was coming from the lower ball joints, having those done as I don't have the tools or patience for that job.

 

thats weird..i thought the 2001 fords always have both shocks running at the back.

 

Agreed Id like to see pics of this

 

It doesn't matter which way they are mounted, body up or down will be fine. It is kind of weird though that they would run one up and one down, most people run both in the same direction.

 

You misunderstood. He is stating that one shock is in front of the axle and one shock is behind the axle.

PS - On the 97-03, the rear shocks just like the front, with a top mount thread, so they can only be mounted one way, body down.

 

Seems like no one has done it yet, so I'm gonna kick this off with a little bit of friendly hazing…now that's hilarious!

All SuperCrews have staggered shocks.

It does matter…it matters based on which direction the manufacturer intended. Luckily, on the '97-'03 trucks, unlike the NBS, you don't have a choice as the top and bottom mounting brackets are different and not interchangeable; it's impossible to get it wrong.

Again not true. Depends on the manufacturer. Some shocks are made for these trucks with the body up, i.e. the Rancho's here...



Included this photo because you can see the bracket on the right has the mounting location for either side of the axle. **NOTE** I mounted both of my shocks rear of the axle for looks! Supposedly the SuperCrews were staggered to help control axle wrap. I haven't noticed anything negative from swapping that shock around.

 

I see now. I thought he was saying that they mounted one body up and the other body down, thanks for correcting me

 

First timer I have seen 97-03 shocks with the shaft down.

In all honesty, I would not want shocks that were uncovered and shaft down. One little stone chip and that will tear up the seals to the shock. That plus all the crud having to be wiped by the shock every time it cycles. Much rather have the body down covered shaft shocks.

 

Then I wonder why, if you look at all your BAJA, SCORE, and other off road trucks, they are mounted shaft down with no boot? Interesting! Plus, look at any shock made my Bilstein, King, Fox, S-A-W, Icon, (in other words, all your top-end shocks) and you discover they are body up. Only the garden cookie cutter shocks like Munroe and Rancho and the like make shocks for these trucks body down. Heck, even my Edelbrocks before my lift were body up.

I respectfully disagree with your reasoning and here's why; that hardened steel rod will take 10x the beating of a shock body. One little dent in the body of the shock and it's done. First time a piston has to conform over a dent in the body, its going to start bypassing internally and at that point, it's doing nothing. It will just fade. The body is much better served being tucked away up under the body for protection. The boot is a novelty for appearance only. A boot has to have air holes in it or it'd just blow off each compression. The boots 'can' fill up with dust, dirt, and debris, especially if submerged, and that stuff just stays trapped in there. (Quality) Shocks are designed with at least one, if not multiple 'scraper' rings around the inlet to the body whose sole purpose in life is to wipe away and clean the rod before it approaches the seal. That seal is safe, trust me. Plus you gotta admit, this set up just looks bad-@$$ compared to a shock body down. I have never had a body down shock on this truck, have never had boots on the shocks, and have never had a shock failure or problem.

 

Maybe the off-road are all body up, but there is no choice in those as they have a reservoir. As far as OE replacement, The fronts are all body down, and the rears can be mounted either way. I chose body down, just like the fronts. And I am sure, those Baja racers are replacing or rebuilding their shocks before every race, if not during the racing due to break down.