Hey all, I just got Bilstein 5100s installed on my 2010 f150. I did the rears myself but I didnt want to mess with the fronts as I dont have the tools so I took it into a shop. I read on another forum that if properly installed you shouldn't see the retainer clip under the spring perch, so I believe they put it back together wrong. Any thoughts on this? I cant see that metal clip on the passenger side, only the drivers side.

 

The almost wire like circlip that sits part way in the groove also gets covered by a recess in the sleeve, thus locking it in place where it can't "pop out" I believe. I can't see the circlip in the photo, but if you can see it in real life, maybe the shop put the sleeve on upside down and the recess in it is on the wrong end. If that is the case as I believe, it should be corrected before the circlip pops out of the groove in the shock.

Please do post any correction.

What can you see on the other side? Maybe I'm mis-reading you, is it the clip or the solid sleeve that slides down over it you shouldn't see you think?

As to taking it apart, when I pulled my tucks front shocks to make changes (I shortened them to lower the truck https://www.f150online.com/forums/20...yesterday.html), I did one side at a time. I jacked under the lower control arm, which compressed that spring some too, then I put two spring clamp tools on (loaner tool from Advance Auto Parts) the springs and adjusted tightly, I even put hose clamps on the hooks top keep the hooks from popping loose, the weight of the truck did the compressing, … then I eased the jack down so the frame rested on a jack stand, then I removed the shock with spring on it to do my work. I left the clamps on the springs until it was all back together. Of corse, the wheel & tire was removed first. The hardest part was torqueing that lower shock bolt in the swing arm, Was like 351 ftl/bs as I recall. Bought a new T-W just for the job, it's long too, but room to swing it was short with the truck on the ground. If & when I ever need to replace the front shocks, I'll use Bilstein 5100s for a 2wd truck.