Estimated time to install shocks?

[SixFoFalcon]

I have 4 new Bilsteins waiting to be installed. From what I can see it looks like a very straight-forward job, but I'm curious whether it's something that can be done in an hour or so, or should I clear a whole afternoon for the job. Any tips or tricks that the Haynes manual doesn't address?

 

[BlackBII]

I could do it in an hour...

It's real simple, but if you haven't done it before, it may take you two hours or so.

 

[SixFoFalcon]

Thanks, that's what I needed to hear.

I can't wait to get rid of these horrible OE shocks.

 

[Dezert Runner]

Might take you 2 hours if you have never done it or arent too hot working on cars.

 

[GoodysGotaCuda]

hour or less for me with air tools

 

[ati190]

It is straight forward. Takes roughly an hour. One thing to not forget, is the studs on the radius arm's tend to snap if the shocks are originals, or you are unlucky. I had this problem a few weeks ago. A fix for this is a new radius arm OR, the quicker/easier way, grind off what's left of the stud, and drill a 5/8 hole in your radius arm and mount autozone part help #31001, or Napa part # P-00019 with RED Locktite. If that occurs.

ati190

 

[SixFoFalcon]

Thanks for all the input. It ended up taking me about two hours to do the shocks and swap the master cylinder. The shocks were dead simple--the only little bit of aggravation I got was when the stupid rubber inner fender "splash shield" thing tore off at two of the plastic clips. I was just pushing it up out of the way so I could access the top nut on the shock absorber, and two of those plastic clips just ripped their way right through the 10-year-old rubber. Not sure if I'm going to have to repair that eventually but for now it's just tucked back in place and hopefully it won't flop down and get entangled in the suspension or steering linkage. The rears were easy as pie. Didn't even need to use the jack--just crawled under the truck and swapped them out.

 

[mondo77]

I'm thinking about doing the same thing. How much better is the ride with the Bilsteins? and what series are they?

 

[doorgunner]

Yea, is the ride stiffer/firmer or softer smoother? I heard Illegal or one of the other guys say the ride was much better with the Bil-shocks. Let us know which way they feel to you... Oh, & since you already did the swap, don't worry bout soaking all the nuts & bolts with w-d40 a day before to loosen up all the rusty stuff

 

[SixFoFalcon]

Not sure what the series is, but here are the model #s.
BE5-2791-H0
BE5-2792-H0
I bought them from Shox.com, and it looks like they just knocked the price down. Good for you guys who are about to buy, bad for me.

But what's done is done, and I am very happy with the Bilsteins. Compared to what was on there, they are MUCH softer and smoother over cracks, potholes, etc. Not to say that they are a "soft" shock necessarily, but they feel better to me than what was on there, and what was on there before was way too firm.

The truck had some unknown shocks on the front (they were black w/ no label, sade "Made in Mexico" and didn't have anything that looked like a Ford part#), and Gabriel Ultras in the rear. The rear shocks didn't look too old and I didn't really have any complaints over them. I don't know how many miles were on the front shocks, but they were SUPER stiff and you felt every bump in the road when driving around town.

Now with the Bilsteins the truck just feels the way a truck should. They soak up all the small stuff pretty well but the truck doesn't feel "floaty" like the old GM trucks from the 80s (pardon the example). So, based on my limited experience, I'd say they are not a firm shock absorber and leave it at that.

 

[doorgunner]

thanks for the details---since I'm gonna stay on black-top & won't be jumping the Rocky Mountains, you guys have convinced me