Front 2wd shocks '89 was a change - need some help

[Fairlaniac]

I bought a pair of new Monroe front shocks for my ’89 Ranger 2wd from a vendor at Carlisle two weeks ago. I’ve yet to put them on but ran across a bit of info in the LMC catalog. It seems as though shocks on trucks built up to 9/89 use a different shock than those built after 9/89. More research turned up the pre 9/89 shocks are a 10mm bolt and the post 9/89 shocks are 12mm. Well the shock the guy had advertised to cover my year are for post 9/89. Since I have not looked or took the bolts out yet I’ll imagine the bolt in question is the bottom bolt? To use the 12mm bolt shock would it be a simple matter of going to the junkyard and getting the 12mm fasteners and re-drill my lower shock mount to use these shocks that I have? The shocks are Monroe p/n 32235. Since I bought them from a swap meet vendor they’re mine to keep as he is long gone. I only paid $20 for the pair but since I have them, I might as well try to use them.

Thanks!

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

from 10/89 the shock on the left with the 12mm hole is what fits.
to 9/89 the shock on the right with the 10mm holes it what fits. they are both the same length, but i suspect the radius arms were beefed up in 10/89 after too many broken shock studs were reported?

your build date will be in the drivers door jamb so you can use that to determine which shock you have, rather than tearing it down only to find out you dont have the right shocks and have to go to the parts store and get them, wasting more time you could have spent under your truck.

 

[Fairlaniac]

Thanks, my build date is 12/88. Since I cannot return the shocks and this is a beater truck, I am bound and determined to use them if at all possible. Just curious if anyone else had done this yet?

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

you can do what ive had to do in the past when i managed to break the threaded portion off the mounting stud. you have to use a cut off wheel or torch and cut the lower shock mounting stud off from the radius arm and then center punch the arm and drill it to the according size. then you need a 3/4"- 1" spacer to place between the radius arm and the shock to maintain clearance. get the proper length and diameter bolt to go through the shock, spacer, and radius arm and then get a good locking nut. that should get you all fixed up so you can use those shocks you have.

 

[martin]

Just take out the metal sleeve.

 

[AllanD]

The "early" shocks don't use a lower shock stud there is a simple HOLE
in the radius arm and a brace bracket and a simple through bolt.

that bolt is NOT a 10mm bolt it is a 12mm bolt
The sleeve is to protect the bushing from the bolt.

The early setup is essentially a pooch that can't be screwed.

The LATER shock mount is a stud that's welded to the radius arm
and it has a shoulder and uses a nut and a washer.
Likelt the threaded portion of the stud is 10mm, frankly I've never bothered to look.

The early shocks can be mounted to the late truck by simply driving out
the metal sleeve.

Frankly I went the other way, I put late Bilstein shocks on my 1987 by
ADDING the sleeve.

It's a shock not rocket surgery.

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