Best way to remove front shocks?

[Trza]

Just wanted to give an update.

I installed the Zone 1" level on my Non SAS Badlands last night. Removing the Lower Control Arms is the way to go. After wasting time trying to do the upper ball joint, tie rod end, sway bar, and axle nut method, it was clear that removing the Sway bar and LCA was going to be easier.

The Badlands come with the sway bar disconnect, it's a pretty heavy unit due to the motor. Once all of thr skid plates are removed:

Remove the 2, 18mm nuts and 2, 18mm bolts (4 total). You have to remove the wiring harness clips to free up some slack to move the sway bar far enough (towards the rear) to give enough room to slide the LCA bolt out. Support the bar on 2 jackstands. Remove the sway bar end links on both sides. Make sure to use a 6mm hex to hold the sway bar end links end in place so that you don't twist up the boot.

Make sure to mark your camber adjuster thingys with a marker, front and rear on each side of the arms.

Then remove 2 of the 15mm nuts on the top shock mount. Leave the 3rd hand tight.

Remove the lower shock nuts. I can't remember, I think 19mm. Make sure to support the assembly with jacks so that you don't put any stress on the CV axle. But really, the tie rod end and upper ball joint are still attached so it's not really going anywhere. I did this for extra precaution.

Now tackle the lower control arm nut and bolt. Make sure to loosen from the nut side. These are in tight, roughly 220ish ft/lbs, so I used a wrench (15/16ths) and used my my foot to break it loose. Once you remove the lower control arm, remove the last upper strut nut and the lower shock just slides right out.

I used a ball joint removal kit to remove the stamped lower shock studs. An air hammer didn't work for me. Or maybe the one I have isn't strong enough. Instead, just put a 24 mm socket over the top of the stud, clamp it with the ball joint removal tool, and use a impact wrench and it will pop right out.

Now, just put your spacers on the strut (top and bottom) and put it back in the Bronco. Tighten the top strut bolts, use the supplied lower strut nut and bolts from Zone (this will make removing the strut so much easier in the future since the stamped studs have been removed). Tighten the new lower strut nut and bolt. Now comes the hard part...

You have to line up the LCA bolt and alignment washers. I used 2 long screwdrivers to line up the holes, then slid the bolts back in, line up to your marked lines then tighten. Keep in mind, it's best to torque the LCA to spec with weight on the vehicle. I tightened them down with a couple good turns then tightened to spec later.

Now just put the Sway bar back in place, tighten the end links and you are done. Almost...remember to tighten those LCA nuts to spec now that the vehicle is on the ground.

Now get an alignment. Mine felt stock but I'm still booked for an alignment anyways.

This was the easiest way to get the shock out and not have to remove the axle nut. Hope this helps anyone with the sway bar disconnect.

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[Ramble_Offroad]

Hey guys, good thread. Sounds like the LCA method is the way to go versus fussing with pushing the axle out.

I’ll be pulling out my Fox 2.5’s and replacing them with a set of Eibach ProTruck 2.0 w/ HD springs. (Long story, obliterated one of my Fox shocks at 12K feet. Too much preload is my only guess.)

I had a local shop install my Fox kit but this time around I’ll be doing it all myself with help from a buddy. Luckily my buddy is wildly more knowledgeable/ mechanically experienced than I, so that should help.

My truck is a badlands, but supporting the swaybar assembly looks easy enough.

Considering that the Fox front shocks have bolts versus the OEM studs, I’m thinking that this would only make it easier to pull the front shocks out. Any reason why I should follow Eibach’s instructions versus dropping the swaybar & LCA?

cheers,
Lars

 

[SierraBronco]

Hey guys, good thread. Sounds like the LCA method is the way to go versus fussing with pushing the axle out.

I’ll be pulling out my Fox 2.5’s and replacing them with a set of Eibach ProTruck 2.0 w/ HD springs. (Long story, obliterated one of my Fox shocks at 12K feet. Too much preload is my only guess.)

I had a local shop install my Fox kit but this time around I’ll be doing it all myself with help from a buddy. Luckily my buddy is wildly more knowledgeable/ mechanically experienced than I, so that should help.

My truck is a badlands, but supporting the swaybar assembly looks easy enough.

Considering that the Fox front shocks have bolts versus the OEM studs, I’m thinking that this would only make it easier to pull the front shocks out. Any reason why I should follow Eibach’s instructions versus dropping the swaybar & LCA?

cheers,
Lars

Just mark your alignment tabs then make certain you don’t overextend the CV’s and you’ll be fine. And those LCA bolts need 210 lbs/ft

That is one unhappy shock

 

[userdude]

Hey guys, good thread. Sounds like the LCA method is the way to go versus fussing with pushing the axle out.

I’ll be pulling out my Fox 2.5’s and replacing them with a set of Eibach ProTruck 2.0 w/ HD springs. (Long story, obliterated one of my Fox shocks at 12K feet. Too much preload is my only guess.)

I had a local shop install my Fox kit but this time around I’ll be doing it all myself with help from a buddy. Luckily my buddy is wildly more knowledgeable/ mechanically experienced than I, so that should help.

My truck is a badlands, but supporting the swaybar assembly looks easy enough.

Considering that the Fox front shocks have bolts versus the OEM studs, I’m thinking that this would only make it easier to pull the front shocks out. Any reason why I should follow Eibach’s instructions versus dropping the swaybar & LCA?

cheers,
Lars

I learned long ago there's a hard way and an easy way to work on vehicles. My not knowing any better, how hard can it be?? became gosh darn wtf why'd I even start geez just get it back together!! With the help of someone who knows better, always easier. That way I don't take half the car/truck apart getting to the water pump. Seriously!

 

[SierraBronco]

That way I don't take half the car/truck apart getting to the water pump. Seriously!

LMAO! After the swap our new phrase is “oh. You’ve done too much.” Wifey would go to start tearing something off and, while successful in properly removing the part, she might have disassembled a bit toooooo much. Not a biggie but now just more work to get it all back together

 

[userdude]

LMAO! After the swap our new phrase is “oh. You’ve done too much.” Wifey would go to start tearing something off and, while successful in properly removing the part, she might have disassembled a bit toooooo much. Not a biggie but now just more work to get it all back together

She's my spirit animal. That is my method, let's learn how things go together by taking it all apart. Oh yeah, just needed to put some windshield wiper fluid in? FML. And let's not get started on my eternal two left feet with batteries...

 

[indio22]

She's my spirit animal. That is my method, let's learn how things go together by taking it all apart. Oh yeah, just needed to put some windshield wiper fluid in? FML. And let's not get started on my eternal two left feet with batteries...

Problem is I take things apart ... and sometimes fail to put them together again. From that I learned only take one thing apart at a time.

 

[SierraBronco]

Problem is I take things apart ... and sometimes fail to put them together again. From that I learned only take one thing apart at a time.

Just an opportunity to learn more about the system!

 

[Ramble_Offroad]

Just mark your alignment tabs then make certain you don’t overextend the CV’s and you’ll be fine. And those LCA bolts need 210 lbs/ft

That is one unhappy shock

Thanks. 210 ft/lbs.

Yeah….T’was a long limp home. Ha ha ha.

 

[SierraBronco]

Thanks. 210 ft/lbs.

Yeah….T’was a long limp home. Ha ha ha.

Lbs of force per ft of leverage

 

[Ramble_Offroad]

Lbs of force per ft of leverage

Yup, I wrote that backwards. Welcome to my brain. Ha ha ha. I’ve got just enough mechanical know how to be a threat to myself.

 

[SierraBronco]

Yup, I wrote that backwards. Welcome to my brain. Ha ha ha. I’ve got just enough mechanical know how to be a threat to myself.

To be fair, even the torque wrenches say ft/lbs. As long as it’s realized that it’s force per foot and not feet per pound, then whatever.

 

[turbo_jimbo]

I had the front struts done in 1 hour including changing the upper control arms. Jack up the lower control arm a bit to relieve some of the downtravel tension and smack the knuckle next to the upper joint with a hammer a couple times, it’ll pop right out easy peasy.

 

[Karl_in_Chicago]

LMAO! After the swap our new phrase is “oh. You’ve done too much.” Wifey would go to start tearing something off and, while successful in properly removing the part, she might have disassembled a bit toooooo much. Not a biggie but now just more work to get it all back together

Once you being removing fasteners they all start to look alike . . . and it's easy to remove/loosen stuff you didn't need or intend to. Oh crap, I didn't mean to take it *apart* I just meant to remove this thing here! Wait, did I just hear something drop?

 

[SierraBronco]

Once you being removing fasteners they all start to look alike . . . and it's easy to remove/loosen stuff you didn't need or intend to. Oh crap, I didn't mean to take it *apart* I just meant to remove this thing here! Wait, did I just hear something drop?

We (I) misplaced the bolts for the bottom of the front diff mount. Spent hours looking for them and eventually hit up @Ducati1098 to verify part numbers and order new ones. To this day we still haven’t found them.

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