Best way to remove front shocks?

[turbo_jimbo]

I used the German spec for torque on the upper bolts; gutentight. Pretty sure you aren’t getting a torque wrench in there without a lot of hassle on the rear uppers.

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[Ramble_Offroad]

I used the German spec for torque on the upper bolts; gutentight. Pretty sure you aren’t getting a torque wrench in there without a lot of hassle on the rear uppers.

Agreed, I was referring to the rear / uppers. Gutentight it shall be.

I’m trying to clean off all the excess shock oil now, it soaked everything nearby. It dried like expired contact cement, wicked sticky. I figure I’ll start with simple green or brake cleaner.

I’d wager my brake pads my be toast after their shock oil bath.

 

[turbo_jimbo]

Brake pad material is pretty resilient. Some brake cleaner should sort that out.

 

[87-Z28]

so this is how I got a torque of 350 ft/lbs into the lower bolt. Very very easy. just use a 1 ft wrench and then apply a very very soft load. Don’t over do it;

1 ft / .002857 lbs =350. ft/lbs

alternatively, but much harder, is to apply a 1 lbs force to a very very small wrench. I didn’t go this route because it was difficult to find such a wrench. 0.87 mm long wrench to be exact

1 lbs / .002857 ft =350. lbs/ft

ok. I am done now.

 

[Brian_B]

I mean, it isn’t called Brake Cleaner for nothing

 

[SierraBronco]

so this is how I got a torque of 350 ft/lbs into the lower bolt. Very very easy. just use a 1 ft wrench and then apply a very very soft load. Don’t over do it;

1 ft / .002857 lbs =350. ft/lbs

alternatively, but much harder, is to apply a 1 lbs force to a very very small wrench. I didn’t go this route because it was difficult to find such a wrench. 0.87 mm long wrench to be exact

1 lbs / .002857 ft =350. lbs/ft

ok. I am done now.

You could get really nice calipers and measure the length. Stop at .00385” of growth for a 7/8” grade 8 bolt. Boom. Terked uhp!

 

[Brian_B]

We have these German engines at work. For the head bolts, the torque spec is “hand tight”

You just use a 3,000 psi hydraulic stud stretcher first. Once you let the hydraulics off, I have no idea what the applied torque is but they are crazy F’n tight

 

[SierraBronco]

We have these German engines at work. For the head bolts, the torque spec is “hand tight”

You just use a 3,000 psi hydraulic stud stretcher first. Once you let the hydraulics off, I have no idea what the applied torque is but they are crazy F’n tight

The hydraulic devices are frickin sweet. The reason I got the DCF961 is it will put out a tad over 83 pounds/inch with the big battery and setting three maxxed out. Perfect for a 4.5” 10,000 psi connection.

 

[Langwilliams]

350…yeah dude. I’m not sure I’ll be able to hit 350 even with the giant torque wrench I ordered

I just did this job two weeks ago. If I hadn't had a snap on 1/2 air impact I don't think I could have gotten them off. I tried to avoid breaking it out an used a breaking bar with a pipe an I saw the Craftsman bar bending. I just ran the lowers on with the impact an hit them hard with it to torque them down.

FYI for the fronts I took the two sway bar brackets off the body an took out the lower control arm bolts. The struts dropped right out.

 

[Ramble_Offroad]

I just did this job two weeks ago. If I hadn't had a snap on 1/2 air impact I don't think I could have gotten them off. I tried to avoid breaking it out an used a breaking bar with a pipe an I saw the Craftsman bar bending. I just ran the lowers on with the impact an hit them hard with it to torque them down.

FYI for the fronts I took the two sway bar brackets off the body an took out the lower control arm bolts. The struts dropped right out.

Thanks. I ordered a 40” breaker bar to help with the rear / lowers. I’ve got a proper impact driver but it’s nothing like a proper air impact. I don’t have a cheater pipe to slide over the breaker but maybe I can find one. Next Friday I’m doing the front and the rears in Sat.

 

[Langwilliams]

Another note on the rear, I had a 30mm socket so I didn't have to order one, or so I thought. Turns out it was too shallow. I didn't have a 30mm wrench or deep socket but my industrial strength adjustable wrench did the job of holding the nut side of the lower rear bolt.

 

[Deano Bronc]

Another note on the rear, I had a 30mm socket so I didn't have to order one, or so I thought. Turns out it was too shallow. I didn't have a 30mm wrench or deep socket but my industrial strength adjustable wrench did the job of holding the nut side of the lower rear bolt.

I know this isn't going to help you now but I'll post this to help others in the future. I believe some of the early Bronco had a no-spin nut for the lower shock bolt and then sometime in the future they switched to a standard nut. When I originally put on my shock skids, it was a major pain in the ass to keep that nut from spinning while trying to torque it to 350ft/lbs. A friend of mine did a little investigating and came up with a part number for the no-spin nuts which made the job a whole lot easier when I replaced the rear shocks. Here is the package for those tabbed nuts.

 

[Umichigan1]

"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)."

What torque value did you use for the 3 Upper Shock nuts (15mm)? Where did you find the value?

 

[Brian_B]

The master list I have bookmarked doesn't show a specific Rear Shock Tower Upper Nut, but this is for the Front tower. 41 lb ft

Master Spreadsheet

When I did mine I did "good and tight" as I couldn't get a torque wrench in on nuts easily - which usually ends up somewhere around 75 lb ft. The Torque marks haven't moved in a couple of years, so I think it was ok.

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