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Old Mar 12, 2009 | 07:10 AM
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rear shocks

I tell ya, front shocks were easily changed onece I found out how to get them in. First side took mabye 30-50 minutes. Second side only about 15-20. WD40 really helped loosen those bolts.

Now the rear, I spend over and hour last night trying to get the top bolt off of one shock. No such luck I can get a socked on there and pull with pry bar but it just moves the top portion of the shock ever so lighly and never loosens enouph to get it off. I think the nut on top actually started to round itself off.

Any suggestion or tips to get those old pieces of crap out?

Thanks!


seems to amaze me why in the world ford decided to cram those in there and not leave enouph room to really service them.
 
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Old Mar 12, 2009 | 09:53 AM
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Typically we used to cut old ones off with a torch (or I use a sawzall or just a hack-saw). One can cut part of the rod that extends upward on most models of vehicles, but I think that the clearance is an issue with these trucks - if I recall correctly, I held the rod steady (below the mount) with Vice Grips, and Sawzalled or Hack sawed through the bolt and threaded rod above the mount.
 
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Old Mar 12, 2009 | 10:02 AM
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Originally Posted by GammaDriver
Typically we used to cut old ones off with a torch (or I use a sawzall or just a hack-saw). One can cut part of the rod that extends upward on most models of vehicles, but I think that the clearance is an issue with these trucks - if I recall correctly, I held the rod steady (below the mount) with Vice Grips, and Sawzalled or Hack sawed through the bolt and threaded rod above the mount.

Yea not much room up there for any zawzaws or anything like that. I'll look, but I'm pretty sure it was crowded up there.

I'll keep trying I guess
 
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Old Mar 12, 2009 | 10:09 AM
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I used a hole saw and cut holes in my bed just above the shock mount.

I know I used drastic measures, but I can remove the top nuts in about
30 seconds now!

Cutting the top threads off is another method too(mentioned earlier).
The only thing is you have to put a new shock back and you will have to deal with installing the new top nut.
 
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Old Mar 12, 2009 | 10:18 AM
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Originally Posted by khadma
I used a hole saw and cut holes in my bed just above the shock mount.

I know I used drastic measures, but I can remove the top nuts in about
30 seconds now!

Cutting the top threads off is another method too(mentioned earlier).
The only thing is you have to put a new shock back and you will have to deal with installing the new top nut.

yea I'd say cutting a hole in your bed is certainly drastic.

Not sure if cutting the threads off the top is going to help. I was hoping it be rusted enouph that when some force is applied it would snap off like the front one did.

Going to try and cut it out somehow this afternoon.
 
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Old Mar 12, 2009 | 10:30 AM
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No, sorry, I meant I cut through just under the nut - not over it on the threads. You still have rubber bushings in there - cut through them ****ers. It's the easy way. I think on one of them I cut throught the nut, too - but that may have been a different vehicle.

Stop trying to take the nut off.
 
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Old Mar 12, 2009 | 10:38 AM
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Originally Posted by GammaDriver
No, sorry, I meant I cut through just under the nut - not over it on the threads. You still have rubber bushings in there - cut through them ****ers. It's the easy way. I think on one of them I cut throught the nut, too - but that may have been a different vehicle.

Stop trying to take the nut off.

Yea....I was looking at doing that last night. I'll have to see if I can find a blad long enouph to fit through the opening to cut through the rubber/shaft. That was my only solution last night as well, but ran out of time to try.

Not sure if i'm able to or not, but maybe I can cut the shaft from below before it goes through the opening.

I'll have to take another look.
 
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Old Mar 12, 2009 | 10:45 AM
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I'm thinking I couldn't cut that low due to not having the clearance to get that long of a cut piece back up through the space above it. I do remember the smoke from the bushing and using the Sawzall now

And if you don't own a reciprocating saw, now is the perfect excuse to go and buy one! Even the basic Lowe's brand of Ryobi (plug in, not rechargeable) saws are pretty good for non-professional use (we have one we've used professionally, and haven't had any issues with it)... I can't recommend a Makita RS though, most of our new ones are having issues with throwing the blades. Of course the Milwaukee (sp?) actual Sawzall brand is always good.
 
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Old Mar 12, 2009 | 11:05 AM
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Originally Posted by GammaDriver
I'm thinking I couldn't cut that low due to not having the clearance to get that long of a cut piece back up through the space above it. I do remember the smoke from the bushing and using the Sawzall now

And if you don't own a reciprocating saw, now is the perfect excuse to go and buy one! Even the basic Lowe's brand of Ryobi (plug in, not rechargeable) saws are pretty good for non-professional use (we have one we've used professionally, and haven't had any issues with it)... I can't recommend a Makita RS though, most of our new ones are having issues with throwing the blades. Of course the Milwaukee (sp?) actual Sawzall brand is always good.

Nope, deff have a reciprocating saw....as well as a grinder.
Yea there isn't much room on top or bottom. So you got a long blade and ran it through the small opening in the frame correct (looking through the wheel wheel. There is a small square cut in the frame where you can actually see the bolt from the shock.
 
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Old Mar 12, 2009 | 06:48 PM
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I've used a sawzall and I have also unbolted the bottom then took the whole shock and swung it back and forth until the top broke. Either way it is a **** poor design.
 
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Old Mar 12, 2009 | 06:53 PM
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All I know is that I fit it in there, lol, and cut through (probably) the upper-most rubber bushing.

I just went down and looked at it. I'm pretty sure I did not go through that hole in the frame (standing on the outside of the truck). I seem to recall having a better view of what I was cutting, so I bet I was under the truck, cutting from the inside. Should be easier to get your RS in from there.

I may have dropped the spare wheel down (I bet I did). Good time to check that spare out for ya, and to lube up the drop-down system if you can.
 
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Old Mar 12, 2009 | 11:45 PM
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How bout some oxygen and acetylene?
 
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Old Mar 13, 2009 | 07:46 AM
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well ended up cutting them out last night. I used the opening in the frame to cut the the top portion off. I wish I would have known or tried to do that the night before instead of spending 2 hours getting that darn bolt loose.

I did both sides in less than one hour.
 
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Old Mar 13, 2009 | 10:31 AM
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Originally Posted by papajoemrt
How bout some oxygen and acetylene?

Ahh, yes!

The old "Blue tip hot wrench"!

Actually I wish I had a torch & tanks....

Torches are cheap enough, but does anybody know where to get tanks that don't cost big $$$?

I don't need big tanks....
 
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Old Mar 13, 2009 | 03:15 PM
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Thanks for posting an update - glad it worked out for ya!
 
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