BradF
Oregon
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I finally purchased new shocks for my 1998 Ford E Super Duty chassis motorhome and installed the back ones without much trouble. The fronts are a different story. In looking at the way they mount, behind the spring tower,I can't see how you can get a socket or wrench on the top nut to remove and replace the new shocks. Is there a special tool available that can reach in there and remove the top not? Any help is much appreciated.
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ron.dittmer
Northern Illinois
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BradF, someone will reply with detailed information. But you can search the forum too if you can't wait to get your answer. I have not done the job myself, but I understand the driver side is the hardest. For that one I think they hold the top nut still and turn the shock.
2007 Phoenix Cruiser model 2350, with 2006 Jeep Liberty in-tow
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BradF
Oregon
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Thanks Ron,
I would agree that the drivers side is the most difficult. It is pretty tight in there. I think I can get the passenger side out. I will look in the Forum section as well. Thanks for the information.
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j-d
Sunny Florida USA
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What W4.. Said... It's possible to get a 15mm wrench on the top nut, and a 19mm or 3/4" on the shock shaft's hex. If the upper wrench were a 15mm "gear wrench" or maybe a socket with ratchet, then you can just wrench back and forth with the 19mm to work the nut off and then tighten the new one. In these pix, it was actually easy for me to get the box end of a plain Craftsman 15mm combination wrench in there and onto the nut.
Driver Side:
Passenger Side:
* This post was
edited 04/22/12 03:24pm by j-d *
God Bless, jd
2003 Jayco Escapade 31A on 2002 Ford E450 V10 4R100
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W4MBG
Williamsburg, VA
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just did mine. hold the top nut and turn the top of the shock using the hex on top of the shock body. watch out for the sharp stuff when placing the new nut on top by hand. move slowly in there.
1999 Winnebago Minnie, 29', Triton V10, mostly stock. So far...
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mikeleblanc413
Sour Lake, Texas
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I recently put new Bilsteins on our new to us 2000 Winnebago Minnie Winnie. Thought of doing it myself, but after reading the posts decided to pay a shop to do it. $225 to install all four shocks. Did it in a couple of hours. I sat, drank coffee and watched FOX news. AWESOME morning. MONEY WELL SPENT! and made a world of difference in the handling!!!
Sometimes the efficiency of installation is best served by paying someone to do the job. I believe that was the case in this situation.
Mike LeBlanc, "The Digital Guy"
Professional Photographer, Retired Art Educator
Sour Lake, Texas
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BradF
Oregon
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J-D,
I can't see how you got a wrench on the top nut on the driver side. I tried to do as you show in the picture but cannot get a socket or wrench down to the top nut.
The passenger side is pretty straight forward but the drivers side seems to be a different story.
Thanks everyone for the information, I am not giving up!
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W4MBG
Williamsburg, VA
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yeah, the drivers side is a b!tch. two fingers and a combo wrench does it.
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j-d
Sunny Florida USA
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Well, I just went out and tried to replicate what you see in the photos. I'd already done the passenger side to get the 15mm wrench size.
I assure you the driver side isn't a doctored photo, but I couldn't position the wrench on top just now. Probably because:
It's nearly dark
I'm tired
Didn't want to get dirty
Coach was standing flatfooted... I took the pix in 2010 to encourage somebody like you starting on the project. At the time, coach was on a campsite with the front end raised several inches on our HWH kickdown jacks. That gave me better access past the tire to reach in with the wrench. I'm sure it was a fingertip exercise, and getting the nut onto the new shock would be touchy.
And, YES, past the tire. I did not work down from the top or even open the hood to place the wrench on the top of either shock.
Others have asked the same How'd-Ya-Do-It question and other than being Blessed and Highly Favored, all I can do is comment like this: The shock is attached to the chassis, but the front sheet metal has a framework of its own. Part of the cutaway Ford cab part. The black object you see past the right hand (which would be to the rear on driver side) part of the wrench is some of that framework. It rides on the chassis with rubber body mounts. I can only figure that there could be assembly tolerances narrowing the skimpy room I reached into. You can't see the body mounts in the pic, and you also can't see that the black structure is only a couple inches wide (side to side). So if you can manipulate past it, there's a little more room behind/inside.
I did front shocks on our older E350 (the squared-off look one) and if I remember I was able to get a 3/8" flex ratchet on the top nut. The old shocks didn't have the hex on their shafts, so it was harder to remove than modern ones. I used a wrench on the hex of the new shocks as pictured above, but as I recall I was able to speed things up by letting the ratchet click on the top.
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j-d
Sunny Florida USA
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To add to W4's comment, although I put the wrenches in place with the wheels on, I don't think it'd be practical to actually change the shocks on a pad with the wheels on. With a lift or pit, maybe.
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