Simple jobs never are...

[WILLD420]

Replacing the shocks on the front of the tow rig today. Should have been a 2 hour job, tops.

Ooops. Forgot, it's a Dodge with the coil spring front end

Out come the coils and in go the new Bilsteins

Or so it should go...

So far I've only had to torch off one bolt that was cross threaded by the Mensa students at 4wheelparts in Vegas. Apparently, you can tighten a 1/2" bolt that is completely cross threaded, IF you have a big enough impact wrench..

Everything else is just the same old stuff, wrong bushings, using a jack to droop the suspension to get the springs in and out and the usual worn out parts that require fixing before I will put them back in. Then of course the new shocks are Uber strong and require a 3 mule team to compress when you mis-time putting the bottom bolt in. Then the shock wedges itself down in the mount that you just spent and hour straightening because the Mensa students collapsed the mounting ears with their impact.

Then you get it all assembled, only to find out that Summit gave you shocks for a 6" lift, rather than a 4" lift, and the up travel is shorter than the distance from your bump stop to the axle

 

[chicago]

Have NO idea what it is you're talking about! Everything I do goes smooth as glass and takes HALF the time I originally thought it would.... (rolling eyes!)


That sucks.

 

[primer7]

No where is there any mention of duct tape or alcohol...

 

[WILLD420]

Maybe this should be a country song?

Instead of she left me, and my dog died, it could be about flying wrenches, flaming bushings and nearly broken fingers.

I'm sure we could throw in alcohol and duct tape somewhere..

 

[RAYJON]

having been down that road with a 98 dodge ( it sucks... dodge really went backward with the quality on that front end) did you check the unit bearings and the cheep crappy ball joints.. also the steering linkage is usually shot if it has more than 40k on it... ohh and the steering box that is another story.... good luck I feel your pain......

I know about the mensa students.... everyone wants to eliminate apprenticeship programs and then they wonder why the quality of the work sucks....

song....

my truck broke because some it #$%^ worked on it,
now I sit here broke hearted, going thru a 12 pack trying to fix it
the parts guy is on drugs and gave me all the wrong stuff

I want to woop some ass..
the parts guy
#$%^ who worked on it last
the crack addict that designed it
and last the bean counter that made it cheep...
all are on my list to get there ass wooped...

 

[WILLD420]

Balljoints are next on the list. Everything else is new, except the steering and when it goes, I'm throwing the inverted Y away for the HD version from the 98-99 trucks.

At least it rides better now. Not much, but anything is an improvement from what it was. Now you only lose 1 filling on a trip to town, rather than all of them...

 

[WILLD420]

I guess I don't learn.

Ball joints on the dump truck were getting too bad to ignore, so I tore into the TTB front end thinking I could have it done in 2 days of puttering around.

I think this is about day 5 that I've actually gotten to work more than a couple hours at a time on it. So far, everything on it was either broken, worn out or frozen up. It's going to be all new except for the leaf springs and spring bushings.

What a royal PITA. I should have just bought one of those 60's on CL and done a gear swap. I think it would have been about the same effort...

O'h well. Getting closer, now I'm down to re-assembling everything. Man do I ever hate these kind of jobs.

At least I'm getting to know all the in's and out's of my balljoint tool, working out the torch and wearing out cheap HF punches and hammers... Not to mention, I'm forcing Napa to cycle through all their old dusty Ford parts..

 

[locrwln1]

And just how many 60's have you bought and sold????

No sympathy here.

Jack

 

[rusty_tlc]

And just how many 60's have you bought and sold????

No sympathy here.

Jack

Speaking of buying and selling when are you going to finish the lift and stuff on your truck. We were talking about buying another truck just the other day and I told yours should be for sale soon.

 

[locrwln1]

Speaking of buying and selling when are you going to finish the lift and stuff on your truck. We were talking about buying another truck just the other day and I told yours should be for sale soon.

Jack

 

[WILLD420]

Jack

Where's that smiley poking a stick at something when you need it???

 

[WILLD420]

The 60's had to go when I thought the truck was going to be sold.

Not a big deal, since the TTB already has a locker and I have spares for anything that might break under my use.

Hopefully in another month though, I will have a nice warm shop to work in and the carport will be used for parking rather than working...