I'm gonna be puttin' shocks on the bus, hopefully over the weekend (???) Havin' never done shocks before, anything to know before embarkin' on this journey? :help2:

I know it's not "6.5" question, but since we seem to be a talkative bunch on here, I figured someone would point in a direction maybe?

There is no Haynes manual available for the "newer" GM vans for some reason (97+) and I'm not sure really why. Really didn't want to have to get a full blown shop manual for shocks.

Thanks

Being under the vehicle and exposed to every element on the road it is a good idea to spray down the nuts/bolts with a good penetrating fluid like wd40 for a few days before you plan on the swap. PB Blaster is a shop favorite around here but anything is better than nothing. Not only does it help with the crusty rustys but often the rubber bushings like to stick to the studs forcing you to shout obscenities at them before they'll let go. The penetrating fluid will get in there and make them easier to pull off.

Just put shocks on both my trucks. The WD40 is a must. The second thing I had to do is figure a way to compress the shocks so that the bolts would line up. New shocks are hard to compress with on hand and then trying to but the bolt in as you lay on the ground. So what I did was take a tie strap and wrap it around the shock first. Then compress the shock to a little more than needed. Tie off the strap so that I could loosen it slowly until the bolts lined up. This worked for the front shocks only as the back had a top connection that the strap wouldn't fit. I had to push and curse a bit on those. Not to much.

Not a real hard job but certain things can make you curse up a storm.

The rear clip nuts on the upper mount can pose problems as they rust up, and the clips wil twist off.

The front uppers may be tough to insert as the walls pinch together and may need to be beaten out a bit. Make sure you tighten the front bolts extra tight.

Bilstein makes the absolute best shock for these trucks.

knkreb,
I am going to attck this job next. In climbing under the truck it seems pretty straightforward, other than the previous comments (use a penetrant, etc). Can't emphasize enough usins a lubrican/penentrant to get the old shocks off and the new ones one.
I have Monroe Reflex shocks now, which I am sure, like other Monroe shocks, work just great - for maybe 10,000 miles. After that they go downhill. Looks like I will try the Skyjacker Nitro as they are reasonably priced and I have had good experiences with Skyjackers in the past. 4 Wheel Parts is one good supplier of many.

Since it's grimy in that area usually I like to pressure wash 1st get off road grime, mud, gravel etc, then do the penetrant thing, I like PB Blaster over WD-40 if you can find it, absolute best which we use in jet engine world, as it works on even multiple time high-heated fasteners, is AERO-KROIL some industrial supply houses carry it.

ditto all of the above. wd40 is a must. The haynes manuals have always been a dissapointment to me (don't have one for my 6.5 though). If memory serves me right, the instructions for shock removal will probably read something like: "loosen nuts and bolts and remove shock absorbers.....install new shock absorbers.....tighten nuts and bolts...." If you can see it and you can get at it, the haynes book won't tell you anything you don't already know by looking at it.... ;)

What are some good makes and models of shocks to use for stock height suburban? Also best value (price vs. quality). I have only used th stock replacements at Autozone and Checker but I will need some for the burb soon.

I just put on Bilstein from Kennedy on and I've been very happy with them so far. I give you a better idea in about 5 years when I have 100K on them.:D

I just hosed down the hardware with Aerokroil. Let sit overnight, hopin' to break it loose a little easier maybe than just a few minute soakin'.

Any special tools needed for the front ones? Looks a little weird on how to get inside the spring?

I am focusing my efforts on the rear ones right now. Got a LONG 8 hour trip to New England this coming week. Don't want to have to finance new fillings for the wifey.

my buddy has skyjackers on his truck and it is the roughest riding vehicle i have ever been in. just thought i would let you know.





knkreb,
I am going to attck this job next. In climbing under the truck it seems pretty straightforward, other than the previous comments (use a penetrant, etc). Can't emphasize enough usins a lubrican/penentrant to get the old shocks off and the new ones one.
I have Monroe Reflex shocks now, which I am sure, like other Monroe shocks, work just great - for maybe 10,000 miles. After that they go downhill. Looks like I will try the Skyjacker Nitro as they are reasonably priced and I have had good experiences with Skyjackers in the past. 4 Wheel Parts is one good supplier of many.

Got 'em in! With much prayer and pent. lubricant, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Prayer works betta than Aerokroil I thinks. . .

Thankx for the input all.

Not familiar with skyjackers. If they are what I think they are, they help the ride hieght, which means that they help out the springs when they start to sag. If I miss my guess, you've got too much spring, and not enough load on that rough ride. Just a guess without seein'.

If prayer works better than cursing then I might have to try that!:rolleyes:

Any special tools needed for the front ones? Looks a little weird on how to get inside the spring?
If the shocks are inside the front springs then you need a suspension spring clamp. It wraps around the spring and with a few turns of the wrench it compresses it allowing you to remove the spring and shock. They are cheap to buy but might be cheaper to rent for a day.

Have fun!:D