I'm going to be lifting my truck here in the next week or so. I've gotten a TON of money for graduation and I'm going to put it towards that. I called one place today and I can get the D25 front springs for $138 and the Rancho 9000 shocks for $85/piece. The shocks are on sale. Buy 3 get one free. So the total with tax comes out to around $425. Give or take $10. That sound like a pretty good deal to yall? I'm going to be installing these myselfs so any tips or suggestions yall have will be greatly appreciated. Thanks yall.

 

BB,<br>To do the springs, it is easiest if you have 2 big floor jacks, one for jacking on the frame and one for the axle. A spring compressor is not necessary but would make it easier. Try borrowing one from AutoZone. They loan tools (with a refundable deposit) for free.

 

What do you mean by jacking the frame and the axle? Put one jack under the frame to jack the truck up and the other jack under the axle to support it? I don't have air tools but I may be able to get to some. How would you go about changing the springs and shocks out? I know how to do the rear shocks. That's no problem. But for the fronts. Do you go and remove the upper shock mount completely and pull the shock through it (after you undo the lower shock bolt)? Then do you go and drop the front axle down to pull the old spring out and leave enough room to put the new one in? Then drop the new shock back down through the top and bolt it all together? What's the proper torque for the shock bolts? Do I need new bolts? How bout putting lok-tite on them?

 

Air tools aren't necessary, they just make it easier. As for the two jacks, yes, jack the frame with one (we used jackstands also) and find a convenient point to jack the axle with the other one. Basically, we jacked one end of the axle in order to lower the opposite end so that we could get the clearance we needed to get the new coil in (this is where a spring compressor would have come in handy). At times, I think we had both jacks on the axle to keep from dropping it. There was quite a bit of &quot;jacking around&quot; (again, get a spring compressor). The hardest part was getting the shocks out. Like you said, we undid the lower shock bolt, then undid the nuts from the three studs that hold the upper tower in place and just pulled the whole thing out from the top (it is tight, but possible). We undid the shock from the upper tower outside of the engine bay. Can't remember if my new shocks came with a new bottom bolt or not, I probably used it if they did. The top is bolted to the shock tower using the nut provided with the new shock. Again, the tower is placed over the 3 studs, so you don't need any new hardware there. As far as torque specs go, I used the Chrylser Shop Manual for model year 1997 specs, I did not have access to a year 2002 Mopar Manual. I can look those up this evening and get them to you if nobody beats me to it.

 

Watch the brake lines when trying to get the axle low enough to squeeze the new spring in.<br><br>Also, watch the front sway bar mounts, might have to disconnect them to get the axle down far enough.<br><br>There was a thread a while back, had pictures of bent sway bar mounts, caused by the shop sticking a bottle jack between the frame and the axle, and forcing it apart to get the spring in.<br><br>The bottom front shock nut has a bar attached, for leverage since it is really difficult to get a wrench in there.<br>Wrench the bolt side, and the nut side won't spin due to the bar wedging against the axle.<br>(need a picture, they're worth a thousand words ya know)<br><br>Undo the top bolt, remove the shock tower (3 bolts) and pull shock up through hole after removing lower bolt.<br><br><br>phox

 

I think I'm going to rent a spring compressor and use it. I had planned on undoing the sway bar and possibly the mounts for the brake lines. That way I can get as much slack as I can in that front end. When I go to put the springs in and they are compressed, what is the best way to undo them? Don't you put a strap on them to keep them compressed? Just bolt everything back together and then just cut the strap?

 

[quote author=BigBlue link=board=7;threadid=15285;start=0#143586 date=1054242761]<br>I think I'm going to rent a spring compressor and use it. I had planned on undoing the sway bar and possibly the mounts for the brake lines. That way I can get as much slack as I can in that front end. When I go to put the springs in and they are compressed, what is the best way to undo them? Don't you put a strap on them to keep them compressed? Just bolt everything back together and then just cut the strap?<br>[/quote]<br><br>As far as I know, the spring compressor stays on, then you realease it once everything is bolted back together.<br>If that is the case, you would need to rent at least 2 compressors, maybe 4, two per spring, front and back.<br><br>If you do go the spring compressor route, you won't need to undo anything, as long as you can get the springs compressed enough.<br>Basically, the spring compressor is like a turnbuckle, 2 hooks attach to the spring, then you turn a nut with either a socket wrench, or air ratchet (preferrable) to pull the 2 hooks closer together.<br>I guess in a pinch, you could rent one, then get some band clamps to hold the spring compressed, if they will indeed be strong enough to keep it compressed.<br><br><br>phox

 

Torque Settings from the 1997 Chrylser Service Manual for Ram Trucks 1500-3500:<br><br>Front Shocks:<br>Lower shock bolt: 100 ft. lbs<br>Shock tower nuts: 55 ft. lbs<br>Upper Shock nut: 35 ft. lbs<br><br><br>Front Stabilizer (Sway) Bar:<br>Clamp bolt: 40 ft. lbs<br>Link Upper Nut: 27 ft. lbs<br>Link Lower Nut: 87 ft. lbs<br><br>Track Bar:<br>Ball Stud Nut: 70 ft. lbs<br>Axle Bracket Bolt: 130 ft. lbs<br><br>Rear Shocks:<br>Upper and Lower nuts: 100 ft. lbs<br><br><br>Lug nuts (be sure to use the correct pattern):<br>BR2500 (8 Stud Wheel): 135 ft. lbs<br><br>If you need more, let me know<br><br>

 

[quote author=BigBlue link=board=7;threadid=15285;start=0#143481 date=1054226547]<br> Rancho 9000 shocks for $85/piece. The shocks are on sale. Buy 3 get one free. [/quote]<br><br>Get your shocks here : Sam's Offroad $69.95 each, same sale on. Buy 3 get one free.<br>

 

I may be able to get a deal on a set of Pro Comp 3000 AND the new springs. I love having connections. ;D Thanks for all the help yall.

 

Also if I can get a better deal than I can get 3 pro comp 3000's and the 4th is free and also Im gonna try to get a Pro Comp 3000 steerin' stablizer. it really helps. ;D Im still tryin BB