cnuttgirl,
First, I hope you ordered the boots for the shocks. It keeps the rods better protected.
Are you planning on doing this yourself? It is easy for the most part, but time conuming. Here are a few points assuming you are doing the job yourself.
1) I would buy a pair of heavy duty jack stands to prop up the Expy, first the front and then the rear. With two pairs you can prop the whole truck up, but that may be overkill. I would also invest in a "floor jack", as using the bottle jack that comes with the truck gets tedious!
2) Front Shocks - No Problem. I would do these first, just to make yourself happy that progress is being made!!!
Est. time 20 min each
Also, check out you front anti-sway bar links and your flex brake lines while you are doing this.
3) Rear Passenger Side Shock - Also easy, plenty of room. But note that the upper shock mount uses a "cage clip-on" nut for the bolt to screw into. If you are not familiar with these things, you will be soon. It basically is a nut that is attached to a clip that secures itself over the metal wall on the upper shock mount. It is a loose fit, and it gets to be a pain in the #^%$ keeping it in place while trying to push the shock into the upper mount. I found that the shock mount will actually compress somewhat after tightening, so do a test fit, and if the shock does not slip right in, pry the sides of the upper shock mount apart slightly so the shock slips in easily. That will keep the nut from moving away from the bolt hole, and make the whole installation MUCH easier.
est time - 20 min
4) Rear Driver Side Shock - You will understand why this is done last, especially after learning what you should do with the other rear shock to install it easier. The upper shock mount is block from easy access by the gas tank, the parking brake cable, fuel lines, etc. You will need a couple of extensions on your ratchet wrench to GO OVER the gas tank to get to the upper shock mount bolt. As before, test fit the shock new shock, and make sure it goes in easy, prying open the upper mount slightly if necessary. Be patient on this one, becuase fitting the bolt into the upper mount, and lining it up with the cage clip-on nut can be lets say a #$%^#$& pain. :matchup:
Est time 40 min
Good luck and enjoy the NEW ride.
