01silvergt
New Member
Not sure if anyone cares, but I changed the shocks on my friends Expedition over the weekend. I had read many threads that gave only partial information on how to do this, so I thought I would provide a full front and rear write up for those that care.
First off this is a 2000 Expedition E.B., with OUT LLS. I installed Bilstein Shocks on all 4 corners. Bilstein part numbers were as follows:
Front – BE5-2571
Rear – BE5-2573 (NON LLS)
(Rear-BE5-2572 (With LLS) for those that need it with LLS)
Tools Needed:
Small flat blade screwdriver
21mm wrench
20mm wrench
18mm wrench (2 needed)
¾” wrench
6mm allen wrench
13mm wrench
Optional tools:
21mm Deep socket wrench
18mm socket wrench
13mm socket wrench
SAFETY FIRST. Think safety all the time and work accordingly. Use gloves, and glasses at all times to protect yourself. Use wheel blocks to prevent the vehicle from rolling and use jack stands to rest the vehicle on. DO NOT rest the vehicle on the jack and get under it.
FRONT:
First jack the front of the truck up, and place jack stands under the frame rails. The higher you can go the easier shock removal and install will be. Also be sure to block the rear tires to prevent the truck from rolling back. Now I removed the front tires, to make access to the shocks easier, but you can also do the job without removing them, although it is much harder. After removing the front tires, spray the top nut and bottom two nuts of each shock with WD40. Give this some time to soak in. During this time I started to put the new shocks together, by this I had to thread the new rubber bushings provided onto the new shocks. Once I felt enough times had passed I went to work on removing the front shocks. I first used a small flat blade screwdriver undo the clip holding the ABS sensor line. I then tucked this line out of the way and unscrewed the clip from the top of the shock. Next I used a 13mm wrench (or a socket wrench) to loosen (do not remove yet) the bottom 2 bolts from the shock. Next I took my 21mm wrench and turned the shock so that I could get the 20mm wrench on the bottom nut on the shaft (there is an acess hole in the shock tower to get a 20mm wrench on the shock). Once the 20mm wrench was in place I was able to remove the top nut with the 21mm wrench. (Note: on the passenger side you can use a deep 21mm socket. On the drivers side you can not use a socket due to a bracket that sits just above the shock tower.) After I removed the top nuts, I then proceeded to finish removing the bottom nuts with the 13mm wrench. At this point the shocks should just slide out, you may have to angle them a bit to get them out. If you’re not high enough in the air you may need to compress them to slide them out.
Now comes the fun part of installing the new shocks. My truck was high enough to just angle the new shocks back in, but you may have to compress yours if you are not up far enough. Once I had the shock in the tower, I reused the 13mm bolts on the bottom and just put these in hand tight. Next I used a jack, placed under the shock to lift it up into the shock tower till the rubber bushing was pressing against the bottom of the shock tower. (I raised the jack till it started to lift the front end a bit) Next I installed the top rubber bushing and associated hardware provided with the shock. Be sure to use the nut provided with the shock on the Bilstein’s, as the old nut will NOT work. To tighten the new nut you will have to use a ¾” open end wrench, and hold the top of the shaft with the 6mm allen to prevent the shaft from spinning. I tightened to the good old German method of good-en-tight. As you tighten the new shocks in place you will notice the pressure will start to relieve on the jack as the bushings compress and the A-arms rise back in place. After I tightened the top nut, I removed the jack and tightened the bottom two 13mm bolts to manufactures specifications (good-en-tight). I then screwed the ABS line bracket back on the shaft and put the line back in place and clipped it back in. Before you put the tires back on, make sure all nuts and bolts are tight and to the proper specs, also make sure the ABS lines are positioned so that there are no kinks and that they will not kink when you turn the wheel. Remount your wheels and drop the front end.
REAR:
First block the front tires and jack the rear up as high as you need to get under the vehicle. (For me this is high, as I am fat) Place your jack stands under the rear axle on each side, and slowly let the truck rest on these. I also kept one jack in place to provide a triple redundant safety system from collapse. Next remove the rear wheels (this really is not a necessary step, but for me it was easier than trying to work under them, and I changed the rear pads at the same time). I then sprayed the top and bottom bolts with WD40, and gave them some time to allow it to work in. Now begin by using the two 18mm wrenches (or socket wrenches) to remove the bottom bolt from the rear shocks. Next you will need to remove the top bolt. On the driver side this was a real PITA, due to the fact that you could only access this with a 18mm open-end wrench, and turn it just a ¼ turn at a time. Thank god Ford decided to put a captive nut on it, so you only have to remove the bolt. On the driver side the set up is the same, but you can use a 18mm socket wrench to remove the top bolt. After the bolts are removed the old shocks should just pull out. Install the news shocks in the reverse order. Some notes on installing the new shocks: I had to use a Dremel to grind off some of the top rubber bushing to get it to fit with the captive nut in place. You may or may not have to use a jack to compress the shocks to fit them in the bottom bracket. I was able to compress each by hand (very hard) and let them expand into place.
Hope this helps and hope some of you get good use out of this. I was able to ride in and drive this truck before and after the shock install and all I can say is WOW, these Bilstein's are really something else. I will be installing them on my 99 Expy with LLS, so stay tuned for a write up on this in the near future.
First off this is a 2000 Expedition E.B., with OUT LLS. I installed Bilstein Shocks on all 4 corners. Bilstein part numbers were as follows:
Front – BE5-2571
Rear – BE5-2573 (NON LLS)
(Rear-BE5-2572 (With LLS) for those that need it with LLS)
Tools Needed:
Small flat blade screwdriver
21mm wrench
20mm wrench
18mm wrench (2 needed)
¾” wrench
6mm allen wrench
13mm wrench
Optional tools:
21mm Deep socket wrench
18mm socket wrench
13mm socket wrench
SAFETY FIRST. Think safety all the time and work accordingly. Use gloves, and glasses at all times to protect yourself. Use wheel blocks to prevent the vehicle from rolling and use jack stands to rest the vehicle on. DO NOT rest the vehicle on the jack and get under it.
FRONT:
First jack the front of the truck up, and place jack stands under the frame rails. The higher you can go the easier shock removal and install will be. Also be sure to block the rear tires to prevent the truck from rolling back. Now I removed the front tires, to make access to the shocks easier, but you can also do the job without removing them, although it is much harder. After removing the front tires, spray the top nut and bottom two nuts of each shock with WD40. Give this some time to soak in. During this time I started to put the new shocks together, by this I had to thread the new rubber bushings provided onto the new shocks. Once I felt enough times had passed I went to work on removing the front shocks. I first used a small flat blade screwdriver undo the clip holding the ABS sensor line. I then tucked this line out of the way and unscrewed the clip from the top of the shock. Next I used a 13mm wrench (or a socket wrench) to loosen (do not remove yet) the bottom 2 bolts from the shock. Next I took my 21mm wrench and turned the shock so that I could get the 20mm wrench on the bottom nut on the shaft (there is an acess hole in the shock tower to get a 20mm wrench on the shock). Once the 20mm wrench was in place I was able to remove the top nut with the 21mm wrench. (Note: on the passenger side you can use a deep 21mm socket. On the drivers side you can not use a socket due to a bracket that sits just above the shock tower.) After I removed the top nuts, I then proceeded to finish removing the bottom nuts with the 13mm wrench. At this point the shocks should just slide out, you may have to angle them a bit to get them out. If you’re not high enough in the air you may need to compress them to slide them out.
Now comes the fun part of installing the new shocks. My truck was high enough to just angle the new shocks back in, but you may have to compress yours if you are not up far enough. Once I had the shock in the tower, I reused the 13mm bolts on the bottom and just put these in hand tight. Next I used a jack, placed under the shock to lift it up into the shock tower till the rubber bushing was pressing against the bottom of the shock tower. (I raised the jack till it started to lift the front end a bit) Next I installed the top rubber bushing and associated hardware provided with the shock. Be sure to use the nut provided with the shock on the Bilstein’s, as the old nut will NOT work. To tighten the new nut you will have to use a ¾” open end wrench, and hold the top of the shaft with the 6mm allen to prevent the shaft from spinning. I tightened to the good old German method of good-en-tight. As you tighten the new shocks in place you will notice the pressure will start to relieve on the jack as the bushings compress and the A-arms rise back in place. After I tightened the top nut, I removed the jack and tightened the bottom two 13mm bolts to manufactures specifications (good-en-tight). I then screwed the ABS line bracket back on the shaft and put the line back in place and clipped it back in. Before you put the tires back on, make sure all nuts and bolts are tight and to the proper specs, also make sure the ABS lines are positioned so that there are no kinks and that they will not kink when you turn the wheel. Remount your wheels and drop the front end.
REAR:
First block the front tires and jack the rear up as high as you need to get under the vehicle. (For me this is high, as I am fat) Place your jack stands under the rear axle on each side, and slowly let the truck rest on these. I also kept one jack in place to provide a triple redundant safety system from collapse. Next remove the rear wheels (this really is not a necessary step, but for me it was easier than trying to work under them, and I changed the rear pads at the same time). I then sprayed the top and bottom bolts with WD40, and gave them some time to allow it to work in. Now begin by using the two 18mm wrenches (or socket wrenches) to remove the bottom bolt from the rear shocks. Next you will need to remove the top bolt. On the driver side this was a real PITA, due to the fact that you could only access this with a 18mm open-end wrench, and turn it just a ¼ turn at a time. Thank god Ford decided to put a captive nut on it, so you only have to remove the bolt. On the driver side the set up is the same, but you can use a 18mm socket wrench to remove the top bolt. After the bolts are removed the old shocks should just pull out. Install the news shocks in the reverse order. Some notes on installing the new shocks: I had to use a Dremel to grind off some of the top rubber bushing to get it to fit with the captive nut in place. You may or may not have to use a jack to compress the shocks to fit them in the bottom bracket. I was able to compress each by hand (very hard) and let them expand into place.
Hope this helps and hope some of you get good use out of this. I was able to ride in and drive this truck before and after the shock install and all I can say is WOW, these Bilstein's are really something else. I will be installing them on my 99 Expy with LLS, so stay tuned for a write up on this in the near future.
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