Bluesmoke91
2nd GEN Site Mod
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2010
- Posts
- 3,161
- Reaction score
- 240
- Location
- Baldwin Park, California
- Ram Year
- 2007
- Engine
- Hemi 5.7
tl;dr (too long didnt read) short version.
-Cut lower strut bolts, press out bushing from metal sleeve, air hammer metal sleeve out of control arm. Press new bushing in. Install strut assembly onto spring compressor, if upper bolt doesn't come off, find a way to cut shock stem without damaging spring. Buy new strut mount kit or air hammer old nut of cut stem to remove and reuse. Assemble. Part numbers below.
Long story version
So as we all know by now, 06-08 4x4s have the infamous seized front strut bolt problem. There are dozens of threads on here about it but I figured my thread will have a few more ideas thrown in. Here goes...
Yesterday 3 of my friends/coworkers went to a DIY shop in my hometown. Keep in mind, all four of us wrench for a living. Racked up my truck, had the tires off and rear shocks swapped in about 10 minutes. Mounted and balanced my 35" trail grapplers in about 30 minutes between two of us. Now the fun stuff.
I soaked the front end with two cans of PB blaster for a week prior to yesterday morning. Two of us working on either side of the truck. I was on the driver side, we unbolted the infamous lower strut bolt and nut with no problem(PB Blaster worked its magic I imagine), we unbolted the upper control arm, unbolted the 3 top strut assembly bolts, unbolted the tie rod end, took off the brake caliper assembly and rotor for clearance. The left strut assembly came out with no problem. Took all of ten minutes.
The right side was where we ran into the lower strut problem. But we were prepared. We cut the strut bolt on both ends to at least move the strut out of the way. I unpacked a bushing remover/installer tool kit that I brought from work. Set it up, managed to tear the bushing itself out of the metal sleeve. Now for the metal sleeve stuck in the control arm. We used a Snap On air hammer with a flat tip to strike the edges of the sleeve. Took some time as to not damage the control arm. The sleeve popped out with minimal damage to LCA. Pushed the new bushing in using the tool kit. (Bushing part number will be listed below)
Fastforward to the strut inside the spring compressor stand at the shop(not the cheap portable ones from auto parts stores). We begin to undue the top strut bolt, hitting it hard with a half inch air impact, zapping it, lubing it, zapping it, lubing it. NOTHING. The top strut bolt holding the assembly is completely rusted tight. We ended up using a circular saw to cut through the shock stem without damaging the spring think the two halves would just come off the spring. Well the shock dropped, but the upper nut/stem is held by a ridge on one side of the top strut mount and the nut on the other side. So back at square one.
We mounted the strut mount on a vice and ended up using the trusty air hammer again to get the rusted nut off. If you end up having to go this route, careful not to demolish the nut while is still on the threads. You need to have solid contact points to turn the nut with the hammer impacts. Eventually the nut came off with some damage to the strut mount but nothing major at all. Although the left strut assembly came out the vehicle with no problem, we ran into the same issue of getting the strut out of the spring. We went the same route as with the right strut. After that, putting everything back together was cake. Total front struts labor time was 5 hours, with experienced mechanics. What a nightmare.
So here are the parts I used and some I'd suggest you have ready. I have an 07, but parts should work for 06-08 4x4, maybe just 07-08 4x4s. Check for yourself to be sure.
MONROE Part # 907971 Strut-Mate Suspension Control Arm Bushing Kit (Rockauto)- lower LCA bushing, strut bolt and nut kit.
MONROE Part # 905914 Strut-Mate Strut Mounting Kit (Rockauto)- Strut mount kit in case you cannot get the top bolt off with air impact or don't feel like fighting with it.
Bilstein 24-185783- Rear 5100 Shocks
Bilstein 24-186988- Front Adjustable 5100 Shocks
Air Hammer with flat chisel adapter
Bushing remover/installer kit with size adapters
-Cut lower strut bolts, press out bushing from metal sleeve, air hammer metal sleeve out of control arm. Press new bushing in. Install strut assembly onto spring compressor, if upper bolt doesn't come off, find a way to cut shock stem without damaging spring. Buy new strut mount kit or air hammer old nut of cut stem to remove and reuse. Assemble. Part numbers below.
Long story version
So as we all know by now, 06-08 4x4s have the infamous seized front strut bolt problem. There are dozens of threads on here about it but I figured my thread will have a few more ideas thrown in. Here goes...
Yesterday 3 of my friends/coworkers went to a DIY shop in my hometown. Keep in mind, all four of us wrench for a living. Racked up my truck, had the tires off and rear shocks swapped in about 10 minutes. Mounted and balanced my 35" trail grapplers in about 30 minutes between two of us. Now the fun stuff.
I soaked the front end with two cans of PB blaster for a week prior to yesterday morning. Two of us working on either side of the truck. I was on the driver side, we unbolted the infamous lower strut bolt and nut with no problem(PB Blaster worked its magic I imagine), we unbolted the upper control arm, unbolted the 3 top strut assembly bolts, unbolted the tie rod end, took off the brake caliper assembly and rotor for clearance. The left strut assembly came out with no problem. Took all of ten minutes.
The right side was where we ran into the lower strut problem. But we were prepared. We cut the strut bolt on both ends to at least move the strut out of the way. I unpacked a bushing remover/installer tool kit that I brought from work. Set it up, managed to tear the bushing itself out of the metal sleeve. Now for the metal sleeve stuck in the control arm. We used a Snap On air hammer with a flat tip to strike the edges of the sleeve. Took some time as to not damage the control arm. The sleeve popped out with minimal damage to LCA. Pushed the new bushing in using the tool kit. (Bushing part number will be listed below)
Fastforward to the strut inside the spring compressor stand at the shop(not the cheap portable ones from auto parts stores). We begin to undue the top strut bolt, hitting it hard with a half inch air impact, zapping it, lubing it, zapping it, lubing it. NOTHING. The top strut bolt holding the assembly is completely rusted tight. We ended up using a circular saw to cut through the shock stem without damaging the spring think the two halves would just come off the spring. Well the shock dropped, but the upper nut/stem is held by a ridge on one side of the top strut mount and the nut on the other side. So back at square one.
We mounted the strut mount on a vice and ended up using the trusty air hammer again to get the rusted nut off. If you end up having to go this route, careful not to demolish the nut while is still on the threads. You need to have solid contact points to turn the nut with the hammer impacts. Eventually the nut came off with some damage to the strut mount but nothing major at all. Although the left strut assembly came out the vehicle with no problem, we ran into the same issue of getting the strut out of the spring. We went the same route as with the right strut. After that, putting everything back together was cake. Total front struts labor time was 5 hours, with experienced mechanics. What a nightmare.
So here are the parts I used and some I'd suggest you have ready. I have an 07, but parts should work for 06-08 4x4, maybe just 07-08 4x4s. Check for yourself to be sure.
MONROE Part # 907971 Strut-Mate Suspension Control Arm Bushing Kit (Rockauto)- lower LCA bushing, strut bolt and nut kit.
MONROE Part # 905914 Strut-Mate Strut Mounting Kit (Rockauto)- Strut mount kit in case you cannot get the top bolt off with air impact or don't feel like fighting with it.
Bilstein 24-185783- Rear 5100 Shocks
Bilstein 24-186988- Front Adjustable 5100 Shocks
Air Hammer with flat chisel adapter
Bushing remover/installer kit with size adapters
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