How To Replace Front Shocks 2001-10 GMC Sierra 2500 HD Truck

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In this video, we're going to show you how to replace the front shocks on this 2002 GMC Sierra, pretty much the same as any 2000, 2006 Sierra or Silverado. Tools you'll need for the job are: Jack and jack stands. 21 and 22 mm sockets with a ratchet and a breaker bar. You will also need an additional 21 mm socket with the bar or a 21 mm wrench. A torque wrench. 15-19 mm wrenches or adjustable wrenches work as well.

Start out by just removing the caps on this vehicle. You just loosen the top of the cap and then the whole center cap comes off. Next, if you don't have the benefit of air tools, loosen the lug nuts while your truck is on the ground, then raise and support the vehicle. Remove the lug nuts and remove the wheel and tire. So, with the vehicle back down and tire off and it's supported, you support it with a jack stand and put your jack underneath the wheel on the control arm. Then use some penetrating oil right up there on the nut at the top, and then also some down here on that nut.

I've got my 15 mm wrench on there and I'm not even going to mess around with these things. You're supposed to put a wrench on here, but I'm just going to go straight to a set of locking pliers. I'm going to get them on there as tight as I can. A lot of time, it will pop and you'll start moving this bolt and then it will get to more and more and more rust. Then, you'll end up having to cut it off, but it looks like it might be coming off pretty clean. In fact, that nut does come off. I'm going to fast forward here. There is also, if you have another wrench, underneath the support where the shock goes in there is a nut on the shock, itself that you can hold with a wrench.

All right, you take your wrench. Sometimes you can get pretty lucky with these. All right, the other side goes through. The other side is starting to spin, so I'm putting a socket on there. Like I said, it's starting to spin, so you can see I have a socket with my breaker bar on there. It just kind of holds itself in place as I remove the nut. To get it loose, I have to use my breaker bar, give the bolt a tap. It's rolling out and I can pull the shock down. Now, we've got our new shocks. Take out the cushions and washers and the nut. Okay, put the washer on. I have a large. The smaller hole goes up. Have this cushion with the smaller hole down and the washer on top and our shock up in place and down on. Then, we'll start our bolt in place. We're going to let down our suspension a little bit more with the shock in. That's as far as it goes and I'll let it down just a hair more. Pull through and the nut on the other side. Okay. I'm going to jack this a smidgen back up some. I'm going to hold to the backside of my bolt.

I'm going to fast-forward as I tighten up the bottom bolt. The torque specification is probably 75 to 80 foot pounds, but as long as you get them good and tight with large wrenches, you'll be okay. Okay, I'm going to continue fast forwarding as I just tightened up that top nut. You'll see I hold the top of the stud with a wrench and then tighten up with a wrench. Also, if you look down further where the yellow begins, that's also a nut that you could hold onto with a wrench. Then, once you're there, then put your tire back on. Start the lug nuts by hand first, then tighten them up preliminarily. Then, lower the vehicle onto the ground. Tighten the lug nuts to anywhere between 110 to 120 foot pounds and then put your cap back on. Obviously, always replace shocks in pairs, so do the other side and you'll be good to go down the road nice and smooth.

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