How to Replace Rear Shock Absorbers 1998-2011 Ford Ranger with Torsion Bar Suspension

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In this video we're going to be working with our 2001 Ford Ranger. We're going to show you how to remove and replace your rear shocks.

Now these shocks are specific to the four wheel drive torsion bar style trucks, however the process for replacing them in the two wheel drive or coil sprung style should be very similar, as well as being similar to the same generations of Ford Explorers.

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Here are the items you'll need for this repair: 15-18mm sockets, ratchet, socket extension, 15-18mm wrenches

It's not necessary to raise and support your vehicle in order to replace your rear shocks however we've put our truck up on the lift to make it easier to show you what's going on. We're going to show you how to remove the passenger side here where the bolts are on the front of the axle at the bottom, as well as in front of the rear axle up at the top there on the frame. However, the driver's side procedure is exactly the same, although the shock is a mirror image of the one we're working with over here.

Using an 18 millimeter socket and ratchet on the nut and a 15 millimeter wrench on the bolt or vice versa, remove the bottom shock bolt. You may have to work the bolt back and forth a little bit to get it out of that bushing. Using an 18 millimeter socket ratchet and extension, remove the nut on the top of the shock at the frame. Pull the bottom of the shock out of the axle, and you can use it to work the top bushing back and forth off of its stud and to remove the shock from the vehicle.

If you're installing your shock absorber with the weight of the vehicle on the tires, you may try to install it as it comes here with this strap on it. Once the bolts are in, you can cut the ends here. Otherwise, if you're installing them at full length like we are, you'll want to compress the shock and remove the loop, allowing it to extend all the way out, at which point we'll install the top back over its stud.

The bottom may have to be compressed up a little and dropped into its opening. Slide the bolt back through. The bolt goes from diff through to the tire. We'll start our 18 millimeter nut there, and you can tighten these in any order you want to, but our 18 millimeter nut for the top got stuck in the socket here, so we'll install that first. Once it's on there tight, use the extension as leverage to wiggle the socket back and forth until it releases from the hardware. Now we can tighten up our bottom bolt with our 18 millimeter socket and ratchet and our 15 millimeter wrench.

Now shocks like most other suspension items should always be replaced in pairs considering the fact that if this shock has traveled up and down enough to wear out odds are the shock on the opposite side of the same axle has traveled the same amount.

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