- Staff
- #1
I have noticed for a while now that my trucks front suspension was slamming over small potholes and bumps. I could tell that the front lower shock bushings were toast. I went through a major ordeal with Bilstein to order the rubber and the metal sleeves. (I found out that the Bilstein lifetime warranty was not really a lifetime warranty. That is a story for another day.) I finally received them and got some fairly decent weather, so I went ahead and tried to replace them. I tried to get the shocks off, but after 9 years in New England, the rust was pretty bad. I hit them with penetrating oil a few times. I loosened them and tightened them a few times to get the oil inside the bolt. I could only get both shocks (top) about three quarters of the way off. (I'll have to eventually cut them off when I replace the shocks.) So I went ahead and took the bottom bolts off. It came right off and out without any issues. Both shock bushings fell right out onto the driveway. So I went ahead and tried to press in the rubber bushings and the sleeves. I hit the rubber with some silicone. They went right into the lower shock mount without any issues with just my thumbs pressing them to the shocks. The metal sleeves were another story. Mind you, all of this being done while the shocks are still mounted to the truck. I used the bolt, and a large washer and tightened up the bolt, slowly pulling the sleeve through the rubber. I had also hit the inside rubber bushings with silicone spray. I eventually got both of them in and remounted the lower bolts and re-tightened the upper bolts. Take a look at the bushings. Pretty bad. Hopefully the new bushings will last me a year or so until I can get 4 new shocks. Anyone else have any issues with their rubber shock bushings wearing out? 
