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Removing King Front Shocks for Tuning

Discussion in 'Suspension' started by W3agle, May 6, 2021.

  1. May 6, 2021 at 6:33 AM
    #1
    W3agle

    W3agle [OP] New Member

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    Recently set up a purchase through @AccuTune Offroad for rear King shocks. I am also going to get my King front shocks tuned by them in the process (stock, previously).

    To do that, I'll need to take them off the truck and bring them into their shop. Luckily for me they are not too far from my house!

    I've never done suspension work on a truck before. I've done a handful of other things, and in general have a lot of tools and I'm mechanically inclined enough. But this does seem a little bit more difficult.

    Think I can remove them myself?

    Is the truck ok without shocks for the duration of that process? I know I can't drive it like that. But can it just sit in my driveway? I'm sure I can find a cheap used pair of OEM shocks, but that seems like a lot of work.

    I'm planning to have a shop install the rear shocks once they come in. Maybe the best case scenario for me is to find a mechanic who is on board with the entire process. They could take them off and keep the truck while the tune is happening with AccuTune. Potentially I'll be able to have them cover some other service in the meantime. Any recommendations in the San Diego area? I've talked to the guys at The Truck Shop and so far they are in the lead.
     
  2. May 6, 2021 at 6:41 AM
    #2
    saybng

    saybng Just a member.

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    Method Nv's, falken wildpeak 275.65.20 Dirty deeds exhaust, 5100's all around...nothin fancy.
    Yes you can remove yourself, yes it can seat without them for the time being. Install the rears yourself it's very easy. Goodluck
     
    Bigboitundra and W3agle[OP] like this.
  3. May 6, 2021 at 6:43 AM
    #3
    W3agle

    W3agle [OP] New Member

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    That's great news! Of course you're inadvertently signing this forum up for a lot of "what did I do wrong now?" posts.
     
  4. May 6, 2021 at 6:48 AM
    #4
    blizz86

    blizz86 New Member

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    If you're taking the coilovers off, you're going to have the truck resting on jack stands right? If you're having an installer put your rears in for you; you'll likely want a shop to remove the fronts.
     
    W3agle[OP] likes this.
  5. May 6, 2021 at 6:50 AM
    #5
    ColoradoTJ

    ColoradoTJ Certified tow LEO Staff Member

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    Calibrated Power 5 Tune pack, Allison 1000 tune, PPE deep trans pan, Cold/Hot CAC pipes, Banks CAI, PCV reroute, resonator delete, S&B 62 gal fuel tank, B&W GN hitch
    I would check out some of the write ups in this section on how to remove or install the front coilovers. It’s a pretty easy job. Time consuming, but easy enough for the shade tree mechanic.
     
    saybng and W3agle[OP] like this.
  6. May 6, 2021 at 9:36 AM
    #6
    AccuTune Offroad

    AccuTune Offroad New Member Vendor

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    We can certainly help with that. Alex will reach out to you shortly :thumbsup:
     
    rockmup and saybng like this.
  7. May 6, 2021 at 11:36 AM
    #7
    Mill72

    Mill72 New Member

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    I would not rest the truck on the ground without the coilovers. To install/uninstall is easy if you have basic tools, jack, and jack stands. It’s also good to know how to when working on your own truck in case of suspension breakdown.
     
  8. May 6, 2021 at 12:03 PM
    #8
    eccracer104

    eccracer104 Dirty Paws Off-Road

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    @W3agle

    It’s actually pretty simple and straightforward once you get in there.

    But PLEASE be sure you have your truck well secured with Jack stands so it’s a safe working space.

    First, your rear shocks, super simple. Stem and nut up top with some bushings and then a bolt and nut down below.
    Very easy to do solo even not having done it before.
    (Ignore the old cracked bushings haha)

    B01BA8EC-1F2F-4DD5-9DB6-E9C445576CD1.jpg B49EDDD1-0869-452C-9BC0-13301D8E399B.jpg


    For the front:
    Still easy but more time consuming.
    Really all that’s holding it in place is one large bolt at the bottom and 4 bolts up top.

    (Your coilovers will vary slightly from the 5100s I have on)
    You’ll have 4 bolts instead of the studs and nuts on mine. But remove the 4 bolts up top -
    B95EA215-DCAB-4D3F-A251-90A7E57AE888.jpg

    And what’s securing the bottom is a big long bolt that goes through the lower control arm. A punch or the like is helpful on this part.
    Remove the nut, then slide the bolt out.
    Installation will simply be the reverse.

    A3B5741A-7C50-473F-A171-E6687BC01B03.jpg 6851AF6B-2CC0-4CBF-9310-70723FEBD18D.jpg


    Things to be cautious of up front:
    Watch your brake lines and your ABS wires. You can unbolt them from the spindle to give yourself some more wiggle room so they don’t get overly taught and create a problem.

    A couple things that help:
    You might need more movement in the front suspension, and an easy way to do that is to separate your UCA from the spindle. Just be ready with a bungee cord or some rope or something to hold the spindle in place once it’s free - again - want to watch your brake lines and ABS lines.

    If your sway bar is connected, disconnect it to get it out of your way to remove the coilover. They’re not light and can be a bit cumbersome to pull out.
    If you need more room disconnecting the outer tie rod is another easy way to get some more space to work.
     
    El Two, joonbug and W3agle[OP] like this.
  9. May 6, 2021 at 1:08 PM
    #9
    W3agle

    W3agle [OP] New Member

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    Wow! Thank you so much for the instructions. You make it seem very doable. Looks like I could do it in half a day or so.
     
    eccracer104[QUOTED] likes this.
  10. May 6, 2021 at 1:35 PM
    #10
    eccracer104

    eccracer104 Dirty Paws Off-Road

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    Happy to help!

    Just take it slow, take pictures as you go through so you can reference back if need be.

    It might appear like a lot at first, but once you’ve done it a few times it’s easy.
     
  11. May 6, 2021 at 1:45 PM
    #11
    BroTun13

    BroTun13 New Member

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    I personally don't like dealing with breaking the upper ball joint loose and having to secure the spindle. I remove the 2 LCA bolts that attach to the spindle and pull the coilover out the bottom. I can pull both coilovers out in about 45 minutes doing this with a floor jack in my garage. Another tip I figured out is not loosen both LCA cam bolts and use a ratchet strap to pull the LCA out of the way. Much faster

    This video shows the method I'm talking about in the first 4 minutes
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyloaYxFgU8
     

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