I'm installing shocks right now, hit roadblock!!

[MikeTheMap]

Hey guys!! I have currently been going through my newly acquired XLT and this morning decided to tackle the shocks (since it's cooler ) Well, I got the drivers side/front shock off and replaced with relative ease. I am currently stuck on the passenger side/front shock right now. I had to get after the base supporting nut/bolt with some force. In doing so I actually sheared about 1/2 an inch of the stud!! UH OH!! I was wondering if this has happened to anyone else? And if so, how to replace it!! Does the stud thread in? Or is it probably a welding job?

P.S. It's the stud that the bottom part of the shock slides on when mounting!

Thanks a million fellas!!

Mike..

 

[little x]

My friend did this same thing to his 93 while I was helping him lift it. That stud should be cut off and a new one welded on for a "propper fix", but we just bought a huge grade 8 bolt/nut and drilled a hole through the RA right next to the stock mounting location. It's held up great for 2 years and he beats that thing hard.

 

[cgriffin_5139]

Replace the RA with a new one.

 

[MikeTheMap]

Dang!! The drilling then replacing with a bolt might be the way to go? How much does a RA replacement plus installation cost? Geez, so much to do before road ready, I'm becoming impatient!! Thanks a lot for the quick responses though you guys! I have the shock being held on by gravity alone right now, that will have to work untill I figure out what I can do. Thanks for your help!!

Mike...

 

[cgriffin_5139]

Dang!! The drilling then replacing with a bolt might be the way to go? How much does a RA replacement plus installation cost? Geez, so much to do before road ready, I'm becoming impatient!! Thanks a lot for the quick responses though you guys! I have the shock being held on by gravity alone right now, that will have to work untill I figure out what I can do. Thanks for your help!!

Mike...

shoot a pm to this guy he might have 1

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/member.php?u=44601

 

[Quadracer18]

same thing happened to me on both the driver and passenger side. I simply drilled out of the center of the stud and tapped it and put a bolt in there. Has held up great for the past few months.

 

[Calvynandhobbs]

I broke both of mine off when replacing the shocks on my 93. NAPA makes a stud kit for this problem and it only costs $3-$4 for each side. Installation was pretty simple. I found the kit when I did a search on this site. I'll see if I can find it again or I'll see if I have the NAPA part number at home. If you only broke the threads off of the stud put a couple bungee cords and a cable tie around the shock to secure it to the stud on the radius arm. I actually drove on mine like that for almost two weeks without any problems, even went wheelin one time.

Roger

I just found the thread with the NAPA part info in it.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165959&highlight=shock+stud

 

[Jason94sport]

I would search for a fix. I did it to both mine & posted a little thread on what I did to fix. I also have the Napa kit but have yet to install it.
Also a new RA's would be hard cause you'd have to take everything off the front end to replace the arm. If your doing that you might as well get extended RA's.
& even if the bungee cord method works ,I would not do that for safety reasons. At least not for very long.

 

[Maniak]

I've broken a few on our truck (only one while taking the nut off). Each time I'd just cut down one of those bolt on lower shock mounts and weld it righ to the RA.

The last time was last weekend.. I finally decided to not weld a new one on.. I ground down the newer welds so I was back to factory welds.. We then drilled out the old (factory) shock mount (stud).. Then grabbed a new mount from the help section at our local autoparts store (autozone). It bolts on so if I break one again, I'll just unbolt it and put a new one in (I bought two, one to throw in the truck as a spare).

~Mark

 

[MikeTheMap]

I'm sad fellas, I had to give up for now. I have to get new tires today anyway, so I'm just going to pay a little extra and let the shop guys install those two rear shocks. I know I know, I'm copping out, but I saved my money by stringing barbed wire fence up and down mountains while in college haha, so I feel I've put my dues in! In fact, there really is absolutely no "stringing" involved with running fences haha. Maybe I'm just trying to make myself feel better!! Oh well, either way, it will be done by the weekend! YAY!! Thanks for all the fast replies yall!

Mike...

 

[cgriffin_5139]

Running barbed wire fence sucks even on flat land believe me I know, I grew up on a 25,000 acre cattle ranch! What where you running 3-4-5 strand?

 

[MikeTheMap]

Oh MAN!! Thats A LOT of land to fence in! I was running 4 strand, and it got so difficult running it up and down over the hills. We were also clearing a trail beside it so we can get to it (to check the fence) on horseback. I learned the hard way to start in the middle of point A and B. I had hauled up one of those huge spools to the top of the mountain, then started to tighten it, and that worked well, until I had worked my way down to the middle, and the wire was 20 feet over my head due to a dip in the earth that I hadn't compensated for so it was so tight you could play it like an instrument. Fencing sucks horribly. Haha but you gotta keep the cattle/horses around somehow!!