re: The tune-up thread

I'd put a change of something like full syn SuperTech and run it at least 6,000 miles. I ran a bottle in a Maxima I had according to the label and I saw very little if any improvement. Ran a second bottle about 7500 miles with M1 5W-30 and saw much better results. Don't think anything works like 60,000 miles of PP, PU, and RP though.

Alright, so I had class today, but I was able to get the shocks and bump stops done afterwards. I was dragging arse, so it took me three hours. If your truck is new and you haven't ever done it, you should be able to do it in the same amount of time. The ride is like night and day compared to the old ones. I also cranked up the torsion bars and it still feels like budda

I started off with the rear because my engine was hot and it was also the easiest. I just backed up onto some ramps to get a little space and went at it. You can do it on the ground if you want. The first thing I did was to load up all of the nuts with PB Blaster and waited about 20 minutes. After that, I dropped the spare tire. This gives you much more room to get the top bolt on the driver's side out.

Here you can see how easy it is to access the passenger side rear shock. Just unbolt it and take it out. In the second pic, the bolt was turned in there and I couldnt pull it out. I just put the nut back on there so I couldn't mess up the bolt



In this picture, you can see how much room taking out the spare tire gives you. The second picture shows you that the top bolt on the driver's side isn't the easiest to get to, but you shouldn't have much trouble. I used a ratchet on the bolt because it was a PITA moving it on the nut side



When I was putting them back in, I rubbed grease on the metal bushing part so it would be a little easier to slide it. After I got the bolt in, I made sure to put blue Loctite on it. I put blue Loctite on every bolt except the front top one because it had a lock nut.



This is a pic of it all back together. I left the green straps on so the shock wouldn't fully extend. By doing that, you don't have to push it up as far and can slide it in easier. Cut the green straps after all of the bolts are in and tightened down. I dunno how much I tightened them down, but I used an 18" breaker bar, so a lot.



After that came the fronts, which was a little bit more tough. I loosened the top nut almost all of the way off, and then undid the bottom bolt.



Once again I put the shock back in the reverse of the way I took it out....top nut first, but not all of the way tight.



I put the bottom bolt in facing the front of the truck because it is much easier to get in that way. This will be the hardest and most frustrating part of the whole deal. The bottom tabs are more than likely bent smaller from tightening down on the old shock. Bilstein also seems to have bigger bottom mounts than other manufacturers, but only by a count hair, and just enough to make it aggravating. Then, getting it lined up just enough for the bolt to fit through will drive you nuts.



Here you can see how I rigged it up on the driver's side. I attached a cum-a-long to the bottom bracket and the torsion bar crossmember so I could open it up more. There was absolutely no way that the bottom of the shock was going into the mount, so I had to do this. Worked like a charm



Once you get that bottom mount bolt in, you take your 17mm ratcheting wrench and put it over the nut. On Bilstein I have ever put in on, the shaft spins and you can't turn the lock nut. To fix this, they square off the top of it so you can get a 7mm open-ended wrench on there. Hold the shaft still and tighten down the nut.



There you go. Pretty easy other than the bottom bolt thing. If I was hustling, I could've had it done in 45 minutes, but plan for a solid 3 hours if you do it. Just remember to put Loctite on all of the bolts


I also had to replace my bump stops because they were falling apart on one side, and completely fell off on the other. I thought it was weird, but they are made of foam not rubber. Poly ones can be bought anywhere, but they are hard as frick when you hit them, and I didn't want that.

It is as simple as unbolting one bolt, cleaning up the underside of the mount, lining up the tab and bolt, and tightening the nut down. I did it when I had the shocks off, and it took 5 minutes per side.

Here is the only thing that needs to be unscrewed

Damn autocorrect

I'm about to order F&R pads(Hawk LTS) and a stainless line kit online from Jegs. They are the cheapest I quickly found, but the stuff wouldn't ship for a damn week. I also wish there was a way to turn off ABS without a light popping up. I hate that shite

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That stuff goes in your oil ONLY. Have to order it online

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I imagine it does the same thing as Seafoam does when you add it to the oil - drive it a couple hundred miles and then change oil/filter...

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Naw, seafoam is.

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Seafoam works great at removing varnished gasoline from small engine carburetors and for upper cylinder carbon removal.

Techron is the best for injector cleaning.
Pour in that is.
I like the Ford and Chrysler fuel system cleaner when using a stand alone fuel injector cleaning system

I have an 07.
Case of what filters? I have a K&N.

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Case of what filters? I have a K&N.

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OEM filters. Proven to be the best out there...check out the filter comp thread over on TW.

Pre filter as in the charcoal one? Naw, it doesn't do anything and doesn't cause any restrictions. Read on there somewhere where airflow was tested in the following scenarios: stock filter w/ charcoal filter installed; same with it removed; drop in K&N; drop in AFE; and no filtration at all (everything removed). Airflow was the same regardless and since the OEM filters flow more than the engine can use and filter better than K&N or AFE, thats what I go with.

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Seafoam is supposed to be much more harsh when added to your oil. I believe you are only supposed to go a couple of hundred miles. Auto-rx stays in for 3500 miles cleaning slowly, you change oil, then wash it all out for another 3500. After that, just do regular oil changes


MJ2, my stock rotors are thick, but the pads are wearing faster on the inside all of the way around. I greased the pins, so hopefully that gets rid of the sticking issue

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Yeah, its great at that. Drive a bit and drain.

Are you going to replace the pads? You have a Tahoe, right? Have a '11 that I do all my own work on, too. I just wish they had damn zerk fittings other than the two on the steering. Ridiculous. Just like my Tacoma, which has ZERO zerk fittings...