Installed a new damper

[suprz]

After 13 years I figured my original Ford branded steering damper needed to be replaced. Now of course a 15 minute job became a hour job Because the top mounting bolt did not have enough clearance and hit the tie rod... Had to crank the wheels to the right, and jack up the passenger side front corner so the tie rod would be below the bolt.... Oh well... Just a FYI for anyone else thinking of doing this

[bobndot]

Reiterating that the replacement Bilstein HD shocks I installed last year 2018 have been awesome.

Yes, I like my front Bils upgrade as well. Just completed two 1000 mi roads trips and my rig was a pleasure to drive.

[ron_dittmer]

Back in 2007 after our rig was a few months old, I took it to a truck/RV suspension shop to address handling issues. One of the upgrades was replacing the stock steering stabilizer damper with a much bigger Safe-T-Plus version. It was worth the money for the improvement it made, but I don't know if something more affordable may have been just as effective.

As I recall, our original black stock steering damper and shocks all had something stamped into them implying "Made For Ford by Monroe".

Reiterating that the replacement Bilstein HD shocks I installed last year 2018 have been awesome.

[Kamphiker]

I installed a Roadmaster Reflex Steering stabilizer about 10 years ago after the solo trip with the new to Me MH. it made a big difference.

I remember having issues getting the replacement Bracket to align proper.

[IAMICHABOD]

pnichols wrote:
I wonder how the Ford designers intended for E-Series vans to have their front shocks replaced ... or are Ford OEM shocks supposed to be lifetime but actually aren't?

Maybe they should have done as the Chevy Guys did and make a little flap in the inner fender wall that you lift up and you can get to the top of the shock very easy.:B


I had a Ford Econoline as a daily driver and did change the front shocks,what a real all day chore!!!

[ron_dittmer]

FWIW, I replaced all 4 shocks on my 2007 E350 last year. I found easier access to the driver front shock through two channels created by removing sharp-tipped bolts via under the hood. The driver floor grommet did not compare to the access from the two channels. I took pictures of the project including one of the two channels. CLICK HERE to get to the post with pictures.

[pnichols]

I wonder how the Ford designers intended for E-Series vans to have their front shocks replaced ... or are Ford OEM shocks supposed to be lifetime but actually aren't?

[DrewE]

The top nuts on mine, at least, were not really rusted in place. Regardless, getting a wrench in there to tighten the new ones is about the same battle.

I found a flex-head ratcheting box wrench to be the handiest tool. As required per Murphey's Law, the replacement shocks used a different size nut than the old ones, so I had to buy two such wrenches. Some years and some chassis have rubber plugs in the foot space from the inside that can give somewhat easier access than trying to reach around from the bottom...but not all.

The improvement in handling from the old, no-longer-absorbing shock absorbers to the new Koni FSDs was not subtle. I'm a happier driver now. I also don't plan on doing the job again merely for the fun of it.

[suprz]

DrewE wrote:
I remember a similar problem when doing the steering damper. Jacking up the corner of the vehicle is the solution, and it's not too hard. Note that this doesn't mean jacking up with the usual jack points for changing a tire, since those are on the I beams for the axles and lifting them doesn't appreciably change the position of the suspension components relative to each other; instead, jack the frame, the solid part of the axle assembly, or something similarly beefy and independent of the suspension.

Changing the front shocks is not a lot of fun, but it's certainly not at all impossible for a DYIer...it's mainly just that there is not great access to the top mounts for wrenching on things. (Paying for any parts is never fun, it goes without saying!)

Most videos I have watched show that the guy doing the shocks cut the old ones off at the top instead of messing with the inevitable rusted nuts

[DrewE]

I remember a similar problem when doing the steering damper. Jacking up the corner of the vehicle is the solution, and it's not too hard. Note that this doesn't mean jacking up with the usual jack points for changing a tire, since those are on the I beams for the axles and lifting them doesn't appreciably change the position of the suspension components relative to each other; instead, jack the frame, the solid part of the axle assembly, or something similarly beefy and independent of the suspension.

Changing the front shocks is not a lot of fun, but it's certainly not at all impossible for a DYIer...it's mainly just that there is not great access to the top mounts for wrenching on things. (Paying for any parts is never fun, it goes without saying!)

[suprz]

pnichols wrote:

suprz wrote:

bobndot wrote:
What brand did you install ?

Monroe SC2955. nothing special, and actually the ford branded one actually had "Monroe" imprinted just under the ford logo. The new one is beefier than the OEM ford one though

Does "beefier" mean stiffer such that you either feel it in the steering - or are working the power steering system harder all the
time without knowing it?

"beefier" means that the actual damper body is a slightly bigger diameter than the stock OEM one. It is definitely not going to overwork the power steering hydraulics. It was just a necessary maintenance item. Next are shocks which I'm not looking forward to doing, or paying for

[pnichols]

suprz wrote:

bobndot wrote:
What brand did you install ?

Monroe SC2955. nothing special, and actually the ford branded one actually had "Monroe" imprinted just under the ford logo. The new one is beefier than the OEM ford one though

Does "beefier" mean stiffer such that you either feel it in the steering - or are working the power steering system harder all the time without knowing it?

[suprz]

bobndot wrote:
What brand did you install ?

Monroe SC2955. nothing special, and actually the ford branded one actually had "Monroe" imprinted just under the ford logo. The new one is beefier than the OEM ford one though

[bobndot]

What brand did you install ?