Show me your rear shocks

Eddie Greenlee

Eddie Greenlee

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Mar 5, 2016
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Mississippi
yall, I laid on the concrete way too long yesterday removing my rear shocks. Surly there's got to be a better way to remove the top bolts. I mean there is absolutely no room to work up there. Thank goodness I had lots of extensions for my ratchet. I have the Rancho 5000X shocks with the hard plastic crimped on protective covers. They actually bind on the gas tank skid plate. I think Jeep said lets see how much stuff we can stuff into this rear end area. ha anyway if you have a solution to easing my pain please share. For those who can place a fuel cell in the back of their jeep and get rid of that tank under the jeep must love working on the back of the jeep.
 
I installed the same Rancho 5000X. Removed tire for room and cut that plastic cover off the Shock. Still the passenger side in particular is hard to get at.
 
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Drop the tank. Seriously. Its not that hard to do. Unscrew 8 screws at the filler, four 5/16" nuts at the back, three more 5/16" nuts at the front, and a few QD vapor and fuel lines. Its out. Remember to use a floor jack (ATV jacks work great) to support it.
 
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Ranger_b0b said:
Drop the tank. Seriously. Its not that hard to do. Unscrew 8 screws at the filler, four 5/16" nuts at the back, three more 5/16" nuts at the front, and a few QD vapor and fuel lines. Its out. Remember to use a floor jack (ATV jacks work great) to support it.
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X2. I did mine at the same time I dropped my tank. It was so much easier that way!
 
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As a certified old guy who generally looks for the easiest way to do nearly everything, I definitely don't see the need or benefit to drop the gas tank to install shocks. That is a bigger job than some believe when it concerns newer Jeeps with all the smog crap tucked up inside the right-rear corner. I've installed several different shocks into my current '04 and while the passenger-side is indeed more cramped than the driver's side, its a non-issue with enough extensions connected between the wrench and socket. And yep, lose the boots around the struts which just trap dirt/sand/crud inside against the strut and its seal.
 
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Jerry Bransford said:
As a certified old guy who generally looks for the easiest way to do nearly everything, I definitely don't see the need or benefit to drop the gas tank to install shocks. That is a bigger job than some believe when it concerns newer Jeeps with all the smog crap tucked up inside the right-rear corner. I've installed several different shocks into my current '04 and while the passenger-side is indeed more cramped than the driver's side, its a non-issue with enough extensions connected between the wrench and socket.
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My thoughts exactly. I'm not about to drop my gas tank to change a pair of shocks. Even with the dust sleeves, plenty of extensions will do.
 
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so are the bar pin eliminators really a good thing or just something to waist your money on? I mean you still have to take bolts loose to get them off right?
 
I lost count of how many times I've removed the rear shocks. A long extension is all I have ever needed and never thought twice about it.

Bar pin eliminators serve no purpose, especially in the rear where all they do is reduce suspension travel. The rear compressed shocks are almost certainly always going to be the first limitation to up travel. If anything, raise them up.
 
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