How to Replace Rear Shock Absorber 2009-16 Ram 1500
Created on: 2019-02-15
How to repair, install , fix, change or replace your rear shockson 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 Ram 1500
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step 1 :Removing the Wheel
- Loosen the lug nut covers with a 22mm socket and breaker bar
- Pry off the center cap with a flat blade screwdriver
- Loosen the lug nuts with the vehicle on the ground
- Raise the vehicle with a floor jack
- Secure the vehicle on jack stands
- Remove the lug nuts
- Pull off the wheel
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step 2 :Removing the Wheel Well Liner
- Remove the 8mm bolts from the mud flap
- Remove the Phillips screw from the mud flap
- Remove the nine 8mm bolts from the wheel well liner and its perimeter
- Remove the wheel well liner
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step 3 :Removing the Rear Shock
- Remove the upper rear shock nut with a 21mm socket and breaker bar and 21mm wrench
- Remove the lower rear shock nut with a 21mm socket and breaker bar and 21mm wrench
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step 4 :Installing the Rear Shock
- Insert the rear shock into place
- Tighten the upper rear shock nut with a 21mm socket and breaker bar and 21mm wrench
- Tighten the lower rear shock nut with a 21mm socket and breaker bar and 21mm wrench
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step 5 :Installing the Wheel Well Liner
- Insert the wheel well liner into place
- Tighten the nine 8mm bolts to the wheel well liner and its perimeter
- Tighten the Phillips screw to the mud flap
- Tighten the 8mm bolts to the mud flap
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step 6 :Installing the Wheel
- Slide the wheel into place
- Start the lug nuts by hand
- Tighten the lug nuts preliminarily
- Lower the vehicle to the ground
- Tighten the lug nuts to 130 foot-pounds in a crossing or star pattern
- Reattach the center cap
- Tighten the lug nut covers with a 22mm socket
Tools needed
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21mm Socket
21mm wrench
Socket Extensions
Torque Wrench
Phillips Head Screwdriver
8mm Socket
Ratchet
Floor Jack
1/2 Inch Breaker Bar
22mm Socket
Hi, I’m Mike from 1A Auto. We’ve been selling auto parts for over 30 years!
What's up, guys? I'm Andy from 1A Auto. Today I'm going to be replacing these rear shocks on this 2016 Ram 1500. If you need these parts, or other parts, for your vehicle, click the link in the description and head over to 1aauto.com.
We're going to loosen these lug nuts up, going to use a 7/8ths socket. You can also use a 22mm socket and a breaker bar. Just want to crack 'em free before we raise the vehicle. I'm going to raise and support the vehicle. We're using a two-post lift. If you're doing this at your house you can use a jack and jack stands.
I'll take these lug nuts off, we'll just use the socket. Take that last lug nut off. You can grab the tire, take it off. This vehicle has a mud flap, so I'm going to remove this. Going to use an 8mm socket and ratchet. Remove these two bolts, and then there's a screw right there. Then I'm going to use a Phillips head screwdriver. Pull this screw off. There's actually a nut on the back side, so I'm just going to hold the nut with my fingers. Pull that out. If you needed to put a wrench on there. Set that aside.
Now I'm going to remove this inner fender well. We're going to remove these bolts. There's nine of them. Right here, here, here, and then those two as well. Just use an 8mm socket and a ratchet. Take that last screw out. Grab the inner fender liner. Just going to slide it out. Take it out just like that. I'm going to support the rear axle so that it doesn't fall once I pull the bolts out of the shock. So, you can use a floor jack, or we're using the transmission jack, or a screw jack, or a pole jack.
I'm just going to break this bolt free. I'm going to use a 21mm socket and a breaker bar. Just loosen it up. All right. So, to get this upper bolt out, the nut on the inside is just spinning, so I had to take a 21mm wrench and actually heat it up and bend it. If you're doing a lot of these jobs, you might want to do this, or get a short 21mm wrench. There's no way to get a socket on the inside of here. If you get the wrench on the inside right here. Just like that. Then I can take a 21mm socket and breaker bar, loosen up this bolt from the inside. I don't want to take the bolt out completely, 'cause I do want to support the rear axle before I take the bolt out, but at this point I want to get the nut off from the inside. Just going to loosen it up. So I'll loosen this bolt up and take it out. Once it's pretty loose I can take this modified wrench out. I'll try to take the nut off with my fingers. Slide the nut off. Just leave that in there for now.
Now I'll loosen up the bottom bolt with a 21mm socket and breaker bar, 21mm wrench. Loosen it up. Take this nut off. Once that's out. Just want to make sure your support is good for your rear differential, then we can pull these bolts out. Pull this bolt out first. Pull the top bolt out next. Slide the shock right out. This is our old shock. Here's our new shock from 1aauto.com. It's a KYB shock, it's got the same bushings, same length, same dust shield. Get yours at 1aauto.com and get ready to rock and roll.
Now I'm going to slide the shock into place, start with the top. Take the shock bolt, get that installed. Get the nut on the inside started. Then we'll try to line up the bottom. I am actually going to have to lower the rear differential a little bit. Now going to raise it up. When it's in position take the bolt, slide that in. Take the nut, put the nut on. Now going to take the ratchet and the wrench, and tighten this bolt up. Snug that up, and do the same for the top bolt. We're going to take a torque wrench, and we're going to tighten these down to 100 foot pounds. I'll start with the top one. I still have my wrench on the inside. Now I can pull the wrench off. Now I'll take the bottom one.
Now we're able to lower the support for the rear differential. I'm going to reinstall this in your fender well. Bend it up a little bit, should be able to get it in. There we go. Just going to take these bolts, get these bolts started. I'm going to reinstall the mud flap before I tighten those other screws up. Get these started. I'll take an 8mm socket, extension, and ratchet, going to tighten up all these bolts, and those too. Then just snug those down. You are tightening plastic down, so not too tight. Take the wheel, line it up with the lug nuts. Take the lug nuts, get those started. Just take the socket, make sure these are all snug. I'm going to lower the vehicle and torque them. Going to take a 7/8ths socket or a 22mm socket, and a torque wrench, and I'm going to torque these to 130 foot pounds. We're going to do this in a star pattern, so that the wheel gets tightened down evenly. I'm going to go around one more time, just to make sure.
Thanks for watching. Visit us at 1AAuto.com for quality auto parts, fast and free shipping, and the best customer service in the industry.
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