I installed Trailmaster Invader N7 shocks on my truck last September. About
a month ago, I noticed the truck getting noisey over bumps. When I got
under the truck, I found the lower bolts for the front shocks were a little
loose, so I snugged them down. A week later the truck got noisey again and
I found that the front driver's side lower shock bolt had sheared in half,
it was a very clean break. Half of it was still sitting in the shock and
the other half in the lower control arm. So I removed it and ordered
another from the dealer. I got the new one in and put some thread lock when
installing it. Today I got under the truck again because the noise was back
and the bolt was gone. This time it must have worked itself all the way
out. The driver's side bolt is OK so far, but the shock on that side leaked
fluid after 2 months, so it was replaced. When I got under the truck again
last month, the same side was leaking fluid again, so it was replacemed a
second time.
I used the thread lock that says you can remove the bolt with 'regular'
tools. They had some stronger stuff that said 'special' tools need to
remove the bolt. I think I will go with this stronger threadlock, but
wanted to know if this is really permanent, or if I would still be able to
get the bolt off with a breaker bar or impact if I needed to get it off.
Also, could my problems loosing and breaking the driver's side shock bolt be
due to the shocks, maybe they are too stiff, wrong size, etc. ? Any other
ideas?
My truck is an '01 Quad Cab 4x4.
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