Did you torque the lower bolts to 80 ft-lbs? Might they have been
cross-threaded? I wouldn't expect the bolts to snap due to the shock itself,
but more likely how it was installed.
Vic wrote:
> 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.
-- -andy andylevy@yahoo.com Maintainer, DML FAQ - http://www.dakota-truck.net/faq/ http://home.twcny.rr.com/andylevy/dakota/ '99 CC 4x4 318 auto
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