sikwan
06 Tin Can
Every time we go into a driveway or over a speed bump at an angle, the Sprinter likes to jostle side-to-side. Sometimes it can get bad enough to toss things around that are not tied down. The van rides soft which I don't mind, but the jostling effect is annoying, especially to the passengers when they least expect it.
I've read a lot about replacing the oem shocks with Koni's to alleviate the jostling. Retail prices on a set hover around the $700 and up. The cost was the one thing that kept me from purchasing a set, until now. I got a set for $595 shipped.
Part numbers for the Koni's
87-2638 (all Fronts)
82-2440 (3500 rear)
82-2434 (2500 rear)
I have a 2006 T1N 2500, so I bought two 87-2638's and two 82-2434's from Dustan in this post. I did place an order at Summit Racing for $622.75, but decided to cancel and order from Dustan. My order came in a week earlier than the ETD of the Summit order.
Driver's side view.
Rubber mat is covering the top of shock.
24mm closed-end wrench for nut and 8mm allen wrench needed for the shaft.
I didn't have the 24mm open ended wrench, so I had to use a 15/16 socket and impact wrench to remove.
Two bolts (19mm) towards the front.
It's best to turn the forward side of the wheel out to access these bolts. The sway bar ends get in the way.
Two bolts (19mm) towards the rear.
Lots of room on this side of shock.
OEM hydraulic jack positioned on the recommended jack point on frame.
Wheel removed using impact wrench and 19mm socket.
There's no way you could replace the front shocks without jacking up the front and removing the wheel. The shock does double duty by damping and positioning the hub. I thought I could just turn the wheel, remove the old shock, and replace with the Koni because the vehicle is supported by the front leaf spring. After looking at the design, the hub would just fall out of position. So much for easy work.
I think I wasted a lot of time trying to find the easy way when it finally dawned on me that it was not possible. This is the one time I didn't refer to the service manual before tackling this. Maybe I should've before wasting time.
I've read a lot about replacing the oem shocks with Koni's to alleviate the jostling. Retail prices on a set hover around the $700 and up. The cost was the one thing that kept me from purchasing a set, until now. I got a set for $595 shipped.
Part numbers for the Koni's
87-2638 (all Fronts)
82-2440 (3500 rear)
82-2434 (2500 rear)
I have a 2006 T1N 2500, so I bought two 87-2638's and two 82-2434's from Dustan in this post. I did place an order at Summit Racing for $622.75, but decided to cancel and order from Dustan. My order came in a week earlier than the ETD of the Summit order.
Driver's side view.
Rubber mat is covering the top of shock.
24mm closed-end wrench for nut and 8mm allen wrench needed for the shaft.
I didn't have the 24mm open ended wrench, so I had to use a 15/16 socket and impact wrench to remove.
Two bolts (19mm) towards the front.
It's best to turn the forward side of the wheel out to access these bolts. The sway bar ends get in the way.
Two bolts (19mm) towards the rear.
Lots of room on this side of shock.
OEM hydraulic jack positioned on the recommended jack point on frame.
Wheel removed using impact wrench and 19mm socket.
There's no way you could replace the front shocks without jacking up the front and removing the wheel. The shock does double duty by damping and positioning the hub. I thought I could just turn the wheel, remove the old shock, and replace with the Koni because the vehicle is supported by the front leaf spring. After looking at the design, the hub would just fall out of position. So much for easy work.
I think I wasted a lot of time trying to find the easy way when it finally dawned on me that it was not possible. This is the one time I didn't refer to the service manual before tackling this. Maybe I should've before wasting time.
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