By Bruce W. Smith / Photos by Bruce W. Smith / Smith-Walton.Com It wasn’t to the point of needing a Dramamine patch behind the ear, but my 2002 Chevy TrailBlazer’s ride and handling seemed to have become a lot more “boaty” over the past year. It wasn’t unexpected: 67,000 miles, mostly over country roads and pot-hole-ridden city streets tends to hasten the wear and tear of any vehicle’s suspension. Shocks wear out about the same time as tires and at the same time-warping miniscule rate so their demise lulls you into not even noticing they are shot until one day you suddenly realize something is not right and needs to be fixed. Now. Most standard shocks are shot around 15,000 miles. The higher-end gas-filled versions, like the Bilsteins under the four corners of my TrailBlazer, are good for around 50K. After that you might as well say they are just along for the ride—as were mine. They no longer control the vehicle when a big dip in the road swallows it up, nor do they quickly steady the wobbles, bounces, and shakes after crossing the railroad tracks, or help stabilize the movement added by that trailer hooked to the hitch. Replacing shocks on a pickup or SUV is easy. A bolt on bottom and top are all that keep them in place. But replacing struts is another story; they normally require a trip to the repair shop or dealer where special tools and trained mechanics handle what becomes an expensive half-day task. But we are going to take you step-by-step to show how you can R&R both the rear shocks and front struts in half the time allowed in the flat-rate book, saving you the $50-$60/hour shop labor rate, paying a premium for OEM shocks, and the cost of a front-end alignment. All you need are the right tools and room to work. When the job is done your GM SUV’s ride and handling will be better than it was the day it came off the showroom floor. A word of note about shocks/struts: OEM/factory shocks and struts do not always provide the best ride and handling. They can also be more expensive than “aftermarket” replacements. We know Bilstein changed the shock setup on their non-OEM struts and shocks for this application to provide what they think is a better suspension package, and we concur.—Bruce W. Smith GM Mid-Size SUV Shock/Strut R&R Skill Level: Moderate Time Required: 3-4 hours Tools Used: o Metric Socket Set (10mm;15mm;18mm; 24mm sockets) o 10” Extension o Open/Box-end Metric Wrench Set (GearWrench) o Small pry bar or long screwdriver (GearWrench) o Small hammer o Tie-rod remover o Adjustable tripod stand o Coil spring compressor o Floor jack & jack stands – or hoist & tripod stand (recommended) o ½” Impact wrench (recommended) or lugnut wrench o WD-40 o Permatex Anti-Seize compound o 1 pair front Bilstein struts (#BE5-A333-HO) o 1 pair rear Bilstein shocks (#BE5-A335-HO) o Old Navy book of cuss words—oh, that’s right, we’re doing this our way, no need for book Special Thanks: Karl Hagar/Hagar’s Auto Repair; 228.868.7187 GearWrench (www.gearwrench.com; 800.688.8949) Bilstein USA (www.bilstein.com; 858-386-5900)
One of the common wear items that have a life span similar to shocks
and struts is tires. Tires wear slowly, just as shocks do. They are also
an integral part of the vehicles suspension and are vital to vehicle ride,
handling, and The tires on our TrailBlazer needed to be replaced because when a penny, inserted head-down into the tread voids, showed the top of Lincoln’s head. So we replaced the old tires with a set of Bridgestone (www.bridgestonetire.com) Dueler A/T Revos—a very popular SUV tire because of its superb ride and handling qualities. On the outside, the Dueler A/T REVO molds a Super Long Link Carbon Black, Dual Layer Tread II compound into an aggressive, all-terrain pattern of interlocking tread blocks to provide traction and handling on- and off-road. As the top layer of tread compound wears away, it reveals a second layer specifically developed to resist aging and remain pliable to retain more wet traction-even as it wears. Internally, the Dueler A/T REVO features a Computer Optimized Component System that blends twin high- strength steel belts reinforced with spirally wrapped nylon to stabilize the tread area and enhance durability while minimizing weight. It’s a fine tire for a wide-range of driving environments.—Bruce W. Smith Installation: REAR SHOCKS
Bilstein is a big shock supplier to GM, including those found on the mid-size SUVs such as the TrailBlazer, Envoy and Bravada. But Bilstein’s own replacement shocks have different valving and better overall ride control than the factory-spec shocks. So we used Bilstein’s shocks instead of the GM replacement versions.
Slowly lower the tripod stand (or floor jack) only enough to allow both the upper and lower shock bolts to slide out freely. The bottom mount might require a little nudge from a long screwdriver or small pry bar to slide out of the mounting bracket.
With shock in place, install both the upper and lower bolts (supplied with the new shocks) and tighten.
Installation: FRONT STRUTS
Use 24mm socket to remove the nut securing arm to lower control arm, and 15mm socket to remove the nut/bolt that secures the steering knuckle assembly to the upper control arm.
Use a hammer of appropriate size to gently tap upward on the upper control arm until the steering knuckle assembly slips free from the bracket. Use light taps. Lean the hub assembly toward the rear so have easy access to the strut assembly.
The same socket and extension is used to remove one of the two nuts that secure the strut to the tower bracket. Loosen the second nut—but don’t remove yet.
Bolt the strut mount to the lower control arm and tighten. Now tighten the upper mounting bolt.
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Sidebar:
Replacing Tires 
interior sound levels. 
Lift vehicle and secure. We used a hoist for easiest access, but a floor
jack and good jackstands can also be employed. Remove the rear wheels. 
We
placed an OTC 2018A 2-Ton Tripod Stand under the axle housing to support
the side each shock is being R&R’d. (A floor jack will work the same way
for those using jackstand instead of a hoist.) Use an 18mm socket and
box-end wrench to remove both upper and lower shock mounting bolts. 
Before installing the new Bilsteins, note the top mounting bracket
utilizes a special “J”-clip/nut on the inward side. This clip can and may
slip down just a fraction when you remove the shock. When the new shock is
installed you will have to use your finger or thumb to hold the clip up so
it aligns with the mounting bolt. 
Back-off the pressure on the floorjack or tripod stand. Reposition the
stand or floor jack to the opposite side and repeat the same steps. 
After the new shocks are in place, dab a little Permatex Anti-Seize on
each wheel stud. This ensures the lug nuts will be easy to remove the next
go-round. 
Bolt the wheels back on, torque the lugnuts to specs found in the owner’s
manual, and check the tire air pressure to make sure they are at the
pressure indicated on the vehicle’s door placard. That’s it. Total time
start to finish: 30 minutes--tops. 
Struts are located inside and attached to the front coils, so they are far
more involved to replace than shocks. GM’s repair book allows five hours
R&R the front struts. But following our shortcuts that time can be cut in
half—and without having to got to front-end shop for re-alignment. 
We selected aftermarket Bilstein struts for the front, again because they
provide a better ride and handling than the GM/Bilstein OEM struts that
came on the SUV. 
Use a 10mm socket or box-end wrench to remove the brake hose mounting
bracket from the back of the control arm. 
Unsnap the clip that holds the ABS sensor wire to the control arm. 
An 18mm socket on a 10” extension makes quick work of the bolt that holds
the strut tight to the strut mounting bracket. 
Use the wedge-shaped tie-rod removing tool to separate the strut mount
from the lower control arm. Tap gently. It will pop free without a lot of
drama.
While one hand holds the now loose strut assembly, use the other hand to
reach between the fender and upper strut tower to remove that loose nut.
This will allows the strut assembly to be easily pulled forward and out of
the vehicle, just clearing the front sway bar. (The normal procedure calls
for dropping the front sway bar and lower control arm assembly—both a big
pain in time and effort.)
Tap the strut mount off the end of the strut. 
Use a dab of whiteout or a felt marker to indicate “out” on the top of the
strut assembly just in case there’s some difference in the stud mounting
locations. 
Take your strut assembly to a shop that has a special press designed just
for the purpose of disassembling/assembling struts, or rent a good one
from your local rental place. Beware: This is the dangerous part of the
job—so use only the tools designed for this task. The spring is under
almost 3,000 pounds of downforce while your’re taking off the top nut. 
Use an impact wrench and 18mm socket to remove the retaining nut. You may
need to use a big screwdriver to keep the assembly from turning as the nut
is removed. Do not stand directly over the strut assembly as you remove
the retaining nut! Slowly release the pressure from the spring compressor.
Remove the spring and old strut. 
Position the bottom isolation rubber in the mounting plate that is part of
the new strut. Then place the strut into the spring compressor stand and
place the spring over it. Set up the stand and compress the spring so the
top mounting plate can be put in place.
Bracket and rubber seated, use the impact wrench to retighten the nut that
holds the strut in place. 
Reinstall the strut assembly in reverse order starting with the top bolts.
Do not tighten them until after the assembly is back together. 
Squirt a little lubricant on the strut mount that encircles the strut.
Push the strut mount onto the strut and use the hammer to tap it upward
ensuring it is on all the way. 
Install the locking bolt but leave it loose so the bracket can be rotated
to fit on the lower control arm. 
Rotate the steering knuckle assembly upright and slide it back into the
upper control arm. Use the hammer to gently tap the control arm down onto
the pivot shaft. Make absolutely sure the steering knuckle pivot is far
enough up in the control arm bracket to allow the mounting bolt to lock it
in place. If the bolt doesn’t fit in the groove the first big bump will
result in the entire steering knuckle falling out. 
Recheck to make sure all the bolts and nuts are tight on the lower
suspension. Reattach the ABS sensor wire and the brake line mounting
bracket. Now tighten the two upper mounting bolts. 
Dab Anti-Seize on the wheel studs and remount the wheels just as done on
the front. Now you are ready to hit the road.