Keep your suspension in good shape for the comfort and safety of everyone who rides in your Dodge Ram. Have your shocks checked for extensive wear every time you rotate or balance the tires, and replace them after 60,000 miles of normal driving conditions. This process is most effective on two-wheel-drive trucks built between model years 2001 and 2005 and only covers shocks because Dodge doesn't equip the Ram with struts.
Determine whether you have a coil spring suspension system or a link/coil suspension by reading your owner's manual or consulting a professional. Lift the front end of the truck with a floor jack, and support the frame with jack stands. Use a tire iron to remove the wheels.
Locate the shocks, which look like a slim tube that slides in and out of a tube with a slightly larger girth. Unbolt the upper mounting bolt on the shock absorbers if you have a coil spring suspension. If your truck has a link/coil suspension system, remove the upper mounting nut and the three nuts connecting the shocks to the shock absorber brackets.
Use a ratchet to remove the lower mounting bolts, and take the shocks out of the wheel wells with your hand. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 on the other side of the front of the truck.
Hold each new shock in position, and insert the lower mounting bolt. Set the dial on your torque wrench to 100 ft-lb, and tighten the lower bolt until you feel the wrench slip. Tighten the upper mounting bolt on a coil spring suspension to 25 ft-lb unless your truck is either model year 2003 or 2004. If you have a link/coil suspension, torque the upper mounting nut and the nuts holding the shock to the bracket to 55 ft-lb.
Put the wheels back on your truck, and lower it.
Raise the rear end of the truck, and support the axle with jack stands on either side. Place jack stands under the frame in case one on the axle fails.
Remove both the upper and lower mounting bolts holding the shock. Pull out the shock absorber. Repeat on the other side of the rear of the truck.
Position the new shock absorber, and slide the upper mounting bolt into the bracket and through the shock. Torque it to 70 ft-lb. For model years 2003 to 2005, torque it to 100 ft-lb. Install the lower mounting bolt, and torque it to 100 ft-lb.
Lower the rear of the truck.
