Rancho RS9000X - Got Tips?

[VehiGAZ]

45 minutes?!? Wow, that's fast. I once changed all four sets of brake pads on my '79 Volvo 244 in an hour, but this is something else entirely... nice work!

PS... Peewog and I drove each other's VXs last night - hers with OEM shocks and mine with the the Bilsteins - and I can report that the Bilsteins provide about 98% of the damping that the OEM shocks do. I thought mine transmitted road surface imperfections a bit more than hers, but I'm chalking that up to different tires rather than the shocks. Bump, rebound, and body motions were nearly identical with either shock. I'll post more details in the other thread.

[mbeach]

Nice direct comparison on the shocks. I was thinking Bilsteins for the wife's truck if I fail in my battle with Isuzu. She doesn't need the adjustability of the RS-xs, and I might be taking mine off in a few months anyhow.

Incidentally, a Volvo 240 was one of the first cars that I ever laid a wrench on. I can't remember if I enjoyed working on it -I assume that's a good thing.
I don't encourage people to go fast when working on their cars, I've made a few mistakes as a result of doing so. I only use time as a benchmark for managing multiple jobs. The wife likes to know "when are you going to be done...etc.", so it helps to tell her something.

Tips that help me out though:
1. Keep tools organized and close at hand.
2. Print out instructions on how to do the job (for something new). Read thoroughly before starting and highlight problem areas. Use a different highlighter color for torque specs and bolt/nut sizes.
3. Keep the wrench(es), socket(s) and ratchets that you will be using, ON your body. I wear coveralls with many (zipped up) pockets. It's incredible how much time you save when you don't have to crawl out from under the truck to grab a wrench that is on the other side of the garage. Don't carry screwdrivers in your pockets, for the most part you won't be using them on 'hard' parts anyhow.
4. Spray all associated nuts and bolts with a good penetrant (PB, Creep, etc.) liberally and 10-15 minutes before starting the job. Spray the bolts, then find the tools, lift the truck, etc. I've never needed more than a 2' breaker bar for any bolt (I've spent a fair amount of time turning wrenches on HMMWVs and this still holds true).
5. Count your tools in and out of the job -make sure that you didn't leave anything behind (I'm notorious for leaving wrenches lodged on the backside of bolts).

I can't remember where I pieced all of this together from, here and there I suppose. It works for me though.