The QA1s will bolt right into the stock locations, but we have to get out the other shocks first. After removing the lower shock bolt, the upper hardware was unbolted and the shock put into the save-for-later pile. | 
One thing we noticed with the Stocker Stars is the lower insert that was provided is too short for this truck. QA1 has the proper length ones, but we didn't have time to wait, so we will just press out the ones from the DJM shocks and put them in the QA1s. |
Luckily, we were at the Hotchkis shop because it has a press that made the job much easier. If you don't have one of these presses, you can always use a bench vise and a few sockets to get it out. | 
Here, you can see the difference in the two inserts. To make the bushing work properly, you need an insert in it, but it also has to be long enough so it will contact the sides of the bracket on the rear end. If not, the shock will slide from side to side, and that is not good. |
Luckily, the insert we scabbed from the old shocks was the same outside diameter as the new one, so it went in with no problem. | 
The hardware provided for the Stocker Stars is a little oversized, so a quick touch with a uni-bit got the hole big enough. |
Once the holes were enlarged, the shock was thrown in and tightened down. Just let the impact hammer on it a few times, and that should get it tight enough. The manual says they should be 20 lb-ft. | 
Reinstall the factory hardware and tighten it down to 81 lb-ft to complete the rear. |
Up front is a bit harder to remove the shock, because the upper nut is most likely a Nyloc so it will want to turn the shaft as you try and loosen it. It's nothing a pair of vise grips won't take care of, but don't snap them on the shaft of the shock unless you just don't care about the ones you are taking out. There is a squared-off area at the top of the shock; clip them there instead. That will prevent you from damaging the shaft and, in turn, killing the internal seals. | 
We chose not to mess up our shocks because we will be building another truck some day and these might just come in handy. After the top nut was off, we took out the lower bolts and slid the shock out of the control arm. |
Again, the new shock fit right in. Make sure to clock the adjustment knobs to the inside of the truck. That will give you just enough room to reach in and turn them. If the knobs face out, there would be no way to turn them, unless you have rubber fingers. | 
The lower control has nuts welded in place, so you don't have to fight holding it. We just ripped in the new hardware (20 lb-ft) and moved to the top. |
When installing the upper hardware on the shock, be sure you have the bushings and washers in the right configuration. From the top, it should go nut, washer, bushing, frame, bushing, and then washer. Then, tighten the nut until the bushing swells up the size of the washer. | 
Now it's fun time. We crawled in the back of the truck as John Hotchkis backed the truck out of the shop to make the first drive. Remember the shocks are set on the lowest settings on both compression and rebound, so John said he would go easy at first. |
Driving the truck around John's makeshift route takes us over just about every obstacle you might come across in your daily drive. There is a set of raised railroad tracks, a few speed bumps, and numerous dips. John says, "This is the route I test all of my suspension kits on," so if it's good enough for him, it will work for us. Driving the route the first time showed us the shocks were just too soft; the truck did ride like an early Caddy but had almost no control when we hit the railroad tracks. It was time to turn the dials and really see what they could do to control the bounce. See sidebar for our notes concerning shock adjustment for this particular truck and how it reacted with each adjustment.