Need Help? Strut Question?

[aquickmopar]

Ok I rented a Strut Compressor from Advance Auto. I've compressed one Brand new Spring down already and installed it onto the New Bilstein Strut. When I installed the top washer and nut onto the top plate after torquing it down to around 20-30 foot pounds there is about 2 threads showing off the top of the nut. Now im working on the second New spring and new Bilstein Strut, I'm guessing I compressed this spring alot more because when I installed the new top plate and put the washer and nut on I screwed down the nut until it got some tension and torqued it the same but I have way more threads showing about 7 threads showing off the top of the nut. I guess I compressed this spring alot more than the other when I torqued it down. So my question is what's the rule of thumb on how many thread should be showing after torquing down the center top nut?

 

[aquickmopar]

This is what i'm talking about, in his picture you can see nut much threads are showing, I guess I didn't have the spring compressed as far down and when I screwed on the top center nut it got tension pretty quick and I torqued it down to 20-30 foot pounds.

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In this picture you can see i'm working on the other strut, and I guess I had this spring compressed a whole lot more cause when I screwed on the top center nut it went on alot further before it got tension and I torqued it to the same 20-30 foot pounds.

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How many threads should be showing after torquing the center nut? So I can get them the same on both struts.

 

[aquickmopar]

Anybody got an answer? I'm working on this as I type. Lol, Kinda need a answer soon if anybody knows it. Please Help, I'd really appreciate it.

 

[Outofideas]

Check and see if the dust cover inside the spring moves at all or rattles. If it does then tighten more. I chased a squeak since I lifted my 02 and found the top nut needed a few turns to tighten down further after driving about 20k miles. I'm impatient and hit with an impact til tight ( my way maybe not the best way)
Don't now if this answered your question but mine took showed about 5-6 more threads after I tightened it. I never had a problem with the other side.


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[Porkchop]

In the second picture it looks correct in the first piture something is wrong the shock is not seated correctly.

 

[aquickmopar]

Well I tightened the spring down alot farther and pulled the top plate back off, checked the dust cover its seated all the way down as far as it will go, I reapplied the top plate and tried screwing the nut back down again but that's as far as it will go it won't go any farther. I actually had the spring compressed down so far there was still some room left for the top plate to come down further but the strut wouldn't allow it. That nut was as tight as it would go so I released the pressure on the strut compressor and let the spring settle inside the strut. For some reason that strut only has 2 threads poking out from the top of the nut. Maybe Bilsten F'd that one up and didn't make the threads as long as the other one, I don't know.

 

[Cardhu]

measure a common point on both and make sure their the same length. I'd say either are fine as the threads are outside the nut by atleast 2 or 3, a couple more then that wouldn't hurt.

The second ones look like mine were when they were assembled. I'd be more concerned with them having same overall length.
30ftlbs

 

[Austerity]

I did this today as well. I let my wife tighten one of them down. They didn't match. I still torqued it down (my own fault for trusting her) and it was cross threaded. I have to cut the end of the strut off with a grinder now and purchase a new one.

Lesson learned.

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[aquickmopar]

Well I found out my problem. I had to tear both the Struts back down and found out the boot cover that slides down over the shaft, one is wrong right from the get go. The little sleeves that are inserted in the boot cover one of the sleeves wasn't bored out all the way. So when you slide it down over the shaft it doesn't sit the same as the other.


Here's a pic of the boots and the sleeves I was talking about.

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I popped the sleeves out of the boots and flipped them over so you can see what im talking about. Look at the difference in how much is milled out vs one another.

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Since the sleeves are milled out differently when you slide the boots down over the shaft one sits higher than the other, the shafts are the same on both struts, you can see where the sleeves are supposed to rest at.

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You can see here when you slide the sleeves down over the shafts that one sits higher than the other because how they are milled out differently.

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[TwoBobsKJ]

Dang!

That's some bad luck there. I've never seen that before and am surprised that the QC folks at Bilstein didn't catch that one.

Suggestion: Send those pics to Bilstein USA customer service, tell them what you had to do to tear everything back apart, express your displeasure and see if they throw you a bone. They should. :disgust:

Bob

 

[aquickmopar]

I sent an email to shockwearhouse were I purchased them from to see what they can do, I guess I'll go ahead and send Bilstein an email also. Maybe I can get some shocks for my troubles. Lol. Worth a shot I guess.

 

[Snail Farmer]

I'm sure they'll take care of the problem, but if they don't, you can send them to me and I'll machine them to match. Either way good luck.

 

[aquickmopar]

Well shockwearhouse is sending me 2 new boots for the Bilstein Struts. Hopefully they will be correct and I can get my wifes suspension done.

Also I don't know what is up with quality control here lately but I also ordered a new Blower Fan resistor for my wifes libby because her fan stopped working in her jeep no a/c or heat. And got on line a did a little research and found that to be the common problem so ordered her a new one. Anyway it came in yesterday and when I opened up the box to look at the resistor the resistor board was damaged, so that was also faulty right out of the box, so I emailed roackauto and there sending me a replacement. Man its just not my month for ordering parts.

 

[tjkj2002]

Should have taken those boots and thrown them in the trash as soon as you opened the box.There worthless and are a common cause of noises.


As far as the blower resistor a quick trip to the dealership for a sebring one would have saved alot of headache and frustration,not to mention wait time.

 

[TheBlueKJ]

Should have taken those boots and thrown them in the trash as soon as you opened the box.There worthless and are a common cause of noises.


As far as the blower resistor a quick trip to the dealership for a sebring one would have saved alot of headache and frustration,not to mention wait time.

So you don't run boots on your shocks?

 

[tjkj2002]

So you don't run boots on your shocks?

Nope and never have either.All they do is collect trash that causes leaks in the seals and those hard boots like the front shocks on a KJ come with cause noises while collecting trash.

 

[aquickmopar]

The boot has a metal sleeve in it that rest on a certain spot on the Strut Shaft, so when you install the top plate onto the Strut Shaft it keeps you from over tightening the center nut. I would think if you didn't run the boot then the center nut could be way over tightened because then the boot wouldn't stop the top plate from coming down to far on the shaft. Am I right?

 

[tjkj2002]

The boot has a metal sleeve in it that rest on a certain spot on the Strut Shaft, so when you install the top plate onto the Strut Shaft it keeps you from over tightening the center nut. I would think if you didn't run the boot then the center nut could be way over tightened because then the boot wouldn't stop the top plate from coming down to far on the shaft. Am I right?

It's shock,not a strut.

If your that worried just remove that sleeve from the boot and install on the shock and bolt it together.

 

[TheBlueKJ]

Nope and never have either.All they do is collect trash that causes leaks in the seals and those hard boots like the front shocks on a KJ come with cause noises while collecting trash.

Good to know I always thought people did it for looks

 

[aquickmopar]

If its a Shock then why does Bilstein call it a Strut? And why does every other manufacturer call the Fronts Struts also? When I was looking online to placed my order all the Fronts were called Struts the Rears are Shocks.