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Assembling Bilstein Rear Shocks?

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Old Mar 3, 2007 | 03:48 PM
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Default Assembling Bilstein Rear Shocks?

Well, I have the stock rear shock out of the car and trying to transfer the mounting hardware on the upper section and I am at a loss?

The photo shows my situation.

There were no instructions with the shock as to how to put everything together or any torque value for the upper shaft nut. I figured out on my own that I would have to reuse the stock flange and rubber bushings and they are snug and fit well at this point. My concern is that the blue sleeve is held in place at the bottom by the small C-Clip in the shaft so the lower dual rubber bushing and metal disc/cap are free to just slide up and down in under the sleeve when I tip the shock from top to bottom - is this normal behavior or have I reassembled incorrectly?

HELP!


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Old Mar 3, 2007 | 05:22 PM
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I would recommend you reuse the stock bushings.

The lower shock in the pic ain't right.

The first concave washer should not slide down the shaft, it should sit on the shoulder, right where the threads end.

Reuse the stock bushings and the new nuts.
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Old Mar 3, 2007 | 06:09 PM
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To clarify...

I did not touch anything from the C-Clip down - so I am assuming that the double-grommet and metal disk below the C-Clip are SUPPOSED to slide up and down free? I guess the double-grommet just acts a a last defense bumper against bottoming out?

The way I assembled the hardware above the C-Clip is as follows:

(C-Clip)
Blue Sleeve which has a brass load-bearing collar in the center that rests against the C-Clip (from Bilstein)
Supplied Metal Cupped Disk (from Bilstein)
Stock Lower Rubber Bushing
Stock Metal Bracket
Stock Upper Rubber Bushing
Supplied Metal Cupped Disk (from Bilstein)
New Retaining Nut (from Bilstein)

Drove it around the block like this and it seems to be working fine - no noise and solid?

So all I had left over was two unused rubber bushings from Bilstein as far as parts?

Last edited by Choreo; Mar 4, 2007 at 03:07 AM.
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Old Mar 4, 2007 | 03:08 AM
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The bottom rubber bushing and washer are a bump stop to prevent over compression of the shock; they stay below the c-clip.
Above the c-clip should be a washer, then a rubber bushing with the nipple pointing up. After that, the shock mount bracket should be slipped over the bushing nipple and another rubber bushing with the nipple pointing down (this nipple should be slipped into the shock mount bracket) placed over the top of the shock mount bracket. The final pieces to be placed over the assembly is the last washer and the nut.
The nut should be tightened until both rubber bushings have been compressed to ensure a tight fit against the shock mount bracket.
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Old Mar 4, 2007 | 03:09 AM
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Hope this was right? Everything seems to road test out allright so far.

Can't believe Bilstein did not even include a diagram and I could find nothing on their site.
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Old Mar 4, 2007 | 03:16 AM
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Sorry. I forgot about the (blue) plastic shock boot.
That should be the first part over the c-clip.
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Old Mar 4, 2007 | 03:27 AM
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Originally Posted by hightest
Sorry. I forgot about the (blue) plastic shock boot.
That should be the first part over the c-clip.
Hightest - thanks for the input - I think the order you described is what I did.
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