Strut help

MojaveKJ · **Posted:** Fri Jul 24, 2009 2:17 am

SweepnChoke wrote:

If all you have is the unassembled coil and strut then you are going to re-use your strut mounting plate & hardware, the upper coil isolator, and bottom coil isolator.

You will require an air compressor, and a coil compressor to assemble the coil and stut.

That top gold-looking washer in the photo above, the one on the end of the shock piston rod (forgive my probable error on the shock component terminology), is that re-used from the old strut mount or does it come with the replacement shock? I'm gathering parts to assemble struts and am wondering if I should get a set of those washers.

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Jul 24, 2009 2:31 am

top washer should come with your new front shocks ( struts for some :wink:

)
Very simple there is only what 9 parts total
you will reuse only the upper and lower isolators and the top strut mount, everything else will be new spring, shock, mounting hardware etc.

I take mine to a shop, those cheap little spring compressors will come come off, messed up a buddy of mine several years ago, he lived on soft food not knowing anyone for 7 years, not worth it :!:

MojaveKJ · **Posted:** Sat Jul 25, 2009 1:57 pm

Well I received my OME NS131 front SHOCKS yesterday and they did not come with the top washers, should they have? Not knowing if the washers would be with the shocks or not I called the dealer and they want over $3 apiece and 7-10 days to order them so I am wondering if anyone knows the specs. of that washer and/or can direct me to another source. I'm not so much opposed to the 10 days as I am to the $3+ for a washer.

I am trying to avoid using the spring compressors more than once, so I want to assemble the new struts first and just swap them out when the time comes. I have new everything planned or ordered except for, now, these washers. I don't want to reuse the old ones because I don't want to take the old strut apart.

And before it is asked, I didn't just "order the Frankie" because I need to pay for all of these lift components over time and I also wanted the OME926 front springs.

So any thoughts on the washers? Grade 8? Home Depot? Dealer?
Help a guy out here... Thanks!

black and blue · **Posted:** Tue Oct 11, 2011 5:03 pm

My front OME hardware also did not come with the washer...

Here is what I got (not shown is the nut that goes on the end of the shock):

Looks like this piece goes on first:

Then the bottom isolator...
Then the plastic "boot" with an integrated metal washer on top like so:

Then the spring:

Then the top isolator, and then the strut mount.

Whats wrong with reusing the stock washer?

so then if I want to do a clevis lift, I add conduit nuts here:

edit: better view of the clevis area:

Am I getting all of this right?

JeepinJarhead03 · **Posted:** Tue Oct 11, 2011 5:10 pm

nothings wrong with reusing the old washers as long as they aren't damaged

the old lock nuts go in the junk box however

black and blue · **Posted:** Tue Oct 11, 2011 5:16 pm

cool. thanks. I'll soon be :JEEPIN:

tonycrd · **Posted:** Wed Oct 12, 2011 5:51 pm

And yes, your clevis lift goes there. :mrgreen:

black and blue · **Posted:** Wed Oct 12, 2011 7:02 pm

just bought the conduit nuts today actually

At The Helm · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2011 11:49 am

JeepinJarhead03 wrote:

don't forget to put the strut stem with the nut finger tight in a vice and turn your strut so that it expands out or you'll make a lot of funny faces wondering why you're having to compress the coils so much and still can't get the thread through the strut plate

So what do you mean by this? You turn the shock rod and it expands out so it's longer?

tonycrd · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2011 2:11 pm

At The Helm · **Posted:** Fri Oct 14, 2011 1:03 am

Atthehelm wrote:

JeepinJarhead03 wrote:

don't forget to put the strut stem with the nut finger tight in a vice and turn your strut so that it expands out or you'll make a lot of funny faces wondering why you're having to compress the coils so much and still can't get the thread through the strut plate

So what do you mean by this? You turn the shock rod and it expands out so it's longer?

Tried this today with the bilsteins i installed. It did nothing except turn the rod.

JeepinJarhead03 · **Posted:** Fri Oct 14, 2011 2:51 am

many of the ranchos and similar (skyjacker, procomp etc) ship fully compressed and giving the stem a few turns allows the piston to decompress

some just ship bound down with wire and expand when released or when pulled on

what i was saying was if you try to install them without decompressing the shock you'll certainly have trouble getting the stem through the top plate

if your bilsteins decompressed without being turned than there's nothing to worry with

I've had several shocks over the years that wouldn't decompress at all unless the shock stem was turned a few times like loosening a bolt and I've had some that started expanding as soon as the wire or zipties were removed - there all a little different

main thing is that they're decompressed when you go installing them to the coil

At The Helm · **Posted:** Fri Oct 14, 2011 3:37 pm

Gotcha. I thought you meant that after it expanded, you turn it out even further. The bilsteins come fully expanded right out of the box. Thanks man.

Strut help

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