Rancho Strut Alignment

MoabRox · **Posted:** Fri Mar 21, 2008 6:11 pm

I put on my Rusty's Spring with the Rancho Strut and shocks today. There was a small problem. I had a shop put the springs on the struts for me. The little tab on the strut that aligns the clevis on the drivers side was pointed to the front of the vehicle. I used a pry bar and cranked it over untill I could get the lower bolt through.

Will this cause problems in the future or will the strut realign itself so its not under pressure from the twist? Please tell me I don't need to take it all apart again!

KJ04 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 21, 2008 6:18 pm

I've done that before, you'll be fine.

WoodysKJ · **Posted:** Fri Mar 21, 2008 6:29 pm

If it don't fit, What the hell, FORCE IT!!!!

not the way I would do it, but....

MoabRox · **Posted:** Fri Mar 21, 2008 9:28 pm

Now I have a knocking or rattling type noise when I make left turns over bumps. It doesn't sound likethe rear shock but I can't really tell. Hoping it's not the top nut on the strut. If I take the strut off will I need a spring compressor to tighten the nut or will it tighten without compressing?

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Fri Mar 21, 2008 9:59 pm

Did you check it to make sure it was tight before putting them on?

Did you torque the rear shocks to 100 ft lbs?

Jeep Dawg · **Posted:** Fri Mar 21, 2008 10:10 pm

WoodysKJ wrote:

If it don't fit, What the hell, FORCE IT!!!!

not the way I would do it, but....

Just like driving a stick, (if you can't find it then grind it)

MoabRox · **Posted:** Fri Mar 21, 2008 10:29 pm

Jeepjeepster wrote:

Did you check it to make sure it was tight before putting them on?

Did you torque the rear shocks to 100 ft lbs?

Didn't check to see if it was tight before and yes the rear was torqued to 100 pounds.

KJ04 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 22, 2008 7:30 am

Rusty's rear shocks are notorious for making noise. Did you add washers to the upper shock mount to prevent the mount from crushing inwards when you tightened the bolt?

MoabRox · **Posted:** Sat Mar 22, 2008 9:56 am

KJ04 wrote:

Rusty's rear shocks are notorious for making noise. Did you add washers to the upper shock mount to prevent the mount from crushing inwards when you tightened the bolt?

I have Rancho RSX struts and rear shocks.

Rush345 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 22, 2008 4:49 pm

Where reason fails, force prevails. or get a bigger hammer

warholamo · **Posted:** Sat Mar 22, 2008 7:33 pm

KJ04 wrote:

Rusty's rear shocks are notorious for making noise. Did you add washers to the upper shock mount to prevent the mount from crushing inwards when you tightened the bolt?

I noticed that when I put mine on two days ago, I ended up crushing the mount in on both sides. Are they really that much narrower? I did not notice. Should I pull them out and make some sort of spacer or what? What a dumb design. And there is definitely a clunking sound from both the front and rear right side.

Zeks05 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 22, 2008 8:12 pm

ya i had the same prob... just take out the bolt and stuff some washers in there and tighten back up and u will be fine.. some spray lube works good when done too..

MoabRox · **Posted:** Sat Mar 22, 2008 8:15 pm

ok I took the whole lift off and had the struts compressed again and tightned the nuts. Passenger side was tight and driver's was a little loose. Put everything together and retorqued. Also added an extra ring in the front becuase it dodn't look level. Still have the clunk sound. I guess I will accept it and live my life.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Sat Mar 22, 2008 10:46 pm

Thats odd. Can you tell now if the clunk is coming from the front or rear?

Just make sure all the bolts are good and tight. The front sway bar end links must be 100ft lbs or they will make noise. Ive tightened mine twice in the past year or so.

Sway bar end links-100 ft lbs
Rear shocks-100 ft lbs.

Upper and lower balljoints-60 ft lbs I THINK. This is coming from memory.
Clevis bolt+Where the clevis mounts to the lower control arm-100 ft lbs

MoabRox · **Posted:** Sun Mar 23, 2008 12:39 am

Jeepjeepster wrote:

Thats odd. Can you tell now if the clunk is coming from the front or rear?

Just make sure all the bolts are good and tight. The front sway bar end links must be 100ft lbs or they will make noise. Ive tightened mine twice in the past year or so.

Sway bar end links-100 ft lbs
Rear shocks-100 ft lbs.

Upper and lower balljoints-60 ft lbs I THINK. This is coming from memory.
Clevis bolt+Where the clevis mounts to the lower control arm-100 ft lbs

All of the torque specs are what you said but I don't recall how tight the sway bar end links were. I think I torqued them somewhere between 80 and 100 ft lbs. The clunk is definetly coming from the front and mostly from the drivers side. Semas to be worse when I make left turns over bumps.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Sun Mar 23, 2008 10:26 am

Check the cam bolts that hold your LCA's to the cradle(2 perside).

Rancho Strut Alignment

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