Deadpedal

I had a reputable shop assemble my new front shock/springs but they didn't even come close to lining them up like the old ones.

Is there a way to turn the shock/spring assembly so I can line up the bolt holes?

One of them is off by over 90 degrees. I could see if I had to muscle it a little bit to get it to line up but they are way off.

mdacton

if you can put the top in and mabe turn it with something...but probly can't

you will need to mark where they need to be lined up and take em back....the weight will need to be off of the spring to turn it(the spring will need to be compressed)

Deadpedal

ya , that's what I was afraid of but I thought I'd ask anyway.

I'm really suprised they didn't pay more attention when they did it.

thanks for the reply

shoebox

Some people say you can turn them, but it's going to be tough.

copboy736

Hey guys, I am having this same problem and have a question.

Where do I need to mark this and how? Do I mark it at the top or at the bottom some how?

Thanks.

OBE1 95Z28

The top and bottom orientation need to be marked so that the bolts/studs will line up correctly when reinstalled.

Deadpedal

I brought mine back, they disassembled the shocks and set them closer to where they needed to be.
I still had to put the top in a vise and use large adjustable pliers to get a grip on the bottom and tweak them into position. They weren't real easy to turn but not impossible. If you do have to turn them make sure you're turning them in the right direction so the spring doesn't back off of the insulator. it's a little hard to explain but if you get stuck doing it you'll know what i mean.

I honestly don't know where you would mark the upper piece to assure that the new shock will be in perfect alignment upon reassembly. maybe someone else can fill us in.

Injuneer

Mark the top seat and top of the spring, then the bottom seat and the bottom of the spring. When you get the new springs assembled, but before you release the spring compressor, hold up the old spring and turn the seats to match the markings on the old spring. If an error was made, compressing the spring would allow the seats to be rotated.

Nice thing about the QA1 adjustable shocks - they can be turned after the spring/shock is fully assembled.

mdacton

Another note on the qa1's....I added thrust bearings to mine. Makes life a ton easier and quick adjustments

torinton style springs seats

copboy736

I got it done. I had a spring compressor, and got the shock turned. I just got it pretty close, then turned it a fraction by hand to bolt it in. Worked like a charm.

Bayer-Z28

^ Kewl. I was going to say you can turn them. I made the mistake of not marking mine when I did my Bilstien/Prokit. I stuck the strut in the vice, but didn't tighten it, grabbed a big horse stabbbin screwdriver and turned the top plate to get everything to line up again.

jchrisos

Just curious - I just did this myself. How did you get the lower shock bracket to align with the holes? I used a large diameter screwdriver and pulled back as hard as I could with a bolt sitting in the other hole. When it was aligned, the bolt fell into place. Is there an easier way other than what I did? I still have one more shock to go :-(

Injuneer

The easy way is to mark the assembly before you take it apart. If you still have a problem, using a spring compressor to unload the seat will make the seat easier to turn.

jchrisos

I think you were responding to me...

What I mean is the angle on the mounting bar or whatever it's called. I had the struts aligned before I released the tension on the springs, so it was "twisted" and aligned properly in that regard. I think I just may have had a funny shock because when I went to do the other side of the car, the bar was on a downward angle so it lined right up and I didn't need to twist the bar.