Just received my new Bilstein shocks and installed. No instructions included.

Question: how tight to compress rubber on front shocks upper nut. Originals were not compressed at all but seemed to be all the way down.

Thanks much! :)

I also have a shock absorber install tool that helps to install. The tool holds the shaft while you tighten the nut. Made by Lisle, I believe. When installing, you normally tighten the nut until the rubber bushing is compressed to equal or just over the diameter of the washer that retains it. Hope that helps....

Thanks ZL-1

That certainly makes sense. I used my handy dandy calipers and tightened the nut until the rubber was the same diameter as the washer.

I used a small crescent wrench to hold the stem while I tightened the nut.

Thanks again! :)

Also, when you remove the stock shocks, there is a spacer on the shaft. The bilsteins I installed did not have the same spacer, so I used the stock washer & rubber setup with shaft spacer.

Also, when you remove the stock shocks, there is a spacer on the shaft. The bilsteins I installed did not have the same spacer, so I used the stock washer & rubber setup with shaft spacer.

If you removed a spacer on the top of the front shocks, somebody other than the factory put it there. Common on trucks with cranked t-bars. A zillion posts here on shock spacers.
fwiw...Mike

I don't know if I'd call it a spacer, but the top rubber bushing had a plastic sleeve inserted in the center of it. I didn't re-use the stock bushings though. The stock rubber bushings were not compressed at all.

Are you sure there now in the boxes I found mine stuck in there afterward. IIRC 15lbs on the studs and 59lbs? on the rest.

Are you sure there now in the boxes I found mine stuck in there afterward. IIRC 15lbs on the studs and 59lbs? on the rest.

If you're referring to the instructions, I turned the boxes inside out looking for them. I even looked online for instructions.

Is that the instructions for the torque? Is that 15 in. lbs. or 15 ft. lbs.?

And thanks!

I don't know if I'd call it a spacer, but the top rubber bushing had a plastic sleeve inserted in the center of it. I didn't re-use the stock bushings though. The stock rubber bushings were not compressed at all.

Yes, the sleeve is the part I put back on with the old rubber bushings. Is this sleeve suppose to be re-installed to take up the extra space?

Thanks.

Sorry ft