Getting ready to install bilsteins front and back. Not having taken a close look at the front install yet (save for having read the procedure in the SI manual) my questions are:


1. On the front shocks, the blue boot rests on the rod where the machined/threaded section stops. Then it looks like the bottom washer would rest on top of the boot, along with the bushing. Is this where the shock bottoms out in the top mounting bracket? It seems that the edge where the polished portion of the rod shaft begins is too small to support the load. It seems that there should be some kind of stop nut on the threaded section for the bottom washer to rest on (even though that would leave the boot flopping in the breeze because there's a short section of unthreaded rod before the polished portion begins).


2. IF there is a stop nut of some kind, where does that get adjusted to, i.e. how far down do you thread it?


3. The fronts came with 2 washers, 2 bushings, and one lock nut. The washers are dished and the bushings have a raised button on one side. What side of each is threaded facing up for the bottom pair and then for the top pair? (I don't read German and don't believe what they're telling me in translated English!)


That should do it for now. Thanks!


btw: I purchased the bilsteins at pickuptrucks.com--the rears were on sale for $51, but they have been out of the box before and even though still strapped, the rubber doesn't look that fresh (even noticed a small crack in the rubber on one unit) and there were some scratches in the yellow paint on the bottom mounts--nothing that looked like obvious previously-installed marks, but not perfect. One of the boxes was taped closed after having been ripped open (I hate that, but I'm so excited to have them that I'm installing them anyway and will replace them in a year or 2 if I have to, plus I'm not spending $30 to ship 'em back). Both rears came with the install sheet but no hardware. I don't know if the rears come with hardware though. The fronts came in fresh boxes with new-looking rubber. I kinda feel like I got ripped off on the rears--not just on sale, but previously installed, or sold and returned because someone didn't like them. I haven't contacted anyone at pickuptrucks.com about it--not worth it to me. To their credit though the units were shipped 2-day and I have 'em! (I'm so happy!!!http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley4.gifhttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley17.gif)

Oops, just reread after posting and saw the question about the blue boot. The upper shaft should be threaded (with flats on the very end) and then have a metal ring that the lower washer sits on. I would not clamp the boot between that ring and the washer - the boot should be up against the bottom of the metal ring. Sounds like you need to slide the boot down a bit. Rest of message follows:


The rubber bushings (gummis in German), dished washers and locknut all go on the top shaft. Put a washer in the shaft with the dish up (like a bowl) The bottom rubber bushing fits into the dished washer with the little rubber shoulder/ring in the center up (it goes into the hole in the upper A-arm). The other rubber goes on with the little shoulder/ring down to mate with the lower one. Then the upper dished washer down (like a hat) and the locknut. You'll need to hold the threaded shaft with a wrench on the flats at the ends while tightening the locknut. I think they spec 15 inch-pounds or something like that. But without using a crows foot and a torque wrench, I just eyeballed mine until I saw the washers fully compressed and a bit of bulge in both gummis. I installed mine in the driveway on the wheels. I just cut the tires hard right for the left install and hard left for the right install. With the old shocks out, put the lower washer and bushing on the top- insert the shock from below and compress it to install the lower bolt. Then check to make sure that you have the bottom upper bushing centered in the A-Arm and install the top upper bushing, washer and nut.


Darn! second edit! There is no hardware for the rear shocks, you reuse the factory bolts and nuts. You also reuse the factory bolts and nuts for the bottom of the fronts.Edited by: Idle_Chatter

Excellent! Thanks!http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/hihi.gif

Don...I had some of the same questions as you when I installed Bilsteins on the front. I thought that the top mounting hardware that GM used was better than the Bilstein method. Turns out the GM rubber cushion/spacer/washer assembly fit perfect on the new Bilsteins, so I re-used the GM ones and put the Bilstein supplied hardware on the shelf. Edited by: Roegs

Install complete. One of the easiest things I've ever done thanks to all at thedieselplace. The ride is sooooooooo much better. Wondering what to modify first on your rig? Get the bilsteins.

Agree 100% - the easiest and should be the first mod on any DMax! This is my second diesel ('99 6.5TD Tahoe and the '01 DMax) and I put Bilsteins on both with great satisfaction.