Rear Shock not fitting. Help!
 

So I'm installing my kyb shocks from ECE and it appears the top metal bushing that the bolt goes into is too long and won't fit inside the top shock bracket. Any ideas??

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o...B111AF2A86.jpg
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Re: Rear Shock not fitting. Help!
 

More pics:

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o...B1590EFA60.jpg
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Re: Rear Shock not fitting. Help!
 

You have to spread them a bit. You can do it by using a bolt with a nut about a third of the way up. Insert the bottom of the bolt through the inside of one of the holes and then position the bolt head against the inside of the opposite hole. Now unthread the nut you put on there earlier until it comes in contact with the inside of the bracket, and keep tightening it until the bracket is spread far enough to fit.

Or you could grind some of the bushing off.

Re: Rear Shock not fitting. Help!
 

The picture is actually of the old bracket. I bought brand new relocation brackets that are much thicker and I do not want to bend them. I guess the next best option is to cut the metal bushings on either side with a cutoff tool?

Just seems odd.

Re: Rear Shock not fitting. Help!
 

That procedure is what Ride Tech had me do on my Strong Arms, but it wasn't quite a drastic as yours.
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Re: Rear Shock not fitting. Help!
 

yea its not even close to fitting in there. i just dont know why these particular shocks have one sides metal bushing longer than the other side. the other side fits in the bracket just fine. but if i flipped it over it the shock would be upside down and i dont want to do that!

Re: Rear Shock not fitting. Help!
 

Ok I got the shocks in, but they don't seem to line up at the exact angle they should. Any ideas why this may be? Did I put the relocation brackets in the correct way? I even used a small spacer on the lower side to make the angle not as drastic.

Bottom two pics are showing close up of right(passenger) side:

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o...BFB393C7C8.jpg
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Re: Rear Shock not fitting. Help!
 

Those upper brackets are installed wrong.
They should point towards the driveshaft,... not the frame.

Re: Rear Shock not fitting. Help!
 

View from other side:

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o...BDD21F9DF7.jpg
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Re: Rear Shock not fitting. Help!
 

Do I need to flip them around?
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Re: Rear Shock not fitting. Help!
 

Look at this thread,...
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=333826

Re: Rear Shock not fitting. Help!
 

Thanks! Turns out the crossmember was turned the wrong way (I had it flipped 180 degrees) so the holes were actually in the wrong spots. I just drilled new holes and got it back in. Nice and perfect now!! Time for a break.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o...00944B7032.jpg

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o...0188848EE8.jpg
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Re: Rear Shock not fitting. Help!
 

Much better!

Now, on to the hundreds of other mountains to climb. :)
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Re: Rear Shock not fitting. Help!
 

Thanks Zoomin and lolife99 for your help!

Re: Rear Shock not fitting. Help!
 

Quick question again... the relocation brackets i got came with two small spacer sleeves the same size as the metal sleeve in the shock. do they need to go inbetween the rear relocation bracket and the bottom of the shock? (as in my first picture where the mounts were installed wrong)? I took them out... but as I look at that thread lolife99 posted, it looks like he has some sort of spacer there.. although its much wider than the ones ive got. ??

Re: Rear Shock not fitting. Help!
 

How much lateral play does the shock have?

Re: Rear Shock not fitting. Help!
 

meaning.. side to side? not sure.. i posted a pic once it was installed and tightened to 75 ft lbs.. not sure if you can tell from that?

Re: Rear Shock not fitting. Help!
 

Yes, left to right. If it can move, there's a chance the bolt threads would act as a file. I really doubt it's an issue.

Re: Rear Shock not fitting. Help!
 

not quite sure im following you.. haha

Re: Rear Shock not fitting. Help!
 

BTW, I looking at the crossmember being bolted in, I think it was installed wrong. It should have been spun 180*. If that would have been that way from the start, you would not of had to drill any holes for the upper brackets as they would have been in the right spots.

Re: Rear Shock not fitting. Help!
 

yup, thats what i said in post 12 :)

Luckily the spring pads/brackets/whatever they are called are on the correct sides so the brake line hole is correct on the passenger side.