black2003ss

I am installing new bilstein shocks while doing a complete brake job and some other required maintenance.

I have a kind of dumb question for the front shocks.

When I took out the stock front shock, for the top mount, there were two rubber bushings with metal plates and with a metal sleeve inside the two bushings. When I got the bilsteins, they came with new rubber bushings and metal plates, but no metal sleeve. The stock metal sleeve isnt even close to fitting into the bilstein rubber bushings. Do I install them without the metal sleeve? Or do I need to press/fit the sleeve into the new bushings, which doesnt make a lot of sense to me. It seems like the bilsteins mount up without the sleeve, but not sure. All the instructions I found online showed without the sleeve, but were kind of vague.

Also, anyone know how far to tighten them? I saw a set of instructions online somewhere that showed to not compress them to much, just tighten the nut down to the top bushing plate, then go 5-6 turns more? (these were for edelbrock shocks though). My Chiltons book says for 2003 trucks to tighten to 70lb/ft, but for 2004+ to tighten only to I think 15 or 20lb/ft if I remember correctly. But this is obviously for a stock shock...

Thanks.

tank454

I have a set of bilstein 5100's on my suburban, and I did not use the metal sleeve. My vehicle is a 96, however, so I do not know if the sleeve is of more use with your ride. I doubt it though. Hope that is of some help to you!

viciousknid

iTrader: (8)

I used what came with the shocks and just tightened it up tight with a wrench.

black2003ss

Thanks guys. I installed these this past weekend. I spoke with the shop that I bought the shocks from and they were helpful. I did not have to use the sleeve from the stock shocks. I also was told how far to tighten them down. The shop told me to put the lock nut on and snug it down the top bushing plate/retainer and then go 5 complete turns more. They said if I tightened them down to much on the top nut, I would be pre-loading the bushings, could stress them out to fail, and even bind up the shock piston rod and bend that as well. They said you dont want to distort the bushings too much. If they look smushed, its wrong.