Help with Fox 2.5 install

I'm putting on fox 2.5s and just pulled them off to try and get the adjustment collar centered and facing out so it can be adjusted on the truck. How much can I back this Allen bolt out to relieve the tension without backing it out of the other side completely? I also noticed the shock is not completely tight with the tophat, if I rotate the shock from the bottom clockwise it'll get tight but then my shock bottom won't be lined up with the mount on the lower control arm?

 

About 1 full turn out on that Allen bolt. Anything more and you are asking for trouble.

 

It looks like the whole shock is turning when I use the spanner on it, I could keep trying but I'm a bit worried that means it's way too much tension. The tophat not being completely tight on the shock body might be why it's all turning? Kinda stuck on this step

 

@GHOST SHIP

 

Since the coilover is off the truck. Proper way is to use a spring compressor to relieve tension. Easy to rotate the collar when the spring is compressed.

If the shock body is rotating, I'd stop what you are doing.

 

Just pulled the driver side out if the box and the top hat is tight on that one, no issues getting the collar to turn once I took some pressure off with compressors. Might just be an issue due to the loose top hat on the passenger side. I tried to rotate is as much as I could but I believe all of the lower shock acts as one unit and will rotate independently of the tophat but otherwise can't be rotated

 

I’ve had that happen only once to a set of Kings while adjusting preload. Definitely advise OP to compress the spring and adjust the collar and tighten the top hat to spec. Wall mounted compressor is the way to go with this one.

 

Definitely compressing it going forward. I can't get the tophat completely tight, basically holding the shock with my feet and rotating the tophat clockwise using the hose fitting for somewhere to grab it, without the bottom mount of the shock becoming misaligned with where it bolts to the LCA. Got em from @AccuTune Offroad maybe they've encountered this before?

 

Picture might better illustrate, the black part of the shock where the hose fitting us connected was able be spun by hand from the threaded portion of the shock below. I'm assuming there's a good amount of thread before that piece would come off and I lose oil, so I should be good since the shock can't rotate once it's mounted on the truck?

 

Got your message and replied. Definitely not good if that top cap is spinning from the body.