Strut mount shenanigans

Replaced my strut mounts a few weeks ago, then found out my ball joints were bad, so I'm replacing my ball joints and I notice the top strut mount bushing is all wonky already. Wtf am I doing wrong? I read somewhere on Tacoma world to tighten the top bolt until the bushing fills out the washer. I'm not sure there's room to get a torque wrench in there.

Am I missing something here?

 

I’m going off memory here but there seems to be way more of the bolt exposed than on my truck. Seems like that top nut was seriously over cranked and blew out the bushing.

 

Yeap.

Only needs 3-5 threads showing, I count 13!

 

Well damn. What's the actual method for tightening them?

 

There’s an actual torque value but that’s sort of an apparition since you would need to somehow use a torque wrench and simultaneously hold the shaft in place. Maybe tools exist to accomplish this but I don’t have them.

One technique I’ve heard is to torque the nut until it turns the shaft. Visually speaking I would not want the bushing to bulge excessively.

@Superdave1.0 any advice since you do a lot of these?

 

Can I buy the bushings by themselves? I'm guessing they're trash now. I saw some polyurethane ones, but it didn't look like they have the boss that locates it in the center of the steel mount.

 

Do you have stock coilovers or aftermarket?

 

Dobinsons struts and coils

 

Dang, you really crushed those.

Search Google/bing/ask Jeeves about a crowfoot wrench. That’s how you get a torque wrench on there.

 

Yea, I did. I swear they didn't look like that when I tightened them. I wish I could find the post now where I read to torque then until the bushing fills the washer. I should've known better I guess.

 

You could contact them, but this set is likely to work unless Dobinson’s provides their own special top hat and hardware. If reusing the existing top hat is an option these should definitely work.

https://www.bilsteinlifts.com/shop/...MIzvCUo7Kz-AIVtcLCBB1XEgU6EAQYASABEgIoOfD_BwE

I considered this but geometrically speaking I’m not sure a torque wrench is accurate when the rotation point is offset.

 

I know there's a calculation based on the length of the adapter. I believe dobinsons uses the factory top hats. I'll double check with them though.

 

I noticed the KYB lower bushings had a boss on top that kept it centered in the top hat. These don't seem to have that. What keeps these centered? The reason I replaced my old one is because that boss popped out, and caused the shaft of the shock to rub on the top hat.

 

Don’t know, when I upgraded my suspension to 6112s I tossed my original top hats and hardware and bought KYBs. I understand what you’re saying about the boss. If you buy that set I linked to it should properly center the bushing.

 

For most struts that I do (5100, 6112, stock) I run it down until it bottoms out. Meaning they leave just enough thread to where the nut actually bottoms out on the shock shaft.

Dobinsons I have no idea how they want their shock assembled and how much to torque it. They rarely give good instructions, but I would try to find some. Maybe contact a dobinsons vendor on here to see if they can dig up install instructions. Including how the hardware is placed and torque specs.

 

Do you follow the instructions are u sure u have the washers and bushing in the right places looks like you ma have missed something

 

As far as the washers, and orientation, I found late 7 different diagrams and made sure that part was right.

 

I'm digging this post back up to ask an additional question. I was told I tightened the nut down too far on the bushing, however there is a dobinsons video which says to tighten the nuts down until they bottom out on the threads. I ordered some new bushings from dobinsons and I don't want to screw these up again. Which is right??

 

Shameless bump.....anyone? I've got, "tightened them way too much" and "didn't tighten them enough". Logic tells me surely these aren't both correct.