5100 Can't tighten top bolt on shaft

As the heading says. Was having a shop put on my 5100's today and apparently the passenger side went on fine The driver side on the other hand it looks like the shaft is to long and the rubber boot on top is just loose. The screw can't be tightened any more because it is at the bottom of the threads. On the passenger side I can basically put two fingers between the top of the shaft and the fender. On the driver side I can only get one finger between the two. It's like the shaft on the driver side is longer than the one on the passenger side. Anybody else ever have this problem or are they maybe doing something wrong? I've attached a couple pics so you can kind of see what i'm talking about with the shaft length but I don't know if you can tell anything else. The first two pictures are the driver side the third is the passenger side. I'm having another shock sent to me to see if that is the problem but I just have a hard time believing that is the probelm but I don't know. Another note I was having these installed at the 1.75" mark I believe it is to level the truck out. Thats the only thing being done. Everything else is factory.

 

Can ya take a pic of the coil and the whole assembly?

 

Another comment, I could put some spacers in between the boot and the top bolt to tighten it down but I thought that you were supposed to be able to use all factory parts and didn't need anything extra. This is on a 2013 Tacoma Double Cab Sport 2 Wheel drive also.

 

I just asked the shop if they would send me some pictures so maybe i'll have something up in a few minutes.

 

First pic should be passenger side second should be drivers side I believe if I did that right.

 

I would suspect the rubber isolator and steel washer on the underside are missing or messed up bad enough to allow the shock to go up too far in the tophat assembly.
Kind of hard to see to be sure when it is installed.
Hate to say it but it may need to come out and be redone.

 

Was thinking the same. Maybe a washer is missing or damaged.

 

You are right, the shop likely left some parts out when installing the factory top hat.

Get the "Strut Stem Cushion and Washer Kit: 20.00" from here:

 

Yea supposedly the washers were put back on as they came off. So when the shaft goes through the top hole there should be a washer, then boot, then top plate, then screw? So the bottom washer stops the shaft from moving past a certain point is what your saying?

 

Is that basically the same stuff that should of came off of my truck?

 

^Yes. You can buy the parts at a Toyota dealer, too. Likely item 21 is missing.

 

I'll print that out and take it to the shop. It seemed like to me 20 and 22 were one piece. There is a rubber piece, then a black ring, that seemed to be connected and then silver washer. I couldn't see the black ring on the passenger side and he said that is because it was compressed. I was thinking it was because it was flipped on that side but he said it wasn't.

 

I hope its something they screwed up so that they don't try to charge me an arm and a leg for labor because it's been over there all day!

 

The factory service manual has a better picture of the stackup (go to 2nd page):

http://www.customtacos.com/tech/fil...6toyrm/06toypdf/06rmsrc/rm2006ta/03900510.pdf

 

I've got one of the owners cell number so I told him about the diagrams you posted for me and I'm going to show them to him in the morning. Thanks for the help!

 

Shop says bottom washer, rubber boot, then top washer is on the shock assembly. They seem to think that for some reason the shaft on the shock is longer than it should be? I've got another shock being sent to me but won't be here for two days so I don't have a truck until then. Hopefully I won't have the same problem when it gets here.

 

Just a thought.

I think someone had a similar problem recently and the metal sleeve was missing from the shock boot. It will limit how far up the shaft can move.

 

I could see that making since. I'll search and see if I can find that post. Probably won't be able to but we'll see.

 

^^^ I didn't find anything. Maybe i'll luck up and someone will chime in that had this problem.

 

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/240572-whats-wrong-my-shock-3.html#post5732129