what is the proper shock washer mounting direction?

every time I replace back shocks it puzzles me to no end why it seams the washers are turned the wrong way. they are shaped perfectly to cup and compress the bushings if they are turned towards the bushings yet they aren't installed that way from the factory?

I have always flipped them to install them the way they look like they fit better and never had issues but someone out there must have some insight into the true reason they use cupped washers in the first place and which is the true correct way they should face.

shock question #2 is if the shock has a rubber boot cover on it like this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rancho-RS99...OCK-/361060785217?hash=item5410e65c41&vxp=mtr

should the boot part be mounted to the top to keep it protected or on the bottom to let out any dirt or water that might get inside it

 

someone at another sight mentioned he thought it was because the shock mounts don't line up correctly so the rounded washers are there to allow the shock mount to flex a little in its mount as it moves with the suspension where a tighter fit would put undo stress on the bushings if they couldn't move with it.

hey, I dunno, but it sounds logical and the factory installs them that way and all that so I cant say that's not as good an explanation as there is as to why it has a cupped washer and why it looks to be cupped the wrong way.

where the hell is a shock absorber expert when you need one

 

Boot goes to the top for it drains, protects from mud, dust and debris.

 

I have no idea how to answer your first question, but for the second on a the shock boot, I have never seen a shock absorber with a shock boot mounted upside down (shaft facing to the sky with a boot). My old shocks were mounted with the shaft up but did not come with or recommend boots. My new shocks, which have the shaft down, came with boots.

 

They are facing outwards so that the shock can flex side to side, say if your axle droops on one side and goes up on the other. It applies pressure in the center of the bushing and allows the outside to have some flex to it otherwise you'd snap shock shafts.

 

thanks, its good to know why some things are done a certain way for things like this.

I think this is what the guy in that other thread was trying to say but he didn't know just how to say it.

ok, one vote for shaft and boot go on top

and you have had shaft and boot on top as well as on the bottom so we are back to square one with this question I guess

plus as I read your comment, it sounds like you call it upside down if the shaft is on top yet "all" regular shocks with the metal cover/cap say the cap and shaft part is to be mounted on top and the body containing the fluid is the bottom, otherwise the cup fills with mud and water.

im not trying to say you are right or you are wrong, its just that this is why this topic is so confusing with contradicting info on things from brand to brand and mechanic to mechanic.

 

I'm not sure I'm following what you're interpreting in my post as, and I may have been confusing as well. Here is a picture I did to make it explicitly clear.

Shock #1 can use a shock boot as any dirt/debris that is collected near the shaft will fall, and not collect near where the shaft enters the shock body. Shock #2 should not use a boot as dirt/debris will collect where the shaft enters the shock body, lowering the life of the seals, and in turn lowering the life of the shock. Remember boots are not intended to keep dirt/debris off of your shock shafts, they are to limit rock impacts that will chip the coating on the shock shaft, ruining the seals. I hope that makes more sense than my earlier post.

 

ok so boots and open shocks without boots, the shaft goes to the bottom

and shocks with the cover shield go the other way with the cup on top so it doesn't collect dirt and debris

so "open" shocks the shaft end is the bottom and for enclosed shocks with the metal covers, the fluid body is the bottom.

well it looks like im 0 for 2 on my assumptions, I thought the shock washers should have the cup facing towards the bushing and that was wrong, and I thought the shocks fluid body was always supposed to go to the bottom and that's not always the case depending on what type of shock it is

 

FIO: According to Gabriel's website installation guide, see attached.

The cupped washer face outwards when the bushings are mounted horizontal and side bolted to allow for flew to keep stress off the shock rod, as in the lower and upper bushings on a rear shock.

The cupped washer faces inwards when the bushing is vertical mounted and end bolted on the rod shaft, as in the top bushing on a front shock.

http://gabriel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Gabriel-HD-Tech-Bulletin-Shock-Installation.pdf

 

Is this backwards from what PVT Pablo said? or am I another year older?

 

Holy thread resurrection. After rereading this thread it gets confusing as hell as there's two conversations going on.

As far as the bushings go, the bushing and washer installation guide in post #9 is 100% correct.

For the second regarding the shock boot, my opinion on that still stands.