Bilstein 5100 Front Shock - Top Bushing Not Compressing

Its my first time on here.

I've have a lift kit installed on my 2015 Tacoma 4x4. I've got Bilstein 5100 adjustable front shocks (Part # 08227B-24239370-H0) with OME 885 springs.

Its been about a month now and I've been getting a loud popping sound coming from the front end, after spending a good amount of time going through everything and looking for something that might be loose, I've found that in the front shock assembly the bushing at the top is not compressed at all, see attached picture from driver side. I can physically push the top washer down which from my understanding that should be compressed mostly flat. The problem is that the nut is tightened all the way down.

Unless there is supposed to be a popping sound I'm not sure what else it could be. I am at a loss on how to fix this considering the the nut is tightened down all the way. Unless I have the wrong parts or they were assembled incorrectly which I am not sure how I could tell.

Anyone have any ideas.

 

There's supposed to be a washer that goes on the shock shaft, on the inside of the assembly. Maybe you forgot this and that's what's letting the shaft go higher than it should.

 

I felt under the top mount and their seems to be a washer. Is there supposed to be bushing on the bottom? What orientation should the washer be?

I did the install myself however I paid someone to assemble the shock and spring, so I don't know what they did.

 

There's no bushing on the inside, only the washer. My guess is they messed up assembling the coilover in some fashion.

 

there is a rubber bushing under the tophat and a washer after that

 

Where are you pulling that from? I just did a 5100/888 install a week ago and don't remember a bushing on the inside.

 

google

bushing is usually wedged in there tightly unless they pulled it out. I changed out mine not too long ago and bushings came with my top hat replacements

if you dont have it, it will give the shock a good inch or more of travel that it shouldnt have

 

Just watched a couple videos and pulled this up. There's no bushing in there.

 

Don't know what to tell you. There was no inner bushing supplied with the 5100s that I just installed a week ago. Here's a tiny pic, but you can see only one bushing for the front shocks.

 

That nut is not tight.

Exact same setup on mine 5100/885

 

its because its attached initially cuz the inner bushing has a collar to prevent the stem from slopping side to side, if you dont have it, your shock stem will eat through the top hats

 

AH, that's probably the case then. When we did the install, we did the no compressor method, and left the top hats in the truck. It must have been wedged in there.

 

Glad I'm not losing my mind and there was in fact only one bushing supplied per side.

 

lol, if you have popping noises its an indicator the stem ate through the sides of that bushing and starting to rub on the metal top hat.

 

The lower bushing is glued to the top hat from the factory. my guess is that it came unglued at some point and you have now lost it.

 

Thanks for the help all. Now I just have to take it all apart and fix it.

Did anyone have any luck doing the install without the spring compressor method? I haven't tried this yet and but I didn't have much luck with the small spring compressor you can rent from the auto parts store because I couldn't tighten it down enough to get the nut on.