threedspeed

So I am replacing my very old Boge/Sachs stock rear shocks with Bilsteins on a 1990 S2 Cab. When I tried to install the bottom bolt on the shock it would not go in correctly.
After trying for an hour I stood back and looked at the old shock...the bushing with metal were slanted ( / =/ )and not straight..I have seen other pictures where this has happened over time. But the new ones are straight and the geometry doesn't seem to work when trying to put in the bolt with shock in correct position. I have moved the trailing arm up and down with a jack and pretty much looked like I had a straight shot in ...but still no go.
When vieweing the trailing arm to does look like it has a slight angle where the shock hits ex. / ). If I don't put the top portion of the shock near the upper mounting and just leave hanging down I can position the shock so that it goes in fine.

Any thoughts on this?

Van

Put the bottom bolt in first, then the top one?

threedspeed

Tried it, but you have to get the upper part in first I thought? Maybe if I try to compress the shock somehow, an other thoughts?

schwank

Nah. Especially on lates I have found it better to do the bottom first, then compress the shock and put it in the upper mount. With aluminum arms this result in less pressure on the bolt and threads... less opportunity to strip them out.

Yabo

i needed to jack the control arm up to meet the bottom bolt straight , once the top bolt was connected. I would do top bolt first then bottom, jacking on either the bottom of the shock or bottom of the control arm to line the bottom bolt up. The bottom bolt has to be really straight, its a fine thread.

porrsha

The Bilsteins are eccentric top to bottom. Make sure you have the bottom slants lined up or they will not fit. Soooooo...just flip the bottom hole 180'.

WizPorsche944

I had to also jack up the control arm, bottom first.

Potomac-Greg

I found it really difficult to put the bottoms in first (even stripped a bolt trying). I just put a jack under the control arm and move it to mate up with the shock mount. I'm dealing with coilovers so it is not the same as a shock (lighter and easier to extent/retract).