New quick strut won't line up.

[hawkman71]

I had to go to a quick-strut assembly for the front shock replacement of my '11 EL Ltd after a frustrating experience with replacing shock only.

I'm under the gun again b/c of a pending Christmas trip and no Christmas shopping done yet for the family.

I bought Monroe quick-struts from Advance last night. Part #171138

I bolted in the top, and the strut does not point at the bottom bracket. In other words, I'll have to pull on the bottom and move it 1 to 2 inches to get it in position.

This is not the "line up" problems described in most google search on the subject - b/c they just need to twist the bolt end to line up with the bracket.

I'm worried that forcing the bottom over will create torque on the strut which will not be good.

 

[hawkman71]

 

[Vancouver Bob]

Could it be that it needs to be repositioned at the top? To leave the bottom in proper alignment?

 

[Motorcity muscle]

Not sure what the issue is, but I always bolt everything together and then tighten.

 

[1955moose]

Could be like Chris said, you might need to leave top a little loose so you can pop bottom in. Yours is the first in 4 years here, that anyone's had that problem. If need be you can loosen top a little with an impact, rotate, then install. Some aftermarket company's miss alignment of parts, the struts being off a scosh wouldn't surprise me at all.

Sent from my N9131 using Tapatalk

 

[Adieu]

You DON'T bolt up the top, you just thread it a bit before levering in the bottom. And it is NOT supposed to slot in easy-peasy, more like pry in with all your weight on a 2x6

Did you remove your sway bar links and loosen all other suspension bolts? If it's especially stubborn you might just detach the UCA entirely and let the LCA drop, get it in there, tighten the bottom bolt while the top 3 are loosely threaded only, and then jack up the LCA and tighten

 

[hawkman71]

Guys. You will not believe my stupid move.

With a pending 800-mile drive to Canada looming, I bought some Monroe quick struts, deciding to pay my stupid-tax. I took the problematic strut out and then the other side which I had already completed. When I compared the two, I realized that I had inverted the bottom "bracket" that holds the spring in place. Complete retardation on my part. I don't know how I didn't see that when I first put them together.

Inverted the bracket and all is well.

Rode like a new machine. Admittedly, after the fronts were done (the rear done a week prior), the ride even a bit jarring on the bad roads in Canada. But still, no bounce and wave!

 

[Vancouver Bob]

Guys. You will not believe my stupid move.

With a pending 800-mile drive to Canada looming, I bought some Monroe quick struts, deciding to pay my stupid-tax. I took the problematic strut out and then the other side which I had already completed. When I compared the two, I realized that I had inverted the bottom "bracket" that holds the spring in place. Complete retardation on my part. I don't know how I didn't see that when I first put them together.

Inverted the bracket and all is well.

Rode like a new machine. Admittedly, after the fronts were done (the rear done a week prior), the ride even a bit jarring on the bad roads in Canada. But still, no bounce and wave!

Good catch! I've seen others on here do that same thing so don't feel bad .

 

[1955moose]

We all make mistakes, even 40 year journeyman dealer mechanics screw up. When I used to work out of my garage years back, I'd send the customer away, let him/her watch TV upstairs, anything to get them from accidentally seeing me screw up. Sometimes it would be a dropped wrench or ratchet, or trying to figure out how the 5 springs and dohickeys put their Cadillac rear drum brakes back together. Having to get up 3-4 times to compare it to the side that's put together, is something a customer doesn't need to see.

Sent from my N9131 using Tapatalk

 

[hawkman71]

A local shop-owner, upon hearing I was going to rent a spring compressor and do it myself, told me to bring the struts to him. He had a press mounted on the wall. He did it free-of-charge b/c he didn't want to see me get hurt. He told me he's surprised he didn't realize it, either. He hadn't used the press in years b/c it's mostly full strut assemblies now they put in.

We were surprised that reversing the bracket, it still has the same shape that allows the spring to nestle in there normally. The cup-shape of the bracket, however, when inserted "bowl down" properly, locks the clip in place that keeps the bracket itself in place.