Any tricks for keeping new shocks compressed for install?

[bleda2002]

A big flathead screwdriver or small pry bar horizontal in the bottom of the shock mount will let you pry it up for easy bolt install and it helps catch the shock as it extends.

I was wondering if someone would recommend this as it's what I always do. I heard on youtube jeep is going to use a flat head or pry bar to put a v8 in the gladiator from the factory

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[RougeShot12er]

I was wondering if someone would recommend this as it's what I always do. I heard on youtube jeep is going to use a flat head or pry bar to put a v8 in the gladiator from the factory

No possible, the screwdriver would overheat immediately!

 

[gonemad]

I have a plan.

And will execute it once I return from Horror Freight. I will report back later.

Success!

The zip tie trick, courtesy @ChrisNLA, works even better than if all the nylon packing straps were still on the compressed shocks when I opened the boxes from Extreme Terrain, because the shocks were still several inches longer compressed than they needed to be.

Measure from center of shock bolts, or center of bolt holes if the shock is removed, the exact length your shocks need to be when installed. Connect two 36” zip ties. cinch the loop up while shock is lying flat.

Then stand the shock on the floor, with the wide end at the top (aka top of the shock). You can get better purchase with your GLOVED hand to compress the shock against the floor, while cinching up the zip tie, which is somewhat of a wrestling match. Measure often because if you cinch it up too far, you have to cut the zip ties and start over. Better for it to be an 1/8th of an inch too long than too short.

Then place the shock in the proper position, insert top bolt, and as @Zachanadandy, use a large flat bladed screwdriver underneath the bottom of the shock to pry it up a smidge to slip the bottom bolt in.

Voila!

 

[S JEEPN]

Nice explanation and photos. A box full of tools and once again the solution is big enough Zip ties.

 

[ChrisNLA]

Awesome!

Three bags of long ass zip ties is one of the best things I keep in my truck.

Over at a buddies house there two green LED hunting lights high up in a tree to light up the feeder at night (deer and pigs don't notice the green light).

Guess what's holding the lights up there?

Long zip ties I had in the truck

 

[Badunit]

Ratchet strap.
Make a loop. Compress the shock and slip the strap on. Adjust it to about the right length. Put the top bolt in. Fine tune the length to get the bottom bolt to slip in. Let the strap loose and use it on the next one. The great part is being able to fine tune the length, and jiggle it if necessary, to get the bolt in.

 

[gonemad]

Forgot a glamour shot

 

[Sweetums]

2025 Rubicon JT

I just received four new Bilstein 5100’s from Extreme Terrain. Boxes had been opened, no sweat, they’re just shocks, but three of the four nylon tie straps were missing that keep the shocks compressed for installation. I’m doing this on the garage floor.

Thanks in advance.

Bolt in the top first, then bench press the bottom up and slide the bolt in. You can compress a shock by hand with some force, it won't move quickly, but it will move. The other option is to bolt the top in, then cut the packing band and quickly get the bolt in as it expands.

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

Well I was a bit late to the party. I was going to say zip ties too. They work amazingly well for that snap ring on the washing machine gasket spring too.

 

[WestwallNF104A]

Thanks. I tried that. Even with a hydraulic floor jack I’m not strong enough to get them off the jack and into place once compressed.

I’m 70 and my old shoulders can’t stand what they could when I wrenched as a teen at Sears in the 70’s. I’m going to default to the tie strap solution @ChrisNLA posted above. They aren’t hard to compress off the Jeep.

I use a US army tie down strap. Install the strap over both ends of the shock , compress the shock and draw the strap tight.

Install, release!

 

[Sandman 4x4]

I know it’s a bit cumbersome, but thankfully there is a lot of room both front and rear on Gladiators. I use a ratchet strap, the smallest I can find at 3/4” wide and up to 12’ long. Lay the shock on the ground and then guide the strap over both eyelets, top and bottom, then close the strap up till you have enough resistance that the shock is tight in the strap, then place to top bolt in and if you set the length close then jack the axle up or down to line up the hole on the bottom. That’s of course with the entire truck on 4 strong jack stands, the axle help up with a floor jack. Once the bottom bolt is in the hole, finger the nut on upper and lower then remove the strap. Easy peasy? Not exactly but it works! Good luck! I bought a multi-pack of the smallest ratchet straps, then cut the loose end short, to like 3.5’. Makes it less cumbersome.

 

[my dog Trigger]

Thanks. I tried that. Even with a hydraulic floor jack I’m not strong enough to get them off the jack and into place once compressed.

I’m 70 and my old shoulders can’t stand what they could when I wrenched as a teen at Sears in the 70’s. I’m going to default to the tie strap solution @ChrisNLA posted above. They aren’t hard to compress off the Jeep.

Jack up from the bumper until the shock goes in

 

[gonemad]

Yesterday I was going to install the rear shocks without jacking the Jeep or removing the tires, just with hand tools, no impact wrench. I figured I’d need three hands, one to hold the open-end wrench on the top nut behind the rear shock, and the other two hands to break it loose with the 18” breaker bar. So I lined up a neighbor to come over this morning to hold the open end wrench..

Last night, while I was getting the tools out and ready, and compressing the shocks, I got to fooling round and taped the wrench in place on the top nut behind the shock with 2” blue painters masking tape. I used three strips wrapped once each around the wrench and the body of the shock.

Who knew that tape can withstand 40 ft/lbs of torque??

So I removed the OE shocks, installed the Bilsteins, torqued everything back down, and texted my neighbor.

I told him he could sleep in, because he was replaced with blue painters tape.

 

[NC_Overland]

When I put my new Fox Rubicon shocks on I did it in the driveway without jacking it up and I can’t remember if it was the front or rears, but it was all I had in me to compress them. I’ll never do that again, so when those wore out and I put my 5100s on, pulled it in the garage and I jacked it up and let the suspension droop. It was sooooo much easier. It was effortless and it took more time to jack it up and pull the tires than install the shocks. All in, it only took a little over an hr at my leisure while having a few cold snacks.

 

[Blade1668]

Problem solved already, the ratchet strap technique is useful for several problems. On really flexible suspensions also when changing a tire or other like things.

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