Ruined these shocks?

[Badunit]

I installed some new Bilstein shocks recently but decided to remove them and put Fox 2.0's back on it. The lower rear shock bushing sleeves (both sides) got crushed when I installed them. I used a torque wrench so it shouldn't have been from excessive torque but they are a mess. The Fox shocks had a similar but much less severe crush on them. All the other bushing sleeves on all the shocks are fine. Personally I place blame on the sleeves being so thin walled (small outside diameter), barely larger than the bolt hole in the mount . It looks like some slipped into the hole and some stayed where it was supposed to be (with the the Fox shocks it was definitely this) .

Are these ruined for resale or only good for someone willing to file them straight and shim with a washer?

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[PuddleJumper]

personally I'd file em straight cus the rubber looks healthy and intact. Looks like you ran the bolt in at an angle and it being a grade 10.9 bolt it won and stretched the sleeve. but, to answer your question, as long as it fits they are resellable imo.

 

[Badunit]

I added a little more explanation to to my post. It looks like the sleeve (metal piece) slipped partly into the bolt hole and the portion that didn't got crushed. With the Fox shocks this was 100% what happened, just much less. The stock Rubicon red shocks have a very thick sleeve and don't have this problem.

I felt like I was cranking on it with the torque wrench for far to long. I thought it was bending the mount to fit (the Foxes and Bilsteins are not as wide as the stock shocks are) so I kept on going. I should have known better, dang it.

 

[Escape.idiocracy]

Bilstein sells replacement bushings ??

 

[Hootbro]

What made you go back to the Fox shocks?

 

[Badunit]

I like the small bump compliance and progressive nature of the Fox shocks. I was trying the Bilsteins because I was looking for more on-road stability, which they have, and less of a dip from the rear when going over larger bumps (such as speed bumps), which they handled well. But I had gotten used to the small bump compliance of the Foxes. The Bilsteins were more jarring. Both are good. It was a toss up.

 

[Badunit]

I need to do a shout out to Bilstein of America, Inc.. I emailed them about how the bushings got crushed and they sent me two new bushings free of charge. They said they are not (yet?) available for sale. I pressed out the old ones and pressed in the new ones and now the shocks are as good as new again.

The part number on the bag was E4-GV1-Z066B47, in case that is important to someone else who has the same issue.

 

[mpboxer]

@Badunit you are not the only one this is happening to. Recently installed an AEV kit with the Bilstein 8100s and I’m having the same issue in the rear. I personally think the OD of the sleeve is too close in size to the ID of the factory shock mount hole which is causing it to slip in and crush the sleeve. I don’t believe it’s happening to the front because a bolt-on bracket with the kit is used to move the shocks outboard and those hole tolerances may be tighter or the bracket is thicker metal than the factory brackets. I’m currently working with AEV to figure this out. I’ll keep this thread updated.

 

[Badunit]

Yup. That's it alright. Hopefully they can provide you with new bushings or provide a part number so you can buy some.

 

[mpboxer]

Yup. That's it alright. Hopefully they can provide you with new bushings or provide a part number so you can buy some.

They’ve already replaced the shocks and it’s doing it again. We will see what they come up with.

 

[Badunit]

I wonder how many other people have had this happen but don't realize it yet because they haven't taken the shocks off to see it.

 

[mpboxer]

I wonder how many other people have had this happen but don't realize it yet because they haven't taken the shocks off to see it.

I was thinking the same thing! I heard a clicking noise that’s what alerted me to it. Noise doesn’t happen during normal driving just off-road during quick shaft speed events or going off a curb.

 

[chr15m]

The thread marks seems to suggest a few possibilites. Could have been torqued with the threads still inside the bushing, especially if done at even a slight angle.

Could be the bolt shoulder wasnt long enough and theyre threads always contacting the inside of the bushing.

Could be a diameter mismatch, unlikely though, but possible. This would require torque to get them thru the bushing since the diameter mismatches would typically bind.


But yeah those thread cuts in the bushing probably fractured the bushing and likely caused its failure.

 

[Blade1668]

I have been doing some maintenance on my Wrangler lately. Now if you want to see the longterm effect on poly bushings vs rubber ones this picture can help.

Rubber doesn't normally do this.
Back on the bushing, it looks like over torqued / not lined up. With possibility that not correct grade or temper in the steel bushing or oversized mounting point holes. I think the latter, oversized mounting holes.

 

[Rusty PW]

I have been doing some maintenance on my Wrangler lately. Now if you want to see the longterm effect on poly bushings vs rubber ones this picture can help.

Rubber doesn't normally do this.
Back on the bushing, it looks like over torqued / not lined up. With possibility that not correct grade or temper in the steel bushing or oversized mounting point holes. I think the latter, oversized mounting holes.

Every poly bushing that I had did the something.

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