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Sat Mar 20, 2010 8:03 am

good day,

I installed new front shocks, purchased from Aircooled.net, on my 73 sedan yesterday. Other than the usual problems getting the old ones off, things went okay, until it was time to tighten the top nut on the threaded rod coming out the top of the new shock absorber. I turned the top nut until it was tight and in the same position as the old ones, but when I got it tight the new shocks were completely extended (to their max length). is this normal? will some settling occur once i get the car on the road? bear in mind, the gas tank and front bumper are not installed, so the front end is light right now.

thanks gents

Sat Mar 20, 2010 8:08 am

My guess is that the light front end IS a factor. Fuel tank, front bumper, some gas in the tank, spare tire, some tools, jack, etc. - it adds up.

Sat Mar 20, 2010 6:42 pm

Cusser wrote: My guess is that the light front end IS a factor. Fuel tank, front bumper, some gas in the tank, spare tire, some tools, jack, etc. - it adds up.

I hope that is the only problem. on the average shock absorber replacement job, how do you know when to stop tightening the top nut? It makes sense that you can only tighten it until the point where the shock absorber is fully extended, but have others experienced this or am I the only one?

Sun Mar 21, 2010 1:44 am

You talkin a strut insert... I don't think I matters. When ya install a new shock hey want you to cycle it slowly all he way in all the way out... think several times.
You do that? Don't know if it would do what you're saying.

Sun Mar 21, 2010 12:05 pm

zeroman wrote: You talkin a strut insert... I don't think I matters. When ya install a new shock hey want you to cycle it slowly all he way in all the way out... think several times.
You do that? Don't know if it would do what you're saying.

yeah, I cycled it several times to remove the air. this is a shock absorber on a standard front end, not a strut insert.

Sun Mar 21, 2010 3:16 pm

You will notice that most shocks with studded ends have a stepped stud, 2 washers (sometimes one is welded to the stud) 1 or 2 rubbers and a nut. If you have one long rubber it goes through the frame mounting hole first.

If you have conventional, 2 rubber and 2 washer, shocks the washer with the bigger hole goes on the stud followed by one rubber. The stud then passes through the frame hole followed by the other rubber and the washer with the smaller hole. The nut is tightened until the upper washer contacts the step icn the stud and the nut can no longer be turned. On some occasions instead of a stepped stud, a tube is supplied to provide the step.

Sun Mar 21, 2010 3:42 pm

dan macmillan wrote: You will notice that most shocks with studded ends have a stepped stud, 2 washers (sometimes one is welded to the stud) 1 or 2 rubbers and a nut. If you have one long rubber it goes through the frame mounting hole first.

If you have conventional, 2 rubber and 2 washer, shocks the washer with the bigger hole goes on the stud followed by one rubber. The stud then passes through the frame hole followed by the other rubber and the washer with the smaller hole. The nut is tightened until the upper washer contacts the step icn the stud and the nut can no longer be turned. On some occasions instead of a stepped stud, a tube is supplied to provide the step.

thats interesting. I have the shocks that came with two large washers and two rubber bits. There was no tube supplied and no step. ?? hmmm. :-k

Mon Mar 22, 2010 4:17 am

Are you sure it's not just at full extent because the car is jacked up to fit them?

Mon Mar 22, 2010 5:21 am

Tomarse wrote: Are you sure it's not just at full extent because the car is jacked up to fit them?

I didn't have to jack the car up to fit them. the front end is light right now because of the missing fenders, gas tank (+ heavy fuel), bumper, spare tire, etc. I'm going to attribute it to that. when I put all that stuff back on/in, if the problem isn't corrected, I'll worry about it then. thanks guys.

Mon Mar 22, 2010 6:18 am

millerje78 wrote: dan macmillan wrote: You will notice that most shocks with studded ends have a stepped stud, 2 washers (sometimes one is welded to the stud) 1 or 2 rubbers and a nut. If you have one long rubber it goes through the frame mounting hole first.

If you have conventional, 2 rubber and 2 washer, shocks the washer with the bigger hole goes on the stud followed by one rubber. The stud then passes through the frame hole followed by the other rubber and the washer with the smaller hole. The nut is tightened until the upper washer contacts the step icn the stud and the nut can no longer be turned. On some occasions instead of a stepped stud, a tube is supplied to provide the step.

thats interesting. I have the shocks that came with two large washers and two rubber bits. There was no tube supplied and no step. ?? hmmm. :-k

In this case you would tighten to the end of the threads.

What model shocks did you get? I have seen some for VW that require an installation kit. If yours do it would explain why they are too short.

Available at cip1.com http://www2.cip1.com/PhotoGallery.asp?ProductCode=VWC%2D131%2D498%2D441%2DCP

Mon Mar 22, 2010 9:13 am

I had the same thing happen to me and questioned it. I got some KYB GR-2 and installed them. My car is just a pan and I just finished rebuilding the ball joint front axle. I thought the ball joint angles and the shock travel just didn't seem right. I actually took the whole thing apart a second time thinking I clocked the arms or springs wrong. It's just because I wasn't used to the torsion spring front end. The shocks are at their end of the travel when installed but after putting a couple hundred pounds on the pan everything worked great. I asked a local shop and he told me they usually have to jack the torsion arms up just to get the shocks on. Good luck...

Mon Mar 22, 2010 11:28 am

ditto to runningman...I just installed a pair of NOS KYB GR2's I got from Craig's List on the front of my '73 standard Beetle.

With the car on the lift, you have to raise the lower control or "trailing" arm slightly (1" or so) to get the fully extended shock back on to the lower mount. Most cars are this way, not just Beetles.

No sleeve on the uppers and the nut just got tightened until the shock stud threads stopped. It didn't crush the rubber bushings too much either.

My Beetle has 2" dropped spindles/discs and the ride on a smooth road is great with these shocks, just a little harsh on the bump roads, but I'm sure the 145's up front aren't helping that much either. Glad I got them.