Rear shock attachment - what am I missing?
 

Trying to reinstall my rear shocks - I don’t understand how it is supposed to work. First what limits the rod in compression? Since there is only a nut on top, I see how it is limited in tension but not compression (which I think would be more important).

Second - same question for the shock dust shield - what limits it in compression?


I sent mine to ER to get revalved and cannot remember how they came off the car. All I got back was the shock with bare piston rod. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1511097473.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1511097492.jpghttp://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1511097656.jpg

There is a shoulder on top of the shaft that the dust shield and then the bottom bushing sit on. The diameter of the shaft is larger than the holes in the dust shield and bushing. Once the shock is installed and the two bushings are sandwiched against the body, the top half of the shock can't move.

So you are saying the dust shield is a structural part of the shock? That’s a bummer because I was hoping to go with a lighter rubber one. And what bushing are you referring to the goes under the dust shield? Is that the bump stop (which I don’t have) or the rubber one that you can see in the pic? If the latter, I didn’t realize that it was supposed to go under the dust shield.

Also doesn’t mention that in Bentley
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1511100377.jpg

Sorry for the confusion. I believe I have read you can install the shock without the dust shield. In that case the bushing sits on the shoulder of the shaft. I'm talking about the black rubber bushings in your photo. The order you have shown is correct for installation. The body is sandwiched between the two black bushings. Didn't mean to imply that the black bushing went under the dust shield. It sits on top of the dust shield if you install the dust shield.

Ok no worries, thanks. But I think I’m back to my original question. I do know the center of the rubber bushing is of a smaller diameter than the shaft, but it does not make sense to me that that is what limits the shock in compression (on mine the metal center of the bushing has broken free from the rest of the rubber bushing).

I will take some pics of mine to help clarify.

If your not going to use the Bilstein dust cover. You can replace with a large washer on top instead. There are other threads on this.

Ok an additional washer from below makes sense - I didn’t think of that. Thanks.