A tip for fitting gas-pressure shock absorbers

[Tanuki]

Gas-pressure Bilsteins are wonderful. But they are a real pain to fit on the front because the gas-pressure extends them fully and this makes it a mega-struggle to refit the suspension-trumpets.

My 'quick fix' is to fully-compress the shock-absorber then get someone to put several turns of duct-tape around the lower part to keep the outer 'barrel' part taped to the inner cylinder.

You can now refit the shock-absorber into the centre of the spring, bolt the trumpet back in place and put the nut loosely on the bottom thread of the shock-absorber.

Then cut round the tape (through the spring) with a craft-knife. The gas-pressure will extend the shock-absorber and you can then wiggle it about so that the upper threaded piece emerges through the hole in the trumpet.

Trust me: doing it this way means you can save on curses and avoid finger-trapping 'unintended extension'.

--Tanuki.

"Today's forecast is: moderate to heavy patches of Frogs and a sunny outlook, but with a belt of sentient wellington-boots moving in from the west as the weekend comes to an end, followed by a visit to the psychiatrist for better drugs sometime early Tuesday"

[landroversforever]

My OMEs were the same... so I just used about 3 or 4 zip ties... compress it up and ziptie the two ends .

[western]

my OME's came with a metal rod hooked at each end to keep the partly closed up.

[landroversforever]

Mine did too, but as I was fitting on the front they would have been a right PITFA to get off again. the rear ones would be OK though .

[FridgeFreezer]

I used a luggage ratchet strap on mine.