[Pbody]

I'm changing over my front struts today from stock to Bilstein 4600s. I took the struts to local shop to have them changeover the coils. After getting home and installing the new strut, I noticed that the center top bolt is sticking out longer than the stock struts. And after looking closer, I noticed that they did not use the Bilstein thick washer (aluminum?) that came with the new strut.

So 2 questions:
1) Do I need that Bilstein washer or is the upper mount designed so that it is not needed?

2) Did the tighten the top nut on too far, or is there a thread stop point that the nut is tightened too?

Original strut pic first, new one second

 

[avmaldo]

Use all your original hardware. The bils washer goes on the bottom portion of those rubber bushings under the top nut. There's a torque spec for the top nut. Not sure what it is though.

 

[Smccarty3]

It looks right as long as they left the one that goes on the bottom. The one you saw on the bare strut was for the bottom or under the rubber bushings on the shaft not the top. If you look under the strut boot you should see it. At least that is the way the 5100s are. I can't imagine it being any different.

 

[Pbody]

Thanks guys!

They definitely didn't put it on there....avmaldo's pic is where I thought it would be and mine doesn't have it...so now the question is how much harm will I do driving it a couple days until I get them from the shop or Bilstein and add them on there.

Ugh!

Edit: I just realized what they did, they took the new washer and used on top as the top washer and threw the original top washer away....guess I'm going dumpster diving tonight.

And I thought I learned my lesson to never allow shops do something I can do myself regardless of the amount of time I'm going to save...Ugh x 1000!!!!

 

[Smccarty3]

You'll jack that bushing up some I would try to limit driving, but plenty of guys and shops put them together wrong from what I have read. Pretty much get it back to the shop asap have them fix it. Someone who has put them together wrong will maybe chime in.