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Bilstein 7100's Install

I will start out by saying it took us a total of 8.5 hours between work, work breaks, and active research. We started at 4pm, it gets dark at 5pm....it was 35 degrees out when the sun was up.

First we did the front extended brake lines....after bleeding the brakes we moved on to the extended ABS lines but after noting that they were in the hub and would have to remove the callipers and rotors we decided to do that later.

Our first big issue was we couldnt figure out how to fit the remote res shock through the top of the shock tower, and we couldnt take them apart and mess up the valving. Finally we just make the shock tower wider at the top to fit the shock through... ....then we had the problem of where to put the shock. RTE said it would only fit forward, but it would hardly fit, and backward was near impossible also. It took us nearly 2 hours just to mount the drivers side shock, because we had to unbolt the shock tower and lower shock mount twice to get the res. where we wanted it.

After we finally mounted the first shock, then came the second. I was a major PITA to get the res. in a good spot.....at least everything else was fairly quick because we knew the process at this point.

We then put the tires back on to notice that the threading on one of my new lugs was stripped! :eek: I will have to just buy a new one from somewhere I guess. :(

Anyway...we put it all back together and used a spare tire lug nut to replace the damaged one for now. We used zip ties to keep the res. down, the metal ones wouldnt have worked. Soon enough I will probably go back in there and attempt to connect the res. to the shock towers.....untill then im sticking with this route.

To fit the passenger side res. we had to relocate the cruise control diaphragm a bit lower and to the left. Later on after the installation was complete I tested to find that my cruise control wasnt working. I checked the vacuum tubes and sure enough the one leading to the diaphragm was being pinched between the cruise control assembly and the wheel well body.....after relocating it again, the cruise control works. Throughout this process we used the guess and check method because there was no way to really mark where it was comming out....in hindsight I would have made a template. ...obviously the guess and check method is inferior to a template:

Keep in mind though....we had to relocate it twice.

One thing during the installation that I noticed was that the front driveshaft was hitting a crossmember when the shocks were fully extended.....this is bad. Have any of you heard anything abou this?? I wont have a problem unless they both extend at the same time....but im worried.....what confuses me is that someone with a 4" spring (RTE 3" lift) would have thiers closer to the crossmember and be in even bigger risk then I am.

I have yet to test the improved flex.....but one thing is for sure; the next time I put shocks with remote reserviors in something, im just going external.....screw this engine compartment mounting stuff.

PAGE 1- News & Updates
PAGE 2- News & Updates II
PAGE 3- News & Updates III
PAGE 4- Intro & Mods
PAGE 5- Everything Else
PAGE 6- Media (Videos)PAGE 7-Custom LR Wallpaper :)
PAGE 8- Rubicon
PAGE 9- Black Rock Desert
PAGE 10- Moonrock, NV
PAGE 11- Misc. Pictures
PAGE 12- The Bear Valley Trail (w/ LRO Members)
PAGE 13- First Snow 2005-2006 Winter
Myspace Page