I installed my RS-5000's about a month ago. I love them, but today I noticed the pass. side front had finally "settled" into place and the bushings needed tightened via the top nut. This one was the only one that I had a problem installing. I actually turned the "nut" you put the cone wrench on to keep it from just spinning, but it got fairly tight. Well, when I tried today, the top nut was totally frozen. Will not move, and I can not loosen it either. The whole things just spins in place. I've tried channel locks, vice-grips, everything on the shock to hold it while I turned the top nut, but it's not happening. The weird thing is, the upper bushing is almost totally "relaxed", yet the washer is flattened out as if the nut had been tightened down so much, it flattened it out. Any ideas?

 

Get a real small crescent wrench and hold the bottom nut and keep it from turning.

The nut Im talking about is still at the top of the shock, but it's lower than the nut you need to adjust.

 

I "turned" it with the cone wrench...it's stripped. I'm telling ya...it's frozen up solid. No idea why.

 

I had the same problem. If you look closely at those nuts they have a slight oval shape. I put them on *permanently* because I used an impact gun and now the threads are shot on the posts. I took this up with rancho and I told them I think the nuts are a different thread. They said the're right, and I won't be using these shocks again. The shock is decent but the hardware is CRAP. I had to but the kit to intall a top mount shock for our style trucks.
Also, a wrench from an angle grinder fits the circle with two holes at the end of the shaft to keep it from spinning. Good Luck.

 

Thanks for the info man, but I'm not sure I quite follow ya on the oval thing. I seem to remember that the threaded shaft had a slight oval shape...is this what you mean? So you're saying the nut gets in a bind on it's way down the threads? I will call Rancho tomorrow also. Thanks!!!

 

The inside of the nut is not a perfect circle. It's a poor substitute for a locknut. It looks like the nut was on its side and it got a judo chop from a big press.

 

I see, well, this morn. I dropped it off at the Goodyear shop across the street from the office to have them put the impact to it. Well, $30 later all I got was a "turned" top nut that flattened out the washer even more, in fact...it's almost reversed now. The bushing is snug, just not compressed at all. Guess I'll live with it, but I have no idea why the washer would smash before the RUBBER BUSHING would...???

 

If it's red (polyurethane) it wont. Snug is good enough. I still hear noise from the lower shock mount because the rubber one elongated. I'm not real happy for $50 a corner.

 

jackal, i've put on a half dozen sets of shocks and never a problem until i installed monroes on my 97 f150. Zero instructions with the shocks and as shrike mentioned the hardware is crap compared to the shock. Anyway, what is the "cone wrench" you mention---can you desribe it or let us know where you bought it? thanks.

 

It is the key for taking the collet off a 4 1/2" angle grinder. Fits perfectly.