Gen 2 Front Shock Direction

[dsiggi]

Before I get into the saga, Ill save it , and start with does it matter which way the Gen 2 coilovers are mounted, ie is there a left and right? I cant tell if the top hat bolts are all equidistant (they dont look that way) and im trying to do some detective work on some work i had done.

I noticed the fill plug for nitogen is out on a stock gen 2 i saw on a lot and on a stock gen 3 its in same orientation as the live valve mechanism both inward of the wheel.

I also noticed however that the pig tails wind the same way passenger side pigtail forward and driver side pigtail toward back of truck on both gens.

Thanks.

 

[letsgetthisdone]

The top hat only goes in one way, however there isn't a left/right per say. Just matters how the top hat is oriented vs the lower mount when you install it.

 

[dsiggi]

The top hat only goes in one way, however there isn't a left/right per say. Just matters how the top hat is oriented vs the lower mount when you install it.

Ok, so you cant mount a shock with pig tail front or pig tail back on the same side, as it will only go one way? Reason I ask is I looked at a stock gen 2 that had nitrogen fill on the outside and my shocks, indexed and remounted after a rebuild got mounted nitrogen fill inward. So does that mean they can go in 2 ways , each 180 of the other which allows the lower control arm/bolt to align. I hate not doing my own work because if i did i would know this. But i have this work done because i just dont do spring work.

 

[letsgetthisdone]

The orientation of the nitrogen fill doesn't matter.

 

[dsiggi]

The orientation of the nitrogen fill doesn't matter.

Ok thanks for clarifying, thats what I was having to believe because otherwise a lot of this wouldnt make sense unless you reoriented the top hat but since I know one of the sets I have was properly indexed before being taken apart and the orientation of the nitrogen fill is inward on the truck currently, unlike the 18 I saw on a used lot, it seems that the assemplies can go either way, just 180, which it has to be because then the lower control arm bolt fits.

So I guess what im saying is seems you can mount it either way as long as the top hat has not been messed with. 2 ways per side

 

[letsgetthisdone]

Yes, and in the end it doesn't really even matter. You can stick a breaker bar in the lower mount turn it once the top hat is loosely attached to the truck.

 

[dsiggi]

Yes, and in the end it doesn't really even matter. You can stick a breaker bar in the lower mount turn it once the top hat is loosely attached to the truck.

Makes sense, the top hat rubber insulator and the bottom mount/perch should rotate with the spring if I remember correctly so you could setup the orientation of the spring however you wanted. Not sure it matters as long as there is clearance on full compression and full droop.

My situation something happened and the perch / lower mount rotated with the outside of the shock 90 degrees so my spring is also rotated but set properly in the perch/top hat. Just changes some of the clearances.