- Joined
- Feb 10, 2002
- Threads
- 550
- Messages
- 44,831
- Location
- Canton, Mississippi
- Website
- www.seeandeatms.com
With the 4Plus and 60 Dobinsons shock i leave the inner flat washer off
Dobinsons IMS fj60 lift (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter ravi665
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
I'll check it out and see.... works on the front...thanks
Last edited:
@Elbert I’ll add that on the regular shock eyes and the 4Plus flip kit I put on the rear (haven’t gotten to installing my front flip kit yet), I use a really larger fender washer under the nut. The IMS shock eyes seem larger in diameter than the other shocks out there and I don’t want the dang thing slipping right off. Theoretically the bushing should hold it but ya never know. I had no problems getting IMS shocks to work with the flip kit in the rear FYI. Imll be able arching here to see how it goes for you on the front since Imll be doing the same thing soon.
Do you do that on the rear too, I took the rear off (I had them on loose, but took them off when I was screwing the the u bolts and leaf spring bushing) ?
On the front without removing that washer as noted above. I can't get enough thread bite on the nut that holds the shock to the bottom mount. Once washer is removed the nut is flush or barely clears (i've not tigtened it all the way down just yet.). I don't see a way to do it any different unless you came up with a nut that is not as thick as normal, which i'm not sure would be a good idea for that use.
Its rather fun getting that Front shock in ............even fully compressed...very tight clearance between leaf spring and head of shock and its magic getting it just right along with a few "magic words". I need to go round up some of those large tie straps (i use those to hold the shock compressed while I install, those metal devices just don't work during install that come with the front shocks. I think lowes had the large super HD tie straps...I ran out this evening...
I run a large tie strap through the bottom eye of the shock and make a loop with the zip tie, then I wrap another zip tie around the top portion of the shock (making a very small loop, then I take about 3 large tie straps and loop them ...connecting the top with the bottom, then I give it hell and compress the shock and tightening the tie straps as tight as I can at the same time to hold the shock as compressed as I can get it. (removing that OEM metial thing that put on the shock to keep it compressed)> I then put a littel die-electric grease on the lower shock mount. then go about getting teh shock to mate with the top and lower holes etc and then cut the tie strap to release the compressed shock. The tie strap does get caught in teh lower eye, but the die-electric grease allows you some ability to get the tie strap out...after you cut teh rest off.
Also helps to take a jack and jack the bottom of the shock up a little bit while loose, where it give you better access to get that tie strap out. Make sure to have the nut on the lower mount with the shock mated before you start tiring to get tie strap off, if you use my red-neck method.
yea I think I need to round up a couple of stronger "fender washers" to use....whatever I have from old shock is not that strong...I noticed its bent to some degree. On the rear. (noteablly on the top).... not sure on the bottom. I have to re-do the rear shocks because I had them loose and got side-tracked with outher things and late the evening I noticed I had to re-vist the rear shocks, but ran out of those large tie straps.
its a battle to compress those shocks and then its a battle to rig up a way to keep them compressed. Some shocks come with some large plastic tie strap type of things...adn they don't interfer with the install and you simply cut them when you get the shock mounted on one end and then guide the top or whatever to the mounting point.... depends on design of shock. Always a little tricky and aggravating dealing with the front shocks in my view and I think the dobinson eye is larger which normally would not be a problem but is aggravating in my view. I'm doing the work with the truck up on jack stands so that makes it a little more fun, than having a lift.
Last edited:
Get the top of the shock mounted and use a bottle jack to push the bottom eye up to the post.
Old Nick
GOLD Star
I tracked down the OEM lower shock bolts on the Bay. My originals were rusty and not worth saving. The threaded section was plenty long enough to torque down properly, and the built in concave "washer" made the fit just right. My IMS shocks came with upper pieces for fitment.
Tried it both ways. Hanging the lower and the upper first. As I recall, I found it easier to hang the upper and lift the lower in to place. Used a bottle jack for one. That got frustrating. The last three, just muscled them in to place. Once you get the shock to start compressing, the process moves along smoothly. It's the initial compression that requires the muscle.
yeah....are you talking about the rear shocks? I thought about that...but not yet tired it.
yes...its hell to get some movement on these shocks as to getting them to compress, especially at odd angles.
Sweet rigs! Where did you purchase those grey steel rims?
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2002
- Threads
- 550
- Messages
- 44,831
- Location
- Canton, Mississippi
- Website
- www.seeandeatms.com
Summit Racing Vintique Smoothie 16x7
this might help someone in the future. I'm sure there is more than one way to "peel the orange".
in my shop area I don' t have a good place to immobilize the the shock and get it tied down as I would like (compressed for install). Where I could use mechanics wire or some other approach. I also am working on jack stands.
so what I did was use large zip ties. ON the rear I measured the distance between the two points (shock mounting points) I then made a crude template by chopping the end of one of the long tie straps to something close to 21.5 inches. So I then compress the shock (manually) and I have the zip ties on there loose, and when I get to the approx distance I tighten up the zip ties to hold the shock> (i'm doing this manually) so the abity to hold the shock compressed and tighten the zip ties is fun to do. Outside of the vehicle...
Then I mount the shock at the rear top mount loose, and see if I can get the bottom mount to line up, where it if does not then use a small bottle jack to compress the shock further and retain the setting by further tightening the zip ties. then move the bottom of the shock to get it mounted to the bottom mount, this might take one take or a couple. The driver side is eaiser to deal with as you are not so close to the rear diff. I'm basically laying on the cement slab to the rear of the rear axle and doing "it".
I scratched the hell out of the shocks but whatever....(before . screwing around with different attempts). This is one way to do it, if you are on jack stands and have lmited ability to otherwise tie the shock down in some manner thats easy.
You can get the long 24 inch or so HD zip ties from Lowes or other places, in my area its Lowes.
Anyway thought it might help someone in the future., notably if you are doing this by yourself.
Hope this made sense , if you need to pm me or something I'll tell you what I know etc or my experience...
If I had a welding table or large shop table I probally could have come up with a clean way to hold the shock and compress it and then secure it.....
in my shop area I don' t have a good place to immobilize the the shock and get it tied down as I would like (compressed for install). Where I could use mechanics wire or some other approach. I also am working on jack stands.
so what I did was use large zip ties. ON the rear I measured the distance between the two points (shock mounting points) I then made a crude template by chopping the end of one of the long tie straps to something close to 21.5 inches. So I then compress the shock (manually) and I have the zip ties on there loose, and when I get to the approx distance I tighten up the zip ties to hold the shock> (i'm doing this manually) so the abity to hold the shock compressed and tighten the zip ties is fun to do. Outside of the vehicle...
Then I mount the shock at the rear top mount loose, and see if I can get the bottom mount to line up, where it if does not then use a small bottle jack to compress the shock further and retain the setting by further tightening the zip ties. then move the bottom of the shock to get it mounted to the bottom mount, this might take one take or a couple. The driver side is eaiser to deal with as you are not so close to the rear diff. I'm basically laying on the cement slab to the rear of the rear axle and doing "it".
I scratched the hell out of the shocks but whatever....(before . screwing around with different attempts). This is one way to do it, if you are on jack stands and have lmited ability to otherwise tie the shock down in some manner thats easy.
You can get the long 24 inch or so HD zip ties from Lowes or other places, in my area its Lowes.
Anyway thought it might help someone in the future., notably if you are doing this by yourself.
Hope this made sense , if you need to pm me or something I'll tell you what I know etc or my experience...
If I had a welding table or large shop table I probally could have come up with a clean way to hold the shock and compress it and then secure it.....
This is much smarter than what I do. I attach the upper eyelet and loosley bolt it in. Then i position myself to get leverage from the ground and whatever i can and push off of with my legs using the motion from the second part of doing a squat at the gym. Then just push the shock in manually. It always works. The key is to use zero arms whatsoever and keep them locked and use your legs to push your entire body, which will in turn push the shock. Cant guarantee you wont get a hernia though.this might help someone in the future. I'm sure there is more than one way to "peel the orange".
in my shop area I don' t have a good place to immobilize the the shock and get it tied down as I would like (compressed for install). Where I could use mechanics wire or some other approach. I also am working on jack stands.
so what I did was use large zip ties. ON the rear I measured the distance between the two points (shock mounting points) I then made a crude template by chopping the end of one of the long tie straps to something close to 21.5 inches. So I then compress the shock (manually) and I have the zip ties on there loose, and when I get to the approx distance I tighten up the zip ties to hold the shock> (i'm doing this manually) so the abity to hold the shock compressed and tighten the zip ties is fun to do. Outside of the vehicle...
Then I mount the shock at the rear top mount loose, and see if I can get the bottom mount to line up, where it if does not then use a small bottle jack to compress the shock further and retain the setting by further tightening the zip ties. then move the bottom of the shock to get it mounted to the bottom mount, this might take one take or a couple. The driver side is eaiser to deal with as you are not so close to the rear diff. I'm basically laying on the cement slab to the rear of the rear axle and doing "it".
I scratched the hell out of the shocks but whatever....(before . screwing around with different attempts). This is one way to do it, if you are on jack stands and have lmited ability to otherwise tie the shock down in some manner thats easy.
You can get the long 24 inch or so HD zip ties from Lowes or other places, in my area its Lowes.
Anyway thought it might help someone in the future., notably if you are doing this by yourself.
Hope this made sense , if you need to pm me or something I'll tell you what I know etc or my experience...
If I had a welding table or large shop table I probally could have come up with a clean way to hold the shock and compress it and then secure it.....
This method is not recommended if your truck is on jackstands or on a lift. Or if you just ate taco bell
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2002
- Threads
- 550
- Messages
- 44,831
- Location
- Canton, Mississippi
- Website
- www.seeandeatms.com
They are bad ass shocks. Not something you can just push up and down easily. I always do the bottoms. Use my body weight to compress them and catch the top on the way up
got it done..... One brownie point for the old guy...
have to figure a way to get in at the inner front axle u bolt on each side, I got em tight but not able to get a clean torque on them so far Everything else is torqued where needed and so forth, new shocks on .....more projects to follow.
have to figure a way to get in at the inner front axle u bolt on each side, I got em tight but not able to get a clean torque on them so far Everything else is torqued where needed and so forth, new shocks on .....more projects to follow.
reddog90
SILVER Star
Do I just need to replace my cupped washers with new OEM? Or do I need larger ones to run with these IMS shocks? I wasn't having this problem with the Bilsteins I removed.
Old Nick
GOLD Star
When I switched to the Dobinsons IFS, I replaced the nasty old oem bolt/washer combo with new oem. They've held great. No worries about the old stuff failing.
Do I just need to replace my cupped washers with new OEM? Or do I need larger ones to run with these IMS shocks? I wasn't having this problem with the Bilsteins I removed.
reddog90
SILVER Star
I'm pretty sure the 62 cupped washers are actually larger OD than the 60 ones. Your bushings didn't bulge like this though?
