6pak smashing spacers

[flanders]

Put on the 6pak shocks from metalcloak this summer. I want to love them, and for the most part I do. Just took them to the Golden Spike at Moab and got flexy with it. Incredibly fun.

The problem is, I can't get the shocks tightened down. It totally kills the driving a cool jeep vibe, when it sounds like the thing is falling apart every time I go over a bump. The thuds, clicks, and jiggles are loud enough you can hear it from the sidewalk. Totally kills the mood.

There are two problems.

First, the bottom of each shock has a heim joint thing which has a decent amount of up-and-down play in it. If I push down on any corner of the bumpers with my hand, there are audible clicks as the the joint shifts. I don't think I'm getting rid of that, just how they're designed.

The second bigger problem, is in my opinion the misalignment spacers are made out of aluminum that is too soft. I'll tighten down the 8 shock bolts, and it'll be silent for a day and a half. Then it starts wobbling again and I'll retighten.

I've played this game for months now. I've tightened them so far I'm deforming/smashing the misalignment spacers, and actually bending the mount brackets in.

I think the core problem is the spacers are soft enough metal, that they deform after driving for a while and loosen back up.

What kills me is I can't find anyone else on the internet with this same problem. I would think everyone with these 6paks would be dealing with this. I've thought about trying to find some custom SS spacers the right length, but am I just doing something stupid? Am I the idiot?

Any insight would be appreciated.

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[word302]

@Headbarcode

 

[Maverick909]

have you contacted @Metalcloak about this? Seems like a good place to start. the way those are deforming and since you have an aftermarket location for the shock mount id be worried that the shock isnt mounted correctly. I believe they should be in the stock location with the 6packs

 

[Buddy Lee]

I ran 6pak shocks on my JK and now on my JL. I did not have the issue of coming loose or clicking with either set. My Jeep has been to Utah multiple times and Death Valley as well so, if something like that was going to happen it would have. The one thing I am doing differently than you is I use a grade 8 bolt with a nylock nut which once secured to the factory torque setting has not moved. I would shy away from the excess torque as you can damage things such as the aluminum spacers. I would contact Metal Cloak to get a new set of spacers and use a good quality bolt with a nylock nut and torque it to factory specs.

 

[Metalcloak]

@flanders Give us a call at 916-631-8071 and we can help you figure out what is going on.

 

[flanders]

Finally making progress. I called MetalCloak and they sent out new spacers. MC support is very good, but I've yet to have them ship out all the right parts first try. Forgivable though because they're good to work with.

Installed the new spacers, which helped some, but most the jiggling was still there.

I'm mad I didn't try this sooner. I knew the heim joints were loose, but I didn't think they were totally to blame. Instead I over-tightened every bolt on the jeep.

I don't understand how no one else has had this problem, but two zip ties on every shock 90% fixes the problem (I think they still have some play). Who knows why they went with a heim joint when every other shock has two bushings. Trying to concoct a permanent solution that will stay tight.

 

[The Word]

@flanders this may work but no guarantees. Allocate a metal tube with an inside diameter dimension of the outside diameter dimension of the grade 8 zinc bolt per your updated picture with zip ties.

Next, the outside diameter dimension of the metal tube has to match the inside diameter dimension of the heim joint.

You are fabricating a tube spacer to eliminate the wiggle play between the grade 8 zinc bolt - heim joint.

Or: Try to find a bolt that will insert into the 6pak heim joint with zero wiggle play.

The goal: the outside dimension of grade 8 zinc bolt has to have zero wiggle play when inserted into the 6pak heim joint.

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