Rancho Rear Shock Glide Plate Installation Help

[ConqSoft]

I’ll preface this by saying that my mechanical skills are mediocre at best. But I feel like I must be missing something here.

Removing the bolts, no issue.

Fitting the glide plate, no issue.

Inserting control arm bolt, no issue. (used a ratchet strap to pull bottom of axle forward to align)

The problem comes when I try inserting the bolt for the shock. I can’t get the holes lined up. The shock extends and I cannot get it back into alignment. Without the glide plate in place I can do it easily by using a wooden dowel where the blue arrow is in the pic below to wedge the shock up into alignment. But that area is inaccessible with the glide plate in place.

Any tips?

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[MarkY3130]

I think I grabbed a metal punch that is much smaller diameter than the bolt, and caught the shock with it through the skid, used it to wedge the shock hole to center up with the skid hole and then slid the bolt in starting from the opposite side.

 

[ConqSoft]

I think I grabbed a metal punch that is much smaller diameter than the bolt, and caught the shock with it through the skid, used it to wedge the shock hole to center up with the skid hole and then slid the bolt in starting from the opposite side.

Thanks for that. I was actually in the process of doing that very thing but chickened out because I though I might damage the shock eyelet.

 

[Drytellsr]

I had the same issue and realized that it all goes in real easy if you use a bottle jack or scissor jack placed in the right position to give you a little lift so the shock lines up perfectly. Cant remember exactly where i placed the jack to get the desired lift but that was the solution. It may have been at the bottom of the new skid plate to prevent it from slipping down under pressure from the shock.

 

[ConqSoft]

Thanks for the response. I finally did end up getting them installed over the weekend by using a punch to line up the holes.

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