Front Shock Switcharoo!

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GRWeldon

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So apparently I ordered two driver's side Monroe Quick Strut replacements for my 96 LX. I didn't realize this until I went to put in the passenger side and saw the big, round yellow "LH" sticker on the shock. The only issue is that the bolts are just slightly rotated by maybe a half-inch. I'm leaving Alabama for Michigan in 2 days and I don't quite trust the "next day by end of day" promises that I'm getting from my supplier. Already have the left side in...

I'm pretty sure I can muscle-in the studs from the mount in to the holes on the passenger side, the question is: "Will this cause any problems in the future?"
I really don't want to put the old one in and drive with the new one on the driver's side, but what do ye of greater knowledge than me think about installing a left on the right?
 
Honestly, in your situation, I would rather put the old ones in and be safe on a long trip. JMO I would not try wrestle something that does not fit.

Reminds of that commercial with the two mechanics that are working on a car part and cannot get it to fit. Then a flash back is shown of them when they were young and pounding a wooden square peg in a round hole and one of the brothers yelling "pound it harder Tommy!"
 
They are the same parts regardless of the side, just the orientation of them is different. Removing the tension on the spring with a spring compressor should allow them to be clocked correctly. However as you surely know the springs on these cars are not easy to compress!
Forcing the whole assembly into place would probably put stress on the top and bottom spring bushings. One of those cases where it's probably better to do it right.
Some members here use the weight of the car to take apart and reassemble the front shocks and springs. I never had much luck with that method myself.
 
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it’s all just clocking. As one of those apparently crazy people who doesn’t use a wall mounted spring compressor it’s never posed a challenge for me since I #1 mount the upper mount to the tower, then install the loose spring and shock underneath and use the weight of the car and jack to compress them together.

With a pre assembled coilover assembly it’s more tricky since you can’t exactly let off the assembled pressure on the desired side. Instead you’d need to install one of them on the opposite side, loosen the shock nut, let off the jack under the LCA and remove it so it comes apart, then move that separated spring/shock/mount to the other side
 
If you don't have a wall mount compressor, as it's already assembled, you could use the sketchy rental compressors from your local auto parts store to compress the spring enough to spin the upper mount to the correct orientation. Just don't remove the top nut.
 
White Lincoln said:
Honestly, in your situation, I would rather put the old ones in and be safe on a long trip. JMO I would not try wrestle something that does not fit.

Reminds of that commercial with the two mechanics that are working on a car part and cannot get it to fit. Then a flash back is shown of them when they were young and pounding a wooden square peg in a round hole and one of the brothers yelling "pound it harder Tommy!"
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Yeah, this is what I eventually ended up doing, only I left the new LH side in and put the old one in on the Right.

The upper shock mounts are indeed Left and right handed. They are not interchangeable as I first thought.
 
XR7-4.6 said:
it’s all just clocking. As one of those apparently crazy people who doesn’t use a wall mounted spring compressor it’s never posed a challenge for me since I #1 mount the upper mount to the tower, then install the loose spring and shock underneath and use the weight of the car and jack to compress them together.
Click to expand...
You are indeed smart to use a wall mount compressor!
 
GRWeldon said:
The upper shock mounts are indeed Left and right handed. They are not interchangeable as I first thought.
Click to expand...
This is Not correct.There is only one part for left or right . How you install it relative to the shock makes the difference.
 
Yep look at the towers from the top and note the orientation is flipped driver to passenger side.
 
Ive had to adjust a few over the years. I put one of the koni's on randomly, thinking it would be easy to adjust. Wrong!
 
Whatever the case, I ordered a correct handed part. I've got at least 3 more cars that will eventually need them. Better to get them now before they become unavailable. Something I thought would NEVER happen.
 
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