I am having a tough time lining up the top hat bolts after compressing the springs and tightening in the top nut.

How had you guys done it??

Thanks.

 

I usually install the top hats on the car first, very loosely. Then carefully bring the shock/spring up to meet it, using a jack under the lower arm to compress the spring up against the top hat. Then install the top nut, then tighten the top hat bolts.

 

This could be bad advice so do this at your own risk, this is just what I did. I put the bolts in the top hat thru the holes in the car and started the nuts, then I put a pry bar thru the bottom shock mount and twisted the shock to get it to line up with the mounting point on the car. I think they tell you not to twist the shock shaft, and in a perfect world the top and bottom mounting points would line up, but I can never get them just right. Turn the shock as little as possible.


Twohoos method may be better.