DIY Rear Strut Change - Gen3 Wagon

[spinifex]

Sorry guys if this has been posted a gazillion times before..... I've searched but can't find anything quickly.... and my car is up on stands ATM, with limited time for browsing !
(Apologies also, if i've done something wrong with posting the pix.... )

Can somebody please identify which way around these Billies install? I've read that the pin/bush at the bottom should be slightly longer one side, than the other, and that is how you identify how to install it (long pin facing inwards or outwards? I can't remember which way) ... but as these pix show, I can't see there's any difference.

There are some spots of coloured paint dotted along one side of the springs, and I also read that the painted side of the units faces INWARDS when installed ?

I tried lining the new billies up with the old originals, to check size/alignment/height, etc, but I honestly can't see there's any difference on either side which identifies which way to install !

I've tried installing them - got the top bolts fed through and the nuts on just enough to hold it in place....... a jack underneath the bottom, so i can compress the strut enough to line up with the hub mount... and tried to feed the bolt through.... but the alignment of the bolt hole on the strut-bottom is slightly off-degree to the hub mount hole that it connects to!

Do I get a screwdriver in the hole first, to try to "twist" the shock around so the holes line up? Or is that damaging the unit? I'm guessing the tension in the springs are turning the shock slightly, as they try to "unwind"? Or have I got it backwards? I've tried lining it up both ways (paint spots facing inwards, and outwards, and the bottom hole remains the same amount of distance off-centre, either way.

I don't want to mess this up and ruin a good set of billies, if there's a better solution? I've read they should only be able to be installed one way, but they seem to be fitting in fine either way, so I'm stumped !

Any help is appreciated.... I've gotta get this installed quickly (and then the other side) so I can hopefully book in for a quick alignment this morning, as I replaced the fronts last night

Cheers

[cruisn]

Stone chips to the front.

[spinifex]

Stone chips to the front.

What an idiot...... I didn't even consider that !!!

Cheers mate.

Another question though...... if I put the chips to the front, still not sure which strut is passenger and which is drivers side !
As then, the paint-spots are facing backwards !
Are they identical struts both sides? So it won't matter which one I put which side?

Question still remains though - do I just twist the shick around with a screwdriver in the hole, until the holes line up ?

[cruisn]

Identical, so sides dont matter.

No to sure what you mean on the last question...

[spinifex]

Cheers mate.

Al done - the holes didn't line up quite right, so I twisted the shock around slightly to match them up. All together again.... hunting down somewhere that's open on a saturday in Brisbane, can do 4-wheel alignments

[spinifex]

OK..... so i've done everything up tight in the rears... there's only 3 bolts to do.

Just test driving it out of my garage, and there's a rattling coming from the rear.

What have I missed? I'm booked in for an alignment in an hour, and I'm not sure why it's rattling

[05GTLIB]

Hmmm, other than going over all the bolts again to make sure their torqued correctly, also check the spring is seated properly, may have rotated a bit while you were putting the shocks back in? Double checked wheel nuts ?

[spinifex]

Just on a whim, I checked the top nut that holds the shock in place.... with the allen-key insert in the shaft.... I could turn it by hand ! Lovely ! I'm pissed I didnt think to check them before installing.
I don't have a rattle gun, or suitable sockets to do it at home, so off to supercheap to buy a cheap rattle gun & socket set.
Got home - 17mm on the top nut - tightened up nicely (as far as the gun would allow on it's lowest torque setting, then slowly increased the torque).... and it still rattles just pushing it in and out of my garage, but nowhere near as much as before.

Wheel nuts also checked with gun - even though I know youre not supposed to rattle wheel-nuts on

Anything else I should check? Or do I need to pull the damn things out again and try to tighten those nuts more (will mean trying to find some deep sockets with hex on the outside, so I can tighten with an allen key holding the centre shaft from spinning. S/Cheap and Repco near me both only had normal round sockets - nothing with external hex

I'm over it at this point.... so much for saving money doing shit yourself at home! This should have been a piss easy job, from everyone's accounts here, and elsewhere!

[05GTLIB]

Just get the guys doing the alignment for you to check it out, you might find your cheap rattle gun just doesnt have enough torque to get that strut top bolt tight enough, i know how much it sucks when ya try doing yourself to save some cash and it ends up being more trouble than its worth
How many k's are on the shocks your putting in, are you sure the issue isn't with the shock itself

[spinifex]

Thanx 05GT.... no idea on km on struts. I certainly hope not.... I'll be asking for my cash back, if that's the case.

I'll have to book in somewhere else for an alignment and I'll get them to check everything is good..... was only the cheapest rattle gun I could get, coz really was going to be a one-off job, and unlikely to ever use it again.... probably hasn't enough torque. It's max 230ft-lb or 310Nm torque... I have no idea what setting the strut nuts need.

Cheers for the advice.... Even thought it's still got a small clunk occasionally, but nowhere near rattling constantly, will it still be driveable enough for a day, coz I can't find anywhere that can fit me in for an alignment today, so will have to do it on monday