Hey all, been breaking my back all weekend trying to get B&G springs, KYB AGX shocks, and Suspension Techniques front sway bar bushings and endlinks installed and I'm a bit stuck right now on the rear AGX assembly. This really sucks, because I need my car to get to work tomorrow.

I've got the AGX shocks with KYB's dust boots (part no. SB108) and B&G springs (with isolators) installed on them. Then I put on the cover washer and the ribbed bushing. Then the strut mount, then the smooth bushing and its hat. I finsh this off with the piston nut, or at least I try to because there's no way I can get a thread for the nut.

Reason being, the KYB dust boot when pushed all the way onto the strut takes up more of the length of the strut piston than the OEM dust boot. With less strut piston to work with, I can't get the entire assembly together, not even with the spring fully compressed.

I see my options as either:

A. Use the KYB dust boots, and don't use the smooth bushing (the topmost bushing) in the strut assembly. Instead, remove the bushing and place its hat upside-down to form a cup, putting leftover Suspension Techniques grease between the strut mount and the hat to hopefully reduce the sound of metal on metal.

B. Use the OEM dust boots (they're still in good enough shape), cutting the bumpstop. But I'm not sure how much of the bumpstop to cut.

C. Get the secret from one of you who'd done it on how I can put all this together - the KYB dust boots and all of the bushings and such.

Has anyone else had this problem? Anyone done this install that can help me get it all assembled? Thanks for your help!

I never used KYB dustboots, so can't help you there.
But if your oem boots are in good condition, can't you just use those?
And why do you need to cut the bumpstop? I didnt cut mine.

I have B+G/AGX with KYB Dust boots and I didn't have any problems. In fact I don't even recall having any trouble putting the rears together at all. The rear springs were put on without spring compressors, and everything fit including the top most rubber bushing.
I would try using the KYB dust boots, and njmaxseltd will even recommend them (in the rears at least). The bumpstop on the stock dustboots if left uncut will cause you to feel like you're bottoming out because the shock will hit the bumpstop because of lack of travel.
-hype

im goin to have my kyb dustboots put onto my fronts
im also concerned about the fit on the front

i have two options:
take it back to the shop and have them do this for free since they failed to put my boots on (or tell me even)
-or get paid help from njmaxseltd (he knows his stuff but hes busy)

lets get some answers on these front boots thanks

follow this diagram. Just take out part 9 in the assembly and replace it with your kyb boot. suppose to be easy. Make sure you do not have a washer inside the kyb boot as this will prevent you from sliding the boot down the piston shaft.

should be easy with no problem
let us know how it goes

Thanks 95maximase for posting that diagram.

Yossarian - You've got something assembled wrong. B&G springs don't even need to be compressed to get them on in the rear. The KYB dust boots are smaller then the OEM ones. It doesn't make sence that you've got no room to catch the threads on the shock.

Check your install against the diagram. Something is out of place. Make sure you have parts 7 & 8 in the correct position. Remove part 9 (OEM Cover) and use KYB in it's place.

Order of installation is reverse from 10 back with 9 being the KYB boot.

Ok, so this morning I wake up and look again at my strut assembly. Somehow, there's a whole bunch of space to play with between the cover washer and the ribbed bushing that wasn't there yesterday. Maybe one of the bushings had to compress or something, I don't know, but this morning I was able to assemble it with all the pieces and put it into the car.

Just one more rear strut assembly to go and I'll be (who am I kidding, I'll probably be taking everything apart again to fix it, lol)

Thanks for all your help everyone.

yossarian hows the front susp lookin? boots fit ok on those agx? ziptied?

i had the same problem not being able to get a thread on the piston nut, goto pep boys or a garage and get it airgunned down.

Yep, they fit perfectly.

Dammit, I so wanted to be finished with this yesterday but now I'm stuck again. The lower strut mounting bolt on the final strut assembly is more seized than any bolt I've ever seen before.

Soaked it with penetrating oil several times, torched it, broke a socket using a 6' long cheater bar, then rounded the head a bit doing the same thing with a stronger socket...

My plan now is to buy a replacement bolt at the dealership and then limp the car on 3 AGX and 1 OEM strut, avoiding any rough road surfaces, over to the nearest auto shop to have the bolt taken out and replaced with the new one. Then baby the car back home and finish the install.

Probably be finished with all this ordeal tonight or tomorrow night. I can't wait to have my car back and with its new ride!