Gabriel ReadyMount Struts

[Greg R from Ohio]

I just finished installing ReadyMount Struts in my 98 town and Country. I took it for a test ride and it rattled so bad that it sounded like the struts were going to fall right out of the car every time I hit a bump in the road. I took the wheels off and everything looks tight. It did not make this noise with the old struts. Does anyone have any suggestions? Was I suppose to make a spring adjustment before installing them?

Any help would be appreciated!

[SlimJimRD]

I had what sounds like a similar experience. Was afraid the new struts were worse than what I took off and I had to drive 900 miles the next day.
It was the top nut not being tight enough. It is tight when the car is in the air and the stut spring holding it tight but loose when the car is down on the ground holding the spring down. I found it by feeling the top bolt under the wiper tray. Then lift the car "frame" just not under the stut and see if the nut is now tight. I had someone raise and lower the van while I felt the nut and it moved up and down.
I then took of the wiper tray and tighten the nut while the car was on the ground.
Steve

[Greg R from Ohio]

Thank you Jim....I will have to look at that after work today. I just assumed that the top nut installed at the factory spefically for that vehicle would have been to specs. I will let you know how it goes.

Originally Posted by SlimJimRD

I had what sounds like a similar experience. Was afraid the new struts were worse than what I took off and I had to drive 900 miles the next day.
It was the top nut not being tight enough. It is tight when the car is in the air and the stut spring holding it tight but loose when the car is down on the ground holding the spring down. I found it by feeling the top bolt under the wiper tray. Then lift the car "frame" just not under the stut and see if the nut is now tight. I had someone raise and lower the van while I felt the nut and it moved up and down.
I then took of the wiper tray and tighten the nut while the car was on the ground.
Steve

[Bear]

I had a similar issue with Bilsteins on my '88 BMW 750 and the problem was not enough thread for the top nut to be torqued down, I ended up taking the top nut of and putting a couple of steel washers under each nut and then I could adequately tighten the struts down