Does it matter which way the rear decklid shocks are mounted? Which way did the factory install them, fat side up or down? I've seen them installed both ways, what was original?
Thanks
Paul
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I have been told it does matter. A local guy pointed out to me that mine are mounted upside down. But for mine it really does not matter as they won't hold the decklid up
anyways.
anyways.
The 'fat ends' should be up. On OEM shocks, water was thrown up on the rods while driving. It ran down under the loose-fitting gaiters. Under the gaiter is a raised ledge that caught & held about a teaspoon of water until it rusted the shock top. For aftermarket shocks, I'm told that they work better if run with the fat end up due to the internal design. It also keeps oil against the shock seal rather than high-pressure gas, so the seal stays moist & holds pressure longer. Some cars can swap the shocks upside-down in a heartbeat and others need the mounts on the inner fender trimmed a little for shock body clearance.
The gas shocks that I got from Pantera Performance Center have cushions in them that only work if the cylinder is up and the shaft down. There is no rubber boot over the end of the cylinder so mounting with the shaft pointed down would also keep trash from collecting around the shaft and damaging the seal.
Thanks for the quick reply, guys! Mine are installed correctly after all, maybe that's why they still work after 28 yrs! I haven't checked around yet, but do any of our vendors still stock the rubber boots for the originals?