Help with Bilstein 5100 install

Hey guys, I need help/advice with an issue I am having installing a set of bilstein 5100s on my 2016 4runner. I am about to lose my mind over this. I’ve tried searching the forum and I’ve seen posts about using a long screw driver to turn to align- which I had to do, so thank you but I haven’t seen anything specifically about this. The bottom eye (connection point, not sure what else it could be called) of the strut will NOT seat to the lower control arm. It’s like the eye is too wide. It doesn’t fit. I managed to get it half way lined up by lightly hammering but now it is just stuck and won’t move at all. Surely I’m not supposed to beat it into place but I’ve tried everything I know to do. Is it supposed to be this hard to fit into the lca? Every video I’ve watched it just seems to fit with a little bit of wiggling but I can’t get it to move at all. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

if you have a skinny pry bar or a long screw driver, you can stick it through the hole and wedge it to line it up.

 

I sort of tried that but the only screw driver I could get to fit through was too flimsy. I may need to find something stronger and try that again

 

Is this the first side you've done? As in, was the other side the same way?

 

Good advice! Also, if you have a floor jack, go ahead and jack up the control arm rather slightly to bring the strut and control arm in alignment.

Cheers,

Sean

 

Did you ever get this to work? I didn't have any problems with this part when I installed my 5100's last week (there were other difficulties, not this though). As long as you don't touch the shock eyelet, you can safely grind the sleeve down a slight amount and also make sure the mount bracket doesn't have any crud in it.