I just turn the wheel so I can get at the bottom of the shock more easily. The top is obviously easier to get too. It takes less time to get your arms inside the wheel well than it does to jack the car up, put stands under it, jack the control arm up....and then get your arms inside the wheel well.

 

The problem isn't with the way he's installing it, it's with the Edelbrock shocks. Almost everyone I've talked to with the Edelbrocks (myself included) has had the same problem. The problem is that the Edelbrocks are upside-down compared to most shocks, with the shock body at the top rather than the bottom. The shock body is simply too wide to fit inside the shock tower cap at the top.

I had to grind my shock tower caps down to clear the Edelbrocks. After some quick application of semi-gloss black, they look and work just fine.

 

You mean it does fit through the cap when installing it, or the body doesn't clear even when bolted down? Did Edelbrock not account for clearance in the shock mount?

 

Very few shocks fit through the bracket, but the bracket was designed to come off easily. Three nuts, even with a plain ratchet wrench it might take thirty whole seconds to remove it.

 

Yeah, but it sounds as though the body of the IAS doesn't clear the mount when bolted down.

 

Exactly. The mounts aren't designed to accommodate the body of a shock, so you have to modify them a bit for extra clearance. Otherwise you can't get the shock far enough up to put the hold down bracket (for lack of a better name) through the upper shock bushing, let alone bolt it down to the shock tower cap.

 

You think they would have designed it so the shock body and mounting bracket had a bit of space to clear for installation. I mean, it seems like all they had to do was put the bracket 1" farther away from the shock body.

 

Mine went in just fine....but then again....I had OEM caps and I had already spent several hours grinding 40yrs of repaints off them and sprayed them with a fresh coat of black. Wouldn't surprise me one bit if they didn't fit for most people because of thick paint

 

That is exactly the problem, and exactly what I figured I WOULDNT have to do, which is why I made the thread. I cant believe they actually sell this shock where you have to modify your car to fit it. Not that I care personally, but there is a lot of purists who dont like to modify their car. If they made the eye hole 1/4-3/8s higher it wouldnt be a problem, or if they put the boot on the top like every other shock for the car. Thats crazy, atleast im not the only one. Oh well grinder it is, thanks Starfury!

On a side note have you or anyone know know had any correspondence with them as to their product not fitting?

 

I installed Edelbrock 33237 Classic IAS Front Shock Absorbers a couple months ago with no problems installed them with the car on the ground, but did end up jacking up the body letting the suspension drop to bolt the tops down without having to compress the shocks to much.