front shock install gone bad!

[benny_bell]

1987 4runner SR5

looking for some answers. anyone who has replaced their front shocks on torsion sprung IFS might have some insight.

here's the scoop. installing rancho rs9000 on the truck, simple right? well the factory manual calls for 101 ft/lbs of torque on the shock/lower control arm. at about 50ft/lbs the metal spacer/shaft mushroomed and the bracket on the lowert control arm bent. F U D G E!

well suffice to say it was not a g-rated response. now i bent back the bracket and took out shock, reinstalled old shock but now i can not get near 101ft/lbs cuz this incident screwed up the bracket. the holes in the bracket have enlarged and now any spacer/shaft will not seat right so i can not get torqued right.

anyone think of a fix for this besides having a new $$$$ bracket welded on?

how can i get this torqued down without screwin up any new spacer/shaft?

thanks in advance! please help! i have racked my brain and need some advice....

[burger]

Washers?Grind some material off the mushroomed shock if you need space.

[benny_bell]

washers might squeeze the shock eyelet bushing. but i will look into it. maybe some smaller ones that can sit up against the bracket and make sure the the eyelet sleeve has a solid surface to sit against.

rancho is sending me a new set of front shocks free of charge, and i am sending back the damaged one and the other (rancho is sending for these). they want to run some tests since they are from the same production run. all in all, great customer service. it is often hard to find these days.

any other suggestions? i was thinking maybe concave washers for the above application.