navigator wrote:I don't think the shock was tight. Look how little thread is sticking out the top of the nut.
Chris, that distance varies a good bit between lifts due to different bushing thicknesses.
chrisN, I would definitely contact Bilstein about that. In my experience, they have great customer service and I'd bet that they would replace that unit or give you a replacement discount. Worst case, they say no.
It makes sense to fail at the location it did - especially if over-torqued. All of the compressive load from the bushings, the compressive load from the nut through the collar, and the bending stress from any assembly misalignment (per Roadie's suggestion) is exacerbated by the sharp internal edge to that shoulder.
Interesting though, that noone else has seen this same failure. So that leads me to wonder if there was maybe an error in heat treatment or in the machining that made that internal edge extra sharp and prone to failure.
Keep us updated as to how Bilstein handles it.