Ok, this is a post describing my incredible time installing the 2" front 4" rear drop kit I sell on my own truck.
Rear
springs: First, and foremost, jack the truck up and support it in front
and behind the rear springs! Then support the axle with the jack so you
can raise it and lower as need be. Helps a lot to be on a level surface
too. Remove the wheel and you are ready to begin!
Now
the bolts & nuts holding the springs on come off pretty easy. The nuts
are 13/16" and the bolts are Torx T55 Bit. break the nuts loose with a
breaker bar, then put the Torx bit into the bolt and hold it while you
remove the nuts.
[b]**If you are not supporting the axle enough when you do this it will
drop down and pop out of the supports.**[/b]
The nuts that fasten the U Bolts down to the axle are also 13/16 and
came off pretty easily, but of course I had the luxury of a having an
1/2 impact and an air compressor. Man, did that make this a whole lot
easier! The plate in the center that the U Bolts go through has a 9/16
nut on it, and under it there are 2 press on lock washers like they use
on the brake rotors. After you take this all off, you lower the jack
down almost all the way, turn the spring onto it's side with the arch
away from you and you can simply lift it up and over the axle and take
it out.
Installation is simply the reverse of all that you did taking it off.
The most important thing here is that when you put the new spring in,
mount it to the front perch, then make sure you have the pin in the
spring down into the axle and install the U Bolts. Then you can lift it
up with the jack and mount it into the rear perch. If it needs a little
alignment, the rear perch will move with the aid of a long pry bar. The
rear springs took about 2 hours to get done.
Rear shocks:
The rear shocks are held on by 2 13/16 head bolts and nuts. Remove these
with a wrench and a socket. Installation is just reversing this. You do
need to make sure you have it lined up right, mount the top first, then
cut the strap holding the shock closed and when it gets close enough to
slide the bolt in, shoot it in the hole.
[b]**Of note here however is that the two top mount nuts have straps
pressed onto them, and if you do not clamp the strap down or protect the
bottom of your bed, it will turn with the nut and scratch the bottom of
your bed all up! **[/b]
I replaced mine with regular nuts and lock washers and put some medium
strength locktite on them for insurance. The nut threads are 14mm x
2.00.
Ok, now for the front:
The front was pretty easy. Again jack the truck up and support it with
jack stands.
Remove the wheel and you are ready to begin!
First
put the jack under the front a member behind the place the shock mounts.
Now, the way the front is mounted, all you have to remove is the upper
a-frame ball joint nut - 13/16" , the sway bar end mount nut 13/16", and
the tie rod mount nut 5/8".
[b]**MAKE SURE YOU REMOVE THE NUTS FROM THE UPPER BALL JOINT AND THE
SWAY BAR ALL THE WAY BEFORE YOU LOWER THE JACK AND POP THEM OUT OR YOU
WILL HAVE A HARD TIME REMOVING THEM AFTER THEY POP LOOSE, AS THESE TWO
WILL TURN WHEN YOU TRY TO REMOVE THE NUT.**[/b]
Then you lower the jack and tap on the upper a-frame and the top mount
and the sway bar ends will pop out.
[b]**Do Not lower the jack ALL the way down. Just enough to put downward
pressure on the
mounts!** [/b]
While the jack is down it puts pressure on the assembly so you can
remove the nut holding the front shock on. It is 9/16". You need to have
the shock extended to do this so it keeps the shock from turning as you
take the nut off. After you remove the top nut, drop down to the bottom
and remove the two 1/2" nuts holding the shock in underneath. Then the
shock just drops right out. After you remove the shock, drop the jack
all the way down and you can remove the coil spring. Do this slowly. It
takes a little prying on the spring but it will pop out pretty easy.
Remove the rubber cushion and place it onto the new one exactly like you
took it off. You DO NOT need spring compressors to do this. Just go slow
and everything will be fine.
If you wish to replace the front bump stop, now is the time to do so.
Using a die grinder, grind the welds off each side and the bump stop
drops off.
Installation of the new one is as simple as bolting it in.
Installation
of the front spring is just the reversal of everything you already did.
Make sure when you put the new spring in that you orientate it to the
original position before you install it back in. After you have put the
spring in, raise the jack up, guiding the spring into position. Make
sure the tie rod end goes through the mount while you do this or you
will have to drop it back down and do it again. Put the upper A-frame
ball joint through the spindle hole, and screw the nut on as far as you
can by hand. Do the same with the tie rod end and the sway bar. Now you
will need a 10mm closed end wrench to hold the bottom of the ball joint
and sway bar end after you put the nuts on to tighten them down. Then
proceed to tighten them down with a 13/16" wrench. Be careful not to
damage the brake line while you tighten the top ball joint down. Now
tighten the tie rod end and lift the whole assembly back up with the
jack to provide access to the bottom.
Now for the shock. when you put the shock in, you will need to remove
the plastic strap that holds it closed before you mount it so you can
put the metal washer and rubber mount on, then compress the shock back
down and put the strap back on. Slide the shock up through the hole, and
put it on the mount studs on the bottom. Install the nuts on the studs,
BUT DO NOT TIGHTEN THEM. Cut the plastic strap that holds the shock
closed, and guide the top of the shock through the hole. You have to be
fast to do this so go quickly.
If you miss the first time, you can try again, by having someone else
drop the jack slowly while you guide it in. After you get it into the
hole, install the top rubber mount, metal plate, and nut, then tighten
the whole assembly.
Now for the Camber Adjustment bolts:
First
remove the mount bolts with a 13/16" socket or wrench. Both of these
bolts have straps that hold them in, but they do not move much and you
will not need to hold the bolt to remove the nut. Now you will need to
install the upper a-frame cam adjustment bolts. These are relatively
easy to install. Just follow the diagram, and make sure when you tighten
them up that the clamps are aligned on to the notch on the mounts. Also
make sure that you do not overtighten them or you will not be to move
the a-frame much and they will bind up. The cam bolts are installed in
this order:
1. Slide a flat washer over the bolt.
2. Slide the cam adjustment washer over the bolt.
3. Put the mount bracket over the bracket on the truck for the a-frame.
4. Slide the bolt through the mount bracket and the A-frame.
5. Put the other mount bracket on the other side.
6. Slide the Cam washer onto the bolt.
7. Slide the flat washer onto the bolt.
8. Install the nut onto the bolt.
9. Tighten the whole assembly until it bottoms out, making sure the
mount brackets stay on the mounts on the truck. Then loosen it a 1/4
turn.
Now
you can install your wheels and off to the alignement shop! i took it
out for a test drive, and man what a difference! It absolutely hugs the
curves now, and the steering is a lot more respnsive. I love the stance
of it too!
Duane Garrett
