Western Chassis LCA Install (PICS)

[SVT_KY]

Western Chassis LCA Install (PICS) Since I am on vacation and Gingerman proved the efficacy of "being one with the track", I tackled the job of getting the Western Chassis Lower Control Arms installed. Since I already had the Roush springs and then the Stan Martin springs, I didn't have to be quite as careful as one would with stock springs. When I jack up the front side and raise the tire off the ground the springs are not even in contact with teh seats. This makes changing springs a snap. Wish I could say the same for the LCA Jack up the front placing jack stands just to the rear of the jack points on the frame. This allows them to be held from moving fore and aft by the jack point. Place them fairly high, so you can remove the shocks from the center of the springs later. Remove the tires. Disconnect the AntiLock hose retainer from the top of the shock tower. Disconnect the 10 mm bolt that attaches the brake line to the rear of the stock LCA. Remove the Anti-Sway bar end links. Go to Sears and buy a 24 MM Deep well socket for the LCA bolts. Attempt to loosen the LCA bolts. (148 Ft Lbs with a 12" lever ain't gonna do it ... A rack is so much better than a driveway!) Go to Ace Hardware and buy some TC-11 and apply to all bolts. Remove upper nut(s) from the shocks, mine are Bilsteins and have that FUNKY hex slot in the top. One side has already cracked off and has been replaced by two nuts locked to facilitate removal. Remove lower shock nuts. Go to Sears and buy a Pickle Fork. Attempt to remove the steering linkage end link Morse joint with the same and NOT destroy the rubber grease seals. Re-apply Castle Nut and tap firmly with BFH (The old school way of removing these!) being careful to not ding the end threads Remove Lower Ball joint castle nut. Go to Sears and buy a Pittman Arm Puller. Use same to remove the Ball Joint. The entire outer LCA will now drop to the ground. Remove the 24 mm that have been soaking in TC-11 for the past 3 hours. You should now look SOMETHING like this: Stock v.s. Western Chassis: I wish I woulda thought to WEIGH them ... It's seems the WC is much beefier ... Test fitting before the mount ... Looks good .... Continued in 60 seconds on NEXT POST ..........

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[SVT_KY]

Clean up the chassis mount points for the new
control arms. I used gasoline, but there surely is
something more safe to cut that factory GOO outta
there.

Loosely re-mount the ball joint on the swinging wheel
so you don't have to hold the whole thing up by yourself.
The Castle nut should hold it on the last few threads.

Place jack under the rotor and take a strain on the piece.

Lying on your back under the truck, push, pull, cajol, and
hammer the new bearing mounts into the chassis slots.
I waited to mount the grease fittings and wish I would
have done that first!

Re-install the BAB (Big Arsed Bolts) that hold your front
end up. Torque to 148 ft lbs. (That 12" lever again!)

Disconnect the lower ball joint again. Raise the jack to
push the wheel assbly higher than the ball joint and
disconnect the ball joint again.

Lower the now attached LCA to insert the spring. Make
sure the lower spring is tight against the "STEP" in the
lower control arm. Since mine are free at this point, I
have to guide the upper to get it to seat right on the
upper mount.

Now jack it up again compressing the spring to install
the LCA ball joint and Castle nut.

Go to Ace to buy all new cotter keys < grin > < duh >

It's now 10 PM and I have been at it for 12 freaking hours!

It's a dayum good thing I am not a mechanic or I would STARVE
to death .... Chris? What's the flat rate for replaceing the LCA????

LOL

DRIVERS SIDE:



The 4x4 Tranny pan is no longer the LOWEST point on the
truck !!!! I think the clearance is about 4 inches or so.


PASSENGERS SIDE:

[SVT_KY]

Re-attach the steering Morse joints. At this point I discovered
that the rear drivers side LCA mount was not back where
it belonged. But I refused to fight those bolts again. So after
reattaching the shocks and checkling everything out, I adjusted
the toe on the drivers side to compensate til I got to the
alignment rack. (I moved it about an inch and a half!)

Re-install the shocks and reconnect all the misc line retainers.

FINAL STANCE ......



Now that's a lower CG than I had before ... After the 4 hour
alignment, it rides like it's on rails.

The WC arms apparently are a bit shorter than the stocks
causing a positve camber of about 2 degrees. The caster
was up about 9 degrees, and we couldn't get the cam bolts
to take all of it out.

So I end up with 8.8 Caster, (Good for HIGH SPEED turning
and tracking I hear!), a 1/2 degree of negative Camber, and
toe out of 1/2 degree.

All in all a great 2 day adventure.

I wouldn't have tackled this if it wasn't for the encouragement
and tutelage of Brandon Wolf, Jon Moss, and Chris. If this old
f a r t can learn to wrench, anyone can !!!

Thanks guys .....

Cliff

[MaxPower]

WOW! Great looking stance, and some sweet parts!



...I've got 20 years before I can free up money to play as much as half of you guys (Got a 5 month old baby to pay for).

Nice work, Cliff! Wrenching it yourself really does make you feel like more of a part of your vehicle.

[Shorty]

In the "DRIVERS SIDE:" picture it looks like your sway bar end link is not tightened down. OR is that the it's suppose to be?

[Adrenaline]

That stance is perfect... Looks incredible!

How is the ride on the street?

I'm sure you have posted this before, but can you list your suspension mods to date?

[SVT_KY]

Originally posted by Shorty
In the "DRIVERS SIDE:" picture it looks like your sway bar end
link is not tightened down. OR is that the it's suppose to be?

Good eye !!! The dayum Hotchkis anti-sway bar doesn't line
up with either the stocker or the WC LCA. I am "engineering"
a replacement method of getting that aligned. I think I just forgot to tighten them all the way down ...

Well, the street ride is back where it was before I installed
the 1200 pound springs. Like a rail ...

I actually think I shoulda got the 1500 pounders ... < grin >
The ride is not quite stiff enough yet ... and still leans a tad
in the 90 mph corners ...

Not including that latest mods ...

http://home.insightbb.com/~svt_ky/video/Truck_Mods.pdf

[Twisted99]

SVT_KY

how much more drop up front did you get with the LCA install ? The springs came with the LCA's? Have you notched the rear or is thr Roush drop the only thing done out back? I'm looking to get my front down some more also....?

thanks

[MISTERgadget]

Originally posted by SVT_KY





Thanks guys .....

Cliff

The important question here is:

How the hell did you get your tonneau corners to sit flat?

Mine are bent up and nasty looking.

[Don's Bolt]

Cliff the new stance looks awesome

After seeing your pics, I decided to finally take my 16 inch wheels off the front and put the stock 18 inchers back on. Hell they have only been on since April, I figured it was about time.

[LightningGuy]

What kind of coating is that on the RUslow coils? Looks similar to that of the Roush ones...

[SVT_KY]

OK .. answers ....

The ROUSH kit with the STOCK hangers in the rear.

Stan's spring's I had Powdercoated at a place that
is here in town and doesa FANTASTIC job ... Low
oven temp also ... He does Pro Rally car wheels for
a lot of teams.

The tonneau is the second replacement under warranty ...
seems they FINALLY got the corner stiching right !!!

I just threw the two new F1's on the front and am gonna
go cruising out the farm roads in a minute to check the
ride out with NEW rubber. What was left on my rear
tires was scaring me (And most of the guys that know me
know how much that takes --- It's bad !!)

As to height, I am right back where the ROUSH Kit front
had me two years ago. I climbed 2 inches up with the
1200 pounders, and then 2 inches back down with the
LCA from WC.

Now I need to decide what to use for bump stops, and there
doesn't seem to be any turning stops on the LCA like on the
stockers. Since I can't be under and in the truck at the same
time checking that out will have to wait. I don't think that I
am hitting the sway bar with the tire, but I don't know.

SOLO II on Sunday, so we shall see ...

[Bad Blue 03]

Great write up Cliff! You've turned into quite the mechanic
Christine is looking awesome, as always!

Give me a shout if you go downtown tonight

[superfords]

Nice write up and photos!

BTW, I didn't particularly care for the up close photos of your wheels that you posted a while back, but I really like them in the above shots.

gives the truck a real "don't F... with me" kind of look!

congrats!

later,
chris

[Tim Skelton]

Originally posted by SVT_KY
. . . I actually think I shoulda got the 1500 pounders ... < grin >
The ride is not quite stiff enough yet ... and still leans a tad
in the 90 mph corners ...

Maybe try some stiffer shocks. Get some QA1s and put them on 12 and the truck gets stable in a hurry.

12?



"The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board. Eleven, eleven, eleven."
"Oh, I see, and mostly, the amps go up to ten?"
"Exactly."
"Does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder?"
"Well, it's one louder, isn't it?"


"One louder."
"Why don't you just make ten louder, and make ten be the top number, and make that a little louder?"
"These go to eleven."