Over the weekend I installed the 2" AS kit on my '08 Reg. Cab 4x4. I took it in for an alignment this morning and the technician told me that everything seemed to be within spec and suggested that I do not make any adjustments. The steering wheel is straight and it seems to track fine so he sent me on my way with no charge. I also seem to be hearing more noise than before from the front end over dips and bumps. I checked over everything and it all seems tight and the way it should be. My questions are:

1.) Has anyone ever NOT needed an alignment after installing the kit?
2.) Is some nosie to be expected or am I now just more sensitive to what I am hearing?

I'll post pics of the before and after when I get home from work. Thanks!

 

I just put on a 2.5" AS and my tires look fine. No pull and no odd looking toe angles either. I do plan on taking it anyway though. I would try another alignment shop. They may have been "eyeballing" it. I have not taken it for an alignment yet but I have an 08 Reg Cab 4x2. No other issues. No noise or anything. I love it!

 

Thanks Blue. We have virtually the same truck with mine being silver and a 4X. I'm nowhere close to you in mods though. I took it to a Tuffy's and they put it on the computer and said it was good to go. They were working off of '05 specs but said it should be the same. Not too often does someone put your truck on the lift for an hour and then tell you no charge. I'm hoping to upgrade to BFG's AT's after I wear these out and will likely have it re-aligned then.

Have you noticed anything different in suspension noise?

Nice truck, btw!

 

Thanks, my mods are only 72 hours old. I did it all in one day, last Saturday. LOL. Got any pics of yours? I so wish i had gotten the 4x4, although I almost got Silver. No I have no suspension noise at all. If anything, it actually seems quiter, if that is possible. I wonder if it has to do with the angles on the CV axles since you have a 4WD. Maybe one of the 4WD guys will chime in.

 

Blue - What are you finding for step bars? I noticed you are planning on black ones and I was hoping to find some SS ones and there does not seem to be a lot of options for us. I had some Westins on my last pickup and they only lasted a year or so in an IA winter before they started to rust. I had them Line-X'ed for about 80 bucks and wish I would have done that from the beginning. Something to think about although your climate may be better.

 

Well, I have found several companies that make them. JC Whitney sells some, eBay, Raptor, Steel Works. There are several that make them. I wish Amp Research made them but they don't.

 

I went and measured my wheels and the toe today and they sit perfectly straight. I wonder if an alignment actually needs to be done? I hope someone who knows will respond. Surely the 08's aren't that different from the previous years?

 

I put a 2" on the front of my '06 and drove it for several weeks before I got it aligned. The outside of my tires wore very quickly. When I brought it in to get aligned, the shop said my camber/caster was dead on but the toe was way out.

 

Odd. Well, I am going to have mine done regardless, its a low price to save the tires.

 

When I put my 2" in on my 05 the alignment was way out of spec, I cannot remember what the numbers were. Also the truck drove just fine but it felt like the front tires were dragging, I think it was toe'd in a lot and grinding the tires down the road.

The only way you would not need an alignment is if your truck was completely out of alignment before the AS and some how the AS got it back into spec. which I doubt would happen.

 

Your going to be excessivly toed-in. Just think about it. You're lowering your struts by approx 2". That changes the geometry of your suspension. Did you install the kit yourself? You should be able to see the changes with the wheel off when you do the install.

I put a 1.5" kit on my 2005 on Tuesday. The changes were visible before you put the wheels on and confirmed when I put it up on a new Hunter HawkEye alignment rack.

You can also check the AS directions here:

http://www.autospringcorp.com/produc...Expedition.PDF

 

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