I managed to successfully install a 2" Auto Spring lift last night, due in part to the tips collected from this forum. Armed with a 30mm deep well socket and a 4 pound adjustment tool made the difference!

It took almost 3 hours all told and the results are well worth the effort.

A pending stop at the alignment shop is all that remains.

Thanks for the help guys!!

 

No pics? WTF?!

 

I wish I could get my hands on step-by-step instructions or someone that can install it here in Miami. Congrats... Now get some pictures up!

edit: And when I say instructions, I mean real instruction, not autosprings' instructions.

 

Real instructions:

1. Loosen lugs on tires
2. Jack up truck and put truck on jack stands with tires off the ground
3. Remove tires
4. Choose a side to start with
5. Unbolt the 3 nuts holding the C/O in place on top of the tower. The front 2 are easy to remove. The back one is tough. I went in through the engine bay.
6. Remove bottom nut that is holding the sway-bar to the lower arm from underneath the arm.
7. Take the 30mm socket you got as a loaner tool from your local parts store and loosen the lower C/O nut.
8. Remove the nut holding the lower balljoint to the upper arm.
9. Take a 4 pound sledge and hit the balljoint bolt where you just removed the nut(it will take a few hits)
10. Suspension should completely droop out when the ball joint is seperated.
11. Remove lower C/O nut and bolt and slide C/O out.
12. Place Autospring on top of C/O and tighten all nuts that were originially used to hold the C/O in place up top.
13. Put C/O back into position, top first and then bottom.
14. Slide in lower C/O bolt and hand tighten the nut
15. Jack up lower arm as far as you can without lifting truck off of jack stands.
16. Wrestle with upper arm, pulling down as hard as you can while pulling up on the spindle. While doing this push the ball joint into the spindle and put the nut back on. (This is really hard to do alone)
17. Put nut back on that holds swaybar to lower arm
18. Put top 3 supplied nuts on to top of C/O and tighten
19. Tighten upper balljoint to spec
20. Tighten lower C/O bolt to spec
21. Put tire on
22. Have a beer
23. Repeat steps on other side.



-Tim

 

Ya, ya, it's ****'n down rain, so ya'll forced me into some crappy garage pics...




thumbnails suck, show me the full size pictures!

 

Excellent! Now that's a manly looking pickup!!!

 

Do you know the torque specs?

 

The torque specs are in German.
Goodntight.

 

Thanks dzervit

The "real instructions" are excellent and very close to the process I went through last night. Except a few more step 22's.

A couple of additional tips learned; You may have to hold onto the the bottom of the stabilizer link and ball joint bolts whilst loosening or tightening the nuts, since they have nylon inserts. Also, I whacked the spindle support right on a half inch wide flat tab, to separate the ball joint. Took about 4-6 licks to get'r done.

Torque spec's I used(ymmv), in ft/lbs:

Upper c/o mounts 25
Stabilizer bar lower link 66
Upper ball joint 85
Lower c/o mount 255
Lug nuts 150

minus_13 just do it, it ain't that difficult, ya just gotta get a bit medieval to separate the ball joint!!

 

OK, I think I am going to give it a go. I will try to include pictures so that anyone can do it. Thanks!

Only one complaint: you use a lot of abbreviations in your instructions. Maybe if someone doesn't know what those abbreviations mean shouldn't be doing the job.

 

I really like Step #22.

 

C/O sure beats typing coil-over shock 9 or 10 times.

btw, got the front end aligned this afternoon. Toe in was off a bit, like .56-.6, small twist on the tie-rod ends and it's back to factory specs.

Now it's time for step 22, repeat as necessary

 

Lol, I agree. And it's the same abbreviation over and over. Now it's almost time for some step 22's. Step 22 is now the code word for going to have some beers...lol, I like it.

-Tim

 

Tim, I'm a couple step 22s ahead of ya!!

cheers