Could someone who has lowered their truck with springs (front and rear) please give me a walkthrough on how it's done? What tools are needed? How many hands are needed? How long should it take? My Roush kit is coming in this Friday; and I want to install it as soon as possible. Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Edward

 

I would also like to know.

What would it take/and how much would it be to lower
mine just 1 or 1.5 inches? both front&rear

 

The rear springs are easy to do.
1. All I did was jack up the rear and pull off the tires so that the rear axle was hanging. Then place the jack under the rear axle so that their is some pressure on the jack, to keep the axle from lowering anymore.
2. I then removed one leaf spring and shackle and replaced it with one of the new ones, but I did not connect it to the axle. 3.Then I went over and did the other leaf spring.
4.Once both leaf springs where connected to the hangers and shackles I jacked up the whole axle and bolted the leaf springs to it. I think when I took the bolts of where the springs attaches to the axle it was at about 60ft lbs of tq.
5. tighten everything up.

Getting the shackles off and the leaf springs off the axle was easy, but were the spring connects to the hanger it was a pain, that nut and bolt had strong loctite on it.

The fronts are much harder.
1. First you have to jack up the front end and remove the tire.
2. Then disconnect the swaybar and I think the steering arm (can't remember).
3. Remove the shocks.
4. for your safety place a thick chain through the upper control arm, down the spring and through the lower control arm and lock it. Make sure the chain is loose, you want the spring to decompress but not shoot our because the compression they are under will kill you if it slips and shoots out.
5. place a the jack under the lower control arm and jack it up so that there is pressure on the jack.
6. Disconnect either the upper or lower control arm from the spindle. Remove the nut from either of the bolts and wack it with a hammer to get it loose.
7. Once either of the control arms are loose from the spindle, slowly let the jack down to gently decompress the spring.
8. when the spring is decompressed remove the chain and put in the new spring. Then follow these steps in reverse to put it back together.
9. repeat for other side

I'd say 2 or 3 people to do it. And take your time.

 

Try a search under Hotchkis install. I posted a pretty detailed report. Not bad at all if you are just doing springs and shocks. Plan on about 4hrs +/-. Mine took longer but I also did sway bars and all urethane bushings. Floor jack and jack stands for sure amd common hand tools. Everything is metric. A pitman arm puller helps with the front but is not mandatory. When do you plan to do the install? I can print and fax you a copy of the Ford repair manual that details the process with diagrams. Has all the torque specs as well. I you want it shoot me a fax number and I will send it tomorrow.

 

Silver-Bolt,

Instructions and torque specs would be great. Could you fax them to (512) 602-5031, Attn: Edward. Thanks a million.

-Edward

 

I will try and fax it later today. It's at home and I'm at the office. Monday morning at the latest.

 

I just installed a BellTech kit for the rear. I didn't want anything radical just to level it out a bit. I bought the shackle kit for 80.00 and it has two different sets of wholes you can choose from to get the results you want. The stock shackles are 4.5" long and the new one's I got are up to 7.5". I started with the 6.5" whole and went to the 7.5" and liked it best. The truck sets level and I didn't have to touch the frontend at all. Just jack the truck up on one side by useing the frame not the axle, raise it until the bolt through the shackle turns freely with a ratchet (with the nut removed). the tire will still be on the ground at this point, now remove the bottom bolt and push up on the sping to raise it above the frame and remove the top bolt. Install the top bolt in the new shackle and jack the truck up some more until you can align the bottom bolt. Do the other side and check it out.