did you install your suspension lift yourself? is it something I can do myself. I am concerned with all the IFS compnents.

 

i did do it myself, but i am a ASE cert. deisel tech. i have access to a 4 point lift and i have every tool you can think of, if you are a pretty good shade tree mech this job is not hard, you will need the basic socket and wrenches the only speceal tool you will need is a torsion bar removal tool all that is, is a two jaw puller that you use to take off the preload of the torsion bars, expect it to take a weekend, i would get an extra set of hands to help you , also an impact will make things go alot faster, start off with the rear it is alot easer that will get you comfortable to do the front, good luck

 

how would i take the preload off and how much would a torsion bar removal tool cost? im pretty sure i wont have any problems with the rear...does everything on the front bolt right on or is there any drilling or cutting?

 

I also did my lift myself with the help of two buddies. I also had a lift with all the tools and air tools really came in handy. If you don't have a lift or air tools, but have patients, go ahead and do it. You will feel good when it is done knowing you did it yourself, I know I did. There were 4 wholes to drill, 2 to bolt the front crossmember to the frame, and 2 to use self-tapper bolts to hold the bumb stops. If you don't have patients, a lift and air tools, it might be easier to pay someone to do it. You will also need an alignment when you are finished.

good luck

speedstang

 

If he has patients I hope he is a doctor!

 

What are those tires 35's?

 

yes, 315/75/R16's and 6 inch fabtech lift. I thought it would be a little higher, but I like it. I don't have any patience(and I know I spelled it wrong, but oh well), if I didn't have the lift and air tools, I def. would not try to do it myself.

 

the torsion bar removal is just a two jaw puller that hooks on ether side of the torsion bar crossmember and you will see a indent on the torsion bar keyway, you tighten the puller till it has relieved all pressure off the keyway stop, then you remove the stop, and unscrew the puller, then you can remove the torsion bar no problem, good luck

 

i am in the process of lifting my 99 4x4 with the fabtech 6" and I am doing it alone. Once in awhile if i need a hand my dad helps. We have a 4 point lift in our shop along with all the tools, sockets, breaker bars, air tools, torch etc.

The biggest bitch was getting the torsion bars out(not taking off the preload) but getting them to move out of the control arms. We spent a day and a half heating/pounding trying to get them out but they did not move, we ended up cutting them off and buying new ones. Now if you have a newer truck then it probaly won't be so hard. But im from upstate new york and the truck has been through 6 of our hard winters.

The other thing that I suggest is not wasting your time to pound out the old seals from the old steering knuckle. For $12 you can go to ford and buy new ones(once again if you have a new truck you probaly won't need to).

I jumped in head first and went right at the front end, and then did the rear. Surprisingly the front wasnt that hard to do, just very time consuming and a lot of pieces. The rear end is a simple task to complete but it is time consuming, I did mine last night and it took about 3 hours.

I started it last Thursday, I can only work on it after work so it has taken a little less than a week. Also I had to wait for the new torsion bars to come in. But in total I probaly have about 20 hours into it. It would be less but I wasted so much time on the damn torsion bars.

Hope this helps and good luck!

 

Ya, the torsion bars were a pain in the a**! I ended up leaving them in the lower a-arms. Once I removed the lower a-arm and torsion bar together, I just pounded them on the cement and eventually they came out. Of course they do come out the wrong way, but once they do, you can lube it up and slide it out the way they are suppose too.

The only other problem I had was the front lower crossmember. That took me the longest. It wouldn't mount up flush with the front frame rail, to be able to slide the bolts throught the front lower a-arm holes. I had to use an air grinder to grind down some of the welds that were under there. Some of them were little nubs that were sticking out. I guess computers and machines do all that stuff when assembled and nothing is every perfect. It took me about 12 hours to do. I could probably do it in almost half the time because now I know what the hell I'm doing.

I still wish it were a little higher thought, but then again it is a F-150. My 1 buddy has a hemi2500 with a 6 inch lift and AR 20's with 35's and my other buddy has a F-350 4-door powerstroke with a 6 inch lift and AR20's with 35's, they both sit higher. A could go with a body lift, but I will just save my money for the XCAL2. Hopefully my next truck will be a 4-door F-350 6.0l powerstroke with a 6 inch lift ande 35's or 36's.

Hope an of this info will be useful to someone.

Speedstang

 

my front crossmember was the same.....some of the welds on the frame were a bit too high and it did not allow the crossmember to be in the the LCA pockets......

 

thanks for all the help. my only concern is those damn torsion bars. they sound like a real pita and i dont wanna screw myself into something i cant fix. i have air tools and all other tools except a torsion bar removal tool just no lift. my friend lifted his 99 F-350 by jacking it up and fabing a stand for the frame to sit on while he dropped the suspension.im probobly going to do this. why do the torsion bars even have to come out. i haven't looked under a lifted truck yet but from pictures it looks as tho you would be able to take out the A-arm with the torsion bar attatched and just reattach it with the new brackets.

 

I don't think that would work, bc the stock rear torsion bar mount gets dropped down to compensate for the lift. And it would prob be too much of pain in the a** to bolt up the lower a-arm with the torsion bar still attached.

Just drop it down with the torsion bar still in place. Spray the krap out of it with some PB-Blaster, then hold the a-arm straight out at chest level with the torsion bar facing down. Slam down on something solid a few times and it should bust free. Lube it up some more and then slide it back out. It would be easier to slide the end at the a-arm back out instead of sliding it all the way through to the other end(the rear end). That worked best for me. I tried beating it out when the a-arm was still in place, but it just wasn't working. A torch to heat it up, probably wouldn't be a bad idea either, just make sure whatever you spray it with isn't flammable.

 

Oh yeah, the torsion bar tool is easy to use. Put it in place, crank it up, remove the factory adjuster and lower it down to release the tension.

 

I didnt use a lift, just your average floor jack and some jack stands. Also, I didn't use the torsion bar clamp either, just a big C-Clamp, worked like a charm. As said before, take your time, expect to spend a day and a half to two days on it, becareful and torque everything. Also after installing the rear block make sure you smash the center pin down. I use a BFH and beat the threads down so that the nut cannot back off. I also like to antiseaze the torsion bar ends so that if you have to take them out again they come out better. Make sure you get an alignment after installing the lift too. Don't want to have premature wear on those new treads.