Hey yall, before reading keep in mind these are detailed instructions for installing the doetsch 3.5 inch lift spindles, 1.5 inch daystar spacers, and 3 inch rear blocks. Anyone doing this: this should be sufficient instructions. BTW it came out awesome!! before and after pics are at the bottom.

FRONT!

Step 1. Jack the front of the truck up really high, keep in mind when you’re done your tires will be 5 inches lower than they are now.

Step 2. Remove Front Tire

Step 3. Remove brake caliper via 2 bolts on the back side of the caliper. Pull pads off.

Step 4. Remove 2 large bolts on the back of the other piece of the caliper that remains on the rotor. A breaker bar came to be very useful for this step, those bolts are LOCKED.

Step 5. Using a flat head screwdriver (and without bending the cap) pry off the dust cap covering the spindle nut.

Step 6. Remove cotter pin, nut lock, and then the spindle nut.

Step 7. Following the spindle nut will be a washer and the outer bearing, just pull it out it should be really loose, if not, pull the rotor out slightly to push the outer bearing out. Don’t discard the bearing yet.

Step 8. Pull the rotor off of the spindle. On the back of the rotor, carefully pry off the inner grease seal. This will need to be replaced and holds the inner bearing inside of the rotor. Once removed, reach your finger into the greasy abyss and pull out the inner bearing (larger than the outer so you can’t get confused.)

This would be a good time to take your rotors to a local machine shop to have them turned. Only costs 20 – 30 bucks for the 2 of them and takes 45 minutes.

While your rotor is being turned, inspect your bearings. Look for any metal shavings, or in my case the bearing was plastic and the plastic was actually wearing away. If they both (inner and outer) look fine, then repack them with grease. Just put a dollop in your hand and press it into the bearing a little at a time. If they are worn, they cost like 4 dollars per bearing and they’re upgraded to all metal construction, unlike the OEM ****ty plastic ones… Still have to repack the new ones though.

Step 9. With new rotor back, line the smooth insides with grease, don’t be shy with it. Place the big (inner bearing) into the back of the rotor as it was before. Then take your new seal ($2) and gently tap it into place on the back of the rotor. Keep rotor and outer bearing aside now for the time being.

Step 10. Remove the dust cover. This won’t be reused with the new spindles.

Step 11. Back to the spindle. Remove the 3 cotter pins from the tie rod end ball joint, lower control arm ball joint, and upper control arm ball joint. Then using a crescent or whatever you have to use, loosen the three nuts that you just removed the cotter pins from. Do not completely remove them, just loosen them until they are on the end of the bolt.

Step 12. Put a floor jack under the lower control arm, directly underneath the front lower shock mount and lift until it’s roughly the same as when the vehicle is on the ground.

Step 13. Using a Pitman Arm Puller ( I think I paid 10 dollars for it), align the bolt on the puller with the bolt of any ball joint. Set the anchor point of the puller directly above the bolt, don’t tighten it if it is at an angle with the ball joint. Like so:


Once aligned properly, tighten the puller until a loud pop occurs. It’ll scare the **** out of you the first time. Once this occurs, do it to the other 2 ball joints.

Step 14. Remove all three nuts completely but be careful, the spindle may just fall off. If not just simply remove it. Also, don’t forget to remove the abs sensor. It’s just one simple bolt.

Step 15. With the spindle off, and the lower control arm still jacked up, take off the upper bolt of the shock absorber. It takes forever.

Step 16. On the bottom of the lower control arm, the anti-sway bar link bolt is there. Put a wrench on that end. Put a socket wrench on the top bolt of the anti-sway bar link. Loosen this all the way and keep all the parts handy.

Step 17. Remove the lower shock mount bolts, and remove the shock absorber through the lower control arm hole.

Step 18. Lower the jack all the way letting the lower control arm hang as low as it can.

Step 19. I pushed the lower control arm with my foot to push it a little further, and the coil spring came out. Once it’s out, remove the spacer on top of the coil. Replace with your new Daystar Spacer. Now put the coil back into its slot. REMEMBER!!!!!!! The bottom turn of the coil needs to fit in its little slot on the lower control arm, make sure this is perfect before jacking back up.

Step 20. Jack the lower control arm back up, paying attention to the coil spring and spacer fitment.

Step 21. Insert shock up the lower control arm holes and fasten the upper AND lower shock mount bolts.

Step 22. Slide new spindle onto lower control arm ball joint, and upper ball joint. Then add in the ABS sensor. Start all bolts while supporting the spindle with your arms. (kind of a pain). Tighten ABS. Tighten all ball joints enough to reinsert the cotter pins.

Step 23. Slide rotor onto the new spindle. Now go and find your outer bearing and pack it, new or old, pack it. Slide it onto the spindle and into the rotor. You may need to wiggle the rotor to get the new bearing to slide in to position. Follow the bearing with a new washer (comes with new spindle nut, new nut lock, and new cotter pin). Thread new nut onto the spindle. Holding socket in your hand (not with a wrench) tighten it as tight as you can with one hand. Then turn it backwards a quarter of a turn. Seems REALLY loose, but this is how it needs to be done. Place nut lock over nut, and cotter pin into position. Spin rotor to test for free play or lock up.

Step 24. Place outer smaller caliper piece on the new spindle with 2 large bolts. Then replace brake pads, and put caliper back on. Reinstall tires and check for steering clearances once on the ground and take her for a spin!!!

REAR!

Step 1. Using floor jack, jack up one side of the rear axle. (Remove tire). Again, jack it up really high to accept lift.

Step 2. Place a jackstand on BOTH sides of the leaf spring. (one on left of axle, one on right of axle).

Step 3. Loosen Ubolts. Also loosen the UBolts on the other side to allow more movement.

Step 4. Unbolt the lifted sides’ ubolts completely and discard.

Step 5. Lower the floor jack. This should lower just the axel, with the leaf spring (whole truck) being supported by the jack stands. Once there’s about a 5 inch gap in between the leaf spring and the axle, insert the block. Make sure bottom pin of block lines up perfectly with hole of leaf springs.

Step 6. Slowly raise axle back up to the leaf springs, with another person helping the axle movement to line up with the pin on the bottom of the leaf springs. This is a critical step, pins and holes must line up perfectly.

Step 7. Once lined up and pushed back together, install new ubolts and tighten as much as you can. Install new shocks with it still lifted if you got new ones. Install tire and lower back. Do the other side the exact same way.

Go for a drive!

BEFORE:


AFTER:


It looks like it's nose high but its cause the back tires are on a lower part of the driveway, backed it up too far lol.

As for ride changes, there really wasn't any. Im not going to get an alignment until i get new tires (hopefully 33s). The steering is a bit tighter, and you can't turn QUITE as sharp, but its barely noticeable, and I'm sure an alignment will change some of this.

Good luck!
and personal thanks to Pizzaman for the help!!

 

I'd post pictures, but idk how lol

 

Load them up to something like photobucket and copy the img links over, don't do facebook because we have to be friends with you to see them ha. I hope the way I described to the rear end wasn't too confusing haha. And great write up man! Should definitely help some people out.

 

It looks nose high now, but its becasue the rear is on a low end of the driveway...

Heres the stuff I used, for the most part! especially the keystone....


Before




during



after

 

Looks a whole lot better! Unless you really like those red shock boots though I'd ditch them, all they do is retain water and debris and rust out the shocks faster ha.

 

Sweet! It's gonna look awesome with some larger tires!

 

Thanks bud! Good subject too, im wondering what ones to get. i was thinking 285 or 295 70s. i think i could find some to fit my rims, but i wanna good deal too. The other thing that's worrying me about those sizes, is it going to affect power and all that? becaue ive heard of people highly recommending re-gearing?

 

What gears are in the truck now? And you could easily do 295's.

 

Gear wise I think you should be good as long as you're in the 285/295 range. If you're sticking with stock wheels for a while go with 295's.

 

nice job

 

thanks guys, and yea im def sticking with my stock rims. dont feel like spendin money on shiny rims is justified with a truck, not to hate on anyone that does it, i just dont have that kinda bread. Plus i love my rims. and im not sure what gears are on it?? where can i find that info the door jam?

 

Yea man, if you look on the door jamb you'll see a axle code and then you can just google it to figure it out ha. But you should most likely be good since your not going that big tire wise anyways.

 

well i dont want something that 1. will compeltely throw off my speedo (i know you can buy that reprogrammer for like 200 bucks but i dont want to have to do that.) or 2. eff up my transmission due to bad gears. I just want something that will fill up my wheel well pretty good, and will last a long *** time! And on stock rims.. hah

 

You should be okay ha, I've had 35's on stock 3.55 gears and my speedo isn't too bad ha.

 

Can you take a direct pic of the front? It doesn't look like your spindles increased your front track width as much as most spindles. If you keep your OEM wheels, I'd go with something like a 285/70-17 (33x11.50) or a 295/70-17 (34x12.00).