Build info...
The lift went on Wednesday the 20th.
Took about 7hrs, start to finish. Did it the "No Compressor Needed" Way, with a bit of an exception.
Parts:
Bilstein 5100 Adjustable Front shocks, Part # BE5-C475-H0
Bilstein 5100 Rear Shocks, Part # BE5-E703-H0
Old Man Emu Coils, 885/895
The process went as follows: (I wasn’t good about taking pictures, but will take some stuff down and take pictures to add soon)
1. Jack the truck on all corners, hit all bolts and nuts with penetrating oil.
Note: I took off all the lug nuts and tried to remove the OEM wheels and tires. I say "tried" for a reason. I really should have just taken it as a sign of things to come and left it be, but of course I proceeded down the course of PITA. I kick, smacked, punched, even got a 5lb dead blow out to get the wheels to let go of the hub, but NO! they simply would not let go. I finally had to wedge a scissor jack behind the wheel between the Arms and the wheel and crank, to push it off. Seeing as I may have some trouble from here out, I Kroiled all bolts/nuts that needed removed, including the skid plate bolts. Grabbed a beer. Picked out the music I was going to listen too. Kroiled the bolts/nuts again, then
a. Began with my fluid changes.
Started off by breaking 3 skid plate bolts and rounding off another bolt head (A good indication of how the project was going to go). Drained the oil (someone had torqued the drain plug to 50+ lbs) and tranny fluid (not as tight). TRIED to take off the oil filter. I had a socket tool for my 3/8"s socket that fits perfectly, except someone torqued the filter to about 90 lbs and it just stripped inside where the socked extension attached. Grabbed a set of chain vice grips and it punctured a hole in the filter, giving my hands, arms and other tools a good unnecessary coating of oil. FINALLY got the filter off and LIGHTLY tightened the new one on. At this point in time I had forgotten to change my differential fluids. I added the fluids as necessary, Kroiled the bolts/nuts again and moved on.
Now the build begins
4. Remove sway bar links. 6mm allen for the bolt shaft, 17mm wrench for the nuts.
Note: I started on the driver’s side; Keep in mind, I Kroiled all the bolts 4 times in the hour before hand. This is a bit of a pain to do anyway between the 6mm Allen wrench for the bolt shaft and the 17mm wrench (with a breaker bar). Passenger side however was a JOKE. Got the nut off, but the link shaft wouldn't release. Put the nut on and beat it a bit, well, I beat it a lot. Stripped the threads off the bolt, so much for that. Went to work on the lower linkage and got it off. It was then that I decided just to pull the sway bar all together and cut off the sway bat link at the upper joint. (It’s still there, it’s not going anywhere!) Then removed the sway bar bushing housings, well, I tried. I had to cut off one bolt that rounded off ½ way out. Anyone want a sway bar?
5. Remove the nuts, washers, and bushings atop each shock. A pair of needle-nose vice-grips and a 17mm ratcheting wrench makes quick work of the fronts, while the same wrench and a strap wrench (for the shock housing) will handle the rear.
6. Break lose the lower shock bolts, cake with a ½” drive ¾” socket and wrench. Remove the nut and washer and set aside.
7. Now prop the hub assembly (a 2x4 or 4x4 block will do the trick) and break lose (only loosen them) the lower A-Arm bolts connecting it to the hub (3/4” wrench/socket). They’ll take some muscle. Using a jack, lift the A-Arm so that you see the shock/coil compress a bit. Remove the A-Arm bolts, set aside.
8. Now lower the jack slowly, allowing the shock and coil to decompress slowly. Once done, remove the jack. Using a follower pin (or HD Punch) punch the lower shock bolt out.
9. Using a crowbar or other HD pry-bar, pry the A-Arm down (good place to pry is at the ball joint (you can put 230lbs on it, trust me). As you pry down, wiggle and finagle the shock/coil assembly from its resting place and remove.
Now reverse the process…
10. Assemble the new coil/shock (if you’re using Bilstein 5100s as I did, put the adjustment on the lowest setting, 0” lift, as your lift will be coming from the coil itself). DON’T FORGET THE PROPER ASSEMBLY, as I did. I forgot the top washer that engages the shock rod lip, keeping it from coming all the way through the tower. While prying the A-Arm down again (it’ll take some weight), work the assembly back up to it’s normal position. As you slowly release your weight from the pry-bar, work the shock rod up through the tower (it may not go all the way though until you begin compressing the assembly).
Note: here is where I had some problems. The lower shock eye fits into a bit of a “housing” where you can rest it on a “lip”. No matter how hard I worked, I could not get it up to the point where the bolt goes through. I brought out a ratchet strap and ran a hook through the A-Arm and hooked the shock shaft just above the eye and ran the ratcheting end to a frame point directly across the truck. Giving it a few hard ratchets, and prying down a bit on the A-Arm and UP a bit with another smaller pry-bar on the exterior of the shock eye, it allowed me to get the shock bolt through the eye without need of hammering or worry for damaging the threads of the bolt. Once the bolt was in, I released the strap.
11. Now, re-position your jack under the A-Arm. Slowly begin compressing the shock/coil while guiding the shock rod through the shock tower. Once you begin to see the truck lift up, stop, it’s compressed enough. Add some red loctite to your A-Arm bolts and re-attach the A-Arm to the Hub. You may need to lay down under the hub, pulling it down a bit to meet the A-Arm. Torque them to specified settings (166lbs?)
12. Put the bushing, washer and nut on the top of the shock rod and tighten, remember the vice-grips and ratcheting wrench? The Bilsteins will require a ¾” wrench instead of the 17mm the factory nuts needed.
Do the other side and the front is DONE after you reinstall the skidplates, unless you want that sway bar re-attached.
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