need help from bubba I think

[sleepydad]

trying to get the front end together and without the weight of the truck/engine I can't compress the front coils enough to get things into place... any idea's are welcome here?

I guess I could put the tires on and drop the engine into it but.. god dam it.

<a href="https://imgur.com/m2OZRk5"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/m2OZRk5l.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

 

[96RedRunner]

Ratchet strap from LCA to strut tower around top hat bolts.
Damn that frame looks sexy. Lol

 

[Hopeless Diamond]

Anyway to run a strap (strong enough of course) from the axle of the floor jack up and around the frame?

 

[spartacus]

Wedge a 2x4x8 or 10 against the frame and a ceiling joist if possible. I vé been reading and admiring your project.

 

[sleepydad]

Ratchet strap from LCA to strut tower around top hat bolts.
Damn that frame looks sexy. Lol

Anyway to run a strap (strong enough of course) from the axle of the floor jack up and around the frame?

Wedge a 2x4x8 or 10 against the frame and a ceiling joist if possible. I vé been reading and admiring your project.

I have tried big ratchet straps, and the problem is the strap interferes with the upper control arm making it impossible to get the arm lined up.

I have also tried a spring compressor, had to grind it down a bit as the fronts are pretty tight and got it crazy compressed. it was about a 1/4" away with this attempt. it also interferes with the upper arm but you can sneak it into each side. I need to cut a chunk of pipe tomorrow so I can get more threads because once I was maxed out the bolt for the spring compressor started to run into the shock tower. sigh.

I don't know I gave up tonight, time for a beer.

it seems these trucks are just born and nobody has ever tried to put a coil into just a frame without an engine/body before.

 

[thezentree]

Take the coilover out, connect the UCA, then put the coilover back in

 

[sleepydad]

Take the coilover out, connect the UCA, then put the coilover back in

same problem

when you put coilovers into a truck with an engine/body you can use the weight to compress the coilover and make it fit.

without any weight in the truck at all the spring needs to be compressed in place to fit.

you can only make the range of motion go so far and you run into the upper arm on the knuckle.

trust me that was my first config and the only reason I made it to this place is because I'm out of ideas.

I need to run to harbor fright tomorrow and grab a different spring compressor... I think a single action one specifically designed for front spring should do the trick. maybe.

 

[96RedRunner]

Get out your hammer drill, couple of concrete anchors secure frame to floor, thinking on it more one anchor would do it.

 

[thezentree]

same problem

when you put coilovers into a truck with an engine/body you can use the weight to compress the coilover and make it fit.

without any weight in the truck at all the spring needs to be compressed in place to fit.

you can only make the range of motion go so far and you run into the upper arm on the knuckle.

trust me that was my first config and the only reason I made it to this place is because I'm out of ideas.

I need to run to harbor fright tomorrow and grab a different spring compressor... I think a single action one specifically designed for front spring should do the trick. maybe.

When I put mine in I bolt the top of the coilover in and use a pry bar on the UCA to droop the suspension as far as it’ll go so I can get the lower bolt thru the coilover and LCA. I don’t recall ever having had to compress the spring to get everything together, but I also might be misunderstanding your problem haha. Is the frame wanting to come off the jack stands when you do that?

 

[HiLife]

Would it be possible to get some worn out strut spring combo? Disassemble it, cut off enough coils, reassemble and install.

 

[St Runner]

I like HiLifes idea. Just toss an old set on for now. Yes its ugly compared to the rest of that frame, but sometimes you just have to man up and deal with the ugly. You are going to have to readjust everything later anyways

 

[Hopeless Diamond]

Buy a bunch of pizza and beer, invite a bunch of friends over and have them sit on the frame. They can enjoy the pizza and beer as they watch you work. :cheers:

 

[dogtail]

If the Egyptians could move 80 ton blocks of rock without machinery you can do this easily. Use leverage where you can. I'm thinking stick a landscaping beam or 2x6 or some other strong enough wood under the frame on other side, tie it back to the frame on other side somehow, cause would lift frame otherwise. Ratchet strap the coil to compress to where want it. I think this would work fine.
Awesome workmanship you're doing there.

 

[nevada]

jack up the OPPOSITE rear corner of the frame. by the frame at the furthest point you can hit. this will help put more pressure against the side you're working on.

 

[repo]

I'm probably not understanding the physics of this but cant you just put the UCA bolt in but dont torque it, then install the coilover? Then remember to torque the uca bushiing when the full weight is back together. I've never had to use pry bars or the bottle jack trick or anything to get coilovers in I just loosen the UCA and it drops down.

 

[thennen]

Wedge a 2x4x8 or 10 against the frame and a ceiling joist if possible. I vé been reading and admiring your project.

I'm thinking something similar to this, but maybe 4x4 or 6x6 to get less flex out of the wood. Say, 6x6 across frame where engine weight would do the trick, then 6x6 across several rafters to distribute the force, and a floor-to-ceiling pole jack in between to compress...?

 

[sleepydad]

Would it be possible to get some worn out strut spring combo? Disassemble it, cut off enough coils, reassemble and install.

totally possible I just don't have any laying around.

I like HiLifes idea. Just toss an old set on for now. Yes its ugly compared to the rest of that frame, but sometimes you just have to man up and deal with the ugly. You are going to have to readjust everything later anyways

sure but really torquing the upper is really the only thing left to do, of course alignment but that is a given.

Buy a bunch of pizza and beer, invite a bunch of friends over and have them sit on the frame. They can enjoy the pizza and beer as they watch you work. :cheers:

and his name is bubba, unfortunaly I don't have any bubba in my phone.

If the Egyptians could move 80 ton blocks of rock without machinery you can do this easily. Use leverage where you can. I'm thinking stick a landscaping beam or 2x6 or some other strong enough wood under the frame on other side, tie it back to the frame on other side somehow, cause would lift frame otherwise. Ratchet strap the coil to compress to where want it. I think this would work fine.
Awesome workmanship you're doing there.

dude everybody knows they had help from aliens. I learned this on the internet so it must be true.

jack up the OPPOSITE rear corner of the frame. by the frame at the furthest point you can hit. this will help put more pressure against the side you're working on.

yea it's not even close, I have an engine hoist and I can pickup any part of the frame and the coil-overs just laugh in your face.

I'm probably not understanding the physics of this but cant you just put the UCA bolt in but dont torque it, then install the coilover? Then remember to torque the uca bushiing when the full weight is back together. I've never had to use pry bars or the bottle jack trick or anything to get coilovers in I just loosen the UCA and it drops down.

I have done this several times with a fully assembled truck and yes I agree it has never caused me much issue. sure I have had to use a dead blow to kind of help things line up but... the pre-load is set to compensate for the full weight of the front end so... I have too somehow make up missing weight.

Think about it this way when you install a coil-over you droop the lower arm and then put the top into place, then bolt up to the lower arm. you can then jack up the lower a little until the upper ball joint just slips on.

in this case there is no ufda to compensate for the pre-load on the spring.

I was able to compress the spring with a little help from my coil spring compressors and some spacers. however at full droop I hit the spring and the UCA guessing I will have to undo it and spin the coilover to the next position to clear that at full droop. sigh.

<a href="https://imgur.com/l84Pfmz"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/l84Pfmzl.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

I also ravaged the spring but at this point it felt kind of good to hurt it.

<a href="https://imgur.com/GFvDozQ"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/GFvDozQl.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

 

[96RedRunner]

however at full droop I hit the spring and the UCA guessing I will have to undo it and spin the coilover to the next position to clear that at full droop. sigh.

My Tundra springs 5100 Billy's would do same thing hitting coil when on stands. Rotating did not help, limit straps did.

 

[phattyduck]

If you can't get the coilover in there with the pivots and ball joints all in place (pivots loose), your coilover is too long. Get some aftermarket upper arms on there for increased down travel, otherwise you will be stressing that top ball joint every time you top out your suspension travel.

There should be no forcing of things or pry bars, other than to hold the actual weight of components. (ok, I have used a pry bar to droop the suspension to overcome the bushing preload, but that was re-installing the same parts that were on the truck before the work...)

-Charlie

 

[sleepydad]

If you can't get the coilover in there with the pivots and ball joints all in place (pivots loose), your coilover is too long. Get some aftermarket upper arms on there for increased down travel, otherwise you will be stressing that top ball joint every time you top out your suspension travel.

There should be no forcing of things or pry bars, other than to hold the actual weight of components. (ok, I have used a pry bar to droop the suspension to overcome the bushing preload, but that was re-installing the same parts that were on the truck before the work...)

-Charlie

100% agree I hate when I have to pound something into place.

so I drank a beer last night and did a little thinking while giving the project the Sara Sanders stink eye.

this morning I got up early and decided to re-do everything one more time.

the coil over measured 20 1/4" from the top plate to the center of the lower bolt dom mount.

the truck in full droop without a coil over in it gave me 20 1/8" from the bottom inside of the shock tower to the center of the lower arm.

so the coil over is really about 1/8" longer than the available space. I guess in suspension terms it's horse shoes and hand grenades town.

I think maybe I just did not have everything lined up and all the parts are new so they are not worn in? I think you have a point on that one. I still had to use the small ratchet strap to get enough thread on the lower ball joint to get the nut rolling but once I did it seems ok now. was able to estimate the correct position and now it's ok for stock arms 3" front lift.

<a href="https://imgur.com/NciRVuN"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/NciRVuNl.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>