Need help with installing fronts! We're stuck!

CarolinaCowboy

CarolinaCowboy

New member
So a buddy of mine & I have been installing the lift his weekend. We got the rears in on Friday no problem in about 3 hours. We went to work on the fronts today and ran into major problems. Once we had disconnected the front sway bar, we disassembled the stock coilover no problem. Removed the stock top plate & assembled the new coilovers with the strut coil compressors no problem.

BUT when we go to mount the new assembly, the bottom strut bushing is about 2 inches below where it needs to be. And we've compressed the coil enough so that it isn't putting any weight on the strut. It's like we need to compress the entire assembled coilover to get it to fit. Is there any other way to drop the lower control arm further?

Also, we ran into the problem that in order to compress the spring enough we needed both compressors on the spring but getting the assembly into place and being able to get the compressors back out is almost impossible. We're only able to get the compressors on the top half of the spring too because they run into the shocks adjustable threads on the bottom half.

Long story short, we worked for about 8 hours on the front today and thank god we managed to at least get ONE of the fronts done. But it took some intuitive rigging, using a jack to lift the bottom of the shock up to the hole while also standing on the axle to lower the hole, and about an hour of just trying to get the coil compressors back out. So any suggestions you guys have in terms of making the 2nd one easier would be more than appreciated!
 
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Take out the 4 bolts that hold the lower ball joint in (no pressing, just the bolts an it'll come right out). Then the lower control arm will be able to move down much more. You can put a jack under the lower control arm to compress the strut once it's in to get the LBJ lined up to bolt it back in. I would put little locktite on the threads of the LBJ bolts when you put them back in also.
 
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A quick trick to lower the control arm is to use your stock jack and flip it upside down and use the fender well for the base and the piston needs to be positioned on the top part of the control arm. that should press it down to the level you need. I did that when I install a lift on my truck a while back. Worked great for me. :nerd:
 
I used one of my smaller ratchet straps to easily pull the ucl's together, if that's the same problem ur having. Good luck man.
 
Not sure if you have already done this, but no need to undo the lower control arm,

just get a tire iron or long bar and put it in the little space you see into the engine compartment above the upper control arm,

then have someone push down, it takes seconds, and you can get the lower shock bolt in no problem, it does the same thing as your bottle jack upside down in about 1/8 the time.

there is plenty of leverage, all you need is a long metal bar or tube.
 
Duhockey said:
Not sure if you have already done this, but no need to undo the lower control arm,

just get a tire iron or long bar and put it in the little space you see into the engine compartment above the upper control arm,

then have someone push down, it takes seconds, and you can get the lower shock bolt in no problem, it does the same thing as your bottle jack upside down in about 1/8 the time.

there is plenty of leverage, all you need is a long metal bar or tube.
Click to expand...

X2 on this method.....that's what we did!
 
I was in the exact same spot as you, but I had to sawzall mine out to start. I used a 4X4 block on the UCA to assist with prying down. That helps. Good luck I feel your pain I did mine by myself. PITA!!
 
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