Running into some lift problems....

[DanTosh]

I ordered a set of ome springs and rough country shocks for the front. Taking advice from people here, I brought the strut assembly to a shop and had them compress the spring and assemble there. I bring the assembly home and try to install it but only the top plate holes line up. The bottom strut/shock hole wont line up with the lower control arm.

I figured I could just compress it slightly then turn the shock in the assembly till it lined up. Unfortunately, all of the spring compressors ive rented wont fit into the already compressed shock....

Is there any way I can move that strut without compressing it to get it to line up with the lower control arm?

This has really been more difficult then it should have been..

Thanks for the help

 

[Singtoe]

Stick a big screwdriver in the lower mount and twist it into alignment.

 

[DanTosh]

Stick a big screwdriver in the lower mount and twist it into alignment.

Yeah I tried that but that only turned the strut eyelet, not the whole thing.

 

[TCMach]

I personally have used two methods. Depending on whether or not I had the truck up on a lift.

No Lift - take the stock bottlejack and wedge it between the upper control arm and the inner fender. Jack the control arms down till it fits.

With a lift - use a huge bar to pry the LCA down. Put it on top of the LCA and below the frame and let torque do its thing.

 

[afg10000]

Singtoe is right with big screwdriver. the shock body will turn. Easiest way to get the mount to align -either loosen the 4 control arm bolts and simply push down on the assembly until you can get the bolt through -or- remove the 4 bolts under the LBJ assembly. This will free the LCA from spindle. Push down on UCA until bolt goes through. Put floor jack under LCA, raise the LBJ assembly. Put the 4 bolts back in with some blue locktite. Easier to do with two people. IMO the easiest (and safest) way to get those bad boys in there -