How to install RoadBully's spacers

[RoadBully]

Good stuff. How do you like it?

 

[Thelt]

Good stuff. How do you like it?

It looks good. I parked next to a co-worker's mountaineer when I came back to my office and the difference was pretty striking. I did not drive it far so I am not sure if it effected the way it drives much. It feels different with the rake gone or switched in the other direction a bit. I had to adjust my seat.

I may want to get some rear spacers from you whether it settles or not. Once you start something like this it makes you want to do more.

 

[RoadBully]

Yeah, there won't be any settling, let me know when you're ready to go
I know all about not being able to stop once you start.

 

[chris's2005]

I picked it up and it is a little higher up front. It lifted it more than I thought it would. I am going to see if it settles any. If not I am going to get some for the rear from RB.

I took some pics and will post them tonight. I snapped some close ups of the area with the spacer installed. It looks fine to me with none of the issues where stuff is rubbing.

how much did they charge you, and what was the name of the shop?

Thanks
Chris

 

[Thelt]

Click on the pictures for larger images

before:



after:


close up:


another close up:


sticker:

 

[Thelt]

how much did they charge you, and what was the name of the shop?

Thanks
Chris

I got it done at Clark Tire. I think it was about $60. I need to check my receipt to be sure. I had some other stuff done while it was there.

 

[JCUZ]

Thelt - looks good. I assume (hope) you went with 2" ones? I have 1.5" ordered for mine, just so the front matches the back (the back on mine is raised approx 40mm, or 1.6").

One minor question, has anyone re-aimed their headlights to compensate for the lift?

 

[Thelt]

I went with 2" on the front. I am going to add 2" to the back too. I can deal with the factory rake. I am used to the rake and now it feels like I am driving up hill all the time

 

[RoadBully]

One minor question, has anyone re-aimed their headlights to compensate for the lift?

Nope, I just let them suffer.

 

[goatman]

Since a lot of us are buying these I thought it might be good to have a thread dedicated to installing them. I think we had a "how to" thread on this at one time but I could not find it.

I am in the process of putting 2" spacers on the front of my explorer. So far I can say that you have to put your new bolts on the spacer before you tighten it down on the studs at the top of the strut. It you put the spacer on first you can not get the bolts in. It may not be this way on a 3" spacer since it has more room.

Like everyone else I am struggling with getting the strut assembly compressed enough to get it back in. If I figure it out and have any tips I will post them here. If anyone who has already done it has any tips I would appreciate them.

Here' what I did. For the front..


Support lower control arm with floor jack.

Disconnect sway bar, both sides.

Disconnect Upper Contol Arm (ball joint)

Disconnect Tie Rods (be careful not to hurt the castle nuts).

Disconnect upper bolts of strut assembly (Three bolts)

Disconnect lower strut assembly bolt. Let assembly hang.
(you may lower the floor jack)

Install spacer (It's true that you will need to install the new upper bolts before tighten down the spacer to the strut assemby).

Install the spacer end.

With the lower control arm hanging, install the lower bolt of the strut assembly (there may be some binding).

Raise lower control arm with floor jack (I used a spring compressor on one side and not on the other. Either is possible. If you go with no spring compressor, be prepared to use a lever to pull down the upper control arm enough to get the upper ball joint bolt started).

Re-connect tie rod ends.

Re-connect sway bar.

Feel free to add something I might have missed (I'm going by memory) or if you did something better/easier that I did.

 

[Ford02Exp]

I make people suffer with the height of my lights too, sometimes I get the finger from the smaller cars cus my lights shine right in the mirrors. Oh well, maybe they should get a taller vehicle. lol

 

[goatman]

Thelt - One minor question, has anyone re-aimed their headlights to compensate for the lift?

I should have keep RoadBully's attitude, but I lowered mine today. This is going to save me from crawling on top of some little car with my new front end clearence.

 

[RoadBully]

Here' what I did. For the front..


Support lower control arm with floor jack.

Disconnect sway bar, both sides.

Disconnect Upper Contol Arm (ball joint)

Disconnect Tie Rods (be careful not to hurt the castle nuts).

Disconnect upper bolts of strut assembly (Three bolts)

Disconnect lower strut assembly bolt. Let assembly hang.
(you may lower the floor jack)

Install spacer (It's true that you will need to install the new upper bolts before tighten down the spacer to the strut assemby).

Install the spacer end.

With the lower control arm hanging, install the lower bolt of the strut assembly (there may be some binding).

Raise lower control arm with floor jack (I used a spring compressor on one side and not on the other. Either is possible. If you go with no spring compressor, be prepared to use a lever to pull down the upper control arm enough to get the upper ball joint bolt started).

Re-connect tie rod ends.

Re-connect sway bar.

Feel free to add something I might have missed (I'm going by memory) or if you did something better/easier that I did.

That's Great Mike, thanks a bunch, I'm going to paste that into the for sale thread initial post as well.

 

[Thelt]

Here' what I did. For the front..


Support lower control arm with floor jack.

Disconnect sway bar, both sides.

Disconnect Upper Contol Arm (ball joint)

Disconnect Tie Rods (be careful not to hurt the castle nuts).

Disconnect upper bolts of strut assembly (Three bolts)

Disconnect lower strut assembly bolt. Let assembly hang.
(you may lower the floor jack)

Install spacer (It's true that you will need to install the new upper bolts before tighten down the spacer to the strut assemby).

Install the spacer end.

With the lower control arm hanging, install the lower bolt of the strut assembly (there may be some binding).

Raise lower control arm with floor jack (I used a spring compressor on one side and not on the other. Either is possible. If you go with no spring compressor, be prepared to use a lever to pull down the upper control arm enough to get the upper ball joint bolt started).

Re-connect tie rod ends.

Re-connect sway bar.

Feel free to add something I might have missed (I'm going by memory) or if you did something better/easier that I did.

This is where I screwed up. I tried to leave the sway bar, ball joint and tie rod connected. I tried to use the coil spring compressor to compress it enough to get it back in. That does not work.

If I had known I could get it done for $60 though I would not have bothered with trying.

 

[jutgin]

This is where I screwed up. I tried to leave the sway bar, ball joint and tie rod connected. I tried to use the coil spring compressor to compress it enough to get it back in. That does not work.

If I had known I could get it done for $60 though I would not have bothered with trying.

Well at least you have them done now. And I guess the rest of us will know to take it all off before trying to squeeze them in there. I'm wanting to get mine soon but a buddy of mine is suppose to get a set of KMC wheels with new muds mounted on them for 250 bucks today. I told him they must be stolen!

 

[Thelt]

Well at least you have them done now. And I guess the rest of us will know to take it all off before trying to squeeze them in there. I'm wanting to get mine soon but a buddy of mine is suppose to get a set of KMC wheels with new muds mounted on them for 250 bucks today. I told him they must be stolen!

What size tires are you going to?

 

[Thelt]

I double checked my bill and they charged me $60 to put them on the front. That was one hour of labor at their rate. Double that to $120 if you do front and back and you get an idea of what this should cost.

 

[guitarfrk741]

Well at least you have them done now. And I guess the rest of us will know to take it all off before trying to squeeze them in there. I'm wanting to get mine soon but a buddy of mine is suppose to get a set of KMC wheels with new muds mounted on them for 250 bucks today. I told him they must be stolen!

let me know if you do get some new tires..i might be interested in your old ones

 

[RoadBully]

Yeah, his old ones are pretty sweet.

 

[guitarfrk741]

Yeah, his old ones are pretty sweet.

not to mention they'll be alot cheaper than getting brand new one's

and depending on my paycheck this week i might also be hitting you up for some spacers