Help on installing Coil Spacers....

[MrMatt]

Wow lots of activity here since I left hehe.

Okay first, I go to Anoka Ramsey, going to get a 2 year and probably transfer into a 4 year computer scieneces degree.

Ryan1, Do you have a garage and tools we could do this in? My biggest problem here is tools, I was thinking if I order the 2" lift maybe we could do both our trucks if you have a place to do it, I'm not super mechanicly inclined, just kinda started doing stuff on my truck, I have done the shocks and some other basic stuff like intake and such.

How long do you think it would take? If you're up for this I could give you some money for your time and help and stuff, probably not much but maybe we could work something out. I might just consider installing the 2" BL before my spacers and stuff, then later when I have the money for an alignment, Ill install the spacers/shackles.

Hmm Think I could cram 33x10.50s in there with 2" Body and the spacers lift on stock rims? Hehehehe.

<EDIT>
So if I decide to go the BL route should I soak all the body mounting bolts from under the vehicle? Im going to get a can of blaster tomorrow as Im almost out of the Liquid Wrench I have now.

I guess we don't have to drop the gas tank to install the BL which Is good, less work that way...

Oh yeah and from summit its $87.85 Shipped 2 Day for the lift, so thats pretty cheap.
</EDIT>

This way instead of buying the tools i was going to buy to put the Spacers/Shackles in I could buy a BL instead. Hmmm well get back to me, If you use ICQ Or AIM you can message me:

ICQ - 30629259
AIM - thewebgod12345

Ill have to talk to my dad first and see what he says so I don't just leave for a day and come home with a lifted truck lol he might flip.

 

[Ryan1]

ya lets do our body lifts at the same time I just want to get that out of the way before I do the suspension. and you wont have to pay me ****. Thats what we're all here for.

lets do this soon.

Ryan

 

[MrMatt]

Alright cool, Im still kinda thinking over here, waiting for my paycheck to show up in my bank account (gotta love direct deposit) to see how much it is.

Do you have AIM or ICQ?
LMK

-Matt

 

[Maniak]

I checked the adjustable cam on our X.. it does say 2.75 on it.. I then checked what the application said... 2.75 4x2... sooo... It isn't 2.75 on the 4wd.. soo if you need 2.75+.. don't get the adjustable like 410 said..

I hate alignment parts stuff.. gives me a headache..

~Mark

 

[410Fortune]

Yeah a 2.75 degree adjustable shim for a 4x2 is only 2.5 degrees when installed in a 4x4. And blah blah bvlah. I know I ran around in the circles for days with alignment shops, parts guys, etc....

I posted the MOOG part numbers for the correct camber shims to use.........

 

[Kirby N.]

Sorry to break the news to you 410, but you don't know what you're talking about.

I did the 3" Lift and needed no "shims." (Most people call them cams by the way because they are not different sizes of metal that are clamped in between the a- arms and the frame like a nissan or s10 of many cars) It aligned perfectly.
I put in the spacers and 4 wheel parts aligned it and ordered the superlift cams for it. Turned out i didn't need them. Maybe your bronco is different, or maybe, just maybe you are wrong.
But I have four inches on my front end and the same cams from the factory, aligned to spec and looks great.
I wouldn't trust everybody and thier dogs opinion on here, I would figure it out myself, if the shop says you need cams, chances are they'll have them in stock. Every truck is different especially on the alignment rack. One hard landing or even curb could change everything as it compares to everyone elses truck.

 

[Maniak]

Kirby,
I'm confused... did you increase the height of your front springs an actual 3" over stock?

If so.. I can't see how you can still use the factory (non adjustable) cams.

The only thing I can think of is that you added spacers and your springs had sagged so far that you had way too much negative camber.. and now with the spacers you have positive camber (but within specs).. Or.. You have a real lift kit with drop brackets or something else to adjust the camber (cut/bent arms)

If you increase the height of the spring and don't adjust anything else (e.g. no drop brackets or twisted arms) and you were in the center of of spec before (which is preferred over just "in spec") there is no way that increasing your springs height (loaded) 3" would keep you in spec.

The cams 410 is talking about are the same size as the stock cams. The difference is how the hole is drilled. Some are just ofset and some are actually at an angle (which is better).. You just undo a pinch bolt knock out the old shim.. put in the new shim (adjust it if its adjustable) and tighten down the pinch bolt.. It is similar to how it is done on vehicles with A arms.. but We are talking 1st Gen explorers here.. the camber adjustment is done at the ball joints.

As for the comment about trusting shops.. I trust the expierence of people here more than I trust shops.. I have yet to find a shop in Tucson that can align a modifed suspension.. All the shops in town (I've tried 5 so far) just look at a book and say "its in spec".. None of them actually know how to align a vehicle to wear tires well and not pull.. they are no better than parts swappers you find at most auto repair places..

Of course.. all the info is IMHO and IME (I my humble opinion and In my experience)..

 

[410Fortune]

OKay well go tell Brett that he doesnt know what he's talking about either because he's the one who basically got me started on all this stuff and showed me how to do it, and why.


There is absolutely no way you can have a 4" lift on the front of a twin I beam 93 Navajo and NOT have camber shims installed, it's impossible. Your upper ball joint MUST be shimmed (cam's whatever, they are refered to as camber shims), and the factory shims will not work for anything other then factory springs and ride height. Your 93 Navajo and my 88 BII have the exact same front end, a Dana 35 reverse cut twin I beam independent fron t suspension. I have 3" duff VR coils with the F-150 spring seats, giving me 4-5/8" of lift over stock. I run MOOG 2.75 degree camber shims and I still have 1.25 degree of + camber on both sides. So dont tell me I dont know what I'm talking about holmes!!!
This may just be a miscommunication, unless you actually took your wheels off, undid the little o ringon your upper ball joint, loosened thepinch bolt with a 12 point 12mm socket, yanked the old camber shim out and installed a new one, then put everythng back together, I wouldnt believe the shop that told you there are factory shims installed in there, it;s just simply not true, or your tires would look like this:

\ /

4 wheel parts does shotty work to start with, most of them. Like mentioned above, people here know more then most shops, especially when it comes to the TTB setup with lift kits.

I can look under your truck and tell you in two seconds whether or not you have camber shims installed on your upper ball joints.......

Please let me know if you disagree.............

OKay sorry I forgot to mention one thing:
Like stated above it is possible that you have factory shims installed, if you have 3" drop brackets and 3" springs then the camber is not effected because you have lowered the entire Twin I beam setup at allthe pivot points. The camber shims we are talking about are for when you use a spring spacer on top of that, meaning a 5" coil with 3" drop brackets. So in that case this is all a miscommunication, and we are both talking about different things, thats all!!!!

 

[MrMatt]

Another quick question here. When taking out the retaining nut at the bottom of the coil, should I be turning it clockwise while looking at the coil thru the wheel well? Im guessing thats correct since its a nut and you turn the opposite way to loosen those as you do if your working on the bolt end correct?

Lift should be here tomorrow. Got the swaybar bolts to break loose, got a breaker bar for my ratchet today and Im hoping the nuts come out alright. Im preparted to just cut the shackle bolts if need be its the coil ones that bother me hehe.

Thanks for the help guys.

Matt

 

[Kirby N.]

Sorry I got pissy. My truck has adjustable cams that it has had forever. I read the alignment spec sheet that they aligned it to and it came out perfect. It has drop brackets and the whole thing with duff extended arms and f150 spacers. The guys at 4wp are kind of morons because they ordered some superlift cams and made me wait 3 days on them, then when they put my jo on the rack it worked fine with the cams that were already in it. The cams were in it when I got it stock, so I assume it came stock with them, the first owner could have gotten them, if she tried to align it and it was off huge, though i guess. If his truck doesn't have adjustable cams on it like mine did then he will probably need to get some. The alignment was like 40 bucks both times, so I hope it is that good for everyone.
sorry for the misunderstanding. Oh, and i have been through alot of alignments and lift stuff with my first Ranger project- 3" VR duff lift, Winch and 30" mudders- same cams before and after lift (Rolled it 3 times), My Navajo- same cams and the ttb ranger i have now. So I assumed they came with adjustble cams from the factory.

 

[Maniak]

Matt,
If you are looking down at the nut at the bottom of the coil.. you want to turn it counter clockwise.. lefty loosey... It is just a nut on a bolt.. nothign special..

~Mark

 

[Minivek]

About loosening that rusty spring retainer bolt (the one at the bottom) couldn't you just heat it up with a acet-oxy torch till its redish and take it off then? Usually nuts come off real easy that way and once it cools down, it returns to original shape, thread and all... just a thought... What do you guys think? is this idea a

 

[argalaviz]

I realize this is an old thread but I'm searched out.

I have the spacer that sets underneath the spring and my tires look like \ /. I love how the truck looks and rides, even better my approach angle is better. Oh, I have 31's if that matters.

Can an alignment shop adjust this out, or will I need different shims for a nice | |.

Thank you

 

[huskyfan23]

Yes you need an alignment with shims.

 

[exploder619]

does anyone have a picture of the f150 coil seats? i may have some sitting in my room and not know it.

 

[bikeboarder]

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/factoryspacer.htm

Here you go