Strutteks installed....serious rake

[Ronin8002]

managed to get my front strutteks installed today. no pics but before measurment from floor to center of wheel well was 33 3/4". after is 34 1/2". im running the 16" xls rim on bald 235,70/16s with a 1.5 inch body lift. as my ex sits, its 35" in the rear and 34 1/2" in the front.

Looking at the pic it looks like the strutteks have a thicker upper spring seat compared to OEM. You can see how the last turn on the upper part of the coil is a bit further down than the stock strut. This may be preloading the spring (so it compresses less with the vehicle's weight on it) and may account for the lift that the strutteks give.

 

[Kazer]

havent got any measurements since i put them on to see if they settled but heres a pic with the teks up front and stock strut assemblies (not broken springs) in the rear. sits pretty level for now

 

[Kazer]

the strutteks seem to squeak a lot more than my stockers.... anyone else notice this?

 

[BigRondo]

No squeaks from mine. Maybe it's your sway bar bushing?

 

[jad2411]

SO after a few weeks of having these just sitting in the back of the truck, yesterday I started installing and failed misserably! I couldn't get the driver's side to line up, it would either line up on the bottom but not the top, or vice versa. After 3 hours or so, I decided to put the stock one back and go to bed

 

[Ronin8002]

you might need to bolt in the bottom and then use your foot to push the lower control arm down with your body weight until you can swing the top part over and fit it into the strut tower.

 

[jad2411]

well issue is that the hole does not line up, I did what you are suggesting and if I put the bottom first then the top screws do not line up with the mounting holes.
If I line those up and hold them with a few turns there is no way that I could find to line up the bottom one. I'm thinking that the lower control arm might be skewed or something

 

[Ronin8002]

I doubt its the control arm if I am understanding you correctly. Compare the struttek to the factory strut assembly end to end to see if the bolts in the top line up and then check the lower strut mount hole positions to see if the assembly is misaligned somehow. It sounds like one end or the other of the strut assembly itself is not in the right position.

 

[jad2411]

I tried both new Strutteks, neither fit, stock one went back in with no issues, that's why I suspected the LCA. I'll try the pass side if it works, then I guess I'll need to replace the LCA, the UCA was replaced after I crashed...

 

[gamecocks]

with the top in, put a screw driver or long socket extension on the bottom hole and spin it till it lines up

 

[jad2411]

didn't know I could spin them, I'll try that, thanks!

 

[Ronin8002]

Neither did I, but that's what I was getting at Jad2411. Your control arms is fine because the stock strut fits in there fine.

 

[Kazer]

Indeed! i had to spin both of mine for them to line up. easier said than done.

 

[gamecocks]

If you've got spring compressors it makes it a lot easier but it's not worth going to the auto parts store and renting a set just to be able to twist them. Id try putting a socket extension bar through the hole and puttin a cheater pipe so be plenty of leverage

 

[Kazer]

I tightened the lower part of the strut into a vice and used some lock jaws up on the silver plate just below the top nut and gave it hell. I got lucky on both struts, one turn and they were perfectly aligned

 

[mountaineer02]

Is there a thread on replacing struts and springs?
The fitment notes on there site say " Ecept 4 wheel/ All wheel drive" is this a new thing? or have any 4 wheel drive applications seen any problems?

 

[mountaineer02]

actually it says " Except!!" thats what i get for doing this while at work. haha

 

[mountaineer02]

ok, so thats just on the strut only, im just going to stay away from the computer, sorry everybody!!

 

[jad2411]

fronts are done I grabbed a pipe and a thin chisel and turned them gained 1in, now to wait til I have $ to buy the rears and all 4 for the white truck :

 

[jad2411]

So yesterday I took truck to get rad fixed and a guy from a 4x4 shop was there, he offered a BL for $180 and susp lift for $200. By suspension lift he meant adding some thick rubber donut things he showed me between the spring and the mount.
Any clues what those things are called and how would they work?