Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
This past Sunday I installed a 2" leveling kit in the front of my truck. Thanks to Aron for helping me chainswear at the springs and to Craig for doing the urethane swaybar bushing install. Thanks to Bob Wagner for suggesting the need for spring compressors, they were necessary.
It took us 4 hours (including packing stuff back into the truck to return home) and there wasn't more than 2 guys working on the truck at once except for right at the end when Aron was torquing the wheels.
These were a set of spacers I bough from a machine shop that I got through a group purchase i set up a few weeks ago. The final price was a little under a hundred bucks and the quality looks to be very good.
The install for these was straight forward and the only complication was form the shafts on the spring compressors (thanks Johnrv4) being too long on the right side. It did add some time but wasn't too bad.
The install went like this:
Support the truck from the frame and remove the wheels.
Unbolt the front swaybar.
One at a time, put a jack under the each side of the front axle and remove the front shocks and shock towers. (3 bolts and 1 nut per side)
Lower the axle and remove the springs.
Compress the springs and reinstall with the spacers in place of the upper stud plate.
You reuse the rubber spring isloater between the spring and the spacer.
Jack the front end up (one side at a time) and reinstall the shocks and towers.
Reinstall the wheels, torque and test drive. An alignment is required as the caster will be different at the new ride height.
(These are not instructions on how to do the job but an overview on what is required, follow the instructions included with the kit)
You do NOT have to remove the track bar, trailing arms or any steering parts to do this install. Shorter spring compressors probably would have trimmed about an hour off the install time (if the were the right length but not too long).
This was an easy install and didn't require any special tools except for the compressors. If you do the sway bar bushings, get longer bolts!
It took us 4 hours (including packing stuff back into the truck to return home) and there wasn't more than 2 guys working on the truck at once except for right at the end when Aron was torquing the wheels.
These were a set of spacers I bough from a machine shop that I got through a group purchase i set up a few weeks ago. The final price was a little under a hundred bucks and the quality looks to be very good.
The install for these was straight forward and the only complication was form the shafts on the spring compressors (thanks Johnrv4) being too long on the right side. It did add some time but wasn't too bad.
The install went like this:
Support the truck from the frame and remove the wheels.
Unbolt the front swaybar.
One at a time, put a jack under the each side of the front axle and remove the front shocks and shock towers. (3 bolts and 1 nut per side)
Lower the axle and remove the springs.
Compress the springs and reinstall with the spacers in place of the upper stud plate.
You reuse the rubber spring isloater between the spring and the spacer.
Jack the front end up (one side at a time) and reinstall the shocks and towers.
Reinstall the wheels, torque and test drive. An alignment is required as the caster will be different at the new ride height.
(These are not instructions on how to do the job but an overview on what is required, follow the instructions included with the kit)
You do NOT have to remove the track bar, trailing arms or any steering parts to do this install. Shorter spring compressors probably would have trimmed about an hour off the install time (if the were the right length but not too long).
This was an easy install and didn't require any special tools except for the compressors. If you do the sway bar bushings, get longer bolts!
