Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
Hi Everybody,
Well, I am a newbie here. . Just subscribed to TDR and the forum last week. So... . After months of looking I found my new truck at a pre-owned truck dealer here in San Rafael CA. I bought a near perfect 2006 2500 CTD Crew Cab, Fully loaded right down to the nav, leather and moon roof... . And only 38,641 on the ODO. Anyways, To make a long story short I am a perfectionist and have the need to go over everything and make it perfect or better if possible.
Here's the deal,
Got the truck, Dealer put new tires on it. . Stock size. Truck would drift slightly to the right and you'd have to keep the wheel cocked over to left. So I take it to my guy for an alignment. I pick up the truck, Still drifts right, The wheel was a little more level but still to the left... I bring it back to him for another go, It took him 4 more trys to get it somewhat right but not perfect. Then, This last weekend I installed the front and rear Mag-Hytec diff covers. As I lowered the front end down I noticed the track bar was resting on the left side of the new cover! Back up in the air it went and I searched everywhere online for an answer..... Finally had to ride the bike to the dealer with flashlight in hand as it was dark to look under another 06 2500 4x4. FOUND IT!!
My truck had 2 previous owners... One of the two must have put a 6+ lift kit on it... . And then at some point removed it and put it back to stock BUT they forgot to remove the track bar mount drop bracket! I pulled it and now have the normal clearance at the diff cover... ... But now I need it aligned again #@$%! . Now this part is where we get to my title of this thread... . As I am giving the front end the once over I went to replace the sway bar end links. As I am pulling the old ones off I notice they are different than the new ones. The new ones have a tapered post that mounts from the lower side and the sway bar mount is bushings and cups with a nut on top, The old ones on the truck are the normal looking straight 7 inch long bolt with cups and bushing on the bottom, A spacer sleeve and then cups and bushings on top
, So then back on the net looking for pics of axles, suspension and anything that would help me out. Back under the truck I went... back to the dealer I went... And then I saw the difference. On the front axle of my truck (9. 25 AAM) the sway bar end link mounting brackets were totally different. They were not welded on like the stock ones, These were bolted on. I removed one one to look for signs of the previous mount..... Looks like someone used a grinder and carefully ground the welds out to remove the stock bracket 
. I also noticed that the end link brackets had the same black wrinkle coat paint as the track bar bracket I removed... Most likely from the same manufacture.
Has anyone ever heard of this or had installed a lift kit that requires cutting off the stock mounts and bolting on new ones? From what I have seen... . Every lift kit out there uses the stock mounts but they use spacers between the frame and the sway bar mounting brackets. It does not make sense to me at all... . Why do that when all you need is spacers above? Both the track bar drop bracket and the bolt on end link brackets are not home made for sure, Quality steel, bends and welds. I've seen many replacement end links that will work for my non stock brackets... I just need to measure and order the right length. Any help or an answer to who may have made the lift kit would be great.
Thanks and cheers!
RT
Well, I am a newbie here. . Just subscribed to TDR and the forum last week. So... . After months of looking I found my new truck at a pre-owned truck dealer here in San Rafael CA. I bought a near perfect 2006 2500 CTD Crew Cab, Fully loaded right down to the nav, leather and moon roof... . And only 38,641 on the ODO. Anyways, To make a long story short I am a perfectionist and have the need to go over everything and make it perfect or better if possible.
Here's the deal,
Got the truck, Dealer put new tires on it. . Stock size. Truck would drift slightly to the right and you'd have to keep the wheel cocked over to left. So I take it to my guy for an alignment. I pick up the truck, Still drifts right, The wheel was a little more level but still to the left... I bring it back to him for another go, It took him 4 more trys to get it somewhat right but not perfect. Then, This last weekend I installed the front and rear Mag-Hytec diff covers. As I lowered the front end down I noticed the track bar was resting on the left side of the new cover! Back up in the air it went and I searched everywhere online for an answer..... Finally had to ride the bike to the dealer with flashlight in hand as it was dark to look under another 06 2500 4x4. FOUND IT!!
My truck had 2 previous owners... One of the two must have put a 6+ lift kit on it... . And then at some point removed it and put it back to stock BUT they forgot to remove the track bar mount drop bracket! I pulled it and now have the normal clearance at the diff cover... ... But now I need it aligned again #@$%! . Now this part is where we get to my title of this thread... . As I am giving the front end the once over I went to replace the sway bar end links. As I am pulling the old ones off I notice they are different than the new ones. The new ones have a tapered post that mounts from the lower side and the sway bar mount is bushings and cups with a nut on top, The old ones on the truck are the normal looking straight 7 inch long bolt with cups and bushing on the bottom, A spacer sleeve and then cups and bushings on top
, So then back on the net looking for pics of axles, suspension and anything that would help me out. Back under the truck I went... back to the dealer I went... And then I saw the difference. On the front axle of my truck (9. 25 AAM) the sway bar end link mounting brackets were totally different. They were not welded on like the stock ones, These were bolted on. I removed one one to look for signs of the previous mount..... Looks like someone used a grinder and carefully ground the welds out to remove the stock bracket . I also noticed that the end link brackets had the same black wrinkle coat paint as the track bar bracket I removed... Most likely from the same manufacture. Has anyone ever heard of this or had installed a lift kit that requires cutting off the stock mounts and bolting on new ones? From what I have seen... . Every lift kit out there uses the stock mounts but they use spacers between the frame and the sway bar mounting brackets. It does not make sense to me at all... . Why do that when all you need is spacers above? Both the track bar drop bracket and the bolt on end link brackets are not home made for sure, Quality steel, bends and welds. I've seen many replacement end links that will work for my non stock brackets... I just need to measure and order the right length. Any help or an answer to who may have made the lift kit would be great.
Thanks and cheers!
RT
