SkyJacker Spring Install

[LoneRam]

Looking for tips before I start. I will be putting in the 2. 5" coils today and just curious what I have to look forward to or avoid doing. Thanks for your time.



LoneRam

 

[Beast2B]

sway bar rubbing

You might check with member TomGolden, he just put the 2. 5" springs on his truck. He had a problem with the springs rubbing on the sway bar ends (where they connect to the links which connect to the axle). He was contacting Skyjacker because they have a bracket for the sway bar that comes with their 4. 5" lift kit, but not with the 2. 5" kit. The bracket moves the sway bar forward slightly at the frame mount.

Sorry for the late reply, hope all went well!

 

[Dave MacArthur]

Tom changed the control arms and that's what caused the problem. I have just the coils and no problems at all. I paid a local truck 4x4 shop to do mine due to running out of time so I don't have any first hand experience to share. By the way, the ride is much improved and the steering is straight as an arrow.



Dave.

 

[craftybigdog]

How does it sit is it noes high now or pretty level I was considering doing the same thing let me know how it turns out and if you could post any pictures that would be great, thanks!

 

[JHansen]

I have the Skyjacker replacement springs in mine-it sits almost perfectly level-IMO the way it should have come from the factory. Sorry no pics yet though-I've gotta shine 'er up and get some pics of all the new stuff I've put on in the last month or so! I agree with Dave-ride is tons better and the truck drives better too-although I installed Rancho RS9000 shocks, a DT track bar and Skyjacker dual steering stabilizers at the same time so I can't point all the improvement solely at the springs.



As far as install it really wasn't that bad. I jacked the truck until the front wheels were off the ground and supported it with jackstands under the frame. I didn't have spring compressors big enough for springs like these-and I'm not real comfortable using them either. So one side at a time, I undid the shock and the swaybar, supported under the axle with a floor jack, pulled the attaching bolt at the axle for the upper control arm, and let the jack down. I then had to proceed to the opposite side and jack the axle up to force it down further on the appropriate side. The factory springs basically fell out then-the Skyjackers are a little longer so they required a little wiggling to get back in place-but nothing hard. Then it's just a matter of jacking the axle back up on the side you just installed the spring in, getting the control arm bolt back in, and hooking up the shock and sway bar link again! Easier than it sounds actually-I did all 4 shocks, the front springs, and the DT track bar (which requires drilling) in around 5 hours.....



Hope my ramblings make sense to anyone else reading this!



Jason

 

[RKohn]

Jason,



Do you have the D25 springs?



Rick

 

[SS]

Now that the job is done (I hope!) loosen all of the control arm bolts, jounce the suspension, and tighten them to spec. This allows the bushings to ride in a relaxed state at their new ride height - made a huge difference on mine. You can do them one at a time if you don't want to disturb the caster setting.

 

[JHansen]

Yeah Rick I think that's the part #-I bought them used from another TDR member. They are the 2-1/2" levelling springs for the CTD-sorry I can't be more specific than that. I do know they are the hot ticket though... ...



Thanks for the tip Steve-I did the ones at the axle but never even thought about the ones at the frame. I'm due to crawl under again and check torque on everything anyways so I may as well loosen them up while I'm at it. Any ride improvement now will be a pleasant bonus-it got tons better with the springs and shocks!



Jason

 

[TomGolden]

I had the full 2 1/2" Double Flex Skyjacker kit installed, with the exception that I did NOT have the rear add-a-aleaf springs installed. I'd have to say the front is now either perfectly level, or maybe just ever so slightly nose high now. Galen is correct, I ordered the sway bar reloaction brackets from Skyjacker, installed them this weekend. The sway bar end links are once again straight up and down as they shoyuld be. However, I do believe the reason they got out of whack was solely due to the changing to new control arms. I kept my OEM control arms and coil springs, so I was able to measure the old and new control arms bolt hole to bolt hole. My OEM control arms are something like 17 1/2" and 18 5/8" if memory serves from yesterday morning. On my new arms, they are like 20+" on each one, and if you look at the truck from a side view, the front tires are very obviously too far forward in the wheel wells. I have thought about jacking the frame up on jack stands and trying to adjust the Skyjacker arms until they are as close as possible back to the OEM position, but haven't done so yet.







Tom

 

[TomGolden]

Here's one of two pictures I'll post. This is taken in front of my house in very direct sunlight, so the color isn't great, annd you can't see the Skyjacker coils or control arms, but it shows how even the truck sits now.

 

[TomGolden]

Opposite view

 

[LoneRam]

All done

Well, I dove in and was pleasently supprised. As JHansen mentioned, after unbolting a few things, the springs popped in and out no sweat. New springs and shocks in a little over an hour. I will do the retorque on the control arms. The ride is better and the height is great. Just a squirrel hair low in the nose, looks great. I will post picts tomorrow. The springs were cheaper than spacers and the result is better, with the same amount of work. Anyways, thanks for the replies.



LoneRam.

 

[JHansen]

Good to hear everything worked out OK for you LoneRam... . I was also pretty pleased when I did mine with how easy it was and the end results as well!



Jason

 

[Dane]

Glad to hear it worked as well as expected...



What part # springs did you use, D25?

 

[TomGolden]

Yep, the correct Skyjacker coil front spring part number for the 2 1/2" lift is D25. Do not know about the 4 1/2" lift springs.