BDS KIT UNISTALL

[DJSH]

UPDATE - The kit is off the truck, old springs and shackles, shocks all went on without trouble and the driveshaft went right back into its proper place!!!! Time to start saving for another kit like OME that will work.

Dave.
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HELP. I guess my first mistake was asking a dealer to do the install, but here is the current scenario: BDS 2.5 lift with 1" greasable shackles and the dealer can't get the spring pin to line up on the axle. BDS Tech Support suggest removing the grease zerk and allowing the driveline to compress. Dealer REMOVES driveline and installs the spring and pin, but still can't get driveline back in place. Dealer installs original shackle and is getting closer to fitting the drive shaft, but thinks they will need to send it out to be cut and balanced? What is going on? Any chance this is a sign of worse things to come?

One positive thing, I told the guy to go easy on her and he said "There is nothing I could do to hurt this rig, she is stout unlike some of the other that bend and brake "

Thanks,
Dave.

 

[Man Jerk]

Something screwy is going on. I can't help with your problem. There is no reason that he should have to change the driveshaft length.

 

[DJSH]

I just got off the phone with them...they say the rear is super stiff! They jump on the bumper and it does not move! They are thinking BDS sent the wrong leaf pack for the rear. Anyone else have a similar experience with the leaf pack being so stiff it would not move when bouncing on the back? BTW - Dealer is cooperating and even suggested returning the kit to BDS!

 

[gulp3000]

That's strange. Like always, simple stuff first. Make sure the springs arent backwards. Can you do the center pins/ubolts first and then connect the shackles? The end of a spring and the shackles are easier to persuade than the center of the pack and axle.

 

[gulp3000]

Mine are pretty stiff but I don't think they were made to the current BDS spec so not a good reference.

 

[DJSH]

Gulp -

Thanks for the advice, I asked them to check the simple stuff this morning and they assured me that had. The shackle thing is wierd, I don't know why a stock shackle would make a difference, and I am going to be unhappy if the kit is stiff as advertised by the dealer.

Dave.

 

[Doc]

Did they ever remove the zerk? Allowing some excess grease to escape because of increased driveline angles might help.

I'm guessing here...

 

[gulp3000]

When I did mine, the center pin was way off until I compressed the spring. As the spring flattens, the center pin and the shackle spring eye move "away" from the frame mounted spring eye and with the right amount of compression, I was able to get it lined up with the axle hole. A 1" longer shackle shouldn't present any problem - I mounted mine on 2.5" shackles (rear) and then switched to 1.5" shackles when I could see the springs already gave a little extra lift in the back.

This is all pretty obvious when your doing it so I'm guessing your installer is up against something out of the ordinary. Some quick measurements should be able to confirm if the springs are the right model with the manufacturer. As for the stiffness, maybe someone with a recent BDS kit will chime in.

 

[baloo]

Are the srings in the correct places? Left right frount rear all are different in my springs. Ditto check the little things.

 

[dogboy2]

DJSH,

Who is installing this suspension for you? A Toyota dealership? Tell me it's Broadway Toyota and your story will make sense -- they are complete idiots and totally incompetent. Tell me it's Beaverton Toyota and I'll be suprised -- they have some techs who do know Cruisers and they should be able to do the job (this is not a difficult job to begin with: we're talking weekend warrior with a floor jack stuff) If Beaverton Toyota, get a hold of a service writer named Jason. He's an ex-tech and knows what the hell he's talking about from a technical perspective.

Shackles shouldn't be the issue. Gulp3000 is right re: compressing the spring to get the centering pin to "hit the hole". I've used the OEM bottle jack with great success in this regard. By no means should you have to cut your drivelines to make them fit -- that recommendation is just plain assinine. You may have to bleed off some excess grease in the slip joint to allow the driveline to compress as per BDS's suggestion but physically shorten it by cutting? -- NO WAY!, not if the spring is the right part for your '60.

Are they installing the spring pack in the right direction? The military wrap should go towards the center of vehicle for both the front and rear spring packs. Again, this is not a difficult job -- it is VERY straightforward, unbolt/rebolt kind of thing, 1 day turnaround kind of job if the installer knows what he/she is doing. Ask them if they are following the proceedure outlined in the Toyota field service manual -- that ought to light them up

By the way, new springs are inherently stiff and most require a break-in period to reach their normal ride height and ride characteristics. Expect to have to flex the suspension over some very uneven terrain (logging roads work great for this) to get it to settle in and then expect to have to retighten all nuts on the suspension after about 1 week of driving and then again a week later. BDS has been doing Cruiser suspensions for a while and unless they shipped you the wrong parts, I'd be suprised if it didn't work well for you.

-dogboy- '87 FJ60

 

[60wag]

I'm not sure what kind of shackles you have... some have a shoulder on the pins so that they can't be overtightened, some are just bolts for pins and can easily be overtightened. You might check the torque on the shackles nuts and/or talk to BDS about the rec'd torque.

Did the shop get the driveshaft issue resolved? What were they doing wrong? I'll bet they had the spring in backwards.

 

[lowtideride]

ummm, just a thought. if the shackles are super tight, the spring will hardly move. like if they were put on with air tools. my 60s was rusted and dry rotted so that the shackles would not move and did not let the spring exspand before i did the SOA. shot in the dark. but it sounds like you should send the lift back and get a new one. gooood luck

 

[Clutchee]

Help

I have the same setup & I was in your place, if you have the installers take the zerk fitting out of the drive shaft they should see grease come out from compresing it, I did. Then have them check as the others mentioned the shackle torque, to tight & nothing will work.
On the rear springs of a BDS kit if you install them backwards(milt. wrap back) the tire will be visually rearward (it was my first lift, you learn...). You could also get the part # from the springs & check those against BDS part #.
-any more help please ask...

 

[DJSH]

Update

UPDATE -
I got BDS and the shop on the line. The shop says there is 1/4" of clearance on driveshaft which is too close for comfort. BDS recommends that the shop try and compress the springs and see if the drive shaft bottoms out because the geometry is such that the axle should move further rearward when compressed. Is asked BDS for a recommended clearance on the driveshaft and they will get back to me in the morning.
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The kit is and it looks good according to the dealer. The driveline is too short if the springs are "backwards" and too long if they are installed correctly. Mechanic is suggesting the driveline be modified. He is afraid to move it at all because their is no play, its metal on metal. He moved it to a flat rack by putting it in 4 wheel drive.

The Shackles came from Liquid OffRoad, not sure which brand. The mechanic did not tighten them at all when doing the install.

Let me know if anyone wants to run to Hillsboro, OR and take a look at the job with me

Thanks for all the feedback and advice, I hope to have this fixed soon. And, hope that this is not a sign of driveline problems to come.

Dave.

 

[atomicpunk]

It sounds like the springs are either backwards ( the millitary wrap should be towards the inside ) Also sounds like you need to find a different shop to do the work. It was not super easy, but with the basic mechanical skills that I have, I was able to install this same lift with 1" shackles in my garage. Put pressure on the bottom of the spring, make sure both side shackles & ubolts are loose, then basically allign the axle over the pins and tighten everything up. Again, it was not terribly easy, but after a few hours of re-positioning the jacks, and stands, I was able to line everything up. The rear springs were quite larger, and stiffer than the fronts, and it sat about two inches higher in the rear for the first week of driving. After the springs began to settle, the truck seems level now. Good luck.

 

[fsusteve]

Sounds like yer shop guys need more experience on somebody else's truck, this is a relativley easy job.

 

[DJSH]

Update - I Saw The Intsall

I forgot my camera

But, the rig looks good, rides high about 6'5" at the top but looks pretty good. There is no slip in the driveshaft, pretty much metal on metal. Everything else looked ok from my rookie eye. The springs are installed correctly, shackles look good but are basically vertical and a little bit / in the rear, new bushings all around. Pretty stiff when you jump on the bumper, but I expected that from what I have heard. The only thing I noticed was the U BOLTS were the original, not the new U bolts that are supposed to come with the kit??? It just adds insult to injury.

Right now I can not recommend BDS Kits. I don't know if the kit is installed incorrectly or if the Springs are wrong. BDS swears after having the dealer do the measurements that the springs are correct and everthing indicates the kit is installed correctly.

My options are: 1.) Put the old stuff back on and start shopping. 2.) Assume the kit is installed correctly and there is some gremlin with my truck causing me to have to cut the drive shaft

QUESTION: I did put a V8 in with the stock tranny and bellhousing including the AA adapter, the mounting position did not change for the tranny, etc. Any reason somehow this coud cause the driveshaft issue related to the kit? I can't imagine how it would.

Thanks for all your help,
Dave.

 

[gulp3000]

Weird - Do the rear wheels look like they are centered in the wheel wells? A wheelbase measurement may show something. They look so much better with a lift, having to change it back for a while would be a shame. Other than the kit being out of spec, your 350 conversion changing something you aren't aware of or the driveshaft being altered in the Cruiser's history, I don't see a likely cause.

 

[DJSH]

Gulp -

I just got off the phone with them again. According to their expert from anonther shop location, the axle appears to be forward about 1". At first glance it looks fairly centered in the wheel well maybe a bit forward. All the measurements match up -- pin to pin, pin to frame, frame to axle, axle to shackle, everthing meets BDS specs. So, cutting the driveline seems like the best option AS LONG AS I am sure that the kit is installed correctly and won't cause other issues down the road.....

It sucks not having my truck!!!

 

[60wag]

Hey, did you see my response to the "real time help needed" post? Any chance you have a pre '85 rear driveshaft in there? I think they are longer than the post '85 ones. My '84 rear shaft is 46" with 2 1/2" Ironman springs. You are using the same shaft that was in there with the stock springs? Usually a 2" lift will extend the shaft a bit. If it fit without bottoming out on the old springs, it ought to work with the new ones. On my springs, the center pin is about 23" from the frame pin and about 26" from the shackle. HTHs Oh and the Ubolts.... It'd be nice if they used the new ones but I'll bet they got lazy and didn't feel like cutting the new ones to length. That's the part of the job I hate most.