I just finished my caster plate install and I think it pissed me off more than anything I've encountered yet on the cruiser, even counting the partial rebuild I recently finished.
I read the Slee instructions and also searched the forums and read probably 15 threads but I still was not able to get this figured out. I didn't take photos of the install process, but I figured I would post this to help a poor soul like myself who may have trouble and finds this thread in the future.
First, my setup is J springs with L shocks and 2" Metaltech spacers.
When you start, make sure the truck is of course supported properly and all that stuff. Here's my jack setup.
Jacked up the truck with 2 hydraulic jacks under the axle. Removed the front wheels and stuck them under my sliders with wooden planks. Placed 3 ton jack stands under the frame directly behind the FRONT control arm REAR mounting bracket. Then stuck an additional jack stand under a slider and stuck my hi-lift on the other slider. You can never be too careful.
Now at this point, I just followed the Slee instructions at the following link:
http://www.sleeoffroad.com/installation/FZJ80CasterPlate.pdf
After doing all the cutting/grinding of the axle bracket and trying to bolt everything up, the only bolt hole I could line up properly was the very front control arm bolt through the bottom hole of the caster plates.
I put those in and then tried every combination possible of jacking up the axle, trying to yank it around different directions without any luck. Here's where I got really frustrated and read the instructions over and over along with many forum threads.
***Here's what I ended up doing to make this work.***
So at this point, you should have the truck all jacked up and the axle brackets cut for the plates. The two front control arm bolts should be removed and the rear nut should be loosened (meaning the nut at the rear mounting location of the control arm where your jack stand is) per the Slee instructions.
First, I disconnected the sway bar and the bottom part of both shocks. This allows the axle to basically hang by the brake lines it seems, so be careful and make sure it's supported.
Then, I completely removed the bolt on the REAR of the control arm. This makes it so you can just take the whole control arm out. Make sure it doesn't fall on you.
Then I bolted up the control arm to the caster plates in the front. So, everything was bolted up except the rears of the control arms.
Then, on the driver side, I was able to push the control arm into position with my hands, while my dad tapped the bolt through.
On the passenger side, the holes didn't line up so nicely, so it required me pushing the axle with my legs while my dad tapped the bolt through with a mallet. Be careful not to kick the truck over of course, if it's possible. If you have a ratcheting strap, it would be really easy to pull the axle into place with it at this point, but oddly enough neither of us have one.
I dunno the best/easiest way to do this install, but from the threads I read, it seemed like no one had the heat generating frustrating time that we did. I hope someone finds this information helpful some day.
Now for a beer!
I read the Slee instructions and also searched the forums and read probably 15 threads but I still was not able to get this figured out. I didn't take photos of the install process, but I figured I would post this to help a poor soul like myself who may have trouble and finds this thread in the future.
First, my setup is J springs with L shocks and 2" Metaltech spacers.
When you start, make sure the truck is of course supported properly and all that stuff. Here's my jack setup.
Jacked up the truck with 2 hydraulic jacks under the axle. Removed the front wheels and stuck them under my sliders with wooden planks. Placed 3 ton jack stands under the frame directly behind the FRONT control arm REAR mounting bracket. Then stuck an additional jack stand under a slider and stuck my hi-lift on the other slider. You can never be too careful.
Now at this point, I just followed the Slee instructions at the following link:
http://www.sleeoffroad.com/installation/FZJ80CasterPlate.pdf
After doing all the cutting/grinding of the axle bracket and trying to bolt everything up, the only bolt hole I could line up properly was the very front control arm bolt through the bottom hole of the caster plates.
I put those in and then tried every combination possible of jacking up the axle, trying to yank it around different directions without any luck. Here's where I got really frustrated and read the instructions over and over along with many forum threads.
***Here's what I ended up doing to make this work.***
So at this point, you should have the truck all jacked up and the axle brackets cut for the plates. The two front control arm bolts should be removed and the rear nut should be loosened (meaning the nut at the rear mounting location of the control arm where your jack stand is) per the Slee instructions.
First, I disconnected the sway bar and the bottom part of both shocks. This allows the axle to basically hang by the brake lines it seems, so be careful and make sure it's supported.
Then, I completely removed the bolt on the REAR of the control arm. This makes it so you can just take the whole control arm out. Make sure it doesn't fall on you.
Then I bolted up the control arm to the caster plates in the front. So, everything was bolted up except the rears of the control arms.
Then, on the driver side, I was able to push the control arm into position with my hands, while my dad tapped the bolt through.
On the passenger side, the holes didn't line up so nicely, so it required me pushing the axle with my legs while my dad tapped the bolt through with a mallet. Be careful not to kick the truck over of course, if it's possible. If you have a ratcheting strap, it would be really easy to pull the axle into place with it at this point, but oddly enough neither of us have one.
I dunno the best/easiest way to do this install, but from the threads I read, it seemed like no one had the heat generating frustrating time that we did. I hope someone finds this information helpful some day.
Now for a beer!
