MNGX Build and Misc Musings (1 Viewer)

[joabmc]

Line it up and use a pry bar for leverage. Long screwdriver will to the trick as well.
If you think that’s bad, try long travel!

 

[MNGX]

Haha, ok, I will mash on it real good. I only have 170 lbs of cowbell, 175 if I'm honest. The other thing I was going to try is to disconnect the LCA ball joint. I guess that would just change where I would need leverage.

Thanks!

 

[MNGX]

Good lord, people. I have a bottle jack in there, LCA seems to be as low as it can possibly go and I'm easily a half-inch away from getting seated much less then getting the bolt hole lined up. I'm gonna drop the LCA. I would love to see someone do this without doing that just to prove it can be done!

 

[joabmc]

Good lord, people. I have a bottle jack in there, LCA seems to be as low as it can possibly go and I'm easily a half-inch away from getting seated much less then getting the bolt hole lined up. I'm gonna drop the LCA. I would love to see someone do this without doing that just to prove it can be done!

Yes, disconnect LCA balljoint! Life is much easier this way. Also make sure you are careful with the wheel speed sensors when disconnecting.

 

[MNGX]

Well! All done, feels really good on the road. Second side was a breeze with the LCA disconnected. But it's pretty noisy, like shoes in a dryer tumbling noisy, over potholes. I torqued everything to spec...sway bar links seem solid, at least. Wonder what it is. Just the new geometry making something else rub? I'm on the 3rd ring, which should be under 2". I guess I'll let it settle in and keep an ear on it.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[MNGX]

Spring is awesome.

Thought I'd do a quick write-up of my spring conversion. To go with the 6112s I went with progressive rate Dobinson's 675vs with 701s.

I've been driving with the Bilstein's on the front and stock bags in the rear. It wasn't so bad but the front felt high and one bag seemed to have developed a slow, intermittent leak. It was odd, sometimes it was fine and sometimes completely deflated for no reason.

Before:



Pull the wheel; happily still minimal rust after the winter. Fluid Film works.



Disconnect the two shock bolts you wisely PB Blasted last night:




Here's the saggy bag:



cont'd...

 

[MNGX]

Remove the bracket at the top of the bag. Loop a coat hanger through the little hole you see there on the left end of the bracket and pull it out. Works great.



Cut the air hose and pull the bag out.



Disconnect the bracket that holds the brake line. 12mm. I didn't want to do this, so I didn't, and then I had to later anyway. Don't be like me, just do it. You can see the bracket just to the right of the rotor in the airbag picture above.

Disconnect the sway bar end link you wisely PB Blasted last night:



Disconnect the shock controller wire by pushing in on the little pin with a screwdriver. Pull the shock out. Use a mallet, man.

 

[MNGX]

Now that you have everything removed, you could do what the instructions MetalTech sent you say to do and install the spring cup and locator, like so:



Couple things, though. One, it's not obvious what the bolt for the locator is actually supposed to bolt to. Best I could figure you're just supposed to angle the bolt into the hole in the axle plate, but it's really just barely the right size to serve as an anchor.

Also, if you install the locator before the spring itself, you need an extra 2" clearance over the 19" spring length.



There's just not that much give in the axle. I'm sure you could install a stock length spring just fine, but not this one.

In this case the best option is to:

1) Set the spring first
2) Fit the spring seat underneath
3) Set the bolt head in the hole in the axle plate
4) Squeeze the locator through the spring
5) Finagle it all together. Enjoy this part.

You will not want to take pictures of this process.

In order to set the spring without using a spring compressor, you have to make enough space. Put the bottle jack between the axle and the frame. This is where you would have realized you do indeed have to disconnect the brake line bracket to get enough clearance to set the spring.

You did it:

 

[MNGX]

Bolt up the new shock.




Do the other side, and you're all set.



Here are the height specs;

Stock condition:

Hi: 22"
N: 21"
L: 19.5"

After: 23"

Passenger side is actually 1/4" higher, but that should settle.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

I just re-read your build thread and I have some questions.

From the photo, it looks like you are on the 3rd setting from the bottom. Did you stay on this perch and what's your hub to fender measurement in the front?

I have the same 6112s fronts with the 600 lbs/in coils and I'm on the 5th setting from the bottom and I measure 22.5" on the DS and 22.75" on the passenger side. If I get the 650 lbs/in coils which reportely are 1/2" longer, then I'll have to set them on a lower perch to preserve my hub to fender height at around 22.5".

My rear with the airbag trick is about 1/8" shorter than the front. So, rear DS is 22.375" and PS is 22.625". Going with the C59-675V rear variable springs and MT conversion kit, I might get an additional 1/2" of lift using your number of 23" hub to fender in the rear.

 

[MNGX]

Yep, I stayed 3rd from the bottom. 20.5" passenger, 20.25" driver up front.

Doesn't the SSO kit give another 1/2 inch in lift?

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Yes, the sso conversion kit gives you an extra 1/2” lift and it comes with spacers to help with the drivers side lean, but I don’t want more lift. Im happy with a level stance at around 22.5” hub to fender all around.

I think the factory rake was about an 1”

 

[James C]

Well! All done, feels really good on the road. Second side was a breeze with the LCA disconnected. But it's pretty noisy, like shoes in a dryer tumbling noisy, over potholes. I torqued everything to spec...sway bar links seem solid, at least. Wonder what it is. Just the new geometry making something else rub? I'm on the 3rd ring, which should be under 2". I guess I'll let it settle in and keep an ear on it.

Thanks for the advice.

Did the noise from the front ever go away?

 

[MNGX]

It did - retorqued everything. I think it was the sway bar.