Rear coil spacer install procedure confirmation/questions (1 Viewer)

[kcjaz]

Planning on installing my 30 mm spacers I got from Trail Tailor on my OME BP-51 rear suspension. Looks straight forward enough but I wanted to get any advice and confirmation of what I believe the steps are:

1. With truck on level surface, back out the KDSS screws 3 turns to equalize pressure in KDSS system.
2. Jack up rear of truck high enough to allow the rear axle to drop all the way down without the tires. Chock front tires.
3. Set lifted truck on jack stands placed under frame rails on both sides.
4. Use floor jack to lift axle up on first side to compress the shock (not sure how much is needed) to get tension off of the bottom shock mount bolt.
5. Remove bottom shock mount bolt and disconnect the shock from bottom axle mount.
6. Lower the axle with the floor jack and remove rear spring and conical bump stop/ isolator. From a video I saw, it look s like the axle should drop enough for easy spring removal with maybe some pushing down on the axle.
7. Put 30 mm spacer on top of spring and conical bump stop (making sure that the wear mark on the isolator lines up with the tail end of the coil) and reinstall. Beveled side of spacer up, see below.
8. Lift axle to compress and seat the spring.
9. Grease lower shock mount re-attach the shock to the bottom shock mount. Put anti-seize on the bolt threads and install lower shock mount bolt (torque value??)
10. Repeat 4 through 9 on other side.
11. Reinstall tires and lower truck off jack stands.
12. Tighten KDSS valve hex screws.
13. Drink a beer.

Did I miss anything? Is there anything else I will need to loosen like a brake cable clip or something?

Below are pic of the spacers. I'm sure it will be obvious when I get the first spring out, but I want to make sure I put the spacer in correctly as in which side is up. I am assuming the "beveled" side goes up into the pocket and the side with the lip goes "down" on top of the spring. Correct?

Another question is how high will I have to lift the truck? I'm pretty sure my current jack stands are not going to cut it. How tall of jack stands do I need?

"lip" side goes on top of spring??

"Bevel" side goes "up" into pocket??

 

[TexAZ]

Spacer goes on top.
You can remove the passenger (US) side sway bar linkage to allow the right side axle to drop low enough. Use a floor jack to push it back up into position when installing.
Keep an eye on the breather vent tube. If you drop the axle too much it will pull off the fitting.

After you get the truck on jackstands slowly lift one side of the axle, just to the point you see the shock start to compress. Then back off a hair. This should be the point where there is no tension on the shock bolt. If you still have stock shocks, spray them with liquid wrench the day before. The rubber bushings will be stuck like chuck.

 

[Mogwai]

And be prepared for a PIA on the passenger side, you'll prob need a second set of hands to stand on the rotor to get that side down far enough you can squeeze that bad boy over the shock. It's not a hard process but for whatever reason that passenger side was harder than driver. And I only installed 20mm!! Also, you ma find step 13 may or may not be out of order for you!

 

[kcjaz]

Yep, I'll probably start with #13.

Did you have to disconnect the rear stabilizer bar linkage? The FM shows this and TexAZ mentions it above. I watched a video of a guy doing this and he did have to disconnect the link. I guess I'll find out by trying.

 

[Mogwai]

I did not completely disconnect but I did loosen. I did disconnect when I first installed new springs back there, prob makes it easier.

 

[LandLocked93]

Was disconnecting the driveshaft or upper ca's not a thing either?
Have a pair to install and this appears to be the only thread out there dealing with it.
I mean, it's straightforward... just looking for the 'expedited, 1-hour apartment complex parking lot' instructions.

 

[UPR LC]

Yep, I'll probably start with #13.

Did you have to disconnect the rear stabilizer bar linkage? The FM shows this and TexAZ mentions it above. I watched a video of a guy doing this and he did have to disconnect the link. I guess I'll find out by trying.

I fully disconnected the sway bar link. Put a jack under the KDSS arm on the driver side, otherwise it will invert on you (not a big deal but easier if it doesn't).

 

[UPR LC]

Another couple of key points:

- Put a small jack under the KDSS swaybar arm on the driver side before you loosen/remove the passenger side swaybar link so the KDSS arm doesn't invert. If it does invert, you can use a jack to get it back in place.
- Rear shock lower bolts you may want to use blue lok-tite, as the bolts can loosen over time. rear lower bolt torque is 72 ft-lb
- Loosen rear panhard bar bolts to allow more droop, retighten when suspension is loaded with weight so bushings don't bind. torque is 111 ft-lb
- Remove rear e-brake cable tabs to allow more droop
- Remove bolt holding rear brake lines to rear axle to allow more droop without binding lines
- Someone will need to stand on the axle on the passenger side to get it to droop enough
- Replace bolts that you removed for brake lines, etc.

 

[RET2]

Another couple of key points:

- Put a small jack under the KDSS swaybar arm on the driver side before you loosen/remove the passenger side swaybar link so the KDSS arm doesn't invert. If it does invert, you can use a jack to get it back in place.
- Rear shock lower bolts you may want to use blue lok-tite, as the bolts can loosen over time. rear lower bolt torque is 72 ft-lb
- Loosen rear panhard bar bolts to allow more droop, retighten when suspension is loaded with weight so bushings don't bind. torque is 111 ft-lb
- Remove rear e-brake cable tabs to allow more droop
- Remove bolt holding rear brake lines to rear axle to allow more droop without binding lines
- Someone will need to stand on the axle on the passenger side to get it to droop enough

Would a jack under the drivers side negate the need for someone to stand on passenger side?

 

[kcjaz]

Was disconnecting the driveshaft or upper ca's not a thing either?
Have a pair to install and this appears to be the only thread out there dealing with it.
I mean, it's straightforward... just looking for the 'expedited, 1-hour apartment complex parking lot' instructions.

No, didn’t have to disconnect CA or drive shaft. Passenger side is much harder. You do need to watch the diff breather tube so you don’t pull it off as you push the axle down. It’s a good idea to disconnect it first. I don’t recall removing break line brackets but IIRC, it got tight. I did not do anything to panhard. I did have to disconnect sway bar linkage on passenger side. Use a separate jack under the sway bar linkage to raise and lower it. I think I have some pics. I’ll look.

 

[UPR LC]

Would a jack under the drivers side negate the need for someone to stand on passenger side?

No. The jack is just to keep the KDSS ram from extending and inverting the swaybar arm on the driver side. Once you install a jack under the driver's swaybar arm and you disconnect the passenger side swaybar link, then the passenger side of the axle has the ability to droop more.

Once you get to the point of dropping the passenger side of the axle, you will see what we are talking about, it is like a spring board, it does not like to be lower. I have a feeling it is due mostly to the suspension bushings, as the stock bushings are rubber and do not rotate free like a heim joint, so they have "memory". It is the same issue as the front suspension, you have to loosen the lower control arm frame bolts so the bushings can rotate freely in order to get the arms to drop enough in the front suspension.

That is why loosening the rear panhard bar bolts can help droop the passenger rear because it allows the bushings to rotate freely. The panhard bar is mounted to the passenger side of the axle and causes extra resistance to droop.

 

[kcjaz]

Would a jack under the drivers side negate the need for someone to stand on passenger side?

Maybe with the driver side spring out but with the spring pushing up on the drivers side just lifts the truck. I had the frame on stands and 2 floor jacks supporting the axle plus a bottle jack on the sway bar linkage. Needs a second pair of hands to push passenger side down.