Looking real clean!!
I think the black "TRD" logos do look good on your ride. Luckily mine are practically brand new so trying add a little color to a gray cruiser. (Not installed yet).
What have you done to your 200 Series this week? (34 Viewers)
- Thread starter MScruiser
- Start date
-
- Tags
- 200 series
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
Looking real clean!!
I think the black "TRD" logos do look good on your ride. Luckily mine are practically brand new so trying add a little color to a gray cruiser. (Not installed yet).The morimoto fogs have been great so far great output spread, also the pics of the cheapo mudflaps
View attachment 1034180 View attachment 1034181 View attachment 1034182
Those LED back lights look good! Aftermarket, right?
After over 2 months of waiting, my Ironman Foam Cell Pros should be arriving today. According to MetalTech, I will be the first person to have them in the U.S.!
I will now begin the process of installing:
1. Foam Cell Pros with C- rated springs in the front and regular springs in the rear.
2. Ironman 15mm rear trim packer (both sides). This will created 15mm of additional rear lift.
3. SPC Control Arms
4. Slee Offroad KDSS arm relocation brackets (these things are surgically machined).
5. @aMiR904 's Diff Drop Kit
6. Timbren SES TORLC2 Bumpstops
7. TRD Rock Warrior Wheels (dark bronze)
8. 35x12.5x17 Nitto Trail Grapplers
I can't wait to see how it all turns out. I hope to be finished before Tuesday, so I can go first thing Monday morning and get my wheels/tires mounted and balanced.
Wish me luck.
MSCruiser, a few questions for you..
1. How is the KDSS arm relocation bracket help out? Had not seen anyone else with it, maybe I just missed it.
2. Link to the diff drop kit?
3. Similar to one,.. how are the Timbren SES TORLC2 bumpstops help?
MScruiser
obsessive-compulsive oppositional-defiant wise-ass
- Thread starter
- #724
1. The KDSS relocation bracket moves the swaybar forward approximately 1". This helps minimize swaybar/tire contact during turning.
2. https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/diff-drop-kit-group-buy.794876/
3. The Timbrens help to keep your fenders intact during articulation. The 35s will tend to hit. (Or so I have been told)
2. https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/diff-drop-kit-group-buy.794876/
3. The Timbrens help to keep your fenders intact during articulation. The 35s will tend to hit. (Or so I have been told)
1. The KDSS relocation bracket moves the swaybar forward approximately 1". This helps minimize swaybar/tire contact during turning.
2. https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/diff-drop-kit-group-buy.794876/
3. The Timbrens help to keep your fenders intact during articulation. The 35s will tend to hit. (Or so I have been told)
Thank you! I look foward to your feedback once you have the KDSS bracket and Timbrens installed.
Yes. They're the eagle eye brand that jzs international sell but you can find the same brand cheaper elsewhere, had them tied up with the brakes. There's also a thread on the oem fog lights install somewhere here.
MScruiser
obsessive-compulsive oppositional-defiant wise-ass
- Thread starter
- #727
Some people have been asking about the IronMan Foam Cell Pro lift, so I thought I would give my thoughts. Now keep in mind, I have only been driving with them for 2 days. I decided to write down my story/saga/rant, to same others time, pain, effort, and heartache in the future when doing an install. Now this is not brand specific. i.e. ANY brand of lift kit would have given me the same trouble. So, before you stop reading and move on to another post, realize that I am in no way saying that Ironman caused me heartache. My heartache came from my own ignorance, and inexperience.
I know this is long, and I don't expect everyone to read it in its entirety, but I hope others find it helpful.
Here is my saga:
The installation was much more difficult that I had originally thought it was going to be. I had figured it would take 4-5 hours. Wrong!!! It took 3 DAYS. Granted, I did it completely by myself and did it with the aid of 4 jackstands and a cheap 3 ton Harbor Freight jack, which was too short of course, so I had to use a 6x6x6 block to make up the loss.
The first thing you have to do whenever you do 200 series suspension work it open the KDSS valves with a 5mm allen key. To access to actuator, you really need to remove the cover panel along the right inside frame. Once I got the cover off, I tried to turn the screw. Nope. Nothing. Lightly tapped each screw and tried again. Nothing. Keep in mind if I strip one of these screws I can either forget about putting a lift on indefinitely, or I can pay to have the valve replaced, along with paying a specialized Toyota mechanic to re-pressurize the system. There are only a handful of mechanics in the country that can, and Toyota would have to send one. Think big $$$ here. That was not an option, so I tried a butane torch for a while. Nope, nothing. PB blaster comes next. Nope. More PB blaster. Nope. More PB blaster overnight. Nope. More PB blaster. Guess what? Nope again. By this time, I am extremely discouraged. Now, I heat it with the torch again, bang on the screws with a hammer, and say F*** It! I grab my 5mm and a socket extension (to use as a breaker bar) and really really put some force on it. Bingo. Tried the other screw/valve. Bingo!!! So, just keep the KDSS in mind when you are thinking of doing a 200 series lift.
Anyways, I immediately had trouble getting the steering arms loose from the hubs. The nuts were easy enough, but once they were off, the conical bolt would NOT even begin to budge. Hammer. Nope. Hammer again. Nope. Heat. Nope. I then went to Harbor Freight and bought a set of gear pullers. Try the first puller. I REALLY start cranking that $%^&@ down. Snap. Broken gear puller. Try the larger puller this time. Snap. Another broken puller. Try the PB blaster, and move on to the next bolt while this one soaks. This time it is the bolt that connects the upper control arm to the hub. Again, the nuts come off both sides of the truck easily. But again, the conical bolts would NOT separate from the hole they were fixed in. By this time, I am calling Chris Tolleson at 49 Tire, and asking how much he would charge for his shop to put the lift on. He tells me the price (which was a very reasonable and fair price I might add) and I immediately decide that I am going to HAVE to do it myself. Now I am getting real mad. I grab a 15lb sledge hammer and whack the hell out of each bolt. Bingo! But oh no; I have bent the threads on the bolts. F*** It, I'll deal with that later.
Time to remove the front factory struts. Easy peasy Japanesy. End of story.
Now its time to knock out the factory upper control arms. Holy crap are those bolts torqued!! Once the nut is off, I have to get the nearly foot long bolt out of the carrier. Open hood. No clearance at ALL. I remove some of the fender liner to get a better look. Yup; I am going to be moving some stuff around here for sure. First thing, the trim under the hood is removed. Next, the battery is removed. Next coolant lines and power lines are all un-clipped from their respected holders. After some wrestling, I get both bolts off of both sides. Put all the trim back on, replace the battery, re-install wiring and hoses to their respected locations, etc.
Now its time to install the SPC UCAs. Basically, I do everything in the above paragraph but in reverse. Not necessarily hard, but time consuming and very difficult with big hands.
Now its time for the Slee KDSS brackets. Did I mention that Slee has not released instructions yet? Well, they haven't as they had just started offering the brackets for sale. Whatever, I'll be a guinea pig. Just get me in 35s dammit! Now, I have to crawl under the truck and remove all the plastic trim from the underside. After that is done, 3 (that's right, three) skid plates have to be removed. Hit the stabilizer bolts with PB blaster and get the horseshoe brackets off no problem. Its time to install the Slee brackets. "I'll just put these here and bolt these down. Not much could go wrong here!!" NOPE!!! The factory frame welds are too thick and the brackets will not bolt snugly/flush to the frame. Time to hump my angle grinder into a very tight place and grind down the welds. After they are ground, the spots are hit with some undercoating paint. Now Slee said to just bend the stabilizer bar forward a bit (after installing the new brackets) and the OE horeshoe brackets will bolt right on. BULL%@#%!! I tried everything. Prying. Strap wrench. Prayer. Nothing could get that stabilizer remotely close to the new mounting holes. I call Slee (talking to Amory on a Saturday I might add and he is doing his best to lead me through the process without any luck). I say F*** It again, and move on. Its now time to get my new struts in.
I figured that would slide right in. Nope. Of course, nope. They are just a little bit longer than stock. I stand on the lower control arm to get more clearance. Nope again. I try this for about an hour. Realize that I have to unbolt all of the brake line and ABS line brackets. Nope again. Closer this time, but no cigar. I grab my angle grinder again, and cut about 1/8" off of the lower control arm bracket. This time, I really give it my all-- "THIS IS SPARTA!!!" and get the %#@$% in place. Do the same thing on the other side and I am finally through.
Bolt the UCA to the hub support without any problems. Now its time to bolt the steering arm back up to the hub. Remember those banged up threads from earlier? Yeah, this is where they raise their ugly heads. I TRY to get the bolts started for about 30 minutes. Hooray I did it. Wait, nope, that is just cross-threaded. Doh! Time for the angle grinder again. I carefully smooth out the tops of the threads that I jacked up earlier. An hour and a lot of prayers later, I have the bolt nearly seated and torqued (notice I said nearly). I can't get it fully seated. The bolt is spinning (as it is designed to do) inside of the greased fitting. Unfortunately there is NOTHING to grab on to to properly torque the bolt. Try my last gear puller. SNAP. Now its time to get creative. I take the jack and put my wood block underneath the bolt on the steering arm and put a ton of weight on it. Not enough to hurt anything, but easily 300-400 lbs of the truck is resting on that bolt. Try torquing it again. I get closer, but I am still not there. I then bring out the pneumatic impact wrench, and wrench the heck out of it. BRRRRRRRRR-BRRRRR-BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Finally, I get it where I want it. Do the same process on the other side.
I am now done with the front install (minus the disconnected KDSS/stabilizer arm fiasco).
The rear struts are easy enough to take out. Oh, minus the super hard to get to 22mm strut nut that can only be accessed with a long wrench between the frame and the inner fender metal. You have to move the bolt ever so slightly, remove the wrench, flip the wrench, and do it over and over and over again. I counted it. 84 times. 84 times you have to do that!! ON EACH SIDE.
Then its time to disconnect the rear KDSS arm. Easy. Done. Next.
Now to drop the rear axle and remove the springs. Nope. Axle needs to come lower. Remove diff breather tube bracket. Now the springs come out. It was at this point that I realized that the Ironman 80 Series Trim Packer will NOT fit outside of the OE bump stops. I decide I say F*** It again, and forget about the 15mm trim packer.
Now to remove the rear struts. Easy. Done. Next.
Pop on the new rear struts and springs. Easy, besides the fact that you have to to the reverse above 84 times (on each side).
Time to install the Timbren Bumpstops. All is going to plan, when they start making contact with the rear coils. I have to take the bump stops off, and adjust the bumper position (choose the position closest to the tire!!). Man those things are close.
Throw my 295/65/R18 Duratracs on and call it a day (or a couple of days). For all practical purposes, I am done with the lift minus the Slee KDSS relocation bracket.
To make a long story short, I got my car on a lift (at 49 Tire in Richland, MS) the next morning, and with the help of 3 (yes THREE) grown men, a 36" prybar, a jackstand, and a ratcheting tie-down strap, we FINALLY get the front stabilizer far enough forward to bolt into the new bracket.
I get my tires put on (Trail Grappler 35x12.5xR17) my TRD Rock Warriors. Get aligned (and of course, road force balanced) and drive off into the sunset. Blip-blip-blip-blip. My tires are rubbing on the inner fender liner big time. Drive home, pull tires, and whip out the oscillating saw. Carefully remove about 8 inches of liner on each side. Try turning again. This time, almost no rubbing. Whip out the saw again. This time I have to take off the about 1 inch of plastic off the back side of the piece of trim that sits between the door sill and the running board (whatever that is called). I try again. BINGO. NO-MORE-RUBS!!!
The End.
Now that all the work is finished I can confidently say that.....
IT WAS WORTH IT!!
I loved the way it drives and handles. No major loss in power. The Nittos only hum slightly more than my Duratracs. I can't wait to take it offroad and see what it is really capable of.
I know this is long, and I don't expect everyone to read it in its entirety, but I hope others find it helpful.
Here is my saga:
The installation was much more difficult that I had originally thought it was going to be. I had figured it would take 4-5 hours. Wrong!!! It took 3 DAYS. Granted, I did it completely by myself and did it with the aid of 4 jackstands and a cheap 3 ton Harbor Freight jack, which was too short of course, so I had to use a 6x6x6 block to make up the loss.
The first thing you have to do whenever you do 200 series suspension work it open the KDSS valves with a 5mm allen key. To access to actuator, you really need to remove the cover panel along the right inside frame. Once I got the cover off, I tried to turn the screw. Nope. Nothing. Lightly tapped each screw and tried again. Nothing. Keep in mind if I strip one of these screws I can either forget about putting a lift on indefinitely, or I can pay to have the valve replaced, along with paying a specialized Toyota mechanic to re-pressurize the system. There are only a handful of mechanics in the country that can, and Toyota would have to send one. Think big $$$ here. That was not an option, so I tried a butane torch for a while. Nope, nothing. PB blaster comes next. Nope. More PB blaster. Nope. More PB blaster overnight. Nope. More PB blaster. Guess what? Nope again. By this time, I am extremely discouraged. Now, I heat it with the torch again, bang on the screws with a hammer, and say F*** It! I grab my 5mm and a socket extension (to use as a breaker bar) and really really put some force on it. Bingo. Tried the other screw/valve. Bingo!!! So, just keep the KDSS in mind when you are thinking of doing a 200 series lift.
Anyways, I immediately had trouble getting the steering arms loose from the hubs. The nuts were easy enough, but once they were off, the conical bolt would NOT even begin to budge. Hammer. Nope. Hammer again. Nope. Heat. Nope. I then went to Harbor Freight and bought a set of gear pullers. Try the first puller. I REALLY start cranking that $%^&@ down. Snap. Broken gear puller. Try the larger puller this time. Snap. Another broken puller. Try the PB blaster, and move on to the next bolt while this one soaks. This time it is the bolt that connects the upper control arm to the hub. Again, the nuts come off both sides of the truck easily. But again, the conical bolts would NOT separate from the hole they were fixed in. By this time, I am calling Chris Tolleson at 49 Tire, and asking how much he would charge for his shop to put the lift on. He tells me the price (which was a very reasonable and fair price I might add) and I immediately decide that I am going to HAVE to do it myself. Now I am getting real mad. I grab a 15lb sledge hammer and whack the hell out of each bolt. Bingo! But oh no; I have bent the threads on the bolts. F*** It, I'll deal with that later.
Time to remove the front factory struts. Easy peasy Japanesy. End of story.
Now its time to knock out the factory upper control arms. Holy crap are those bolts torqued!! Once the nut is off, I have to get the nearly foot long bolt out of the carrier. Open hood. No clearance at ALL. I remove some of the fender liner to get a better look. Yup; I am going to be moving some stuff around here for sure. First thing, the trim under the hood is removed. Next, the battery is removed. Next coolant lines and power lines are all un-clipped from their respected holders. After some wrestling, I get both bolts off of both sides. Put all the trim back on, replace the battery, re-install wiring and hoses to their respected locations, etc.
Now its time to install the SPC UCAs. Basically, I do everything in the above paragraph but in reverse. Not necessarily hard, but time consuming and very difficult with big hands.
Now its time for the Slee KDSS brackets. Did I mention that Slee has not released instructions yet? Well, they haven't as they had just started offering the brackets for sale. Whatever, I'll be a guinea pig. Just get me in 35s dammit! Now, I have to crawl under the truck and remove all the plastic trim from the underside. After that is done, 3 (that's right, three) skid plates have to be removed. Hit the stabilizer bolts with PB blaster and get the horseshoe brackets off no problem. Its time to install the Slee brackets. "I'll just put these here and bolt these down. Not much could go wrong here!!" NOPE!!! The factory frame welds are too thick and the brackets will not bolt snugly/flush to the frame. Time to hump my angle grinder into a very tight place and grind down the welds. After they are ground, the spots are hit with some undercoating paint. Now Slee said to just bend the stabilizer bar forward a bit (after installing the new brackets) and the OE horeshoe brackets will bolt right on. BULL%@#%!! I tried everything. Prying. Strap wrench. Prayer. Nothing could get that stabilizer remotely close to the new mounting holes. I call Slee (talking to Amory on a Saturday I might add and he is doing his best to lead me through the process without any luck). I say F*** It again, and move on. Its now time to get my new struts in.
I figured that would slide right in. Nope. Of course, nope. They are just a little bit longer than stock. I stand on the lower control arm to get more clearance. Nope again. I try this for about an hour. Realize that I have to unbolt all of the brake line and ABS line brackets. Nope again. Closer this time, but no cigar. I grab my angle grinder again, and cut about 1/8" off of the lower control arm bracket. This time, I really give it my all-- "THIS IS SPARTA!!!" and get the %#@$% in place. Do the same thing on the other side and I am finally through.
Bolt the UCA to the hub support without any problems. Now its time to bolt the steering arm back up to the hub. Remember those banged up threads from earlier? Yeah, this is where they raise their ugly heads. I TRY to get the bolts started for about 30 minutes. Hooray I did it. Wait, nope, that is just cross-threaded. Doh! Time for the angle grinder again. I carefully smooth out the tops of the threads that I jacked up earlier. An hour and a lot of prayers later, I have the bolt nearly seated and torqued (notice I said nearly). I can't get it fully seated. The bolt is spinning (as it is designed to do) inside of the greased fitting. Unfortunately there is NOTHING to grab on to to properly torque the bolt. Try my last gear puller. SNAP. Now its time to get creative. I take the jack and put my wood block underneath the bolt on the steering arm and put a ton of weight on it. Not enough to hurt anything, but easily 300-400 lbs of the truck is resting on that bolt. Try torquing it again. I get closer, but I am still not there. I then bring out the pneumatic impact wrench, and wrench the heck out of it. BRRRRRRRRR-BRRRRR-BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Finally, I get it where I want it. Do the same process on the other side.
I am now done with the front install (minus the disconnected KDSS/stabilizer arm fiasco).
The rear struts are easy enough to take out. Oh, minus the super hard to get to 22mm strut nut that can only be accessed with a long wrench between the frame and the inner fender metal. You have to move the bolt ever so slightly, remove the wrench, flip the wrench, and do it over and over and over again. I counted it. 84 times. 84 times you have to do that!! ON EACH SIDE.
Then its time to disconnect the rear KDSS arm. Easy. Done. Next.
Now to drop the rear axle and remove the springs. Nope. Axle needs to come lower. Remove diff breather tube bracket. Now the springs come out. It was at this point that I realized that the Ironman 80 Series Trim Packer will NOT fit outside of the OE bump stops. I decide I say F*** It again, and forget about the 15mm trim packer.
Now to remove the rear struts. Easy. Done. Next.
Pop on the new rear struts and springs. Easy, besides the fact that you have to to the reverse above 84 times (on each side).
Time to install the Timbren Bumpstops. All is going to plan, when they start making contact with the rear coils. I have to take the bump stops off, and adjust the bumper position (choose the position closest to the tire!!). Man those things are close.
Throw my 295/65/R18 Duratracs on and call it a day (or a couple of days). For all practical purposes, I am done with the lift minus the Slee KDSS relocation bracket.
To make a long story short, I got my car on a lift (at 49 Tire in Richland, MS) the next morning, and with the help of 3 (yes THREE) grown men, a 36" prybar, a jackstand, and a ratcheting tie-down strap, we FINALLY get the front stabilizer far enough forward to bolt into the new bracket.
I get my tires put on (Trail Grappler 35x12.5xR17) my TRD Rock Warriors. Get aligned (and of course, road force balanced) and drive off into the sunset. Blip-blip-blip-blip. My tires are rubbing on the inner fender liner big time. Drive home, pull tires, and whip out the oscillating saw. Carefully remove about 8 inches of liner on each side. Try turning again. This time, almost no rubbing. Whip out the saw again. This time I have to take off the about 1 inch of plastic off the back side of the piece of trim that sits between the door sill and the running board (whatever that is called). I try again. BINGO. NO-MORE-RUBS!!!
The End.
Now that all the work is finished I can confidently say that.....
IT WAS WORTH IT!!
I loved the way it drives and handles. No major loss in power. The Nittos only hum slightly more than my Duratracs. I can't wait to take it offroad and see what it is really capable of.
Last edited:
Holy S man, wow, wow, wow.... I've that is a ton of work, but look at that rig, so damn sweet!!! My 15 year old daughter said your rig looks better than mine...... dammit I need some 35's ASAP!!! I also laughed when I read your ordeal, ups, downs and all arounds, but at the end of teh day you got it done and you proly learned a ton, and maybe you will save some other mudders some headaches... thanks for sharing!
hey thanks so much for writing this; I am no mechanic and have done my brakes on a 100 series plus some other mild stuff; this should be posted for everyone that says "hey Mr mechanic just throw this lift on for me and I'll give you 5 bucks. Its a lot of work!!!!!!!! plus your vehicle is fairly new some probably no rust issues. Imagine taking some of those bolts off that are rusted on LOL. Great job!! wish I could see your vehicle in person post more pics
hey I asked keratin this but MScruiser can you measure the total height of the vehicle from floor to top of roof rack> thanks
Like I said in another post, Toyota had to replace me KDSS main valve after my installation as I couldn't adjust the system. They were completely frozen.
At first they blamed the lift.
I asked the dealer to do a KDSS equalization procedure (at my expense) and then they came back and said couldn't because the valves were stuck. Bingo so now fix that under warranty.
I applied marine grease on the new valves and try to cycles them once or twice a year on even ground to keep them from freezing again.
The Radflo install was a bit<h because they were longer than stock. KONIS were easy Japanesee. (I like that, going to use that now on).
I found one of he toughest things to put back together was the rollbar endlinks. Lining the bolts up with the LCA was a bear.
The rear shocks are much easier with a ratcheting wrench. I think I mentioned this in my Radflo install.
It would be great if we could all put our collective info together in a sticky install thread. Do a google doc first to make it comprehensive and not pieced together in 45 threads.
I'm taking it all apart in the spring for a rebuild to try and find a rattle. I'll document everything again.
At first they blamed the lift.
I asked the dealer to do a KDSS equalization procedure (at my expense) and then they came back and said couldn't because the valves were stuck. Bingo so now fix that under warranty.
I applied marine grease on the new valves and try to cycles them once or twice a year on even ground to keep them from freezing again.
The Radflo install was a bit<h because they were longer than stock. KONIS were easy Japanesee. (I like that, going to use that now on).
I found one of he toughest things to put back together was the rollbar endlinks. Lining the bolts up with the LCA was a bear.
The rear shocks are much easier with a ratcheting wrench. I think I mentioned this in my Radflo install.
It would be great if we could all put our collective info together in a sticky install thread. Do a google doc first to make it comprehensive and not pieced together in 45 threads.
I'm taking it all apart in the spring for a rebuild to try and find a rattle. I'll document everything again.
MScruiser
obsessive-compulsive oppositional-defiant wise-ass
- Thread starter
- #735
Thanks!
Another member posted in my build thread that in order to not damage the threads like I did, I could reverse the castle nut and get it on the top 4-5 threads and then hit the nut instead of the bolt itself.
He also added that you can get more clearance for the front struts by disconnecting the hub assembly from the LCA.
Agree though, a sticky would be helpful for those doing a lift.
As to the KDSS: I am soaking mine in PB Blaster still to make sure there is NO rust. I am then going to SMOTHER both screws with tons of axle grease to keep moisture off of them. I do agree that periodically loosening/tightening the screws would prevent any other problems in the future.
Another member posted in my build thread that in order to not damage the threads like I did, I could reverse the castle nut and get it on the top 4-5 threads and then hit the nut instead of the bolt itself.
He also added that you can get more clearance for the front struts by disconnecting the hub assembly from the LCA.
Agree though, a sticky would be helpful for those doing a lift.
As to the KDSS: I am soaking mine in PB Blaster still to make sure there is NO rust. I am then going to SMOTHER both screws with tons of axle grease to keep moisture off of them. I do agree that periodically loosening/tightening the screws would prevent any other problems in the future.
Last edited:
When I put my airbags in the rear, I used a coil spring compressor before jacking up the rear. It helped a lot. My KDSS valves were stuck as well. I used a socket and some finesse and it broke loose. I was really worried it would strip or need replacing, but got lucky.
MScruiser: I had similar issues when trying to install my 1/2" top out spacers up front except my KDSS was fine (local AL truck).
I tried the trick of putting the bottle jack on top of the upper control arm and forcing the assembly down. No dice, not enough travel.
I finally figured out that you loosen the upper ball joint and put the bottle jack on the lower arm to force it down. Only way I could get the lower arm to droop enough to install the front coil packs.
With longer coil packs, I bet it's a beast to accomplish. For that, you'd definitely need to fully separate the upper ball joint.
Here's pics.
I tried the trick of putting the bottle jack on top of the upper control arm and forcing the assembly down. No dice, not enough travel.
I finally figured out that you loosen the upper ball joint and put the bottle jack on the lower arm to force it down. Only way I could get the lower arm to droop enough to install the front coil packs.
With longer coil packs, I bet it's a beast to accomplish. For that, you'd definitely need to fully separate the upper ball joint.
Here's pics.
Atwalz
Civil Engineer
Another tip is to slightly loosen the lower control arm bolts at frame. This releases the stiffness in the bushing and makes it easier to install a longer coil-over without struggling with it. Sway bar/kdss end links at LCA needs to be disconnected as well. Long pipe comes in handy to loosen them. if you go air gun that's even better. I have taken the front end of Tundra apart many times. I can do this in fairly easily now. It is a good work out due the high torque numbers on some of bolts such as steering knuckle, LCA, and UCA. I too laughed after reading your post and struggles you went thru to install the lift. It's all worth it. Now take it off road and show us more pics.
Atwalz
Civil Engineer
And it does not look safe.
MScruiser: I had similar issues when trying to install my 1/2" top out spacers up front except my KDSS was fine (local AL truck).
I tried the trick of putting the bottle jack on top of the upper control arm and forcing the assembly down. No dice, not enough travel.
I finally figured out that you loosen the upper ball joint and put the bottle jack on the lower arm to force it down. Only way I could get the lower arm to droop enough to install the front coil packs.
With longer coil packs, I bet it's a beast to accomplish. For that, you'd definitely need to fully separate the upper ball joint.
Here's pics.
Wow....I'd blame Obama for half that crap. Kudos to you for staying with it.
