Installing lift kit, but it won't fit!?

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OverlandExpy

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Hey everyone, here's the situation. So I got the Rancho quick lift struts and a 2inch supreme suspension lift kit on top of that for a total of 2.75 inches in the rear and 3 inches in the front more than OEM coilovers. Right now I am working on the front right one, and I cannot for the life of me get it to fit in. I was able to mount the top and bottom of the strut, but to get the bottom strut mount to fit into the lower control arm, I had to separate the ball joint from the hub/knuckle. After putting the lower strut mount bolt in, the ball joint will just NOT go into the knuckle. I tried lowering the truck on the lift onto a jack on the LCA to push it up while pulling down on the upper control arm, but the closest I could get the ball joint was about 2mm short. It seems like the bottom of the cv where it meets the hub keeps hitting the LCA and the ball joint bolt will just not go in. The grease nipple for the ball joint was getting in the way and I was alllmost able to get in after removing it, but couldn't quite get it in. I attached a few pictures of it here. You can see the grease marks from the LCA on the bottom of the outside of the cv in the second picture, that's where the issue is. I tried rotating the hub around and tried to reattach from different angles, but full lock to the right seems to be the only way it may even possibly work. Got fed up with it tonight and called it quits for the day, but the only thing I can think of would be to remove the bottom strut mount bolt, reattach the ball joint, then try to use a prybar to get the lower strut mount back in. But I just don't think there's anyway I can compress the strut that much, even dialing it to its softest setting.

I've seen plenty of people running 3"+ lifts here, can anyone who installed theirs let me know how you got them in? Thanks in advance!!!

mjNvlrs.jpg SCJudc3.jpg
 

Hamfisted

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Honestly I see almost everybody detaching the upper ball joint and leaving the lower one in place. Was there some other instruction included with the strut package that told you to remove the lower ball joint ? That's where all the load is. The upper one is just there to keep the spindle aligned, but carries no load and is easier to work with.
Looks like an awesome time to replace your front axle dust boots too !
 
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OverlandExpy

OverlandExpy

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The instructions for doing the airbag to coilover swap said that I'd only need to disconnect the tie rod, but that wasn't taking the 2 inch pucks on top of the coilovers I put on.

But I'll try disconnecting the upper ball joint instead of the LCA mounts. I already loosened it up a good bit, right now the nut is only hanging on by a few threads. May save me an alignment!

Yeah I definitely need to go over the whole truck to grease up all the zerk fittings and u joints and what not. On my list of things to do along with change the tyranny fuild and filter and potentially changing the diff fluid. I'm planning on getting new gears soon so it may not be worth changing it now.

Thanks for the suggestion though I'm on my way over there to start working on it now!
 
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OverlandExpy

OverlandExpy

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Status update:

Got the front suspension done tonight, just had to disconnect the upper ball joint (thanks @Hamfisted!) and with some persuasion from a pry bar and a floor jack under the LCA I was able to get it in. But I noticed the upper control arm hits the spring at full extension, anyone else have that problem?

Also started on the rears, but it seems like the brake line and abs loom are at their limits. Didn't want to push the rear LCAs any lower in case I'd rip the line, did anyone who put a 2-3" lift on the rears have any issue or have to extend their brake line?
 
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