Rear Coil Spacer Questions

[Remo]

I've heard people say you can mount the spacer on top or bottom of the spring.

That being the case, has anyone installed two spacers on one spring? Meaning one on the top and one on the bottom?

Reason I ask is Daystar 1" spacers are less than half the price of the 2" spacers.

Maybe this is a dumb question, but let me know your thoughts, guys. Thanks!

 

[Thermo]

Remo, I would be a little leary of putting a spacer on the bottom if it is made from a hard plastic. My justification for this is the fact that plastic is much more slippery than metal. Wtih that being said, the ability to have a spacer slip would be more. I know I fight my coils with no spacers with my lifted truck. If I go out 4x4ing and push the truck to its limits and max out the suspension, I unload my rear coils and they will shift slightly, resulting in a squeak. Putting them back into place is easy enough. But, I know that I reach a point where the spring is just kinda floating in place.

Not that I have heard anyone having issues, I just take a critical look at all things that I install on trucks and try to find the best way to mount things and reasons why I may not want to do it a certain way. Besides, I think having the spacer on the top of the spring would visually be better since people will think you spent the money on a lift vice just adding in spacers.

 

[Remo]

Thanks for the response, Thermo. Other than aesthetics, is top or bottom mounting better? Which do you think is safer? Which is easier to install?

 

[Thermo]

Remo, installing on the bottom is easier, but like I said, do you want something that is slippery on the bottom of the spring when you are relying on it to support the weight of the vehicle? If I have a choice, I will go with top mount every time. To install the spacers, remove the bottom bolt from your rear shocks. Lift the rear of the truck up by the frame to get the springs unloaded by about 1" more than the size of the spacer. Pull the springs out, add the spacer to the top, slide the springs back in, lower the truck down on to the springs. Install the new longer shocks to account for the spacer. Running the factory shocks can result in damage to the shocks as they are what limit the travel of the rear suspension. If you have too short of springs, they are going to bottom out a lot and can lead to complete failure of the shocks.

 

[Lane24]

I have metal spacers, and they are on the bottom. No problems.

 

[fiveohpoepoe]

On the 4 1st gen. I have lifted, I always put the spacers[rubber] on the bottom. Although I do not do any hard wheeling, I never had any problems. Go by what Thermo says, he has been there and done that.

 

[Remo]

Anybody have a decent write up or pics of an installation for the spacers? I'm just about to order them and want to put them in myself.

 

[GAINMOB]

What style are they? I had some in my wife care...adjustable...other than that you'll need to open the springs to get the spacers in

 

[GAINMOB]

why are you strying to add lift? do you have the rims on that are in your signature pic?

 

[ydopen]

Take the lower shock bolts out, jack up the rear, put the spacer on the spring, let the jack down and make sure the springs line up in the spring pocket, reinstall lower shock bolts.

 

[catmaster25]

yo

When I get my suspension lift can I put it in with my gear head cousin, or do I have to pay one of these shops almost a Grand to install the kit? Anyways just looking into to it, maybe check more than 1 post hahaaa...

 

[Thermo]

catmaster, I did the lift on my truck by myself. Granted, I did have access to a lift and a tranny jack. But, yes, you can do it in your driveway. I have done a few kits that way. the hard part is going to be supporting the front differential as you are putting the drop brackets in. But, once you figure that out, the rest is pretty easy.

The other item that I will tell you that will be a PITA is the upper bolt on the driver's side for the control arms. When Ford built the trucks, the gas tank was not installed. So, the bolts got put in with the head of the bolt to the inside of the truck. Well, to put in the drop brackets to lower the arms, you need to pull this bolt out. You have 2 options. You can 1) drop the fuel tank to make room, or 2) cut the head of the bolt off, pull the shaft of the bolt out from the outside of the truck and then install the new bolt with the head of the bolt facing towards the outside of the truck.

I would also recommend the few days before doing the lift, crawling under the truck and squirting all the bolts for the suspension that you can find with some PB Blaster or other rust removing solution. Do not forget to spray the ends of the torsion bars too. TRUST ME!!!! This will save a lot of time, especially if you have driven the truck in an area where they put salt on the road.