LR3 / Discovery 3 Coil Conversion +2" Question

[Swells667]

Trying to install my new AB HD+2 coil kit (went to Lucky8 who had the Dunlop kit pictured so I could avoid any AB bushing issues, but they sent me the AB kit...). Having issues with the rears going in, the top plates are not flat, they are canted 1/4"-3/8" pushing the bottom out and to the rear. Snugged up the top bolt to see where it would land, and tried to push the bottom in to place and the strut shaft starts to bend. The bottom plate also seems to be facing the opposite direction (as per AB video instruction). Sent message to Lucky8, but its Memorial Day so...

 

[Victory_Overland]

The spring perch will rotate around to whatever position you want them in but since the shocks and springs are completely assemble it's going to take some force to rotate the shock around with a loaded spring. Possible to loosen the spring perch nut a bit to get some more movement out of springs since this is not a pillow block (bearing top) the rotation is clamped down with the rubber bushing smashed in there. That position should be set before the perch nut is tightened down anyway so. When I do springs and struts, I never tighten that all the way down until I know I have the shock bottom eyelet and upper perch aligned.

I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU DO THIS WITH A SET OF SPRING COMPRESSORS SECURELY ATTACHED TO YOUR SPRINGS FIRST......BUT, IF YOU HAVE TO?

YOU HAVE TO BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL NOT TO LOOSEN THE NUT TOO MUCH AS THE SPRINGS ARE LOADED! KEEP AT LEAST 1/2 THREAD SHOWING SO YOU KNOW THE NUT HAS FULL GRIP STRENGTH.



Also, not sure if you did this already but disconnect your sway bars and loosen your control arm bushings to the frame; you will get more travel out of them to position the shocks. Retighten and torque them once the truck is on its wheels and normal riding position.

Hope that helps!

 

[Swells667]

@Victory_Overland Yes it does help, was hoping to not have to ******** around with any of this, but guess it's par for the course. So would it be good to toss some spring compressors on loosen top nut a bit mount it on the rig hand tight, then get the perch and eyelet lined up, tighten everything up and take off compressors? Did the sway bars, but will get those control arms loosened up, Thanx again.

 

[Victory_Overland]

@Victory_Overland Yes it does help, was hoping to not have to ******** around with any of this, but guess it's par for the course. So would it be good to toss some spring compressors on loosen top nut a bit mount it on the rig hand tight, then get the perch and eyelet lined up, tighten everything up and take off compressors? Did the sway bars, but will get those control arms loosened up, Thanx again.

Absolutely on the spring compressors; if they are available it's your safest bet. Not an issue if you have thread visible as the nut has full lockup but still going to be quite a bit of tension on the rubber compression at the perch mount.

If you have compressors, then you have free reign on safety; even with compressors I put straps around the springs for secondary safety measures as compressors are not always the safe bet either.

Loosen the control arms and sway bar links and retighten and torque under normal vehicle weight. If you can't reach them to torque them, at least get them tight as possible and then jack it back up for final torque......hope that makes sense? The ultimate goal is the control arm bushings are torqued in the position that the vehicle rides otherwise they are on one side or the other of their normal travel and wear out much faster and eventually shear.

 

[sdjp]

Older thread but if anyone is still around enjoy this...