I'm starting my HD TF 2" lift now. 235/85/16 BFG TA KO come in Friday or Monday. And SS +2" Brake Lines + Defender Brake upgrade also here. Long weekend ahead of me haha.

Q:
Does anybody know how the bushings and washers go on the front shocks? I have 2 bushings and 2 frisbee washers and a nyloc nut. I don't want to install it wrong and have to get a new nut.

Do I necessarily have to do a "Camel Cut" to fit my tires? I'm asking basically if I can install them at Walmart and Firestone the come home and trim as necessary. Or will they not fit at all unless I trim first? More questions later, one step at a time haha

 

Washer, bushing, on bottom of mount, then bushing washer and nut on top. The tires will fit just will rub when things get flexing , flat roads will be fine.

 

Tires wont rub except when flexing. Washer/bushing stack up should be as follows: Shock-washer-bushing-washer-axle mounts-washer-bushing-washer-nut. Walmart will not mount tires except for factory size so don't waste your time there.

 

It must depend on the specific Walmart location then. They mounted my tires, and they are way bigger then stock.

 

Fronts are done the rear is kicking my ***. I can't seem to compress the coils enough to fit with the stupid top padding and bottom retaining plate. I have the shocks bolted on loosely, I think I'm going to take them off to see if it helps the axles drop more.

 

Rears are a pain. Use spring compressor, remove shock, step on hub.

As for the hardware. I'm not happy with it. The washers have begun to bend under the force of the bushing. There are two kinds of washers: large and thin, and smaller and thick, with no instructions where to place them. The rear upper shock mount is a problem too. The inside radius of the washers fits nicely over the outside radius of the mount stud, but only on the inside washer. The outside washer will be too big. I need to call AB about this.

 

Take the rear shocks off and disconnect the sway bar. If I removed my upper retainers I could swap springs just by flexing the back. I always hated the fronts. I actually need to pull mine to install cones

 

I had the top mount of the shocks still bolted to the chassis but the bottom mounts I just unbolted. I jacked up the axles then I placed jack stands behind where the trailing arms connected to the chassis (more towards the behind-end of the vehicle). Once I lowered the axle I stepped on the hub and compressed the spring. I found if you remove the bottom retaining plate and put that in AFTER you have the spring in place it is MUCH easier. The driver side was a PITA and it looks like the coil went through hell and back but the passenger side went in with little resistance and minor scratch or two. So the lift is installed just waiting on my tires. I guess I can tackle the water pump tomorrow. If I don't have a gasket can I just use a gasket maker or should I source a gasket from somewhere?

 

I thought the sway bars were limiting axle drop but I didn't want to mess with them for some reason. I'll remember that for next time!

 

I had that I just didn't know which way the washer went. It kind of looks like a hamburger bun how it's curved on one end and flat on the other (well relatively flat more like inverted) so I did it like this :
Washer with hamburger curve up/Bushing/Mount/Bushing/Hamburger up/Nut.

LIKE THIS:
( I ~ I ( *

NOT THIS:
( I ~ I ) *

( = washer and direction of curve
I = Bushing
~ = Mount
* = Nut