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I started off making a template of the ball joint and transferred to 25x80 alum.
I made up two sets and offsetting the cutouts means less cutting and less waste.
This alum varies in price quite a bit so shop around. Not cheap. |
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The alum was cut using an alloy blade in a normal circular saw, the holes cut
using a steel hole saw. The spacers were cleaned up with a belt sander clamped
to the bench. The ones and the right cleaned up the left ones ready to be cleaned.
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Here is the finished kit less the rear coil spacers, basically two one inch thick
ball joint spacers with grade 8 hi tensile bolts, two sway bar spacers, two diff
spacers with grade 5 hi tensile bolts. The diff spacers are the cut outs from
BJ spacers.
This is the diff and swaybar spacers fitted; the reason for this is to relieve
stress to the CV’s. At standard full travel the CV’s are at 90% of max angle and
I have already cut down my bump stops so dropping the diff was a must. Originally
the plan was to have the spacers and modify the front cross member. Once the cross
member was removed it was decided to difficult to mod and maintain strength. Because
of the mounting points a 25mm spacer was fitted to the left side a 30mm spacer
to the right side.
Here you can see the difference in CV angle after dropping the diff. |
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| The next was to fit the rear coil spacer’s 30mm 80/100 series. Quite easy to
do, remove your shocks, undo the swaybar brackets, put a pair of spring compressor
on and start jacking up the car until the tyre is off the ground. All going well
the coil will almost fall out, then the spacer is fitted and coil put back. Slowly
lower the jack and make sure every thing sits square. Because I use swaybar disconnects
I plan to fit some limit straps as the rear brake lines run a bit tight. |
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| Ok the easy stuff done next is to fit the BJ spacers, jack up the front of the
vehicle and support the weight on some car stands, remove the tyres and place
a jack under the lower control arm and jack up. Wedge a bit of wood, steel or
what ever between the upper control arm and bump stop. Take the weight off the
control arms and remove the ball joints. New rubber boots were fitted and the
old studs removed. Spacers fitted and new bolts used, it’s quite a tight fit any
thing over 25mm would require cutting into the upper control arms. |
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| Very nice fit and not very noticeable, next the shock length was tested to see
if shock spacers were need. Fortunately on both Dan’s and my trucks the shocks
had more enough travel and didn’t need to be changed in any way, brake lines were
tested and plenty of length still leaved. |
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Camber needs to be adjusted, from the front looks good. Pictured left the CV’s
run at the same angle as a normal two inch lift and extra travel even if it is
just up, no notice change in vehicle handling. |
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