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1)
Place the truck on a flat surface. Engage the
emergency brake. Take the hydraulic jack and wheel it underneath
the front cross member (refer to owners manual for jack points).
If you need to, loosen the lug nuts on both wheels but do not
remove them. Jack the truck up as high as you can. Try to leave
3-4" underneath the wheel. Place the tallest/biggest jack
stands underneath the frame on both sides. Slowly lower the hydraulic
jack and let the truck rest on the jack stands. Once the
frame is securely resting on the jack stands, remove the hydraulic
jack. |
2)
Remove wheels and disconnect sway bar. You'll need
a 6mm hex head/allen wrench to hold the stud and a 17mm open-end
wrench to remove the nut. |
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3)
Locate the 3 bolts on top of
the coil assembly (as seen to the right). Loosen these bolts but
do not remove them. You will need these nuts to hold the assembly
in place while you are removing the lower strut bolt. DO
NOT TOUCH THE CENTER NUT!! |
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4)
Once you have loosened the upper
3 bolts, focus your attention on the lower portion of the strut.
This is where the strut is mounted on the A-arm. Using a
19mm socket and a 19mm open-end wrench, loosen and remove the
bolt holding the strut in place |
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5) After removing the bolt at the bottom, hold the entire coil/strut
assembly firmly while removing the top 3 nuts. Then, carefully
lower the assembly out of the vehicle. Make sure you LABEL each
coil assembly accordingly to make sure the coils go back in the
same side they came out of. As seen below, the entire coil/strut
assembly ready to be compressed! |
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6) Using
a standard coil compressor (as seen in picture), compress the
coils enough that you can physically move the top plate by hand.
This should be enough to allow you to undo the top plate and center
nut. |
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7)
Measure the amount of threads
at the top of the center nut (this will give you an idea of how
far to thread it during re-installation). Remove the center nut
and remove the top plate and rubber washer that sits in between
the metal plate and the coils. In this situation, we were re-using
all hardware and struts. If you are replacing the struts, now
is the time to remove the old struts from the coil assembly.
8)
The
old rubber washer (from underneath the metal top plate) will be
replaced with a new Daystar polyurethane bushing.
As seen to
your RIGHT - a picture of the old washer and the new replacement. |
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9)
Take the metal top plate
and punch out the original (3) studs. You will be replacing these
with new - longer - bolts supplied with the kit.
In
this situation, the owner of the vehicle decided to buy 3 nuts
to tighten the new bolts onto the top plate. The kit does not
supply these nuts nor does it require them. The owner felt this
was safer and more durable.
In
the picture to the LEFT - the new longer bolts installed in the
metal top plate with the nuts to secure them. |
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10) Install the new Daystar bushing
with flange down (same orientation as the old rubber washer).
You must ensure the bolt heads are seated in the holes in the
bushing.
11)
Apply new top plate assembly onto the coil assembly as seen to
the RIGHT.
12)
Install top plate ensuring that all bushings and washers are applied.
Thread the center nut on the strut shaft - CLICK
HERE for special alignment requirements!!!
After you have aligned everything properly - use the
original measurement taken in step #7 OR by referring to the strut
specifications on how far to thread the center nut. Double check
your alignment after you've tighten down the center nut. |
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Top plate with new Daystar bushing. |
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13)
The picture on the right shows
the new Daystar coil lift spacer. Since the owner decided to add
the extra nuts, he had to use a Dremel tool to cut out the holes
in the polyurethane spacer to accommodate for the nuts. Notice
in the picture (above right), this is the correct orientation
of how it will sit on top of the top plate.
14)
Install the Daystar lift spacer
on the top of the top plate ensuring the nuts are sitting nicely
in the enlarged holes in the spacer (according to our special
adaptation). |
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| Daystar
front lift assembly ready for installation in the vehicle. |
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| Daystar
front lift assembly as seen on the vehicle |
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