Can’t get lca connected to spindle

So I stripped all the suspension off my truck to do a shock rebuild/ bushings/ uniballs and what not. Now that I have the uppers, Lowers, shocks, and spindles back on there is about a 2 inch gap between where the lower arms and spindle attach at the knuckle. I’ve tried using a jack to close the gap but it just lifts the whole truck. Should I just get a spring compressor to shorten the shock? Appreciate any help

 

Did you change the preload on the strut?

 

I had them rebuilt by a shop in town. Based off pictures I had taken before the rebuild they appear to be the same

 

I am NOT a suspension guy by any stretch of the imagination, but if you're lifting the truck up by jacking on the LCA, something's fishy in Denmark! Hopefully someone that actually understands suspension voodoo chimes in soon.

 

Maybe bolt the lower control arm to the spindle then try to get the coilover installed. The coilover should fit in its space with some play at full droop like you have it.

can you confirm the top hat of the shock is in the coil bucket correctly?

 

Take the preload off the shock and then try jacking it up again.

 

This.

 

Is your UCA making contact with the coil and/or is your upper uniball maxed out on droop? It looks like it.

I ask this because every stock length truck I've worked on, you should be able to just have the spindle resting on that steering stop, then finagle it around to get the bolts in. With that large of a gap, something is off. It almost seems like that coilover assembly is just too long which is why the LCA is so low.

 

Unbolt your upper control arm to the spindle. Install the LCA first then Jack it up and install the UCA

 

OP, when you get a chance, measure the coilover from the center of the lower eye up to the shock bucket. The Fox coilover for a 2"-3" lift is 22.5" and the coilover for a 4"-6" lift is 26.25", a 3.75" difference, which is about how big that gap is. What I'm wondering is if somehow you have the wrong coilover in there.

 

Length from the lower eye to the shock bucket is about 24.5. Shock is fully bolted into the coil bucket. And upper uniball is maxed out at full droop.

 

It seems like somehow you have too long of a coilover in there. On a stock length setup, the coilover should be the limiting factor, not the uniballs.

If your bump stop is bottoming out as it should before the shock, you can throw some limit straps on there and call it a day. But if I were to guess, the shock is bottoming out before the bumps are.

 

What they said.
It also looks like you have exactly the space of threads on the shock body, necessary to close that gap.
If you have the spanner wrenches, then it is an easy job to loosen, adjust, connect, tighten.

 

Adjusting the coil collar higher won't make the overall length of the coilover any shorter, it would just remove some preload. This may allow him to jack up the LCA and rebolt it (big maybe) but that doesn't fix the root of the issue that the coilover is too long.

 

Correct, it just takes the resistance away.

 

Some of it anyways. It might work to get the truck back together, I just don't want OP thinking that the problem is solved and have him run into more expensive issues later on, that's all.

 

Thinking maybe the wrong coilover was shipped back?

 

Your shock top hat is upside down. I believe the bolt is a 12 point 1/2" socket and the torque spec is 70ft#'s.

 

yup that was the problem. Thanks a ton man

 

Youre welcome