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Failed attempt to lift truck

Discussion in 'Suspension' started by nurseboy, May 16, 2009.

  1. May 16, 2009 at 2:54 AM
    #1
    nurseboy

    nurseboy [OP] Well-Known Member

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    I am super tired right now and will just give brief info and elaborate tomorrow. Basically I bought the ultimate toytec lift kit for Taco 05+. Long story short, and I will finish it tomorrow, I pretty much spent 8 hours TRYING to lift the right rear end, adding the leaf, and ending up stripping the bolt that holds it in place. Had to stop the project and put everything back to stock. I fucked up :(. Now need to call toytec Monday for new bolt... :confused::(
     
  2. May 16, 2009 at 2:57 AM
    #2
    GotLift37

    GotLift37 Bangers Runner

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    which bolt is it? could be possible to go to a hardware store and get a new grade 8 bolt/nut? It all depends what bolt it is.
     
  3. May 16, 2009 at 2:59 AM
    #3
    nurseboy

    nurseboy [OP] Well-Known Member

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    i stripped the center pins here...

    [​IMG]
     
  4. May 16, 2009 at 3:11 AM
    #4
    GotLift37

    GotLift37 Bangers Runner

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    Take a trip to home depot or something man. They got everything.
     
  5. May 16, 2009 at 4:30 AM
    #5
    badguybuster

    badguybuster Well-Known Member

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    Hey, you should check on the forum here and see if anyone lives close to you. Most of these guys are willing to help out a brother in need. It really isn't that hard once someone who has done it points out the steps. Good luck.
     
  6. May 16, 2009 at 4:39 AM
    #6
    Janster

    Janster Old & Forgetful

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    That's an easy fix....

    If you have a 'spring shop' in town, I'd get the centering bolt there (instead of Home Depot). The centering pins are a bit different than a standard bolt. The head is different shape than a standard bolt. A Grade 8 bolt will work, but you may (or may not) need to file down the head of the bolt to make it fit (depends on the AAL, perch, etc).

    Don't worry...anytime you do work like that, everything and anything happens. If you think something will take you 2 hours to complete, ALWAYS assume it'll take ALL DAY. Always give yourself a full day.
     
  7. May 16, 2009 at 8:38 AM
    #7
    nurseboy

    nurseboy [OP] Well-Known Member

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    this picture is what I don't understand. We kinda of messed up by not having the leaf pack jacked up high enough from the crossmember beam. So we kinda of struggled in putting the centering pin in, thus stripping the bolt while trying to lodge it into the add-a-leaf and along the rest of the pack...BUT if we didnt stripp it, I still dont know how the heck to compress all the leaf pack together to be able to tighten the bolt for the centering pin down??? We tried to put the leaf pack back onto the crossmember beam and rested the truck back down to compress the leaf pack, but the add-a-leaf seemed so strong it wouldnt compres...? We put the add-a-leaf with the long side facing the rear or the truck, and it was facing up with the anti friction pad facing up, so I am still stuck on that part? IF and WHEN I do get a higher jack to be able to separate the cross member from the leaf pack so i can easily put the centering pin through HOW the heck do i compress the pack....



    on the write up it just says..."If the AAL has one end that is longer, that end should face the rear of the truck. Next, slip the centering pin up through the rest of the leaves and spin on the nut. Align all the leaves and tighten down the nut." how the heck did he tighten down the nut :confused:
     
  8. May 16, 2009 at 8:45 AM
    #8
    nurseboy

    nurseboy [OP] Well-Known Member

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    and from this picture, it looks like they had all the leafs together and had the centering pin tightened down all the way WITHOUT having to use the truck to push them together...how the heck did they do that? when we were trying to compress them with the quickgrip, the new add a leaf seemed so strong and the anti-friction pad was actually pressing against the leaf on top of it making it harder for it to slide up to compress...HELP!!!
     
  9. May 16, 2009 at 9:35 AM
    #9
    chris4x4

    chris4x4 With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. Moderator

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    FlimFlubberJAM
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    You need to use a "C" clamp to re compress the springs.

    One like this:
    [​IMG]

    FWIW, and off road shop, or suspension shop should have replacemetn center pins..
     
  10. May 16, 2009 at 10:00 AM
    #10
    DDD

    DDD Shine bright like a hymen

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    Clamp the leafs before you remove the stock center pin
    [​IMG]


    Then release the clamp
    [​IMG]

    Add the new leaf and re-clamp all of them. I used jack stands on the frame and a floor jack on the axle. I lowered the axle almost to the point where the drum touched the ground. Carefully watching the brake lines. Then insert the new pin and tighten it with the clamps still on.
    [​IMG]



    That being said, I saw another method which looked easier. The guy used 2 ratcheting tie down straps. Over the frame and around the leafs holding them up. He was easily able to slide the new leaf under the stock leafs with no clamps. I saw images on TTORA but I cant find it now.
     
  11. May 16, 2009 at 10:04 AM
    #11
    FlawedXJ

    FlawedXJ mall crawlin', web wheelin', concrete cowboy

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    hey man. I had to try it 4 different times til i got mine to go. Mine didn't come with the super long center pin so i went to lowes and got two 3/8-16 x 3" grade 8 bolts. I then took a very large allen wrench and slid it though the wholes of the leaves. I then used two c-clamps to squeeze the leaves together. Once they were close enough, I put the new bolt i bought through the wholes (once i removed the allen wrench) and tightened it down.
     
  12. May 16, 2009 at 10:06 AM
    #12
    gouge44

    gouge44 $DO WORK$

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    hey man i know exactly what you are going through, we had the same problem happen when i put mine on. the front was a breeze but the rear end sucked we couldnt get it lifted up enough and then stripped out the bolt, went to home depot and got a new bolt, had to file it down a little bit but it worked out fine.... hope it all works for you man goodluck
     
  13. May 16, 2009 at 1:49 PM
    #13
    nurseboy

    nurseboy [OP] Well-Known Member

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    see from the original post on how to put an add-a-leaf, it didnt mention using a C-clamp to compress them down, We figured thats what they probably used but then when we put the weight on the truck onto the leaf pack with the add-a-leaf, it didnt even compress it, so we thought how would a c-clamp do it....but anyways, todays project is doing the fronts, hopefully i am more successfull in doing that...
     
  14. May 16, 2009 at 8:27 PM
    #14
    neontrail

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    hang in there.. people are here to HELP you.... gl
     
  15. May 17, 2009 at 1:35 PM
    #15
    nurseboy

    nurseboy [OP] Well-Known Member

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    yea i know. THANKS AGAIN jon (jdkeller). now i just have to get a new center pin and a better c-clamp. that add-a-leaf is super strong to compress, cant believe weight of the truck couldnt compress it...
     
  16. May 17, 2009 at 5:41 PM
    #16
    jdkeller

    jdkeller How many words can be fit in this s

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  17. May 17, 2009 at 5:51 PM
    #17
    nurseboy

    nurseboy [OP] Well-Known Member

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    when i attempt to do this again. should i take both tires off and lower the whole diff/cross member down, or do i still do one side at a time? Which would make it easier for me to get more room between the leaf pack and the cross member?
     
  18. May 17, 2009 at 6:38 PM
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    chris4x4

    chris4x4 With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. Moderator

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    I have always just done one side at a time...
     
  19. May 17, 2009 at 6:40 PM
    #19
    FlawedXJ

    FlawedXJ mall crawlin', web wheelin', concrete cowboy

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    i used ratcheting tie downs around the frame above the leaves to help compress everything. I used the c-clamp to hold everything in place.
     
  20. May 17, 2009 at 6:56 PM
    #20
    RelentlessFab

    RelentlessFab Eric @Relentless Fab Vendor

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    Alright..... lets see if we can sort this out......
    If you look closely, in the first pic I just used the big quickgrip(didnt have a big C-clamp, and it was plenty strong anyways) to hold the factory leaves together(dont try to clamp the AAL in there too, it IS too strong). I then slipped the centering bolt through: the overload spring, the AAL, then the other 3 leaves and spun the nut on a few turns by hand as pictured. Then I removed the quickgrip and tightened the centering bolt down all the way with my impact wrench. No issues or anything. No need to use the weight of the truck to do anything. How long were your centering pins? I'm guessing they were shorter than mine? Maybe thats what caused most of the issue?:confused:
     

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