3" Spacer Install Issue

About a week ago I attempted to install the supreme suspensions 3" spacer on my truck and had difficulty getting the upper ball joint back into the knuckle after installing the spacers on top.

Putting a jack underneath the LCA while jacking the truck up I would get some compression but then the truck would just start lifting off the jack stands.

Not sure exactly what I may be doing wrong as when I installed one on my Nissan Frontier it took about an hour and had no issues installing! What am I missing in the install process that is preventing me from getting the knuckle to go up enough to reattach to the UBJ?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

Sway bar still connected, maybe?

 

Yeah, I disconnected everything needed for removal / installation. I got the shock in put the 3 top bolts on, jack the LCA up to put the lower bolt for the strut tower in, tighten it down and keep jacking it up to get the upper ball joint back into the steering knuckle.

Only problem is as I jack the entire truck starts to jack up and never compresses enough to get UBJ through steering knuckle.

When I remove the spacer and keep it stock there are no issues in getting the UBJ through the steering knuckle.

 

put a pry in the spring on top of the control arm and push the arm down to get the nut started. when you put the spacer in your pushing everything down

 

So I managed to get everything hooked up but now the UCA seems to be on coil spring! I would hate to have ordered these and can't even use them!

 

when i put in my 5100s with 885 coils last saturday, the uca touched the coils while my truck was still on the lift

 

What did you do to fix the issue?

 

no really way of fixing that unless you go aftermarket uca.

 

After everything is back together, (with the spacer in) and you put the wheels on the ground what happens?

 

it wont touch but at full droop like how it is on that picture it will touch.

 

That's kinda what I was thinking... I'd be considered about UCA to spring contact while fully extended when the vehicle is in motion. maybe the sway bar would help? I defentaly wouldn't drive it if the UCA touches the spring.

 

unless your catching air on city speed bumps, I think you'll be ok. atleast if you do hear front end noise that be the first place to look at.

 

After a while the coils should relax some, and that would help a bit I would then to think.

 

my bro's 2nd gen touches too when we install his (procomp), but now I don't know he hasn't complain.

 

I'd be tempted to run a test to see what happens when you get one wheel supported and one in the air. However that could put quite a load on the sway bar linkage. If you don't touch with both wheels on the ground, and you don't wheel it very hard it might be ok. Once again still I'd refrain from jumping until you work out all the bugs...

 

I imagined once I put the weight of the truck back on the front it would compress and go up but simply touches when weight is either off or on.

While I was hooking the UBJ back to the steering knuckle eventually it got to the point where it went down enough to touch the coil spring. I've installed this same size spacer on my previous truck and never had issues with contact on the coil spring!

 

it didnt bother me, i just put the truck on the ground and went for it

 

I ended up noticing somewhere that the Supreme Suspensions 3" Spacer isn't compatible with the TRD Offroad Models and 5 Lug setups so ended up ordering a 2" from them to see if that will work. Hopefully it should come in tomorrow and shall see if it will work!

 

im willing to bet once you put on the ground on its own weight and look at it will be fine. my truck come with a 3" lift when i got it and when on the lift it will look just like your pic. once on the ground it will look fine. also remember its aligned at stock height right now and everything will change once you get it aligned