First time lifting a truck. Advice/tips

I put in my order for a full suspension kit the other day. I've never done a lift before and would appreciate any insight, suggestions, and advice.

Double cab long bed Taco

Setup:
5100s front and back
OME 885
Total Chaos UCA
OME med Dakar leaf pack

 

Welcome to TW!
Good luck
Get a friend to help. Beer and pizza

 

Watch the E-brake cables and brake lines.
Use jack stands and wheel chocks.
Have you considered the ECGS bushing for the front differential?
Since you’re going to have the UCA out, might as well do the bushing while you are that far in?

 

buy new uca bolts.

 

Where you located?

 

When your done Find a trusted alignment guy that will make all the adjustments and not just a toe and go.

 

How critical is it to replace the ECGS. That is a little more work then I'd like to do.

 

Montana

 

My guess would be that the kit should have some no?

 

They might my icon delta joints didnt come with bolts

 

My guess is the OEM bolts did not work?

 

no they did, its just a pita to get them out cause the core support is kinda in the way, its easier to cut them then slide new ones in from the other end. Not a big deal but it just makes life a little easier.

 

You may want new OEM bolts and just cut the old ones off to remove. New OEM UCA bolts aren't very expensive, and a 15 year old truck it might be nice to start off fresh. The original bolts may be seized or at least in rough shape. UCAs do not come with these bolts as it is assumed you will re-use yours.

 

also mine were rusty as shit from going through 15 winters, not sure if you have rust where you live or not lol

 

It’s not if you don’t have any vibrations after the lift.
Sometimes you get them right away.
Sometimes it takes awhile, and sometimes you will never get them.

If you do get vibes, I’d recommend doing it.
As some guys have pulled the Bearing a had some of the bearing missing or broken.

 

The first side always takes 3x longer hahah!!! Took me 2 days to fully install my lift.

I didn’t use ratchet straps. I just took a flat bar place it between the coils and press down (coil and uca). That’s if you have trouble connecting the two bottom bolts

also torque wrench!!

 

More than likely, your set up will not come with UCA bolts. What is typically done is the OEM bolt is removed (huge PITA) then put back in the opposite way to make future removal easier. I wish I would have known to just cut it and replace when I did my lift.

 

First off welcome.

Believe you can do it because you can....

If help is needed post what the issues are and use the search feature for help and guidance.

Good luck ...u can so do it.

 

Saving it for later isn't a terrible idea. A lift install alone is a considerable amount of work. I can see the logic, and why some people do the ECGS at the same time. Having done the ECGS replacement, and doing all work by myself, I wouldn't want to throw in replacing all of the suspension as well. I'm getting ready to do a similar lift(shocks, UCA's, leaf packs) and expect to spend the better part of a weekend(if not more). Sure, it can be done faster, and plenty of people finish it much faster, but I wouldn't want to add the ECGS to the task list.

 

Damn, might have to get a new pair then, trucks been in MT and for the past 3 years MN where they salt every inch of the road during the winter.