DIY Suspension Install

Rigger

Tremoraholic
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Carli'd 2021 F250 Diesel Tremor in Rapid Red
For those of you that have installed your suspension yourself, please post up how it went. Easy? Difficult? What kind of specialty tools do you need?

Background: I have worked on suspensions on several of my Land Cruisers, have changed leaf springs and shocks. My main concern on those was managing the weight of the truck and making sure I didn't get squashed. These Super Duties have the coils and I have never messed with them. The vids I have seen make it look not too terribly technical. Trying to decide if I should attempt it.
 
For those of you that have installed your suspension yourself, please post up how it went. Easy? Difficult? What kind of specialty tools do you need?

Background: I have worked on suspensions on several of my Land Cruisers, have changed leaf springs and shocks. My main concern on those was managing the weight of the truck and making sure I didn't get squashed. These Super Duties have the coils and I have never messed with them. The vids I have seen make it look not too terribly technical. Trying to decide if I should attempt it.
Incredibly off topic but please post pictures of all of the Land Cruisers you have owned if you can. I love them. Thanks!
 
For those of you that have installed your suspension yourself, please post up how it went. Easy? Difficult? What kind of specialty tools do you need?

Background: I have worked on suspensions on several of my Land Cruisers, have changed leaf springs and shocks. My main concern on those was managing the weight of the truck and making sure I didn't get squashed. These Super Duties have the coils and I have never messed with them. The vids I have seen make it look not too terribly technical. Trying to decide if I should attempt it.
If you are well-versed in suspension work, then it's not bad. But if you're not used to solid axle trucks, there's a definitely learning curve over an IFS setup. We've had customers who have installed an Icon Stage 5 kit in their driveway and some that take a Readylift hockey puck kit to their local shop to deal with. If you have a buddy who knows his way around solid axle suspension, I'd definitely get some pizza and beer for him to give you a hand.

You'll need to make sure that you have high quality jack and jack stands (I like at a 3T jack and 6T stands) and you'll need big tools for this. Metric sockets up to 32mm and a torque wrench that can go to at least 450 ft/lb. Also, once you get the tires off, I always like to throw them underneath the truck under the rear diff and front axle as an emergency catch if you were to have a jack stand failure.

There's also certain things that you'll need to familiarize yourself with on lifting/leveling especially regarding trac bar relocation brackets or replacements to keep your front axle centered. under the body as you go up. Certain things like that are key in understanding how these solid axle setups work.

If we can help with anything at all, please feel free to send me a PM.
 
For those of you that have installed your suspension yourself, please post up how it went. Easy? Difficult? What kind of specialty tools do you need?

Background: I have worked on suspensions on several of my Land Cruisers, have changed leaf springs and shocks. My main concern on those was managing the weight of the truck and making sure I didn't get squashed. These Super Duties have the coils and I have never messed with them. The vids I have seen make it look not too terribly technical. Trying to decide if I should attempt it.
If you replace the leaf springs, you’ll need to drop your fuel/def tanks.
 
I appreciate your thoughtful replies. And @Nick@ApolloOptics, I appreciate your offer of help.

I ordered the Carli leveling kit - front end work only. I need to install new front springs, new front shocks, new caster shims, new track bar, the radius arm drop brackets, and new front brake lines.

If I decide to tackle this, here is my game plan:

Lift and support truck on jack stands located right behind the radius arms.
Remove front tires.
Remove front shocks.
Disconnect sway bar links.
Support front axle with jack.
Unbolt front springs, remove and replace.
Remove and replace caster shims. (Job appears easy in the Carli video on Youtube.)
Not 100% sure how to disconnect the radius arm bracket without something trying to move fore/aft on me. Still studying that.
Remove and replace track bar.
Drive truck to my mechanic and ask him to do the brake lines and the alignment.

I am still studying this, so please let me know what I am missing.

===

I removed and replaced leaf springs on my 1989 Toyota Land Cruiser. I have done same with two Land Cruiser FJ40's. I got a feel for managing all the wheel chocking, jack standing, and moving components up and down. But the Super Duty is a few thousand pounds heavier. That right there makes me a bit nervous.

I have a buddy that is more well versed in this type of thing and am asking him to help me.
 
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1978 with 2.5 inch Old Man EMU. Love my 40.
 
Your list looks pretty solid, but you'll want to change the order of operations a bit. You need to support the axle before you unbolt the shocks. The shocks actually hold the system together, there's no bolts holding in the springs. One the shocks are out, you'll use your jack to slowly lower the axle down until the springs drop out and disconnect.

Regarding the track bar, if it's your first time doing it, your buddy will be immensely helpful in helping you get it aligned and getting the axle centered. If you can't quite get it, your mechanic SHOULD be able to finalize that adjustment as well as aligning the truck and playing with the drag link so your steering wheel is straight.

I know you're doing a Carli kit, but here's some installation instructions of the Icon track bar that you may find helpful as you continue to do your research. https://images.iconfigurators.app/pdf/Icon_Dynamics/I64038_REVA.pdf
 
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I was under the truck today. Goal: determine where on the frame to position the jack stands to support the truck. The radius arms get in the way from the front axle all the way back the length of the arm, so I'd have to go behind the radius arm rear attachment point. Or, I have to go forward of the front axle.

Behind the radius arm, there's a good place to position the jack stand, but it would really put a lot of load on the jack stand. Forward of the front axle seems to make more sense.

As to sequence of operations, I appreciate @Nick@ApolloOptics comment. First, disconnect sway bar, and remove the brake line bracket. Then, the idea is to get the frame up, allow the axle to droop, support the axle, remove the shock, lower the axle until the spring can be removed, then pull the spring and install the new spring. As I understand it, there are no bolts holding the spring in place.

I have to install a spacer at the back end of the radius arm. This means I have to disconnect the back end of the radius arm. I assume I will do this after I have the new springs installed.

I also have to remove the stock track bar and install the Carli track bar. Maybe I will do this last? Or, maybe I could at least disconnect one end of the stock track bar before I do the springs?

***

So now the sequence looks like this:

Disconnect sway bar links.

Chock rear wheels.

Jack up the truck, support on jack stands, remove both front tires.

Support axle one side with jack, opposite side with jack stand.

Work the jack side first.

Remove the two brake line bracket bolts.

Remove the stock shock absorber.

Lower the axle.

Remove the stock spring.

Install the top cushion to the Carli spring.

Install the Carli spring.

Jack the axle back up.

Install the Carli shock.

Support the completed side on a jack stand.

Go over to other side, and repeat that procedure.

Remove the top two stock caster shims and replace with the Carli units.

Assemble and set the length of the Carli adjustable track bar.

Remove the stock track bar.

Install the Carli track bar.

Disconnect the back end of the radius arms.

Install the radius arm drop brackets.

Reconnect the radius arms.

Reconnect the stock sway bar links.

Install the tires.

Drive truck to the alignment shop.

Have truck aligned.

Have Carli brake lines installed. (I am not sure I can do this step myself. Installing the lines is one thing. I am not sure how to bleed the front brakes.)
 
Note to my point on where to position jack stands: Forward of the front axle, right where the sway bar connects to the frame, looks like a nice location.
 
Went looking for them and cannot find them. Can you please put up a link?

Bottom of page hit the instructions button.
 
After consideration, I decided I won’t be doing this job myself.
Rigger,

As I am preparing to embark on this journey myself, I’m interested to know which aspect of the install prompted you to seek out assistance. This will be my first solid axle lift (2.5 Carli), but have done a complete 7in Cognito on a Duramax with rear Deavers and a 3in Icon on a 2013 F150. Each presented a number of different challenges in the driveway, and now as I’m waiting on my kit to ship, I’m thinking about potential friction points that lay ahead with this install. Any thoughts you could provide would be much appreciated.
Thanks
 
@blueonblack21

I had several things tip me away from doing this job:

  1. Concern about managing the weight of the truck.
  2. Several mild health issues.
  3. Need to focus on company/partnership.
  4. Friend of mine offered to take it on at his shop.

Get well. ?

As I am preparing to embark on this journey myself, I’m interested to know which aspect of the install prompted you to seek out assistance. This will be my first solid axle lift (2.5 Carli), but have done a complete 7in Cognito on a Duramax with rear Deavers and a 3in Icon on a 2013 F150. Each presented a number of different challenges in the driveway, and now as I’m waiting on my kit to ship, I’m thinking about potential friction points that lay ahead with this install. Any thoughts you could provide would be much appreciated.
Thanks

Keep us posted. I’d like to try this as a challenge. But I don’t have enough confidence in my mechanical abilities to fly blind.
 
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