Hi all,

I'll be installing my 2" leveling kit from HBS tomorrow ('97 2500 4x4). I read through the installation instructions and they seem fairly straightforward, but I've only ever worked on cars and motorcycles before so I'm humbly looking for advice. I'll be doing the install at my work where I have air tools, torque wrench, etc.

Planning on starting by jacking up the front diff, and supporting each side with jackstands. Here's where my main questions are:

1) At what points should I place the jackstands? Visual description would help since I'm not up on all the names of the members.

2) Before disconnecting the top shock nut, should I re-locate the floor jack so it's literally on the front axle, in the geometric center between the wheels? Or can I lower the whole front assembly using the jack on the front diff?

3) Is it going to be a a pain in the *** to keep the front end aligned while jacking it back up (once the spacer is bolted in)? This is where I feel I could get stuck.

Sorry for the wall of text. Any advice is appreciated.

 

1 Right behind the lower control-arm brackets on the frame.

2 No do one side at a time.

3 No this should not be a issue.

 

Will I need super tall jack stands in order to use that point?

And what exactly do you mean one side at a time? Only take one top shock not off at a time and then lower the front end on the front diff? It's not a problem that it's still affixed to the other side?

 

The way I did mine:

Removed both shocks while truck still on ground.
Unbolted ball joint side of track bar.
Lifted truck (not axle) until I could get the right spring out and install with spacer.
Did same on left side.
Lowered truck.
Install track bar.
Install shocks.

Did it by myself and the hardest part was reconnecting the track bar. Had to push and pull the truck to line it up.

Edit to add, make sure you put the springs back in in the same orentation they came out.

 

Your going to need tall jack-stands no matter where you block the frame. You can undo the shocks before you jack it up both sides and if they are not a gas shock collapse them down into the spring. I just work one side of the truck at a time, jack-stand under one side of the diff and a floor-jack under the other, finish one side then do the other side. I have not done a little lift like this but you might need to undo the track-bar at the diff end just to make things ezer.

Edit: If you have a hard time with getting the trac-bar back into place just use a ratchet strap to pull the one side of the truck over, hook one end to the diff and the other to the frame.

 

Hmm, this way seems like it would be less stressful since it seems you never have to support the axle? But what is holding the axle in place when the shock and spring are both unloaded? I'm also not sure which member the track bar is.

Okay that makes sense. Thank you both very much for your input.

 

The track bar is the bar that bolts to the right (passenger) side of the axle. It goes up to the frame on the left side. The left side is the ball joint side.

Holding axle in place? Gravity. Just let it rest on the tires on the ground.

 

I didn't have to undo the track bar when I did mine. I unbolted the stabilizer bar at the links.

 

Forgot about that.

 

Thanks man I was not sure if you have to mess with it or not. +1 on undoing the swaybar.