Hello all, this past weekend I went to install a Daystar 2" spacer lift in my '11 Dakota Laramie 4x4.
I've done these before on other trucks, so I was pretty sure it would not be a big deal.
First off, the instructions that came with the kit were for an older spacer lift, that was one of the ones you have to disassemble the strut for. This is the regular spacer that goes on top of the tower.
Anyway, I separated the sway bar, tie rod, and upper control arm, put the spacer on the strut, but when I went to put it back in, I couldn't get the strut to go in now that it has a 2" spacer on top of it.
I had the lower control all the way down as far as it would go, and tried both putting the lower strut mount in first, and also putting the upper strut tower in first, but am at least an inch away from getting it in there.
Has anyone else had this issue and figured it out??
Since I couldn't get it in, after a while I gave up and re-assembled it back to stock.
Today, I called Performance Acc to ask about it, and the tech guy I spoke to said I should try loosening the lower control arm to see if that gives me some more wiggle room to get the strut in there.
I'm going to try that this weekend, but thought I'd run this all past some of you to see if you think this will get me there, before I disassemble everything again! Thanks Steve

 

Check out this thread. It’s a common issue with installing leveling blocks. You gotta have a little macgyver in you.

https://dodgeforum.com/forum/3rd-gen...installed.html

 

Thank you, great idea on separating the axle from the lower arm! I bet that will do it!

 

Well, finally got a chance to take another shot at this level kit. Worked on it all day, and gave up again and reassembled to stock.
This time I did remove the drive shaft from the hub, so the lower arm will drop way down, which I thought would solve my problem.
But once you push it down far enough to get the lower strut mount in place, the rear edge of the control arm is angled out, keeping the strut mount from pushing in far enough to get the bolt through.
Also tried doing the lower mount first, but that way you can't get the strut low enough to clear the 2" spacer and bolt extenders...
Really bummed that a job this simple has been such a pain to do, and can't believe it looks like I'm going to have to keep it stock height.
All this and I caught the friggin bolt extender on the upper ball joint boot and ripped it, so I got to spend $120 replacing the control arm too, and no lift to show for it...
I'm no expert mechanic, but I know what I'm doing. I have a lift, and have been doing this kind of crap for 30 years..
Sometimes the simplest jobs seem to be the hardest. I know that a lot of you have done the same thing, so I don't see why this isn't working, unless something is different in 2011 for the Dakota, or this Daystar spacer kit is wrong..

 

you might need to use a spring compressor before trying to insert everything into the truck.

Is everything else stock on your truck? like the strut itself?

 

Tried that, but the compressors got in the way trying to get the strut into the upper tower. Everything is stock except for the struts which are Ranchos

 

I just throw a couple good ratchet straps under a floor jack and put the hooks on the frame. Place the pad of the jack under the lower control arm with a wood block. Place it as far out on the lower as you can without it touching the ball joint or else the spindle will want to flip around under the weight.

Leaving the upper control arm disassembled, pump the jack and it will push against the weight of the truck and compress the strut as it's installed. This is pretty dangerous so I take no responsibility for the straps failing. This is just how I do it.

Lastly, when you are compressed enough to start a few threads on the upper ballpoint, you are home free. Tighten everything and loosen the straps.

2" will also wreak havoc on your front end. The more effort it takes to reassemble, the more torture your front end will suffer under normal ride height conditions.

 

Thanks for your input. I’m sure that would work great if I couldn’t get the upper and lower control arm close enough together to attach the strut, but my problem is that with the 2 inch spacer installed on top of the strut, the strut is too long to fit between the upper tower and the lower control arm.

 

Sometimes I've had to attach the top 3 bolts on the strut and leave the lower bolt out and jack up the lower arm while sticking a large pry bar into the fork of the strut and prying upwards while jacking it up until the holes line up. The prybar against the arm will act like a ramp and feed the strut fork into place.

Again, super sketchy and don't try it at home and I'm not condoning it. Lol


But it works.