Broqsten

The build was a bear start to finish. 20+ hrs to install.

I will say, the knuckles and fabricated parts were really nice, but the hardware and instructions were awful. I'm a mechanical engineer with 7 years design/fab experience. In my professional opinion the boys over at Mcgaughy's leave us do-it-yourselfers wanting more. Customer service is a joke there. They offered ZERO support/help to correct the issues I'm about to discuss.

1.) 7/16 studs on the McGaughy's strut tower spacers strip out before 35 ft-lb (mfg spec). (Instruction manual step 10)
This one stripped at 15 ft-lbs (it was all the way down and spinning with 5-10 in-lb). The rest I only snugged to avoid irreversible damage and risk getting them stuck. I was able to get the nut back off after it stripped (nut seems okay).
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT SAFE TO DRIVE ON, AND I ASKED FOR AN IMMEDIATE ANSWER AND SOLUTION FROM McGAUGHYS. I GOT NOTHING.
These fasteners must be tightened to 35 ft-lb to be safe. You can see the threads completely stripped on the stud. These are not high grade fasteners, or they are annealed from all the heat they absorb when they are welded to the strut tower spacers.



2.) The M10-1.5 X 80MM hex bolts provided are not usable. (Instruction manual step 31). The hex head on the hardware is too big and cannot be tightened. It interferes with the hub on the differential input shaft (only slightly, but no room for a socket to torque them to the required 76 ft-lb required). This is a very important connection and not torquing it properly is not safe, nor acceptable. I had to order hardware from mcmaster-carr.com. (See Attached). I know why the kit included the M10-1.5 X 80mm hex bolts it does. The bolt included are cheap and can be found at ace hardware for $0.50. These are NOT automotive grade bolts. I bought what the kit should have included.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#91502a234/=wu85ym


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3.) Adding the passenger side sway bar drop bracket makes the passenger side rear cross-member bolt too short to extend past the nyloc element on the nut. This nut was tightened to 150 ft-lb as shown. It's possible for the nut to loosen and back off if threads do not engage the nyloc element.

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​I had multiple smaller issues..


4.) Six "M10-1.5 HEX flange Nut Serrated ZP" are included with the kit, but there is no instruction to use them. The only M10 bolts used are for the drive shaft spacer, but there is no need for them there, as the bolts thread into the housing on the differential. These are easily confused with the seven "7/16 top lock nut grade C ZP" that are included. M10 and 7/16 with thread onto each other. The M10 is flanged so it can be distinguished from the 7/16, but McGaughy's run the risk of them being confused or interchanged during assembly. Are the M10 nuts even needed?


5.) Step 31 shows a 5/16" X 3/4" bolt and nut going thru a hole in the frame. My 2013 had no hole here. Also, I had to put two washers between the bracket and the frame to allow the e-brake cable to not be in tension as shown.

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6.) There was no clip fastener on the e-brake cable to mount to the slot in the e-brake drop bracket as shown in step 30. My truck had a wire hanger that needed to have an additional hole drilled and another 5/16" X 3/4" nut and bolt used.

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7.) The kit included four "1/2" X 1-1/4" Hex bolts G8 YZ". Two are used in step 15, two are used in step 16, and one is used in step 30. This leaves you one bolt short. I assume step 30 should say 7/16"-14 X 1-1/4" instead of 1/2" X 1". I had the 7/16 left over add the end, but bought another 1/2" X 1-1/4 before I discovered this issue.


8.) The kit includes one 1/4"-20 X 3/4" bolt, one 1/4-20 nut, and two 1/4-20 washers, but there is no instruction on where to use them.


9.) The kit included two 5/16"-18 X 3/4" bolts, two nuts, and four washers. Step 23 says use all the hardware (left and right) to mount the front brake line drop brackets. Steps 28 and 30 tell you two used two more 5/16" nuts and bolts to mount the e-brake and brake line brackets.


10.)The driver's side, rear cross-memeber opening was about 1/16" too small for the lower A-arm and I had to beat it open with a hammer (damaging the paint) to get it to assemble. It did finally assemble though.


For all the God damn work I put into this thing... it did come out looking pretty sweet!

Jaytizzle

Looks good man!


JT

BigBlue&Goldie

What made you go with the McGaughy's vs the other manufacturers on the market?

Broqsten

I picked McGaughy's because I wanted a kit with front kicker braces. Fabtech has them too, but i thought Mcgaughy's was a better "looking" kit.

The Mcgaughy kit is also 6.5" which is just a little bigger than the other 6" lifts.
Also the Mcgaughy lift is a true 6" lift. Rough country, zone, bds, etc use the same cross-members for their 4" and 6" lifts. The Mcgaughy cross-members actually lower the diff. 6"

Last pro is that the McGaughy spindles will allow you to run the stock 18" and 20" Ford OEM wheels. Most other kits do not.