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Stop spreading theoretical bull****. Mechanical prowess? What about a graduate of arguably the best automotive school in the country and a master tech for 10 years, not to mention suspension fabricator. You can speculate all day with why you think there are a few cases of wheel bearing issues, the IWE design hasn't changed with the new truck and neither has installing spacers.
With atleast a 2.5" spacer, the CV has to be removed along with the knuckle in order to have enough articulation to install the strut. On the 2013 trucks and down that didn't have a dog bone mount at the lower strut, you could possibly get away with prying things. The removal of the lower arm would make things even more difficult. Why do "lift techs" a couple companies suggests to remove the lower arm? Because that's how they did it.
Autospring's stuff is cheap and their welds are shart.
Rough country has little more credibility than autospring as far as performance suspension, tell me where in the spacer install to they list removing the lower arm?
Dude, wow! Cool your jets a bit. You seem to be taking personal offense at all of this. We are all proud that you're a top grade mechanic, but doesn't preclude anyone else from understanding the mechanical workings of Ford's front driveline and suspension components. I was trying to be polite when I said we would not discuss mechanical prowess, but if you must go there at least a little, then no, I am not an auto mechanic. That didn't stop the US Navy from offering me a free ride to Nuclear Engineering school based on mechanical and technical understanding nor did it didn't stop me from being involved with the machining (CNC - EDM, Grind, Laser cut/weld) and partial assembly of turbine engines for nearly a decade while I was in my 20s, nor has it stopped me from now running a small company that allows me luxury of not having to wrench on any of my vehicles if I don't want. Believe me, if I were going to work on any of them, it would be the Ford and not the Land Rover, Mercedes or any other of the vehicles in my garage(s).
With that said, your own words "On the 2013 trucks and down that didn't have a dog bone mount at the lower strut, you could possibly get away with prying things." are proof of the original point that I was trying to make, that those not in the know may try to get the struts in by simply prying with brute force. Doing this would have a similar result as if over tightening the castle nut. I have witnessed this first hand.
Hopefully everything will go well for the original poster. After talking with another manufacturer, it seems that the pocket in the control arm causes the strut to mount at a slightly different angle than it does on the 2014s. That slight change is also causing a bit of a problem because to get advertised lift, the components are at greater angles than ever before. Others have talked about ReadyLift (for one) redesigning their spacers because of this. From talking with different ones, including the multiple lift manufacturers, it seems that a 2.25" spacer is about as high as you should go unless you are ready to accept greatly increased wear and tear on the front driveline components.
Concerning the AutoSpring welds, they certainly aren't tig welded, but I feel that they are commensurate with the task at hand. It's not like they are on display once installed.
For me, after having the spacers and not being entirely happy with the angles that they put things in, I've decided to get rid of them. I just ordered the Icon stage 1 coilovers for the front along with the matching rear Icon shocks.
Have a great evening and try to see the good in life rather than taking offense to every post that you interpret as hostile toward you, simply because the poster has expressed a different viewpoint than yours.
Guys ReadyLift is only coming out with a new kit to give the full advertised lift. He said there is no issue with us using the previous year kit. The reason is that the physical locations of the front perch mounts on he frame are 1/4" lower than 14 year models. They will STILL work. As for my situation, the installer will be written up at the shop for taking shortcuts on my truck and over tightening the castle nut on the hub assembly which broke my actuator.
The previous year kit will only yield 1.75" lift and not the 2" (which I am okay with)
