Alignment and leveling kit
05-05-2014, 09:28 PM
#21
Beer Gut Extraordinaire
05-05-2014, 09:47 PM
#22
Insolent Member
05-05-2014, 10:18 PM
#24
I plan on getting it installed at the ford dealership...hopefully they should know the proper way...I am getting alignment regardless but it sounds like I should wait until I get my new tires on to get alignment done
05-05-2014, 10:22 PM
#25
Beer Gut Extraordinaire
05-05-2014, 11:10 PM
#26
Senior Member
I had the AS 1.5" kit installed on my 2014 FX4 ... due to the design/engineering changes in the way the struts mount to the LCA, you pretty much have to disconnect the LCA from the hinge point on the frame. At least, that was the path of least resistance for me. We disconnected the steering tie rods as well just allow for maximum movement and zero stress on the steering system.
That said, after getting the AS kit installed, re-mounting the LCA as close as possible to the original spot where they were set in the slotted connection, and getting the new tires mounted, my alignment was only off a hair. There was a very slight toe-in, and the steering wheel was not perfectly centered. We were able to get both of those corrected very easily.
with my AS kit installed, there's no rubbing, no parts hitting each other, and no steering issues. Of course, we disconnected the neg terminal of the battery prior to doing any work ... but my truck still drives like brand new, with the exception of the 10 ply tires I now have running at 55psi ... it's a little bit stiffer than the pirelli tires that came on it, but that was to be expected regardless of what I put on there after getting rid of those.
bottom line is, you should always check alignment after doing any front end work that requires disconnecting stuff down there and re-connecting it back. To me, it's totally worth the $60 to do the alignment rather than worry about causing any premature tire wear or odd stresses on my drive train or steering system.
That said, after getting the AS kit installed, re-mounting the LCA as close as possible to the original spot where they were set in the slotted connection, and getting the new tires mounted, my alignment was only off a hair. There was a very slight toe-in, and the steering wheel was not perfectly centered. We were able to get both of those corrected very easily.
with my AS kit installed, there's no rubbing, no parts hitting each other, and no steering issues. Of course, we disconnected the neg terminal of the battery prior to doing any work ... but my truck still drives like brand new, with the exception of the 10 ply tires I now have running at 55psi ... it's a little bit stiffer than the pirelli tires that came on it, but that was to be expected regardless of what I put on there after getting rid of those.
bottom line is, you should always check alignment after doing any front end work that requires disconnecting stuff down there and re-connecting it back. To me, it's totally worth the $60 to do the alignment rather than worry about causing any premature tire wear or odd stresses on my drive train or steering system.
05-06-2014, 10:04 AM
#29
thanks for all the answers to the LCA question... I thought 04-13 basically have the same front suspension and 14 was the change... on an 06 and an 08 i didn't have to remove the LCA but i did have somewhat of a hard time wrestling the strut back in. but those are obviously identical layouts
05-06-2014, 04:47 PM
#30
Senior Member
On the 2013 and older models, the strut connected w/ a horizontal crossbolt at the LCA ... you just undid that bolt, slid it out, then bumped the strut out of the indent where it sat in the LCA. Here is a pic of that connection:
I think that I showed this before, but here is how the strut mounts to the LCA on the 2014's ...
As you can see, there are vertical bolts on either side of the strut that are approximately 3" long, and are effectively permanently attached to the strut. This means your strut is effectively 3" longer than on the pre-2014 models, which in turn means that you have to get the LCA to move / pivot about 3" further down than on the older models. When I installed my leveling kit, we had one hell of a time getting that to happen. That's why we just unbolted the LCA from its pivot point on the frame. This allowed us to drop the LCA down to get it out of the way, and made the removal and re-setting of the strut possible. Keep in mind, getting it out is one thing ... once you add 1.5-2.5" to the top of the strut (spacer thickness) you have that much longer a strut to re-install.
I think that I showed this before, but here is how the strut mounts to the LCA on the 2014's ...
As you can see, there are vertical bolts on either side of the strut that are approximately 3" long, and are effectively permanently attached to the strut. This means your strut is effectively 3" longer than on the pre-2014 models, which in turn means that you have to get the LCA to move / pivot about 3" further down than on the older models. When I installed my leveling kit, we had one hell of a time getting that to happen. That's why we just unbolted the LCA from its pivot point on the frame. This allowed us to drop the LCA down to get it out of the way, and made the removal and re-setting of the strut possible. Keep in mind, getting it out is one thing ... once you add 1.5-2.5" to the top of the strut (spacer thickness) you have that much longer a strut to re-install.
The following users liked this post:
uzikaduzi (05-06-2014)