For those that have leveled their truck with 5100's any trick for getting the tie rod end to drop free (which I can probably work around or just drop the A arm up top). Nut comes off but after beating on it somewhat with two different dead blows, cranking the steering, still no luck... Not really wanting to wail on the sucker and jack it up. Bigger problem has been the lower strut bolt. Hitting it with a ½" impact and won't budge. Couldn't find any of my ½" extensions or I woulda tried busting it myself or with a breaker bar. One issue is that my truck (2011 SCAB XLT 4x4, 5.0), the previous owner under payed the hell out of it. Good yes, but think it's making this more difficult. Only the struts, got the back shocks on in like half hour. Mounted those boot down although everything I've read, doesn't seem like there's a definitive answer to which way they are "suppose" to go

 

When i did mine i had the truck on jack stands and end of the lca on a jack and i just lowered the jack so the lca was hanging hit it with the good ol bfh and it popped off

 

That just might be genius... Thanks...

 

Just to be clear you are hitting on the knuckle where the tie rod end goes through correct? Also, have you disconnected your epas connectors? As stated, support the truck with jack stands with front suspension at full droop because it is best to have a little tension on it to help aid in breaking it free. What I like to do is keep the nut loosely on the tie rod threads to keep from the possibility of missing and damaging the threads and give it a couple of good wacks. As far as the lower strut bolt it can be difficult, but I was able to get mine off with a cheap 1/2" impact gun. Could try to heat up the nut with a propane torch. If you do that you'll have to use Loctite to reassemble as you'll burn the nylon at the end of the nut.

 

BFH And a pair of nuts lol. And hit the knuckle, not the tie rod. And the reason that you mount them boot down is cause the shaft and head of the shock is stronger than the thin aluminum housing of the chamber its self on the shock. And there are probably drain holes for water on the bottom of the boot, this allows water and mud to not sit on the seal of the shaft cause premature leakage. So thats why.

 

Soooo... I got around the steering knuckle by dropping the upper A arm and the sway bar as I did each one (actually per the Ford manual I found online versus various YouTube vids I watched). They're on and level looks great. Gonna go get it aligned tomorrow, but outside of the steering being a tad more sensitive, tracks about like it did before (used the highest setting in the front Blisteins). Noticed driving home that occasionally small bumps at low speed it sounded like one of the struts bottoming out. Faint, but noticeable. At high speed and major bumps/potholes (there's a lot on my way back from the garage) it was fine. Way better than the old shocks. I just rechecked everything and all is tight save for the bottom nut on the sway bar which has an attached loose washer on it. Odd because I didn't take it off from the bottom, but rather the top. Gonna tighten it up in the morning, but is there any settling to these?

 

Lmao a big pair of nuts go a long way

 

Sway bar end links are worn and/ or the coil spring isnt fully seated in its rubber bushing both happened to me i replaced my end links and the sprayed wd40 where the coil spring meets the bushing a couple times a week till the spring seated itself.

 

Good to hear... The coil on the drivers side was half an inch from the end of spring and rubber boot seat. Tried to rotate it once I started to let tension off the spring, but figured it would settle. The other side lined up perfect. Thought maybe since its sitting up a little higher with the struts, maybe the sway bar was knocking something but everything looks clear

 

The way the Bilsteins are designed they do bottom out. They do not provide a lot of down travel as to save the ball joints etc. from over extending like a spacer kit will do. Even at 1.5" setting I can hear them bottom out on some craters at low speeds.