I am installing a 2.5" leveling kit by CCM Offroad on my 05 F150 4x4 and having some trouble. I have got the spaces added to the strut and reinstalled it. Then trouble... The instructions state "with floor jack under the lower control arm, raise the lower control arm so the new studs go through the factory holes and continue until the upper ball joint can be reattached." I have the holes lined up and the strut bolted in place. However, I can't raise the lower control arm enough to bolt up the upper control arm. Even using a pry bar I can only get enough of the threads through to barely start the nut. Pretty sure I am doing something wrong. Anybody have any suggestions with experience putting these kits on? I can call for tech help Monday but I really wanted to get it going this weekend.

 

take some lube, wd40, penetrating wrench and soak the ball joint stud. take a pry bar, if you have a friend have him do it and pull the upper control arm down, hopefully lubing the ball joint stud, it will let you spin it on far enough and let you get a wrench on the hex part of the stud so you can tighten it to spec. if it is rusty, i would wire wheel the threads. i don't use the jack at all, i just pry the UCA down and it goes right in. this is where ratcheting wrenches are worth their weight in gold.

 

Thanks for the input. If I didn't use the jack, there would be no way to get he UCA to bolt up on my truck. With the threads barely started, the UCA is almost touching the strut springs. That's with a jack under the LCA so should be the same as truck sitting on ground with wheels and tires on it. The axles and steering linkages are at extreme angles. Is this normal for a 2.5" kit?

 

it's just because no weight on the suspension, it will be fine when it's on its own weight. did you get it attached? how big of pry bar you got? we use a 4' bar and the other guy pushes down and i attach it

 

yea if you push the UCA down it should bolt up, and it looks awful until you get it on its own weight

 

Love this forum. Thanks for the help! Got it on the ground and everything looks great. Now gotta do the rear (1.5"). Wheels and tires will be here this week. Eagle 197's with 285/65R18 Terra Grapplers.

 

Did you unbolt the sway-bar? That would be the most likely thing I could think of.