Okay, back to the ordeal of installing the Bilstein Struts. As the picture above shows...Sunday morning I just have my truck with the driver wheel well just hanging out there... I ended up taking the broken tool back and rented 2 sets of strut compressors. I got home and started compressing the factory spring. It was a lot stronger than I thought it would be. I had to use my breaker bar to get it down enough to install the strut into the assembly. I had it on my kitchen table since it was so hot outside. Worked pretty well with 2 ratchet straps holding the assembly down on the table.
So I get ready to install the top nut to the 19 FtLbs the instructions call for and like the factory struts the rod just sat there and spins...tried the impact wrench and it still spinning. So once again I am stuck. I start researching and you need a special strut install tool. Basically its a nut drive that goes over the strut stud, these have an oval head while some have an Allan head slot, and then a larger nut driver that tightens down the top flange nut while holding the strut rod still. Had to drive across town to find it. it was the only one in town...
So I get it torqued down and outside I go. Only to find out I installed the strut in the spring backwards... Back we go to the table to strap down the assembly and spin the strut 180 degrees....lol
Back outside it went into the bucket very easy. Used the impact wrench to install the bottom strut bolts through the lift, and used the impact on the sway bar end link, and the tie rod end. Had to jack up the lower control arm and pry the upper control arm down to seat the ball joint. With it pried down you can tighten the ball joint nut without it moving. You have to use an impact wrench on the tie rod end or the ball joint in it will spin.
By this time its like 5 pm. I hurry to the other side and repeat the process. It only took about an hour for the other side. This one was a little difficult to hold the strut rod still even with the vice grips. I had to hold the strut rod with vice grips which I almost couldn't close, and use the impact wrench to spin the top nut off fast enough. Everything is put together and looks really high in the front compared to what is use to be. I am really liking it. I will definitely have to get new upper control arms. There is about 3/8 to 1/2" clearance between the control arm and the stop. I will probably do that over the next few weekends. I need to install the rear now and get different wheel spacers and do the alignment. I think its going to look sick when I am done with it! I will get some pictures of the front on flat ground sometime this week!
