theferg

Your measuring stick is broken. It measures a 5 foot lift on your truck...

I run the tallest stock LC springs you can find at 9.5 wraps in the rear and i'm only at just a tad under 25" (with custom rear bumper, RTT, and buncha crap in the back) from center of hub to bottom of LTD-style fender flare.

EDIT: 59/2.54=23.228, 63/2.54=24.803. I think you looked at the cm side of the tape.

-Ferg-

Ocean Racer

I have the same truck... SR5 version... now I know what it will look like with some lift.. Is that a 6in kit?

And a True 4x4 is a little higher in the front!

brian2sun

OMEs are 3" kits - that's the highest suspension lift you can go on a 3rd gen w/o destroying the CV axles or buying an ultra-expensive "drop CV style lift" like a ProComp. Most people that want to go higher than 3" do a 1-3" body lift on top of their sus lift. 3" will clear 33" tires, you'll need about 5"+ to clear 35s.

Mine sits about 1/2" higher in the rear than the front. I like this because when I throw a couple hundred lbs. of gear in the back (which I usually have w/ me anyways) it sits level. I guess that means mine is a faux 4x4..haha!

JWaldz

iTrader: (1)

Well I'll check it out tomorrow. I used all the bushings they sent me but might be able to use the bushings from my old shocks. There is a bushing on the top it just sits in a little below the washer, but there isn't one on the bottom. Thanks or the pic.
I'm in a dilemma now bc the passenger side nut on top of the shock is stuck and I can't get it off meaning I can't get the dang shock out. It's either cross threaded or just that hard to get off. I'm ready to be done with these adjustables. And sorry for the measuremts haha didn't notice I said it was that high. It sits exactly 24" from middle of hub to bottom of fender in the front.

theferg

Missing bushing is exactly as i suspected. That amount of shock stud that is sticking out is about exactly the length/height of a missing bushing.

Also, how are you assembling these? Do you have a coil compression tool?--cause you should...that or some sort of a jig and press that can compress the coil to get it all put together correctly and to take it all apart correctly and SAFELY.

Couple of reasons i ask that, but the main one being you shouldn't be tightening or loosening that bolt up top on the shock stud while its on the truck or even while its all just sitting on the floor freely. Those coils have to be compressed somehow to get it all setup right. (Note the coil compression tools being used in the pic just a few posts up.)

You should be pulling the entire shock/coil assembly all together. So to do that you remove the top three bolts that bolt the coil plate and then the bottom shock bolt. Then it all comes out in one piece.

As for the shock bolt being stuck, once you have the entire assembly out, and the coils SAFELY compressed, an impact wrench will zip it right off--and yes, it should be that tight and actually should more than likely turn the entire upper shock body with the stud and bolt without using an impact wrench or holding the shock body somehow. I recommend the impact gun.

(EDIT: After re-reading your post, I think you meant you couldn't get the shock out of the coil, not out of the truck--like i assumed--but either way, I think what I wrote I will still be helpful. )

-Ferg-

JWaldz

iTrader: (1)

Oh yes of course I'm using a strut spring compressor and I'm removing the whole assembly. My problem is I can't get the nut off the top of the shock. I don't know how to use an impact and be able to keep the middle without spinning freely. Anyone have a trick for that?

brian2sun

I would try a big vice grips.

JWaldz

iTrader: (1)

Trust me.. I've tried it lol

sexasomniac

I had a brand new shock get stripped cause the spring wasn't compressed right. I had to cut it off with a sawzall with the spring compressed, then returned it for a new one. Luckily that was at Autozone and got a free replacement. Good luck man!

JWaldz

iTrader: (1)

I talked to toytec and there is no way I can exchange or return the shocks since they are used. I figured that would be the answer but gave it a try anyways. I have some bushings from my old shocks I can use and lucky for me I found a nut off the top of my old shock in the backseat so I can use it on the new ones. I'll just dremel the old one off and hopefully that will work. I'm ready to be done with this project, get an allignment, and go ridin!!

theferg

You don't have a local 4x4 shop or even mechanic shop that you could run it down to and have them zip it off with an impact wrench? Should take all of about 30 seconds total.

-Ferg-

JWaldz

iTrader: (1)

I have an impact wrench. The thing about it is... Trying to just turn the nut turns the rod running into the body of the shock so you have to secure it from the top. By securing it on the top it doesnt allow you to put a impact wrench on it. Anyone with the OME front struts, were bushings included with them or did you use the stock bushing from your existing shocks? The bushings I had weren't the correct ones and I have no clue where I've placed my stock strut bushings. Anyone know of a place to order some front strut bushings?

theferg

I've had both those 5100s and now have the OMEs. Both came with all the necessary bushings.

And I'm not so sure we're talking about the same thing re: an impact wrench...sometimes called an impact gun... The way the impact gun works, you don't need to secure the strut from turning. Unless you've buggered the crap outta the threads and the nut, an impact will get it right off of there without sweat.

-Ferg-

JWaldz

iTrader: (1)

I talked to ToyTec again and asked them if bushings came with the bilsteins and they said no. I also asked the same question about the OME's and they also said no. The only bushings that come for either one of these is the bushing for the bottom. Now I don't know where you guys are getting these top bushings from but they said to use the existing stock bushings to mount the new ones. As far as the stuck nut goes.. I'm still workin on a solution.

brian2sun

Man, sorry to hear about all this crap you're going through, this should've been a 1 day deal. If you haven't done this already, I would call toytec again and have them look at this thread while you have them on the phone and see what they say about the pics of your fronts installed with the rod sticking out of the top like that with no pressure on it. Ask them to explain why it's doing that.

JWaldz

iTrader: (1)

Well, I explained to them what's going on and they said bushings are definitely what's missing. I'm going to send them an email with the pics and see if I can get any more info out of them. Thanks Brian

brian2sun

I'm sure it'll all work out and when it does that truck is going to ride and look sweet. If they didn't send you the bushings for the new shocks, isn't that their mistake? All my new shocks came with new bushings! And if the new shock is now damaged from installing it without the necessary bushings (or gets damaged as you try to take it back apart), isn't that due to their mistake also? I think so. Good luck and let us know what they say.

tacollie

Thats suck. My OME came with the bushings in the box so I don't know what they are talking about. I have talked with a 2 different people there. The first had no clue what he was talking about(for the record I like Toytec) the second was very helpful. It looks like you are missing the bushings.

I know your issues with the impact wrench. I loosened mine up as much as I could with a wrench and vice grips and then took the impact wrench to it. You can't just hold the impact wrench on. Hit the trigger on and off a bunch. I hope that makes sense.

JWaldz

iTrader: (1)

Thanks guys for the help (thats why I like this place haha). I finally got a good response from an email I sent to the support techs there. I sent them the pics of my shocks and they agreed that it wasn't right. They then sent me a pic of the bushings and washers I should have had on the install >>>
Good thing is they have them available to send out so I sent them a shout on seeing if they will send me some. Haven't gotten a response yet but I'm hoping I will get them soon so I can finish this project up.
With the stuck nut, I do understand what you are trying to say tacollie and I've tried it. Hell, I've tried everything I can. So looks like I'm just gonna dremmel it off. Shouldn't take but a min and then I can get the other nut on there along with my hopefully soon to come bushings.

Ron Helmuth

good to see you are getting the parts and help you need. It will all be worth it in the end...