Daystar 3/4 inch rear spacers

[azmojave]

I installed the rear spacers today. I did everything by the book and it was actually really easy.
Support frame
Remove tires
Remove lower shock mounts
Remove upper sway bar bolts
Remove plastic isolators from bottom of springs
Insert spacers
Bolt back up
I was really careful with the springs. I made sure the upper bushing was in the correct location and the coil was clocked in it’s location. The only thing I noticed was the bottom of the coils aren’t clocked the same on either side, but I figured that doesn’t matter when the weight of the truck is on it. The top is perfect so I went with that.
Anyways, I take it out in the street and the passenger side was sitting an inch higher than the driver side. WTF? Maybe it needs to settle in? I take it for a drive and it’s still 1/2 inch off. With less than half a tank of gas, I decided to fill it up to see if that helps. Now it’s 1/8 lower on the passenger side. Almost perfect but I’ll keep an eye on it. I checked everything multiple times and even torqued all the bolts correctly. Anyone else have experience with this? Thanks for reading my novel LOL.
Before

After

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[azmojave]

I wanted these to reduce the sag while I’m towing my trailer, and hopefully to keep the ass end a bit higher to reduce dragging. The Mojave has no rake, so I wanted to add a little. The fenders are now the same distance from the tires, front and rear, and still looks great IMO.

 

[azmojave]

Here’s the spacers. They installed pretty easy but I needed the wife to step on the rotor while I pushed up the spring from underneath.

 

[TimC]

Team Sport

 

[azmojave]

Here’s the tiny bit of sag I had before while loaded down.

 

[Trauma PA]

I installed the rear spacers today. I did everything by the book and it was actually really easy.
Support frame
Remove tires
Remove lower shock mounts
Remove upper sway bar bolts
Remove plastic isolators from bottom of springs
Insert spacers
Bolt back up
I was really careful with the springs. I made sure the upper bushing was in the correct location and the coil was clocked in it’s location. The only thing I noticed was the bottom of the coils aren’t clocked the same on either side, but I figured that doesn’t matter when the weight of the truck is on it. The top is perfect so I went with that.
Anyways, I take it out in the street and the passenger side was sitting an inch higher than the driver side. WTF? Maybe it needs to settle in? I take it for a drive and it’s still 1/2 inch off. With less than half a tank of gas, I decided to fill it up to see if that helps. Now it’s 1/8 lower on the passenger side. Almost perfect but I’ll keep an eye on it. I checked everything multiple times and even torqued all the bolts correctly. Anyone else have experience with this? Thanks for reading my novel LOL.
Before

After

I’ve installed that same spacer 3 different occasions. Two on Rubicons and one on a Sport. I wouldn’t think the Mojave would be any different. Sounds like you did everything correctly. The amount of fuel in your tank is most likely explanation.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I’ve installed that same spacer 3 different occasions. Two on Rubicons and one on a Sport. I wouldn’t think the Mojave would be any different. Sounds like you did everything correctly. The amount of fuel in your tank is most likely explanation.

Obviously more clearance on the Mojave. I had a heck of a time getting the Overland springs out back there - they are long. The brake lines almost weren't long enough. I had to bend the steel lines down to keep from pulling the rubber lines apart while I got enough clearance to get the Overland rears out. There's no way a person could have gotten spacers in there without some leverage on the springs. With the max tow springs in there, though, it was pretty east to hold the springs up and put the spacers in. Overland springs may be "soft" but they are long. I'd bet it was a lot easier to put the spacers in that Mojave than it would have been to put them in an Overland with the stock OVerland springs.

 

[azmojave]

Obviously more clearance on the Mojave. I had a heck of a time getting the Overland springs out back there - they are long. The brake lines almost weren't long enough. I had to bend the steel lines down to keep from pulling the rubber lines apart while I got enough clearance to get the Overland rears out. There's no way a person could have gotten spacers in there without some leverage on the springs. With the max tow springs in there, though, it was pretty east to hold the springs up and put the spacers in. Overland springs may be "soft" but they are long. I'd bet it was a lot easier to put the spacers in that Mojave than it would have been to put them in an Overland with the stock OVerland springs.

It was pretty easy. I’m guessing all the joints need to settle in after torquing them down

 

[ShadowsPapa]

It was pretty easy. I’m guessing all the joints need to settle in after torquing them down

If everything is torqued while the truck is settled sitting on the ground, the bushings would all be relaxed and in their natural position. Springs may set a big, but the reason for torqueing joints with the wheels on the ground is to ensure no tension on the bushings. The bushings would be sitting in the joints with no preload, exactly as they would be in a package or box.

 

[azmojave]

If everything is torqued while the truck is settled sitting on the ground, the bushings would all be relaxed and in their natural position. Springs may set a big, but the reason for torqueing joints with the wheels on the ground is to ensure no tension on the bushings. The bushings would be sitting in the joints with no preload, exactly as they would be in a package or box.

I guess I could have waited until I set it down to torque stuff. All I did was lower shocks and upper sway bar. Was easier with the wheel off. Oops

 

[azmojave]

Maybe tomorrow I’ll go out and loosen and retighten everything

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Maybe tomorrow I’ll go out and loosen and retighten everything

That would be wise.
Maybe I'm preachin' to the choir - but if things are tightened when the wheels are off the ground and the suspension is "drooping", the bushings are locked in place. When let down with wheels on, things are pushed up and the bushings are now twisted, preloaded, and will hold things up a bit. Yes, may settle over time, but now the bushings have a twist, are stressed, won't last as long and it changes how things behave.

When making any changes to final ride height, be it springs, spacers, whatever, joints should be loosened and then re-torqued when it's at the new final ride height. Otherwise there's tension on the bushings in control arms, track bars, and so on.

 

[azmojave]

Loosened, lifted up, lowered down, shaken not stirred, retorqued. Much better. No control arms or trac bars were ever loosened, only shocks and sway bar. But now I feel better. Whew. Damn OCD…

 

[ShadowsPapa]

shaken not stirred,

LOL Love it!

I forgot to mention that part - do jounce, shake, whatever, to get things settled into place. You nailed it.

 

[azmojave]

Looks better already. When I get 35’s it should be perfect.

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