Thanks tjtj! Very informative post, very appreciated!
I did get the longer u-bolts, now I can tackle this with some more confidence.
Another question I've seen the right up for the t bars on how to do it, is it actually as hard or technical as it looks?
LOL
That's a trick question.
It depends on how accurately you perceive it.
Its not hard if you understand how it all works.....as then it all makes sense and you'd know what you're doing.
If you think of you using a wrench, literally...and how you put the wrench on a bolt, and turn it until your arm can't go farther, take the wrench off, reposition it to turn again, and turn some more...that's an important concept.
The t-bar acts like a spring. Instead of bending into a bowed or unbowed shape like a leaf pack, or getting longer/shorter like a coil spring, it twists,
The difference, from say a twizzler, is that like other "springs", it springs back.
So, it supports the weight of the truck's font end...and, that weight twists the bar to a point. As you go over bumps, road undulations, etc, the t-bar twists more as the tires rise, and untwists as the tires fall.
To raise the truck, all you are doing is using the t-bar's adjuster anchor (The one in the cross member about under the front seats...) to ROTATE the bar to a new position, just like the wrench rotates the bolt.
The OTHER end of the bar is in your lower control arm (LCA). ROTATING the bar so that the LCA is pushed down more, raises the ride height. The bar still support the same weight, just from a new starting point....so its not "Pushed down harder" etc...its the same, just starting from a new point, just like your wrench started to turn the bolt again from a new point.
I do recommend actually removing the bars from both the LCA and adjuster anchors, so you can lovingly slather the splined ends with anti-seize compound....and also the threads of the adjuster bolts, etc.
The main reasons for this are as follows:
1) YOU get to make sure the splined ends are fully inserted into the splined anchors.
2) You know that if you ever need to mess with them again, they will be SOOOO much easier to work with, as all the moving parts will actually be ABLE to move.
3) Adjustments will be easier (see #2)
Also, before starting, like at least a WEEK before starting, spray everything you can think of under there with PB Blaster (NOT WD-40). Spray every day/every other day if possible, as you want to have time to dissolve the rust welds on the splined and threaded parts.
THAT both forces you to look hard at all the parts, so you are familiar with them by the time you actually start wrenching...and, it saves hours of drudgery trying to break rust welds/stripping bolts, etc.
Same goes for the butt end of the lift too btw.
The above prep work is the difference between a PML taking ~ 1.5 hr and all day.