Suspension Arms - Tension?

Hi everyone,

As part of installing some larger, aftermarket springs on my 1985 F150, I also need to relocate two pins on the lift kit (please see the attached image - the red circle shows the one side - the other is behind it).



My question - if the wheels are removed, is there any lateral tension on this arm when I remove the bolt?

Also - should I take out the old spring, remove the bolt, reinstall it in the new hole, and then install the new spring or is there a better way to do it?

For whatever it's worth, it's a 4" Rough Country lift kit, but the rear is 2" higher than the front, so to level it out, they sent me the 6" springs...

Thanks.

Quarterwave wrote

My question - if the wheels are removed, is there any lateral tension on this arm when I remove the bolt?

Also - should I take out the old spring, remove the bolt, reinstall it in the new hole, and then install the new spring or is there a better way to do it?

I don't think there's any tension on the beam bushings. I recently had all of my front end parts out of the truck for new bushings and joints, etc.

What I did was, jack up the front end, and put jack stands under the frame up front.

Then I jacked up the beams, and removed the wheels.

Let jack down, and let the beams drop as low as they will go. The coil spring will be relaxed, and you can remove it.

Change you bushing pivot location, put the bolt in it, but don't tighten it fully.

Install springs.

Jack axle beams back up until the truck's weight is supported on the suspension.

Then tighten the beam pivot bushings fully.

As a general rule of thumb, you want to always tighten suspension bushings with the suspension loaded as the vehicle sits normally.

Awesome, thanks Rembrant!

Quarterwave wrote

...if the wheels are removed, is there any lateral tension on this arm when I remove the bolt?

Depends on how the axle beam is resting, and how the spring is pushing on it.  If you mean "enough to cause misalignment"; yes.  If you mean "enough to make it jump out"; not likely.

While it's out, I highly recommend black Energy axle pivot bushings.