You have got to be kidding....

[AZ ERIK]

1. it took me 5 hours, by myself with only a handfull of shitty hand tools to put the Lakewoods on. (Doesn't help that I couldn't follow everyone elses 'lakewood set up' due to being 2 inches lower than the normal drop.)

2. My second set of Airbags (Airlift) don't appear to work either. THe bag braket hits the Lakewoods so it won't mount right. The upper braket is needing to extend 1.5 inches above the frame for mounting. Atleast these I can send back to Summit

3. Whoever designed the bolts for the Lakewoods needs to be shot. My right arm is KILLING me from mounting and dismounting 4 times on the right side and 3 times on the left to get the shimming right. Note from me, if you don't have air toold be prepared to be pissed and tired.

4. I took it for a drive and HOLY SHIT I shoulda done this a long time back. The 'issues' I thought I had with the FTVB are 100% gone with these bars. The ride is rough but the shifts are fantastic.

5. My pinion seal is leaking, pretty well

I don't think I'll do that so I need to find a shop.

6.I'm hitting my swaybar. I'm not bottoming out the shocks, not hitting the bumpstops, I'm hitting my swaybar on the metal pieces above the rear where the bar mounts.

7 Who ever designed the nuts for the sway bar needs to line up next to the guy from Lakewood. WTF? the bolt is 2 different sizes? 11/16 and something between 3/4 but no socket fits the top bolt. I got it loose but that's it I can't get it off so I can't drill the holes up higher. I'm going to look for shorter ends and at somepoint drill the holes higher.

Now a question for the Lakewood users. I had to cut 2 'nubbs' off the snubbers in order to be able to mount the Lakewoods. Right now the right is a hair shorter than 1/2 inch gap and the left is a hair shorter than 3/8ths. Can I trim off 1 more 'nubb' to open that gap up about another 1/8th to 1/4 inch and be fine? That would place the right a hair over 1/2 and the left a hair over 3/8th. If I slip in another shim the snubbers are about 3/8ths too much on both sides. Is it better to have too much gap? As my right is still as hell right now.

Right now I'm off to put back in the orginal Amazon tune to see if the low throttle shift points will work out for me. I hope so as my launch last night sucked due to it shifting at 10 mph (forced) from a dig.

 

[Fade 2 Black]

I guess the pinion seal is resultant from your axle wrap that you've now eliminated. I hope the shifts treat you right.

 

[CuZzO99L]

I shimed mine to where there is absolutly NO GAP. Doesnt really matter how close or far it is for the leaf spring, just as long as its equal on both sides. The Yellow bushings on mine Are Both slightly pressed about a 1/4inch behind the spring eye when the truck is in park. All I have done 2 the rear of my Susp is Shackles and Qa1s though, might be a lil diff for u if u replaced the hangers too. And I believe LFP sells Rear Adjustable Sway Bar Links, Thats about the only thing im lacking out back.

 

[ACSVT]

What causes that pinion seal leak?

 

[Sinister04L]

Whoever designed the bolts for the Lakewoods needs to be shot. My right arm is KILLING me from mounting and dismounting 4 times on the right side and 3 times on the left to get the shimming right. Note from me, if you don't have air toold be prepared to be pissed and tired.


Now a question for the Lakewood users. I had to cut 2 'nubbs' off the snubbers in order to be able to mount the Lakewoods. Right now the right is a hair shorter than 1/2 inch gap and the left is a hair shorter than 3/8ths. Can I trim off 1 more 'nubb' to open that gap up about another 1/8th to 1/4 inch and be fine? That would place the right a hair over 1/2 and the left a hair over 3/8th. If I slip in another shim the snubbers are about 3/8ths too much on both sides. Is it better to have too much gap? As my right is still as hell right now.

Why didn't you put the shims in and just hold the bars in place to check the gap? You shouldn't have had to tighten everything down to find out the shims weren't right.

I had to cut down the snubbers too after I put the Hotchkis rear leafs on. I kept the gap at around 1/8" for better traction (the tighter the gap, the better the traction). It made for a crappier ride, but launched better. Soon afterwards I swapped over to the 58" LFP bars and I couldn't be happier. No shims and BS to mess with, and it rides like stock.

 

[Fade 2 Black]

Usually shock and or vibration. Sometimes they just leak though.

Don't the instructions for the T bars say to have ~ 3/8" clearance for the snubbers? They aren't made to constantly carry suspension loads and placing them against the leaf does just that.

 

[AZ ERIK]

Why didn't you put the shims in and just hold the bars in place to check the gap? You shouldn't have had to tighten everything down to find out the shims weren't right.

I did that the first 3 times. What happens is I can't support the back end level and get the tire off. So when I 'set it up there' and put the shims in it ended up being off by 1/2 inch once and off by about 3/8th of an inch once. My leafes have little to no arc to them so when the suspension is compressed the entire leaf de arc's not the same way a stock set up would. My gemometry is different.

 

[AZ ERIK]

Usually shock and or vibration. Sometimes they just leak though.

Don't the instructions for the T bars say to have ~ 3/8" clearance for the snubbers? They aren't made to constantly carry suspension loads and placing them against the leaf does just that.

3/8th on the left 1/2 inch on the right. It hooks well like that for sure.

 

[AZ ERIK]

I shimed mine to where there is absolutly NO GAP. Doesnt really matter how close or far it is for the leaf spring, just as long as its equal on both sides. The Yellow bushings on mine Are Both slightly pressed about a 1/4inch behind the spring eye when the truck is in park. All I have done 2 the rear of my Susp is Shackles and Qa1s though, might be a lil diff for u if u replaced the hangers too. And I believe LFP sells Rear Adjustable Sway Bar Links, Thats about the only thing im lacking out back.

The Lakewood install manual says to never do this as eratic handling will happen. I just went with what was in the manual. It does ride like a pogo stick right now though.

 

[Lightning Steve]

With the Lakewood, you should swap out the crap bolts for Grade 8 (course thread) with Nyloc nuts.
I also had to put on and take off mine several times to shim right. It would look okay till you tighten up, then the gap was to close. Also cut two rings off the snubbers.
What I'm going to make up and try is 1/2" (approx) shims to put under the snubbers at the track, to close up the gap, then can take out to have proper movement on the street.

 

[AZ ERIK]

With the Lakewood, you should swap out the crap bolts for Grade 8 (course thread) with Nyloc nuts.
I also had to put on and take off mine several times to shim right. It would look okay till you tighten up, then the gap was to close. Also cut two rings off the snubbers.
What I'm going to make up and try is 1/2" (approx) shims to put under the snubbers at the track, to close up the gap, then can take out to have proper movement on the street.

That's a great idea. Accually it can be done with washers. But damn that's the smart move there. I'm going to be using a set of pancake bump stops when hauling the Banshee.

 

[Lightning Steve]

Was thinking of either using aluminium or nylon/UHMD, maybe cutting a slot so it will just slide in with out having to completely remove the snubber. "C" shaped if you know what I mean?

 

[AZ ERIK]

I could accually machine up some from Nylon. I noticed I can screw my snubbers in and out by hand so it really wouldn't be much to space them. Keep the spacers in the glove box for quick adjustment.

 

[Bootie]

Good deal getting your t-bars on, but I can't understand how the bars solved the shifting problem. Anyone know?

 

[Fade 2 Black]

His leafs were deflecting so much that the shift was being absorbed by the suspension slop and axle wrap. Now that all is tight the shift is being transferred to the wheels/ground where it needs to go.

 

[Sinister04L]

I did that the first 3 times. What happens is I can't support the back end level and get the tire off. So when I 'set it up there' and put the shims in it ended up being off by 1/2 inch once and off by about 3/8th of an inch once. My leafes have little to no arc to them so when the suspension is compressed the entire leaf de arc's not the same way a stock set up would. My gemometry is different.

Ahhh, gotcha. I just assumed it was on jackstands with the tires off because that's how I did mine. Wasn't thinkin.

 

[Gripstang]

I just learned sooo much. Thank you Erik and Bob.