We put our Nisstec Ultimate lift kit (+OME HD leaf pack) today - it took over 6 hours despite using a car lift, air tools and 2-4 people working on it at times. The biggest problems?
1) couldn't find the lug nut key (!$@# you, Discount Tire for not putting it back)
2) couldn't get lower front shock bolt off on passenger side
3) couldn't get 2/4 shackle bolts off on the rear
On the front, we put a breaker bar to it and rounded the nut, and ended up having to drill it out. Found a spare bolt & nut, which I promptly broke trying to apply 155 ft. lbs. Luckily someone was able to get the right grade bolt & nut from a tractor supply store. The rear bolts required a heat gun, pipe wrench and breaker bar. And the lug nuts we took off by bashing a 3/4 socket onto them with a steel mallet and ratcheting off.
Lots of other minor difficulties, but those were the worst. So $&!# you too, Nissan for literally *coating* the bolts in some loctite like compound - and by coating, instead of one drop I mean 3-4 inches of the bolt was covered in this stuff. Posted via Mobile Device
Pshaw. Eleven hours for my full OME install, didn't break any tools (except when I dropped my old leaf pack on the air line), spent most of that time cutting LCAs and wrestling bolts. 35 degrees out. In a slanted driveway. One jack. Four of us.
Probably not what you want to hear but so far my 2011 has disassembled very nicely. I've changed out both bumpers and front and rear springs. I'll make a recommendation based on reading about your rounding bolts and using pipe wrenches and cheater bars. If you don't have a 2 sets (1 deep & 1 reg. length) of 6-pt 1/2" dr. impact sockets you should pick them up. 6-pts rarely round heads and work well with breaker or cheater bars. Good luck on your future mods. I will be knocking on wood now :icon_smile:
@ Disney World w/kids so I'll have to get some when I get back. A friend is watching house while we're gone, so folks in the area might spot him in it. Posted via Mobile Device
I have been putting acetone/atf mix on my bolts for about a month now, along with some PB blaster anticipating this head ache. I even wrench on things for a living and am worried about how bad these bolts could be seized up here in michigan,
Just pulled the pin on the leaf pack, hope I don't get that much trouble. gonna start with the PB blaster about a week before the actual suspension swap
well the rescue can probably confirm, today's leaf pack install went pretty good other the the minor medical mishaps of me being a bit of an idiot took about 3 to 3 and a half hours for the full install. thanks again for your help today Rescue