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Well, after numerous hours, my Calmini lift is installed and the truck is aligned. I figure it took me about 20 or so hours, not including trips to the store for tools I didn't have. Oh, and I won't count the trip to the ER 
More on that later.
The alignment went great and ths shop was very complimentary of the lift. I have some things to work out. I have a dreaded rear drive shaft vibration. I installed shims, but still have the vibration from 20-40 mph, so of course right where I drive most. I will get that worked out.
I have to say, it is a bolt in, with some fights on rusty stuff. The take apart was the worst. The actual installation of the parts went smooth, but took some time. Had I not had fights on the stock part tear down, I could have done this in the allotted 6-10 hours Calmini suggests.
I did almost the entire lift myself. My neighbor helped with some heavy lifting on the front and my 15 year old son helped with torquing and heavy lifting when he wasn't doing basketball stuff.
All in all I am pleased. The truck looks great. I have a slight rake with the front lower than the rear, due to my stock front springs and the Shrocks bumper and the Warn winch. Hopefully the rear will settle a bit
I installed the sway bar using the drop mounts, knowing I need to do something else in order to have my Schrocks bumper skid install back on. I was torquing the mounts to the frame and one of the bolts started to spin. It was in most of the way finger tight, so I know it isn't cross threaded. The Nissan sevice manual says 100 ft lbs...I am sure I streatched the threads and whacked it. I need to investigate what to do now. The others I just tightened solid, but not near that torque level.
The ride is a bit stiffer, as to be expected. The handling is solid. The vibration is really the only problem and hopefully I can get that taken care of with a bit more work.
I think I am the third X to do this install. Fastdrmr, Trifler, and now me :cheers:
Here is a link to the photo album. Enjoy!
(I am not sure how to set the order of the pics...pics of the truck are at the bottom in photobucket site...sorry)
http://s148.photobucket.com/albums/s2/jtaoj/2005 X Lift/?start=all
The ER visit. I had a stubborn front diff to drive shaft bolt. It is a tight area and you cannot bet a good breaker bar in there. I ended up double wrenching, meaning using another box end for leverage. It slipped under full tugging force and I beaned myself in the head. I thought...hmmm...that wasn't smart, then hmmm...wonder if I am bleeding, and as I tipped my head down...lots-o-blood. Heads tend to bleed alot. That happened at 7 AM two Saturdays ago. Got stitched, and went right back to work. My wife thinks I am nutso.
More on that later.The alignment went great and ths shop was very complimentary of the lift. I have some things to work out. I have a dreaded rear drive shaft vibration. I installed shims, but still have the vibration from 20-40 mph, so of course right where I drive most. I will get that worked out.
I have to say, it is a bolt in, with some fights on rusty stuff. The take apart was the worst. The actual installation of the parts went smooth, but took some time. Had I not had fights on the stock part tear down, I could have done this in the allotted 6-10 hours Calmini suggests.
I did almost the entire lift myself. My neighbor helped with some heavy lifting on the front and my 15 year old son helped with torquing and heavy lifting when he wasn't doing basketball stuff.
All in all I am pleased. The truck looks great. I have a slight rake with the front lower than the rear, due to my stock front springs and the Shrocks bumper and the Warn winch. Hopefully the rear will settle a bit
I installed the sway bar using the drop mounts, knowing I need to do something else in order to have my Schrocks bumper skid install back on. I was torquing the mounts to the frame and one of the bolts started to spin. It was in most of the way finger tight, so I know it isn't cross threaded. The Nissan sevice manual says 100 ft lbs...I am sure I streatched the threads and whacked it. I need to investigate what to do now. The others I just tightened solid, but not near that torque level.
The ride is a bit stiffer, as to be expected. The handling is solid. The vibration is really the only problem and hopefully I can get that taken care of with a bit more work.
I think I am the third X to do this install. Fastdrmr, Trifler, and now me :cheers:
Here is a link to the photo album. Enjoy!
(I am not sure how to set the order of the pics...pics of the truck are at the bottom in photobucket site...sorry)
http://s148.photobucket.com/albums/s2/jtaoj/2005 X Lift/?start=all
The ER visit. I had a stubborn front diff to drive shaft bolt. It is a tight area and you cannot bet a good breaker bar in there. I ended up double wrenching, meaning using another box end for leverage. It slipped under full tugging force and I beaned myself in the head. I thought...hmmm...that wasn't smart, then hmmm...wonder if I am bleeding, and as I tipped my head down...lots-o-blood. Heads tend to bleed alot. That happened at 7 AM two Saturdays ago. Got stitched, and went right back to work. My wife thinks I am nutso.
