Step one of my spring project is done.
Step one, get someone else to do it first: Phil decided to do the spacers so we did it in his truck today. This wasn't as successful as I had hoped because I ended up helping. The good news is Phil will be helping me with step 2.
Realistically it was a great success. For the cost of 2 spacers ($24 total) we were able to lift his truck 1.25" in the back. To do that in my Frontier it would have cost me $200. I'll let Phil tell about the ride quality etc.

Step two, doing it in my truck, is under way. I've got the spacers already sitting in Phil's garage (along with the camera I forgot there). Now it's just a matter of finding time to do it. Now that we know these spacers provide a 1.25" lift I'll be able to lift the back of the truck 1.25" to check the impact on the pinion angle and see if it will be an issue.

Phil and I had good luck today (you'd think we were Irish) but we did forget to take photo's. We'll try and remember for my truck so that we can post how to do the job and make everyone else life easier.

Maurie

It went very well, thanks to Cityyeti's help! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

We cranked the t-bars first, gained around two inches, with 13 and 15 turns right and left respectively. I wanted to make sure I could lift the front enough to match the back - it turned out that I was even able to level it out a bit - managed to get rid of some of the slight front-nose-down attitude.

Then we went to the back. We used hard rubber "donut" spacers, that had a small valley for the coil to sit it - used coil spring compressors to compress the springs somewhat, but it was a little more difficult because of the air bags inside my coils - we managed, after some struggling, to slide the spacers under the coils, as well as poly pucks under the air bags, since the spacers are hollow in the middle, and the airbags would've been too short to be effective without them (these "pucks" came with the airbags, but were meant for an alternate application with these bags, and not necessary for OE Paj/Monty coils).

Once we had both sides done, I went back to the front with a hacksaw to chop off the bumpstops, which were almost sitting on the stoppers. That done, we went for a test-ride. Couldn't find a suspension-bottoming bump to hit, but my seat of the pants analysis tells me that the ride quality hasn't changed. After settling, and raising front and rear, I've gained approx 2" on the front, and 1 1/2" in the back...

Now I definitely need to get some 33's on there. The gap between the flare and the tire is excessive, bordering on ridiculous. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> Truck looks much less mall-crawler-ish now. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Thanks again Maurie! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" /> We'll get Betsy IV done soon too!

looking to replace my springs and shocks myself, anybody know where i could get a set locally?????

Where are you at? I bought my Old Man Emu set of springs and shocks through Modern Motors here in calgary. They will set you up. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

im edmonton,and they were for a pajero swb diesel??

Not sure what OME sells for the SWB Pajero but I am certain there is some listed. If you call Modern Motors, they can at least tell you and may be able to help you out with a retailer in Edmonton.

I did the $20 lift on my truck about 4 weeks ago. Since then I've done about 3000km.
I did have an issue with install where I didn't get a spacer all the way in, but it seemed to be holding in place, and the truck sat level.

At city speeds the truck drove and handled fine. At highway speeds the handling characteristics where fine, but there was some vibration. I couldn't tell if it was a wheel balance issue, or a drive shaft issue. I was going to rotate the wheels to see if I could isolate the problem, but lazyness got in the way, so I did a much more simple test. I checked the U-Joints.

As it turn out, my new rear u-joint already has a considerable amount of play (at the T-case). I assume it is because of the sharper pinion angle that the lift has created. Doug warned me about this, and he was very right. At any rate, the lift is coming out. I'll see if that resolves my vibration issues.

It was still worth the $20 just to see what would happen. I guess you can suspension lift a LWB since the drive shaft is longer but the shorty has to stay close to the ground. Oh well... Time for a body lift I guess...

Maurie

Time to rotate the axle <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

"Doug warned me about this, and he was very right. At any rate, the lift is coming out. I'll see if that resolves my vibration issues."

He He, yup I did mention something about that. I sure miss my pajero though, although driving the new rubicon with no doors and roof almost compensates for the fact that it is a chrysler, and not built nearly as well.

Doug

Hey I still have that spare front cv shaft and wheel????? If smokey paj doesnt want these parts they are up for grabs. Price is free, but smoky paj gets first dibbs....

I'll take em if he doesn't!!!!