I ordered an Icon lift and a new upper a-arm. All the parts have arrived and I am eager to get it in. So I contacted the three different people I know who have done a lift before to see if I can get some help as I have never done one. For various reasons none of them are available anytime soon, and I have this burning need.
Screw it! I decided to do it myself. I mean, how hard could it be right?
I figured I would follow the directions from Icon. I jacked it up, dropped it on stands, removed the front wheels and the next step in the Icon instructions says to disconnect the tie rod end. No problem, pull the pin, take the nut off and the end should slide right out... right?.... no. This was me learning that tie-rods are not just a bolt through a bolt hole.
Fearing doing damage I did not try to use a fork. I saw a boot there and could not see a way to ensure the boot was unharmed, so I grabbed a chunk of wood (hard oak), and my motivator (aka the BFH) and decided to push it out from the top where the nut once was. After putting lots of nice holes in my chunk of wood and not moving a the rod end a bit i decided my ignorance is bad for my trucks health. So I put everything back together.
I then did a bunch of searching here and have seen 5 different options to handle the problem I have. They are:
1. Do exactly what I did.. just more. Maybe leave the nut on and loose while doing it.
2. Use a fork and hope the boot survives and the rod is not scored.
3. Use a pitman puller (or some name close to that)
4. Apply constant downforce on the tie rod and smack the side of the housing with a BFH so the shock-wave will loosen the part. (cool idea, sounds scary)
5. Avoid this by disconnecting the lower a-arm instead.
So... which of these is the proper answer and why? Please keep in mind, I have only 7k miles and don't want to damage parts that are not replaced by the icon kit.
Thanks.
Screw it! I decided to do it myself. I mean, how hard could it be right?
I figured I would follow the directions from Icon. I jacked it up, dropped it on stands, removed the front wheels and the next step in the Icon instructions says to disconnect the tie rod end. No problem, pull the pin, take the nut off and the end should slide right out... right?.... no. This was me learning that tie-rods are not just a bolt through a bolt hole.
Fearing doing damage I did not try to use a fork. I saw a boot there and could not see a way to ensure the boot was unharmed, so I grabbed a chunk of wood (hard oak), and my motivator (aka the BFH) and decided to push it out from the top where the nut once was. After putting lots of nice holes in my chunk of wood and not moving a the rod end a bit i decided my ignorance is bad for my trucks health. So I put everything back together.
I then did a bunch of searching here and have seen 5 different options to handle the problem I have. They are:
1. Do exactly what I did.. just more. Maybe leave the nut on and loose while doing it.
2. Use a fork and hope the boot survives and the rod is not scored.
3. Use a pitman puller (or some name close to that)
4. Apply constant downforce on the tie rod and smack the side of the housing with a BFH so the shock-wave will loosen the part. (cool idea, sounds scary)
5. Avoid this by disconnecting the lower a-arm instead.
So... which of these is the proper answer and why? Please keep in mind, I have only 7k miles and don't want to damage parts that are not replaced by the icon kit.
Thanks.