McGaughys 44052 4/2 kit Installation

Awesome looking job!

I was ask a few questions in a pm and thought I'd post my responses:
I have yet to have the front end aligned but think that I need to. I haven't noticed any peculiar wear on the front tires but I think that I may have altered the alignment during the spring change. So I want to get it checked. I wish I had marked the front ball joint orientation and positions so that I could maybe have maintained alignment. I didn't think to mark it until after I saw it moving. I had a hard time removing the ball joints even after buying a new tool which I still had to grind on to get it to fit without tearing up the rubber. The regular tire shops complain that since it doesn't have factory springs they can't guarantee or likely set the alignment to factory specs. There is a shop in OKC area that specializes in trucks and aftermarket options and they have no qualms about setting the alignment to factory specs. So its on my list to take it there. They're a little more expensive than the tire shops but I think more dependable.

As far as handling the truck seems to ride rougher and noisier. It just rides more like my 2000 Dodge did that had leaf springs in the rear. Before it road like a car now it rides like a truck if you know what I mean. I think different shocks will help that. I have purchased shorter and better shocks for the rear but have yet to install them. I have not experienced any wheel hopping that I'm aware of. I go just as fast over the speed bumps as always without much issue.

I did not use a spring compressor. The backs were very easy to slip out and slip new ones in. The fronts were harder. I found it hard to get the front spring oriented into the molded receptacle properly. I think in my posts I talk about which end of the spring needs to go in first. I did use a pry bar to pry the a frame down with my leg while I pushed the spring in. Having a helper woukd have made it much easier
Hope it goes well for you. It made my truck sit like my 2000 did. And the tail gate is now useable as a workbench whereas before it was to high