Ryan1126
Senior Member
- Joined
- May 9, 2015
- Posts
- 456
- Reaction score
- 128
- Location
- San Diego, CA
- Ram Year
- 2019
- Engine
- 5.7l hemi
How To: Install Maxtrac 2wd Leveling kit
Installed mine today so here goes.
1. Order the kit (splurge a little more for the bilstein 5100's over the maxtrack ones)
2. Receive the kit in the mail
3. Take it to a shop and have them put it on.
Seriously though, this was a total pain in the ass. I am pretty mechanically inclined and love doing stuff like this normally. First off there isn't anything wrong with the actual kit, so this is not a rant on maxtrac, its just the actual process of doing this, with the spring compressor and what not if i could go back to this morning i would have paid the $280 that ORW quoted me to install it. This was my first time ever using a spring compressor and to be honest it was a bit nerve racking at first once i started to realize how much tension there actually was on the spring and all the stories i have heard of people taking those things to the face, so i was pretty careful. getting the upper control arms to let lose from the spindle was a bit frustrating then the lower control arm wont open far enough to allow the new spring in even after it was compressed, at least as far as i could get it to so it took two people, one pushing on the lower control arm while the other fought the coil in just terrified of what would happen if the compressor let lose. After the spring was in getting it to seat in the factory isolator was hard (only got the drivers side to sit in right) then had to do the ole chain trick where you wrap a chain around the jack and the upper control arm to get the spindle to move up far enough to get the nut back on the upper ball joint. then once that was all done i thought it would be smooth sailing but of course the bilsteins didnt just go right in because the saddle pin had to be pressed in so i had to bust out the grinder to tapper one side and grease it up and talk dirty to it to get it through. that was one side. the other side went much quicker accept for the fact that the spring compressor got stuck inside the coil after i had it in and i had to fight like hell with it and finally said **** it and bust out the grinder and cut that ***** out of there, so i called o'reilly to see what the tool would cost if i didnt return it, they gave me a number i was fine with but ill return it anyways, ha. Long day but all is well its done but unfortunately i didn't get done in time to go get the wheels and tires put on so that first thing in the morning. a few pictures....
the compressor stuck, just before i cut it.
what it looks like
the saddle pin the for lower mount of the bilstein i had to take a grinder to.
think they will notice?
how she sits.
will post pics after a wash and the wheels and tires are on tomorrow
if anyone is looking to buy this kit, i think im one of the first to run it and i can answer any questions or give a full how to write up since i figured the right way to do it.
Installed mine today so here goes.
1. Order the kit (splurge a little more for the bilstein 5100's over the maxtrack ones)
2. Receive the kit in the mail
3. Take it to a shop and have them put it on.
Seriously though, this was a total pain in the ass. I am pretty mechanically inclined and love doing stuff like this normally. First off there isn't anything wrong with the actual kit, so this is not a rant on maxtrac, its just the actual process of doing this, with the spring compressor and what not if i could go back to this morning i would have paid the $280 that ORW quoted me to install it. This was my first time ever using a spring compressor and to be honest it was a bit nerve racking at first once i started to realize how much tension there actually was on the spring and all the stories i have heard of people taking those things to the face, so i was pretty careful. getting the upper control arms to let lose from the spindle was a bit frustrating then the lower control arm wont open far enough to allow the new spring in even after it was compressed, at least as far as i could get it to so it took two people, one pushing on the lower control arm while the other fought the coil in just terrified of what would happen if the compressor let lose. After the spring was in getting it to seat in the factory isolator was hard (only got the drivers side to sit in right) then had to do the ole chain trick where you wrap a chain around the jack and the upper control arm to get the spindle to move up far enough to get the nut back on the upper ball joint. then once that was all done i thought it would be smooth sailing but of course the bilsteins didnt just go right in because the saddle pin had to be pressed in so i had to bust out the grinder to tapper one side and grease it up and talk dirty to it to get it through. that was one side. the other side went much quicker accept for the fact that the spring compressor got stuck inside the coil after i had it in and i had to fight like hell with it and finally said **** it and bust out the grinder and cut that ***** out of there, so i called o'reilly to see what the tool would cost if i didnt return it, they gave me a number i was fine with but ill return it anyways, ha. Long day but all is well its done but unfortunately i didn't get done in time to go get the wheels and tires put on so that first thing in the morning. a few pictures....
the compressor stuck, just before i cut it.
what it looks like
the saddle pin the for lower mount of the bilstein i had to take a grinder to.
think they will notice?
how she sits.
will post pics after a wash and the wheels and tires are on tomorrow
if anyone is looking to buy this kit, i think im one of the first to run it and i can answer any questions or give a full how to write up since i figured the right way to do it.
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