Maxtrac Coil Install Issues

[sm10]

I installed 2.5" Maxtrac coils and fox shocks on my Dad's 2017 1500. First off, I went through hell just to get the coils in. It was as if the coils were too long. I had to push down on the lower control arm, more so stand on the lower control arm just to get the coil in. I put the coil in the exact position as the stock one was which seemed like the issue. The coil is at its tallest point which is towards the inside (towards the engine). Doing so caused a crazy angle downward on the lower control arm. I had to use ratchet straps just to keep the coil in the bucket while using a jack to compress the arm back up. I maxed out the compression of the coil using the jack, but the upper arm was no where near close enough to bolt back up to the knuckle so I used ratchet straps once again to bring them together. It almost seemed like the coils need to be rotated 180 in order for the tallest part to be facing out to help with the angle of the control arms. I finally managed to get it all bolted up and back down on the ground and now the tires have a pretty good angle as if the control arms are pointed too far down. There is also a big clunk on bumps which could be from the sway bar as I tightened up the end links while only 1 side of the truck was jacked up, causing the sway bar to be torqued at an angle. It could also be a loose bolt elsewhere which I will check over this weekend. My dad also says the trucks rides very rough now.

Any ideas on why this install was hell and why these issues are occurring? Coils and shocks should have been a straight forward and simple install.

 

[Maxtrac Suspension]

Hope you don't mind if i chime and give some insight here and by all means let me know if you have any questions. I showed my tech support department your post and here is what they had to say...

Installing lift coils is not as simple a task as it seems. When installing a lift coil, you are forcing a spring that is bigger and stiffer than what was originally intended into the coil pocket which is easier said than done. When Ram switched to a cast aluminum lower control arms with a deep coil pocket, this task became even more difficult. The tricks that I use are (1) to spray WD40 on the rubber isolator in the lower control arm so that the coil can slide into place with ease during install, (2) After aligning the coil in place and arranging a floor jack under the lower control arm, I hold a pry bar between the front of the coil bucket in the lower control arm and the coil with one hand while pumping the floor jack with the other. This will prevent the coil from wanting to pop out. The reason the coil wants to pop out is because of the back of the deep coil pocket in the control arm makes contact with the back of the coil when the lower control arm is at a steep angle. Once the control arm is jacked up to a flatter position, the back of the coil bucket does not make contact with the coil anymore and the coil will naturally seat in the isolator. All of this should be done with the rear tires on the ground. The leverage of the whole truck is needed to keep the truck on the ground while compressing the coil upon install.

As for the clunking noise over bumps. Lifting the truck with a lift coil removes 2.5” of down travel from the front suspension. Due to the shape of the upper control arm and the loss of down travel, the upper control arm now makes contact with the coil bucket on the frame causing a clunking noise at full droop. Although annoying, this is normal. This is why we came out with our 852400 upper control arms. Our control arms are re-shaped to allow for more down travel and to eliminate the contract between the arm and the coil bucket.

 

[sm10]

Hope you don't mind if i chime and give some insight here and by all means let me know if you have any questions. I showed my tech support department your post and here is what they had to say...

Installing lift coils is not as simple a task as it seems. When installing a lift coil, you are forcing a spring that is bigger and stiffer than what was originally intended into the coil pocket which is easier said than done. When Ram switched to a cast aluminum lower control arms with a deep coil pocket, this task became even more difficult. The tricks that I use are (1) to spray WD40 on the rubber isolator in the lower control arm so that the coil can slide into place with ease during install, (2) After aligning the coil in place and arranging a floor jack under the lower control arm, I hold a pry bar between the front of the coil bucket in the lower control arm and the coil with one hand while pumping the floor jack with the other. This will prevent the coil from wanting to pop out. The reason the coil wants to pop out is because of the back of the deep coil pocket in the control arm makes contact with the back of the coil when the lower control arm is at a steep angle. Once the control arm is jacked up to a flatter position, the back of the coil bucket does not make contact with the coil anymore and the coil will naturally seat in the isolator. All of this should be done with the rear tires on the ground. The leverage of the whole truck is needed to keep the truck on the ground while compressing the coil upon install.

As for the clunking noise over bumps. Lifting the truck with a lift coil removes 2.5” of down travel from the front suspension. Due to the shape of the upper control arm and the loss of down travel, the upper control arm now makes contact with the coil bucket on the frame causing a clunking noise at full droop. Although annoying, this is normal. This is why we came out with our 852400 upper control arms. Our control arms are re-shaped to allow for more down travel and to eliminate the contract between the arm and the coil bucket.

Thank you for chiming in. How about for the tire angle? The tops of them are pointing out which follows the angle of the control arms. I'm surprised I haven't came across these issues before when reading up on it. Plenty of guys on here have installed these and never heard of any issues. If I knew this in advance, I would have went with the 4.5" spindle. I installed the 4.5" spindle lift on my 2014 that I used to have and loved it. In order to get this setup running right, including the price of uppers and coils, the 4.5" would be a better option.

 

[olyelr]

Well did you have an alignment done? Im sure that is a requirement.

 

[sm10]

Well did you have an alignment done? Im sure that is a requirement.

No alignment yet. I told my dad to hold off until we figure out what's going on. I didn't think an alignment would fix the crazy angle of the control arm, but I don't completely understand the technical details of an alignment either lol

 

[olyelr]

An alignment will straighten the tire back up.

 

[Maxtrac Suspension]

Thank you for chiming in. How about for the tire angle? The tops of them are pointing out which follows the angle of the control arms. I'm surprised I haven't came across these issues before when reading up on it. Plenty of guys on here have installed these and never heard of any issues. If I knew this in advance, I would have went with the 4.5" spindle. I installed the 4.5" spindle lift on my 2014 that I used to have and loved it. In order to get this setup running right, including the price of uppers and coils, the 4.5" would be a better option.

Please have the truck aligned and it will correct the camber of the tires. As far as the UCA's go, the angles do change when the coils are installed but it doesn't cause issues with the suspension. However there is a noise when the arms contact the coil bucket and you do lose some down travel. Let us know once you've had the truck aligned so we can follow up. Thanks!

 

[Ratket]

^ The alignment will fix the tire angle issues, Remember you added 2.5” Of lift. The control arms need to come out and down a little and they will with the alignment. I bet it was a royal ****** to get it back together lol

Kudos to Maxtrac for what appears to be hands on customer service. Another reason we buy from Forum vendors, lots of actual reviews and customers on this site, and the company”s goes above and beyond to help us get the info we need on the products we use.

 

[sm10]

Please have the truck aligned and it will correct the camber of the tires. As far as the UCA's go, the angles do change when the coils are installed but it doesn't cause issues with the suspension. However there is a noise when the arms contact the coil bucket and you do lose some down travel. Let us know once you've had the truck aligned so we can follow up. Thanks!

Will the alignment help with the UCA's hitting the coil bucket? Or will that be an issue no matter what with stock UCA's? If it is going to be an issue still then I'll just take them out and do the 4.5" spindle. Thanks for the help.

 

[sm10]

^ The alignment will fix the tire angle issues, Remember you added 2.5” Of lift. The control arms need to come out and down a little and they will with the alignment. I bet it was a royal ****** to get it back together lol

It was an absolute nightmare putting it all together. What stumped me even more was watching a video of the coils being installed like nothing while I was going through hell. Lol

 

[Ratket]

Sounds like they will only hit at full drop.

 

[Maxtrac Suspension]

Will the alignment help with the UCA's hitting the coil bucket? Or will that be an issue no matter what with stock UCA's? If it is going to be an issue still then I'll just take them out and do the 4.5" spindle. Thanks for the help.

The arms will make contact with the coil bucket when the suspension droops out. We have our uniball UCA's which are shaped differently and allow for 2" more down travel so that is another option for you as well

 

[olyelr]

The arms will make contact with the coil bucket when the suspension droops out. We have our uniball UCA's which are shaped differently and allow for 2" more down travel so that is another option for you as well

Does that start tearing up the axleshafts prematurely?

 

[Maxtrac Suspension]

Does that start tearing up the axleshafts prematurely?

No because these coils are for 2wd trucks only. No axle shafts

 

[olyelr]

No because these coils are for 2wd trucks only. No axle shafts

COLOR ME STUPID!!!!!!! Bahahahahahahahha

 

[Maxtrac Suspension]

COLOR ME STUPID!!!!!!! Bahahahahahahahha

LOL no worries at all