snosnk Posted October 5, 2004 Share Posted October 5, 2004 history: OME springs on front and rear with OME shocks on rear and factory replacement struts on the front. True lift was about 1/2" to 3/4" in the front and about 2" in the back. In this configuration the front end seemed quite abit lower than the rear. Also having problems with 31x10.5x15 tires rubbing on the front inside fender wells. I dont want to use spring spacers as this will (possibly) cause the struts to over extend. Solution: A trip to the local junkyard where i found a piece of teflon about 1' thick by roughly 18" square. I cut his in half using a sawsall and a wood blade (metal blades dont cut teflon very well, it just melts) Using a 4" hole saw i drilled a hole in the center of each half. I then pulled the struts off my pathy and fit the pieces over the top of the strut and marked where the strut studs touched the teflon. Then on to the drill press for some drilling. I drilled the holes 1/16" larger than the diameter of the studs in the strut. I then placed the teflon on the ground and set the strut upside down on top of the teflon so the studs were in the holes drilled on the drill press. Using a marker, i traced the top of the strut onto the teflon. Then using the sawsall i trimmed the exceess off and checked for fit. Looking good so far. Trip to the hardware store to pick up some 2" grade 8 bolts, washers and some nylocks. I then used a small sledge hammer to beat the studs out of the strut. To reasemble I had to put the bolts in from the top. In this order bolt, washer, body, teflon, strut, washer, then nylock. The inside nylock is the most difficult to install, I used the box end of an end wrench with a piece of electrical tape to hold the nylock in the the wrench while i had a friend tighten the bolt from up top. The whole project took about 6 hours. 5 hours on the first side as it was build as i went and about and hour on the other side as i had figured out what the heck I was doing. I did this last thursday and had it aligned today. All is well other than castor is out by just a "hair". Now the front end sits about 1/4" to 3/8" higher than the rear. This should level back out when i get my front bumper and winch. Cost: Sheet of Teflon: Free Thank you JayDee :bow: 6- 2" grade 8 Bolts, washers and nylocks and 6 2 1/2" grade 8 bolts (not used, i picked them up just in case the 2" didnt fit): $5.69 Thanks to Steve Egan at CBI Offroad Fabrication for the use of his shop and air tools. I'm looking forward to having new bumpers, and basket and ...... :cool2: I do have some concern of how the cold weather here will effect the teflon. Its used on snomobiles for the slide rails so I'm thinking that may not be an issue. If there is something else I might need to know about, please let me know. Sorry, no pics. I have to go to town today so I will borrow a cam and get some pics of the installed lift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snosnk Posted October 16, 2004 Author Share Posted October 16, 2004 only 1 pic worth showing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmgar99 Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 SWEET!!!!! I have been wanting to do the same thing except I didnt think about replacing the existing strut bolts with longer ones...I was trying to figure out how to bolt the strut to the spacer then using some more bolts...bolt the strut to the truck...but you solved it..How difficult was it to hammer out the strut studs? I am thinking of using a block of grey Delrin instead of teflon...it's a little harder and almost as good at self lubricating.... Cool! You totally solved my dilema.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmgar99 Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 So you ended up with a 1/2" thick piece? You need about a 7" square to start right? I am going with the full 1" thick...I can always cut it later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snosnk Posted October 16, 2004 Author Share Posted October 16, 2004 The studs werent to bad to get out. I used a small sledge hammer. You have to support the edge of the piece that the studs are in with something while you beat them out. Its pretty flexible and will just bend if not supported. I used the edge of a table. One person can do it but two makes the job much easier. One to hold the strut an the other to beat out the studs. The teflon sheet was about 18" square by 1" thick. I halfed it to get two pieces about 9" X 18" X 1". Then I drilled a 4" hole in the center of each piece, marked the stud holes and driled them out. Then trimed the piece to fit the top of the strut. There was alot of waste and I probably could have made four blocks. I talked to Jay yesterday and have him watching for some more teflon so I can huild a set for a friends '98. I have been wondering about installing two blocks to gain one more inch but wonder if there will be any side to side shear forces i need to worry about.. Maybe countersink some bolts to hold the two pices together before bolting them in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmgar99 Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 Thanks for the tips...you cna go to Plastic info and click on PLASTIC under RAW MATERIALS/SPRINGS. It will give you a list of all the plastics they sell and their chemical makeup...it tells you tensil strength, shear strength, and even a Shore Durometer or Rockwell hardness results. I'm going with a solid 1" thick piece instead of a 1/2" piece. If i can't find the plastic I want then i'll with a piece of aluminum. Let me know how they are working and I'll post photos of the build and install when I do mine. I might have to wait until next month to do them since my new rear trailing arm bushings will be here on the 19th, so next weekend is booked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 Very good idea, bro. See, I'm not the only one experimenting with his Pathy and letting everyone else know what works and what doesn't! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snosnk Posted November 2, 2005 Author Share Posted November 2, 2005 Its been just over a year since I installed the teflon spacers, and havehad no problems. I think the OME springs have started to sag a little as the front tires are starting to rub on the fender wells again. Maybe its time for the AC 2" springs. I did notice that i have a torn cv boot, but i dont know if it was caused by the increased cv joint angles or by age. The ol' girls pushin 150k miles. I'm thinking it time for new cv joints. I'll probably just replace the axles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmorgan4 Posted November 2, 2005 Share Posted November 2, 2005 Do you happen to have the picture that you posted a year ago? I read the description but didn't really understand how it's different than a spacer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snosnk Posted November 3, 2005 Author Share Posted November 3, 2005 (edited) it is a spacer. There is another thread here that is discussing the same thing, with pictures. Instead of going on top of the sping it goes on top of the strut assembly. Between the strut and the body mount. This is the one pic i have. Edited November 3, 2005 by snosnk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nissandoms47 Posted December 2, 2005 Share Posted December 2, 2005 sweet can you pick that plastic stuff up at any local hard ware store like home depot or what? thanks alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick1716 Posted December 3, 2005 Share Posted December 3, 2005 just order some from http://www.rocky-road.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02silverpathy Posted December 3, 2005 Share Posted December 3, 2005 (edited) Those trim packers for the Pathy's are a rip off....TOGETHER they measure 9/16"....I really thought that I was ordering 9/16 for each side. I was way too excited to get these too have them turn out at about 4/16 a side...hardly worth tearing the truck apart for. This has really just been a terrible experience for me. As your may have read in my other rant I sent away for my OME complete lift including spacers having been told that I would see them by the end of the week. It took a complete 7 days to get them not 3, so that sucked. I thought shipping was free but I paid $83 to have them shipped to me. When I recieve my package...no spacers. Within 1 day I am on the phone hearing that they must have forgot to put them in my box and they will have them mailed out. Turns out 7 days later that they hadn't been made yet and that they were being finished then powder coated and shipped. I requested fast shipping since i had already waited 2 weeks to get this far and now I was hearing another week to finish and ship with the Thanksgiving holiday. I paypal'd the order that I made on NOVEMBER 1. I recieved my spacers on DEC 1. Now then, I am working on the truck today and tomorrow, I have bought th 2" grade 8 bolts to install with my spacers but had to use 7/16" since no one around here had the exact match to factory size (which i found to be M10 X 1.25) During my travels to find grade 8 bolts in my town I picked up some steel spacers that are 1/2". They would go over the bolts and then through the strut tower, not sure if that is a good idea, but I was unable to crush them vertically using a bench vice and my 200lbs of lard pulling and pushing on it. If i do laymans math...4ooolb truck / 4 corners = 1000lb a corner..../ 3 bolts on the strut assembly that = 333.3 lbs.....does this sound fair for the amount of pressure that each spacer would have to withstand all the time?? SNOSNK what did you mean when you talked about the shearing strength?? Edited December 3, 2005 by 98silverpathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwrounds Posted December 3, 2005 Share Posted December 3, 2005 Thats pretty lame about the spacers. I almost ordered them, but the sales guy told me they are not worth it. I will just wait until I wear out my tires and then order the ac 2" lift. Danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snosnk Posted December 7, 2005 Author Share Posted December 7, 2005 SNOSNK what did you mean when you talked about the shearing strength?? I have been wondering about installing two blocks to gain one more inch but wonder if there will be any side to side shear forces i need to worry about.. Maybe countersink some bolts to hold the two pices together before bolting them in. shrug.gif two blocks on one side, for two inches. thinking teflon is pretty slick, i thought the two pieces might slip on one another. Maybe causing the bolts to break? front end to shift from side to side (I think this would be a little spooky at speed)? Alignment changing? Any number of things could happen. I was just concerned about how the two pieces would stay together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02silverpathy Posted December 8, 2005 Share Posted December 8, 2005 gotcha....I am having a 3/4" spacer made for me, I should have it Friday...I am unsure wether or not I will use the 1/4" Rocky-Road spacer and the custom 3/4" spacer together or not, but these guys can make larger spacers if you are interested! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nissandoms47 Posted December 8, 2005 Share Posted December 8, 2005 for how much and where are you located? Thanks -Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwrounds Posted December 8, 2005 Share Posted December 8, 2005 Ya I am also interested in a 3/4" spacer. Let me know how much with shipping. Danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02silverpathy Posted December 11, 2005 Share Posted December 11, 2005 They were unfinished this past Friday, I will call them on Monday morning...when I get them I will get pics up as well as I am trying to get pics with the 3/4", and then the 3/4" plus the RRO 5/16" together... I live in Maryland. Price??? well I don't exactly know yet, I just knew that I wanted taller spacers than what I was mailed already!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02silverpathy Posted December 11, 2005 Share Posted December 11, 2005 SNOSNK...what made you decide to shoot your new bolts down instead of up? Is there an advantage? I hope to be installing mine this week and wondered what you were thinking on that....and I will have to enlarge my holes to to mount the spacers. ..............oops wait a min. did you put them down because they are a B**** to stuff up? That would be a simply answer wouldn't it?? Sorry I wasn't thinking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snosnk Posted December 13, 2005 Author Share Posted December 13, 2005 they wont fit going up. Too long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02silverpathy Posted December 13, 2005 Share Posted December 13, 2005 (edited) Great set of pics you got there SNOSNK! When did you say you were mass marketing that bumper?? I couldn't find the thread! thanks for pointing out the bolts...I am able to pick up my new spacers today and should get them on this weekend ( -bounce- ), I will post some pics and get prices for everybody interested. Since reading about your pathy...I have decided to put the Rocky Road spacers on with the new ones to get just over 1" of lift. I do have the Warn Hubs going on the truck also this weekend, so I am not terribly worried about the angle...but heck it isn't too hard of a swap anyway for the axle!! Edited December 13, 2005 by 98silverpathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02silverpathy Posted December 20, 2005 Share Posted December 20, 2005 (edited) O-K got my spacers...painted them (for protection) and installed them schaweet! Sorry that I do not know how to post multiple pics... ps...those are 255/70/16 Wheels and tires...call it foreshadowing!! Edited December 20, 2005 by 98silverpathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02silverpathy Posted December 20, 2005 Share Posted December 20, 2005 installed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02silverpathy Posted December 20, 2005 Share Posted December 20, 2005 Rocky Road, and I qoute "9/16"" (left) Local custom steel 3/4" (right) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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