To install on the 14 models: Disconnect the tie rods and sway bar. Mark location of LCA bolts with a marker so you can reinstall as close to original as possible. Drop the LCA by removing the 2 body bolts.

Put a small floor jack under the LCA and slowly lower it down taking care to not get the cv axle in a bind. Remove shock. You will need to turn the shock top cap around 180 degrees after installing spacer - use a spring compressor to relieve some pressure on the top cap with the bolts.

Take care not to cause the spring to move from it's rubber seat (use WD-40 to get it to slide). Reinsert and follow directions in reverse.

Get an alignment ASAP. This way will be a ton easier than trying to disconnect the UBJ and force the LCA down like the '13s

 

I attempted this and got it all put back together, and it seemed like the upper control arm was very close to the spring which concerned me so I took it all apart and haven't put it back on yet.. any comments?

 

I had the same problem. Mine is a '13 so I guess maybe it's different. We used a lift and everything. We ended up swapping the struts because once you put the spacer in, you gotta turn the strut 180°. Well that makes it so the angle on the bottom of the strut is backwards. So we flopped em. Ain't had no problems yet with it (knock on wood). Is it the "correct" way? I don't know. But it's how we did it. I have a motofab 2.5" and I COULD NOT for the life of me find any videos for installation of them. Or any leveling kit that was similar. Gettin everything to line back up was a whole nother story! Good luck

 

14 is a whole new lca and lower shock mount.

 

I ended up removing everything except the spindle from the lower A arm including the two lower A arm bolts. Once I rotated the strut it wasn't a problem getting the strut into position with the A arm disconnected just a pain trying to get it compressed with a jack and everything lined up. Maybe I'll rent a strut compressor instead of just the spring compressor and recruit a second pair of hands before giving it another try.

Oh I even thought about pressing the two lower strut bolts out of the strut so I wouldn't have to remove the A arm. Thanks guys for the input I'll give it another try this week.

 

Finally got everything installed and aligned. It was a lot easier once my neighbor gave me a hand getting the A arm reconnected with the strut and spacer in. Now just gotta figure out what size tire to put on the XD Addicts sitting in the garage.

 

I agree bskank, these 2014 models are a pain the the butt. I installed my 1-1/2 Auto Spring kit on my truck last night and it didn't go quite as planned! As i was tightening the lower shock mount nut, the bolt snapped! So...guess its time to get over it and ante up to some fox or icon coilovers. Just dont know if i can justify these for the $$

 

I brought some fox 2.0coilovers and shox to the dealer and they installed the whole shebang for 215.00 and 90 bucks extra for the alignment.
Good deal I thought.

 

I had a hbs leveling kit installed recently. Alignment seems fine. Is it automatic to redo the alignment after this type of job?

 

I actually had another problem but it was my own fault. After putting the spacer on the drivers side strut it rolled off the table and fell onto one of the studs bending it and jacking up the threads. After bending the bolt straight I installed the strut with spacer but when torquing that bolt it twisted off...great! My luck it was the bolt on the inside toward the engine so i removed it ground off the bolt head from the spacer and tried putting another bolt in but no bueno. If I had access to a welder I could have welded a nut inside the spacer and just fed a bolt from the top and been done but that's not my luck so I had to buy a single spacer through Autospring to replace it and it should be here today. The guy from AS said running it with only two bolts on the top would be fine but I'm going to change it for my own piece of mind.

The two inch spacers ended up giving me about 2.5 inches of lift so the front sits about a half inch higher than the rear. Yesterday I had some +18 20x9 Addicts with 305/55R20 Toyo AT2 Xtremes installed and in my opinion looks tits.

 

Pics please!!

 

I got the Rancho leveling shocks. The worst part was finding the socket for the shock bolts. Other then that their online video about covered all I needed to know.

 

I wanted the bilsteins but as of a few weeks ago the didn't make them for the 14's yet.


Update: I ordered a single 2 inch spacer from Autospring to replace the one I jacked up but upon delivery it was a 1.5 inch. So I had to send it back on my own dime (actually 99 dimes, $9.90) and just got the new one yesterday. Hopefully when I ordered the 2 inch block they will give me a $9.90 discount, ha.

 

It looks lower in the rear in this pic because it's parked on an incline.

 

Looks good!

 

Looks great


Sent from my iPhone using Black Magic...I think?

 

Well, you just answered my questions.... My dealer said he would install a 1.5" in front and 1" block in rear for me. Judging from your issues, looks like I'll let him.

 

CKNPRO, if you have a buddy helping it's not bad but trust me when I say you have to remove the two bolts on the lower A arm thanks to those two lower strut bolts. Then to get it lined back up and the bolts reinstalled the buddy makes it so much easier. Also on mine I couldn't get a socket on the rear A arm bolt nut because another bolt (from sway bar I think) was in the way so I had to get creative with some Vise Grips since I didn't have a large enough wrench.

I still need to raise the rear some, I think 3/4 of an inch should be about perfect.

 

Good to know. Paid a lot for the tires a few months ago and they need to last!

 

I attempted to install the AS 1.5" kit yesterday, but also ran into the issue of having to remove the 2 bolts holding on the lower control arm. I wasn't comfortable doing that, so I put everything back together. I was reading on another forum about a guy who unbolted his half-shafts from the hubs and that allowed the LCA's to drop down enough to remove the struts. I'm thinking about giving it another try using this method this weekend. I'll report back with the results.

 

SO my buddy and I tackled this last night. We put in a 2013 Autospring 1.5 into a 2014. IT CAN BE DONE. You need a huge pry bar to pull the struts out of the LCA. Disconnect everything but the axle shaft and LCA. pry up on the bottom of the strut and it WILL pop out. Then take the nuts from the lower strut mount, reverse them and tighten them until they are flush with tip of bolt. Place strut sideways in vise, at the lower mount point, and close vise onto the head of the stud in the lower strut mount. Then back vise of 1/4 turn. This will allow the stud to be drifted out by hitting the nut with a good size hammer, while the lower strut mount is anviled on the vise jaws. Place a 1x4 in-between the springs to balance the strut horizontally, or have your buddy hold it level. Then smack the nut until you drift the stud out. Repeat for other stud. After the studs were out, I put one end of the lower strut mount back in the vise and twisted the mount the opposite direction of angle of what it is at stock. This is because the leveling kit requires you to rotate the shock 180° upon reinstall. There is a twist in the mount if you hold strut vertical. Just reverse it, not rocket science.

This will allow you to install a 1.5" leveling kit in a 2014.

You will again have to pry on LCA to get strut and puck (already installed on top) back in. Be careful of axle boot. Then place studs back into holes. Twist them to align splines and tap them a couple times real good with hammer and punch to set the splines partially back into place. This prevents stud from twisting when you tighten the nut back on. Now here I tightened the nuts by hand with a long handled socket wrench because I didn't want to spin the studs with an impact. To each their own.

This procedure prevents you from having to take off the LCA. You still have to get an alignment, but not the next day. We also adjusted out the tow 3/16" for good measure before having an alignment.

Now I don't know if this will work for a 2" or larger leveling kit. But it worked well for us in a pinch.

Expect 2+ hours for one side, and 45 minutes for the other due to learning curve. DO ONE SIDE AT A TIME.

Hope this helps guys!!

beer10t

 

When I installed my 2.5" level kit, the 3 ft pry bar I have was my best friend that afternoon. Only way I was able to get them back in on my 2012.

 

Rough country has a video on the install of a 2.5" leveling kit. Looked pretty simple.

 

Whenever I say in my head "that looks pretty simple" = hours of pain and frustration, ha!

 

I was able to install a 2.5" front spacer on my 14 without removing the LCA. Took me about 2 hours for the full install. We you have the strut out, put the 2 long bottom bolts in the arm and pull the strut the opposite way. They are angled one way and to install, just force them the opposite way so when you rotate the strut for install it goes in with no problem. I know I'm probably a little late with this advice, but it may help someone else in the future.

 

2014 Platinum will be receiving the RC 2.5" kit today...

 

i just installed my 2" hbs level kit on friday, it can be done without any LCA work. I took the Coil out and put in a vice, stuck the nut back on the LCA studs and put the 18 mm socket on them. took a hammer and beat them out once that was done i put the strut with the spacer installed back into the LCA pocket without any pry bar. it was very simple. a 2.5" level may require a little more effort with a pry bar, but this was very easy. just be careful when putting studs back in the LCA bracket. you will def need an impact to get them back tightend. also the 2" kit made it level with a slight 1/4" or less difference in the back.

 

Guys, this isn't that hard. I had mine done quickly with no idea what do expect on the 14. It's simple.

When you go to re-install the strut after the level spacer on top, revolve the strut 180*. Then stick the bolts down into the hole on the LCA and start prying them the opposite direction using the LCA as your fulcrum. Then pull it back out and flip the strut back the proper way to re-install and re-install. Done.

Before:

After: