Ram suspension experts, I would like you to give me your opinion of the following photos and tell me what happened. I am not going to say what I think happened because I do not want to lead your opinion in any direction.<br>I will say that I had larger tires put on the truck and a leveling kit installed.<br><br>The leveling kit, left side.<br><br><br>Right Tracking arms:<br><br><br><br>Right Stabilizer linkage:<br><br><br>Left tracking arm:<br><br><br>Left Stabilizer linkage:<br><br><br><br>After reviewing the pictures and forming your own opinion, please elaborate and tell me under what circumstances this could and how it could not happen. This is for ammo when I go back to the tire place that installed the leveling kit.<br><br>Sorry to be vague, but I want independent confirmation of what I think for knows, I might be wrong, so I want to know that also.<br><br>Thanks,<br>Chris

 

Well, it appears that they were being lazy (read: incompetent), and didn't disconnect the sway bar, instead they used a bottle jack to spread the axle from the frame. I would be very ******, some heads would roll fer sure. This is part of the reason there are lift laws, because of morons who cheat.<br><br>Later, Rob

 

I don't know, might have used a jack to raise the truck up and break the bolts on bar. Would think it would break in a differant fashion though. Is the sway bar bent any?<br> Looks as though the truck bottomed hard too. Are those holes in the inner fender from the shock bolts? in the first pic?<br>Big tires rubbing?<br> Trying to think of something they might blame it on besides themselves.

 

[quote author=acoustic_axe link=board=5;threadid=12665;start=0#119666 date=1048478112]<br>I don't know, might have used a jack to raise the truck up and break the bolts on bar. Would think it would break in a differant fashion though. Is the sway bar bent any?<br> Looks as though the truck bottomed hard too. Are those holes in the inner fender from the shock bolts? in the first pic?<br>Big tires rubbing?<br> Trying to think of something they might blame it on besides themselves.<br>[/quote]<br><br>There are no holes in the inner fender. That picture was only to show what was installed. There is no damage in the first picture.<br><br>Chris

 

The left bolt looks bent but the right doesnt.

 

I second the bottle jack diagnosis. <br><br>Go and look very carefully where they may have tried to put the bottle jack too. <br>Long ago we had a Suzuki Samurai in. Driver complained about clunking and that it steered like (you know what- cow on ice or so)<br>They had mounted a lift kit and had used a bottle jack. They had tried it even on the trackbar. The trackbar had bent, the car had not lifted sufficiently, so on they went for another point to place the bottle jack.<br><br>Maybe its just me but I think I see some damage to a brake hose on the right too. <br><br>Good luck in resolving these damages with the company<br><br>AlpineRAM

 

I just put a front leveling kit on my truck yesterday. I would definitely say they didn't unbolt the sway bar when they jacked the axle down. Looks like they used a bottle jack from the upper link arm which is fine if you unbolt the sway bar. Those bolts definitely shouldnt be bent over. I am also curious, who did you get your spacers from? Mine are a bit different but I also added an additional shock. (Dual Shocks)<br><br>RT

 

I may be wrong but I thought that the sway bar bolts were supposed to be curved to alow for the drop in suspention? I will look now be looking at others but mine is stock and they also curve out. But like I said earlier the one on the left looks more bent over than the right.

 

I 2nd the botle jack.<br><br> I would raise so much @#$@%^ you no what, that not only I would never be back but every one that I know and dont know would here about there shady work.

 

[quote author=KATOOM link=board=5;threadid=12665;start=0#120118 date=1048569282]<br>I may be wrong but I thought that the sway bar bolts were supposed to be curved to alow for the drop in suspention? I will look now be looking at others but mine is stock and they also curve out. But like I said earlier the one on the left looks more bent over than the right.<br>[/quote]<br><br>Aparently I'm looking at different pictures than you. They are both bent, but are supposed to be straight, not even bent a little, they are bushed, and pivot on the lower portion of the link to allow for suspension movement.<br><br>Later, Rob

 

I had not thought of the bottle jack. I figured they took the shocks and springs loose and the axle just dropped, bending the components.<br><br>The guy at the tire store told me when I picked up the truck, after the installation, that the linkages were bent. He said &quot;we noticed those are bent [pointing at the linkages]. You should get those replaced.&quot; I was all starry-eyed at my beautiful new tires that I kind of disregarded him at that time, but I DID notice the tracking arm brackets being bent up a little. Once I got home and studied it more, I came to the conclusion about dropping the axle. When I went back to say something to him about it he pulled it in and had one of his guys look, then he looked at it, sticking to his story. That's when I started looking for old pictures I might have of it from before the leveling kit was installed, and posted the question here, being sure not to lead anyone into any conclusion.<br><br>I talked to the guy today, after you guys provided me with ammo, and told him about all of the people I had discussed this with, telling him about the bottle jack. He owned up to using a jack, but said it was not a bottle jack. I said that I could understand if it was an accident, perhaps they just didn't notice it, and that's OK, just fix it. He said he's gonna get the linkages in and call me to come by to get them put on.<br><br>I won't say it's resolved until the new linkages are on, and I will post back with further developments.<br><br>Thanks to everyone for taking the time to check out my situation. I knew I could count on you! ;D<br><br>Thanks,<br>Chris

 

Glad to hear you got it fixed.

 

I dont know what to say but that my truck is totaly stock height!!! and the end are bent or curved over!!! Is everyone saying that I am the only guy with linkage ends like this? If this is so then the factory let a truck off the assembly line with bent linkage ends. Could it be possible that the ends are prone to doing this when the suspension drops enough? But I would think that the shocks would stop that. As for Rob Thomas, I have never taken my truck to any shop for any suspension work for any reason and the ends look like that, so To answer your comment YES we are looking at the same pictures!

 

Since you have to remove the shocks to get the springs out, I'm betting they removed the shock bolts while it was down, then proceeded to jack it up by the frame.
Therefore the shocks wouldn't be able to stop the suspension from traveling any further apart.
There would definately be enough weight to bend things, especially if the tires were still on it while they jacked it up.
Let alone if they used a jack to seperate it more to get the springs out.

What gets me, as I noticed when I had my spacer installed, that these so called &quot;suspension places&quot; don't have coil spring compressors on hand.
(actually more like tire places that have moved on to suspension to make more money)

Soon to be taking mine to a certified suspension shop to have a lift installed.
They do suspension and nothing else, so they should be qualified.

phox