{"id":312,"date":"2017-05-09T01:56:23","date_gmt":"2017-05-09T01:56:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.carbio.org\/carlog\/?p=312"},"modified":"2017-05-13T00:08:52","modified_gmt":"2017-05-13T00:08:52","slug":"ball-joint-spacers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carbio.org\/carlog\/?p=312","title":{"rendered":"Ball Joint Spacers"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’ll start with the completed picture, the T100 is looking good again. <\/p>\n

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Sitting at 2″ all around<\/p><\/div>\n

I’ve been running with just the rear add-a-leafs for the last two weeks, and the jacked up rear look was really getting to me. Installing the Toytec ball joint spacer was straightforward, I followed the factory manual ball joint replacement procedure and trimmed the upper control arm to fit the spacer before reinstalling it. <\/p>\n

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Ignore the gouge on the shock boot. I figured out on the 2nd side to remove the shock entirely.<\/p><\/div>\n

I also ended up shimming the shock to get about a 1\/2″ more down travel. Though the upper bump stop still isn’t fully compressed, so I might end up shimming the bump stop as well. The only real surprise was with the nuts and extended hex bolts Toytec included. All the online write-ups for generic spacer installs say to replace the hardware, but I had assumed Toytec would bundle decent quality gear with their kit. But sure enough the first time I tried torquing them down the nuts stripped off the bolt. <\/p>\n

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Nut stripped off well under 30 ft-lbs<\/p><\/div>\n

I might have expected this kind of issue from an ebay seller, but not from a local shop. The bolts did look decent enough and actually had the same markings as the replacement ones I bought. Though after how easily the nuts stripped I wasn’t going to chance it and replaced everything.<\/p>\n

Once it was all back together it measured out at a little over 2″ lift at the front wheels, which is close to the 2″ that was advertised but is a little more than I actually want. The rear sags about an inch with the camper on, so I’m planning on adjusting the front traction bars down a 1\/2″ to get it to ride closer to level. Should soften things up too. <\/p>\n