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Carli Backcountry — Driveway Install — '21 RAM 3500

BoatieTX

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Subbed. This is awesome, especially since this kit is on my B-day list. LOL
 

Dave88LX

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Been a hell of a busy weekend, but got done what I could.
Here's a better shot of the driver's side RADB installed:
20211216_105101 (1).jpg



The passenger's side RADB had some interference issues with some loose tolerances of the truck's transmission crossmember.
Spoke with Carli, they said to modify my bracket for now, they are going to evaluate some revisions, and send out a new one when that process is complete.
I believe I used a 60 grit flap disc.
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Sucks to have to grind away at it, but, whatever.
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Had to take a slight amount off the "spacing pad" on this one edge here also.
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Some paint stuff I had laying around from previous projects. Even if this bracket were staying, wouldn't notice it under there once it's touched up.
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Ain't perfect, but was burning time.
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Next to be installed were the bump drops. Super solid units.
The instructions read as if it sounded like they were able to "click" into place while drilling the hole and installing them, but they don't snap into place. Maybe older trucks do?
2. Place the thin, flat portion of the fabricated bump-stop drop into the factory cup and push it up until it snaps in and the top of the fabricated bump drop is resting against the bottom lip of the factory bump stop cup.
It's not hard to do it holding it in place though.
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It does require you to center-punch for marking the location of the hole.
I didn't have the appropriate size, so a few wraps of electrical tape gets it "close enough" in this area there's plenty of wiggle room.
20211217_210419.jpg



The instructions call for a 19/64" drill bit, which I noticed a lot of the smaller bit sets do NOT have.
Make sure to plan ahead and have this bit, as it's important to size correctly for the self-tapping screw. Don't over-do it once you punch through.
20211217_220507.jpg



Factory bump stop back in there.
20211217_223413.jpg
 
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loveracing1988

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Kudos to you, no way I could stand to have my truck down that long... I installed my thuren kit in about 8 hours with breaks and that was more than enough for me.
 

Dave88LX

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When I hit "edit", the pics show up in the thread, but hitting save, back to the little icons.
 

whitexc

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When I hit "edit", the pics show up in the thread, but hitting save, back to the little icons.
I get the X too.

I would have sworn by your screen name you had a Fox mustang in the stable....not an F body!

Great work here and the documentation will most certainly help others.

Sent from my semi-smart telephonic device
 

Dave88LX

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I get the X too.

I would have sworn by your screen name you had a Fox mustang in the stable....not an F body!

Great work here and the documentation will most certainly help others.

Sent from my semi-smart telephonic device
Thank you!

And I do, have had an '88 LX since 1998, and also an '87 couple. Also had a '90 vert and an '86 GT in the past.

Funny seeing those Fox cars on the road now, they look so tiny!

I have more to post but not until I know what's going on with the pic situation.
 

whitexc

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Nice. Corral.net member?

Sent from my semi-smart telephonic device
 

whitexc

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On and off for years. Sold my 93 coupe last summer and have been out of the game. One day I will return. Love those cars.

Back to your regularly scheduled program.

Sent from my semi-smart telephonic device
 

Dave88LX

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Getting the front springs in next — going to need a lot of axle droop for these.
This will require removing the two bolts on each side attaching the brake line brackets, plus an electrical connection's "christmas tree plug" on the passenger side.
download.jpg



I used larger jack stands under the truck frame, just behind the RADB (on the meaty part of the frame), setting them as high as I safely felt.
Used my smaller set under the front axle.

Before pulling a driveshaft off, I like to mark it and the flange with a grease pen to make sure it's lined back up the way it came out.
It may not matter on this truck, but I'd rather not worry about it.
Support the front driveshaft with a cargo strap.
Getting creative with a pry bar and a breaker bar, you can get these bolts loosened.
20211218_204817.jpg



Springs are marked Driver and Passenger side.
Make sure they are on the correct side, and right-side up.
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The shock reservoir brackets are also marked for Driver and Passenger, along with an indexing hole for a nipple on the spring isolator that pushes into the top of the coil bucket.
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There is only one way for them to line up on the truck using the isolator.
Driver's side ends up with the logo facing out. See the alignment of the spring and isolator pad.
NOTE: shock went in after the spring, not before.
20211218_230444.jpg



Passenger side ends up with the logo facing IN towards the truck. Confirmed this with Carli and that is OK.
Previous generations instructions have specified that the logo needs to face outwards, so I double-checked with them.
Note indexing of spring and upper isolator. (Spring will be turned slightly to line up, it's where it rested against for a pic.)
20211218_224328.jpg



With the springs in, move to the shocks.
Don't be an idiot like me and forget to put the brake lines back where they go BEFORE putting the shock in.
That was a waste of a few minutes taking that top nut off and on again.
20211219_133338.jpg



Looking partially together again.
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Dave88LX

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Putting the steering stabilizer bracket in is pretty simple. I wasn't able to slide the factory stabilizer into the bracket while on the truck.
Pulled out the stabilizer (easy) to see why it wasn't fitting. The sleeve in the stabilizer is a little bit larger than the opening in the bracket.
Few minutes with a file on both sides of the stabilizer sleeve and it fit.
I did ask Carli about this and they basically said that the bracket is designed for the tolerances of their stabilizer setup.
So, just an FYI, be prepared to have to file a little bit off your stabilizer.
20211219_144236.jpg



Next is the track bar. Beast of a unit.
If they offered these already set up to the correct length of 39-1/8" for a nominal fee, I'd probably pay it just to not have to worry setting it up correctly.
It's not impossible or anything, it's just one of things that gets in your head like "I HAVE to get this right, and there's Red LocTite in there, so I can't mess it up!"
But, it's doable, and you do have a bit of time. A pair of 24" adjustable wrenches (Crescent Wrenches) from Harbor freight work wonders.
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Just showing how stout it is.
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The silver "ring" in the center of the hole is the untouched inner wall of the tube. It's thicc.
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Set it up in the bench vice, swiveled so you can use the bench top.
I just stood up on top of my bench with the wrenches once I had the length dialed in and the LocTite applied.
One 24" wrench holding the joint, one wrench turning the nut.
Note: I did NOT have the misalignment spacers in the heim joint when actually tightening it.
20211219_162118.jpg



A cargo straps is one of the options to pull your axle in the direction needed to line up that frame hole.
Axle side bolt first, then frame side.
If the axle is on jack stands, I would suggest lifting it up with a jack under it so that it's able to move freely side-to-side while you do this.
20211219_164238.jpg
 

Dave88LX

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For some odd reason, the leaf springs were shipped via UPS and not on a pallet, just bare/loose (Purchased through, but not shipped from CJC).
They look like they were beat to **** pretty good on their journey across the country.
I contacted CJC with the pictures, and they had Deaver send me out a box of new spacer pads to replace them.

So this brings me to a point I should make about tackling the install yourself vs. taking it to a shop.
Things may not go perfect. You'll need to be able to handle the little unexpected things here and there.
Cross-shipping another set of leaf springs is not feasible haha. Honestly this was another thing I was pretty intimidated about, having never done it before.
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New pads from Deaver.
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I thought I was going to be all slick, using this transmission tailshaft dolly I'd built to roll around my LT1 assembly from my Firebird from...many...years ago.
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In hindsight, maybe that was a little bit sketchy, but hey it worked. 2004.
download.jpg



Well that was a terrible idea from the beginning. Needed to be able to hold the center pin to keep it from spinning in order to get the nut off, so I had to lay it on its side.
Impact wrench probably would have handled that though.
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Pads replaced, started stacking the leafs back on top of each other in the fancy cradle.
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Intentions don't always equal execution.
Intention: I'll just put a cargo strap around it, cinch the leaf pack together, and then run the pin up through the bottom!
Execution: Spring pack topples over, falls apart, one end lands on my magnetic screw tray, and sends all the nuts, bolts, and crush sleeves flying all over the driveway and garage.
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The leaf spring centering pin does not offer a lot of room to play with. It also gets beat to **** a bit, so a thread chaser is really helpful.
Advisable to clean up the nut and pin threads before putting it back in.
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Stepped away for a few minutes to rethink my life choices. Remembered I had these clamps hanging on the garage door.
They were perfect. You can clamp each side down a little at a time, and keep the hole aligned as you go.
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