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-   -   Discussion: 2" Astro Lift Install Write-Up (https://chevroletforum.com/forum/astro-diy-useful-threads-75/discussion-2-astro-lift-install-write-up-25543/)

ADVAstro August 29th, 2009 4:00 PM

Discussion: 2" Astro Lift Install Write-Up
 
Here's a detailed page on how I lifted my 98 RWD Astro. The kit is from Dan at www.OverlandVans.com.

Here's the Kit Contents:

1-2" multi-Lift Shackles
2" Body Pucks
New Body Mount Bolts
Modified Emergency Brake Bracket
2" Raised Bumper Mounts
Rancho 5000 Shocks
OverlandVan Sticker
Instruction Set

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...ftContents.jpg

Here's the Van at it's stock height. I have 235/75/15 tires mounted already. The rear tires rub pretty bad when the roads get rough or I have a full load aboard.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...BeforeLift.jpg

Front Height Before:

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...rontBefore.jpg

Rear Begining Height:

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...RearBefore.jpg

ADVAstro August 29th, 2009 4:11 PM

Rear Lift was First on the Worklist
 
I decided to do the rear lift first. TS Danny was threatening to rain on us and I wasn't sure how much I'd get done today. I did a couple of quick measurements and made sure I had room to work in the Garage and still be able to get the Van out.

So Let's lift this thing... the instructions are really good. I used the Van jack instead of my floor jack, it worked great. I went for max height, ended up with the tires about 1" off the ground.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...ro/GetItUp.jpg

I put jackstands under the rear hitch as suggested.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...ontheHitch.jpg

Okay now it's time to pull the shackles off. Here's what is going in...

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...chShackles.jpg

I used a small screwdriver to push the mount bolt out:

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...o/BoltPush.jpg

This went quick, I used a bit of grease on the outer edges of the new shackle bushings as it was a tight fit.

Here's the rear completed with the new shocks too.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...ngComplete.jpg

Time for a test drive and a photo op. Took 1.5 hrs from getting tools out to this phase, with a couple of coffee breaks.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...o/RearDone.jpg

Rear Lifted Height

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...o/IMG_0994.jpg

Break Time.

ADVAstro August 29th, 2009 4:15 PM

Time to Tackle the Front Lift
 
So the front requires the bumper to come off. This requires getting the face off the van. Pics are good so here's the breakdown...

Turnsignals come out first

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...ntTearDown.jpg

Then the grill, there are hidden screws behind the turn signals.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...rillScrews.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...tGrillGone.jpg

Now the bumper facia comes off

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...ettingUgly.jpg

And finally stripped and ready to lift

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...eadyToLift.jpg

ADVAstro August 29th, 2009 4:28 PM

Body Lift Install
 
The Front lift is a Body Lift between the subframe and the body. There are three 2' pucks that go on each side. New high quality 10.8 Bolts are provided. The emergency brake bracket needs to come off too.

The goal is to get the Puck in there....

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...hisinThere.jpg

Loosen all 6 bolts then lift up the driver's side:

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...tJackSetup.jpg

Get the puck in, and loosely hold it in place with one of the new bolts. This is just to make sure the body comes down properly. I didn't use the washer or rubber isolator on the bottom side for this stage. I also did not apply locktite yet.

Here's the middle puck which takes the larger bolt:

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...CenterPuck.jpg

Once all the pucks are in, I then pulled the bolts individually, applied locktite and installed the lower washer and rubber isolator. Then Torqued to the specs provided.

The next thing is to put on the raised bumper brackets:

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...BumperLift.jpg

And the lift is essentially done...

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...toAssemble.jpg

We do have a few details to take care of. The Fan is now digging into the fan shroud. Let's fix that...

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...mTheShroud.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...dInstalled.jpg

I didn't get pics of the emergency brake cable bracket, but it's easy enough to figure out.

Now lets put the face back on and see what we have....

ADVAstro August 29th, 2009 4:36 PM

Almost Done
 
We'll we need a test drive first....

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72.../TestDrive.jpg

Assembly is really just putting the stuff back on in the reverse order. I did test fit the bumper and adjusted the impact bar/ bumper bracket a little bit. It's still a hair too high, but the temp was way to high to worry about it. I also skipped installing the front shocks, the regular shocks are fine.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...MoreLikeIt.jpg

And here's the final pic from the side:

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...o/IMG_1018.jpg

Front final height is:

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...inalHeight.jpg

Rear final height is:

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...RearLifted.jpg

Not bad for a days work. I'll get the new shocks in when it cools off.

Thanks Dan!

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72.../ThanksDan.jpg

old dog August 29th, 2009 5:11 PM

all jacked up!
 
that's a nice kit ,good install ,good picture's .should be done on all of them .

EvansBlue August 29th, 2009 9:26 PM

That looks awesome. I'll copy it to the Astro DIY right away. Great write-up and THANKS for contributing this to the forum!

ADVAstro August 30th, 2009 1:24 PM

Driving impression after 1 day is very good. The suspension/spring rate is unchanged. What is nice is the shocks. The new RS5000 shocks replaced Monroe Sensa-Tracks, which while they still have pressure in them - did not seem to have effective valving anymore. I still need to get the front shocks in, but already there is a marked improvement out back.

Ethan

ADVAstro September 1st, 2009 11:43 AM

Thanks Gary,

I don't do much if any towing but I'll keep that in mind if I do. I did flat tow my old 91 Cherokee during coast to coast moves twice with no problems.

I got the BFG ATs installed on the front this morning. Going from crappy P235/70/15s to the LT235/75/15 with stronger sidewalls and a little narrower tread has improved the turning response. The tires also firm up the ride.

The new front shocks will go on tommorow night, and then I can get to work on the new roof rack and remounting the ShadyBoy Awning.

We'll be headed to the beach this weekend for a little surf action.

E

ADVAstro September 1st, 2009 5:14 PM

Final Pics for the Lift
 
Well here it is. I got the new tires on the front and just finished installing the new shocks up there too.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...ete31Aug09.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72...anchoFront.jpg

Can this post be appended to the DIY write-up?

I'll be taking it out this weekend to see how it handles.

Ethan

ADVAstro September 5th, 2009 2:02 PM

I took the family out to the OuterBanks of NC yesterday. We had a great day seeing the Wright Brothers Memorial and boogie boarding in the rough surf :eek:, but no one wanted to travel further south to find some open beach access. I'll be back after Oct 1st to get it out on the beach. :D

Got a couple of thumbs up from the locals.;)

ADV Astro

astroturf October 2nd, 2009 11:48 AM

ADVAstro, Did it affect your wheel alignment? Thanks, Jim

ADVAstro October 4th, 2009 4:02 PM

Alignment is unchanged, this is a body lift in the front, no messing with the suspension.

I was running the 235s in the rear and had street oriented (CRAP) Kelly Safari SJR 235/70/15s up front when I had it aligned last and finally got rid of an annoying pull to the right. After completing the lift I took it in and had the TAs installed, without an alignment. The feeling in the wheel is now a bit lighter and the van still runs as straight as can be. I attribute the change in feel to the change in tire, these are a bit narrower, but taller than the Kelly tires.

My wife just carried a full load of Girl Scouts ove the weekend and the rear did rub on twice. I'm looking at the options to beef the rear up just a little. Airlift air springs or load helper of some sort.

Hope that helps,

ADV Astro

astroturf October 4th, 2009 6:09 PM

That's good to hear. Its just that I thought the front spacers went in between the body and the sub-frame, which could change the relationship of the steering axis to the body of the van (rear wheels). How about any lines that run underneath the van? Any mods that had to be done? Hate to be so pesky with questions, but this is something I am considering myself. Thanks again, Jim.

astroturf October 5th, 2009 9:41 AM

Thanks Gary, Jim

ADVAstro June 28th, 2010 1:37 PM

Project Update - Final report
 
So I've had some time with the lift and I'm very happy with it.

The lift did not fix the soft springs and I finally got around to installing theTimbren Suspension Enhancement System on the rear aobut 2 weeks ago. http://www.timbren.com/ses-kits.htm These are supplemental springs that replace the bumpstops. The stock kit is too short (as expected) and left a 2" gap between the frame and top of the spring. A call to Timbren customer service had a 1" taller set of springs on the way, at no cost. Because the rear springs can sag differently, I suggest anyone doing this either order the stock kit and then take measurements or work with Timbren directly to have a custom kit built. Between thier selection of solid spacers and spring lenghts, they can fit anything.

The RS5000 shocks work very very well. The van still floats a bit and give a comfortable ride on the highway, while really controlling the wheels on washboard and loose gravel. I didn't want a rough/stiff suspension in town, and like the ride so much I've also put these shocks on my S10 truck.

The front tires were begining to show some wear with almost 10K miles on them, notably on the inside edge, whereas I typically had the outside edge wear first. I took it in to have the AC recharged and the shop checked the alignement as well. All is good, just need to rotate the tires every 5K miles and keep them aired up as the seasons change; they are LT tires and work/wear well with 45 psi in them.

As for any interferences with the lift, the only cable/hose that needs to be considered is the rear emergency brake cable. It gets a new chassis mount and may need to be adjusted with the change in axle to chassis height in the rear.

Hope that helps,

ADV Astro

astroturf June 28th, 2010 6:28 PM

That's Great to hear. Thanks for the update ADV. Jim


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