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United States of America, Akron
1 Level
662 Review
45 Karma

Review on Daystar GREASABLE SHACKLE KT61010BK America by Jeff Clites

Revainrating 4 out of 5

Installation isn't entirely self-contained, but doable

Installation is not for the faint of heart:1. The steel bushings in the spring eyes should pop out. This is the biggest thing here, and without the right tools, you can forget about it. I had to use a grinder, saber saw and air chisel to remove them.2. The bushings in the spring eyes must also be either burned out or pressed out. I simply extruded them with a ball joint press without any fuss. less than a minute if you can take one of these.3. Tail pipe hanger extension. The kit includes these. If your leaf springs are weak this will not work. The lengthening assumes that your feathers are good and therefore higher. Weak springs will sag (including all of us if you haven't already replaced them) and fall and rest right on your exhaust pipe. I had to shorten the exhaust pipe. You have the option of cutting it off and taking it to a muffler shop where they will weld a roughly 3 inch extension to the lower pivot section to effectively lower the exhaust pipe just enough to clean it out. I can do it later depending on the situation. I'm ashamed of the lack of a visible exhaust pipe, although there isn't one. This requires a vise and a slide. 5. Attach or tighten the strap required to pull the springs sideways for final assembly. It is not easy. 6. Shocks must be disengaged to allow adequate downward travel OBSERVE THE BRAKE LINE on the way down. I unscrewed the mount to be safe and to allow for extra wiggle room. 7. Hydraulic lift helps a lot. Standard jack under differential for axle positioning. If there is no lifting platform, the jack stands under the frame 8. Before starting work, remove the spare wheel. The trip is great. Steel Bush - SUCKS. And now I can't go back to standard shackles without buying a set of standard sockets. I want the bushings to be bush size and done with that. But they feel like they have to come out, I think that's for the best. Exhaust sucks too. Daystar needs to post a note somewhere about this. Anyone with old stock springs (most people buying this kit) will not allow their extension to be used. Although generally satisfied, there are some complaints about the installation only. Tamoma looks great!

Pros
  • Makes installation easier
Cons
  • Some cons