the drop bracket lift me and a buddy came up with

[Mister Jersey]

This is just a write up I made when i installed it.
I removed my front bumper as its rather large for easy access to the stuff up front. There is also a lot more room if the fenders are removed but it is NOT necessary to do so.

Note: No air tools were used in the installation except to take the tires off.
Here is the tools list:
* denotes helpful but not needed tools or supplies
-blue locktite (2 tubes)
-PB blaster
-brake parts cleaner
-BFH
-3/8" Drive (thats a ratchet)
-1/2" Drive* (so is this)
-set of gear wrenches10-19mm*
-10-19mm regular 3/8"-1/2" sockets
-10-19mm deep 3/8"-1/2" sockets
-transmission jack*
-2 floor jacks
-2 (or 4*) jack stands
-6 cinder blocks*
-couple 2x6s or 2x4s*
-wrenches: 10-19mm
-wrench: 14mm deep offset*
-screwdrivers (various types)
-vice grips*
-breaker bar
-cheater bar (breaker bar extension)
-various pliers (includ. needlenose)


Front End Steps:

Step 1: Disconnect battery terminals to avoid ANY harm, yank the e-brake, and leave it in Park or in gear.
Step 2: Loosen lug nuts on tires
Step 3: Chalk rear wheels
Step 4: Place 1 floor jack under center of front cross member of the sub-frame and jack it up so that the tow hooks and/or the most forward cross member is at least 22.5" off the ground (see pic). Use 3 cinder blocks and a block off wood to support the front end. Remove FRONT tires


side view


Step 5: Place transmission jack or other movable lifting device under the center of the sub-frame (see pic). Jack it up until its just touching the sub-frame for safety issues.


Step 6: Spray PB blaster on the 8 nuts that hold the sub-frame to the rest of the truck. Those bolts are located here (refer to pic)


Step 7: Loosen but DO NOT remove strut tower bolts



Step 8: Loosen but DO NOT remove 8 sub-frame nuts




Step 9: Drink a beer, or if underage - get a juice


Everyone - this is Frank. he is useless but drinks a lot of beer

Step 10: Loosen Differential Bolts. there are 4 for each side, they are big and they are hard to get out *use breaker bar/cheater bar* REMOVE BOLTS




Step 11: Loosen and remove the 4 bolts that hold the motor mounts to the sub-frame.
Drivers side:



Passanger Side:

Support the motor using the TRANSMISSION!!! DO NOT BY ANY MEANS USE THE OIL PAN (cough cough tyler) TO SUPPORT THE MOTOR OR ATTEMPT TO LIFT THE MOTOR BY THE OIL PAN AT ANY PINT DURING THIS INSTALL. IT IS BOLTED TO THE TRANSMISSION WHICH IS BOLTED TO THE REST OF THE TRUCK IT WILL NOT MOVE. see pictures for details on WHERE to support



Place a jack (with piece of wood) or cinder block or jack stand or a combination of those on the drain plug for the transmission. The drain plug is directly across from the "skinny" part on the FRONT drive shaft. The front drive shaft is located between the drivers side of the t-case and the front differential

Step 12: Remove the 8 nuts holding the sub-frame on. These are the nuts you loosened in Step 8. Also remove the 3 nuts holding the strut tower in place, refer to step 7 for visual aid.


PLEASE BE WEARY OF YOUR BRAKE LINES IN THE FRONT WHEN THE SUB-FRAME DROPS. MAKE SURE TE TRANSMISSION JACK OR OTER MOBILE JACK IS STILL SUPPORTING THE SUB-FRAME BEFORE YOU COMPLETE THIS STEP.

Step 12.5: Have another beer

Everyone. This is Ginny, Franks sister. She drinks beer too.

Step 13: Unbolt the steering from the steering box. there is ONE (1) bolt at the very top of it. I do not have a pic of this yet. It is not a difficult step.

Step 14: Once steering linkage is unbolted from the steering box. begin to SLOWLY LOWER the entire sub-frame. This will look cool and you will give your friend hi-five at your accomplishments thus far.

Step 15: At this point you should have your sub-frame spacers out and ready!!!! The 4 big ones in no particular order get bolted up to where the original 8 sub-frame bolts came out (these are the nuts that were removed in Step 13). Use the existing nuts to LOOSELY assemble the blocks to the truck DO NOT TIGHTEN THESE


I realize the motor mount spacer is in this picture, but i was busy during the install and pics are limited to what Ive taken. I will take more tomorrow hopefully. You can imagine what those sub-frame blocks look like on both sides.

Step 16: The strut blocks MUST GO A CERTAIN WAY. if you do it wrong. it wont line up when you are done and you'll have to do it again, its a pain in the ass. The set stud (you will see when the lift arrives goes toward the engine bay on both sides). ONLY tighten the bolts on the BOTTOM of the strut block/top of the oem strut tower.


Step 17: Take a step back and look at your work thus far. It *SHOULD* look something like this


Step 18: Line everything up and bolt it together. Once you have the parts this is very simple, there are 8 components to the front end plus hardware for it. At this point the steering SHOULD be still disconnected.





Now onto the steering:
Tools Needed:
Hammer
Wrenches: 10, 12, 13, 14mm
3/8" Drive
10, 12, 13, 14mm socket
vice
access to sawsall, grinder, hacksaw, some sort of metal cutting device

This is not difficult either...
This is what it SHOULD look like, sans screw driver before you begin.

Starting at the Screwdriver to identify some parts:
screw driver. T-shaped piece. Steering dampener (rubber). Another T-shaped piece. Splined shaft into the u-joint and down to the rack. That is what was disconnected in Step 13 of previous steps.

Step 1. Remove 4 bolts from around the rubber dampener. Size 12mm and 13mm. Remove this piece. It is the dampener.


Step 2: Dont loose the T-Shaped piece. its important.
Step 3: Mock up the Honda U-joint on the steering box.

Steering Box is top right in photo.

Step 4: Move away from the r50 and go to the workbench where you'll be using the vice and metal cutting device!!!
Place Steering Column from Honda into vice and proceed to cut off the end of it.
This is what you'll be doing

This is what youre cutting off. it is approximately 1.25" long.


Step 5: Take the splined shaft you just cut off the honda column, the t-shaped oem piece, and the honda ujoint and assemble them like so. the splined shaft is in the middle and you CANNOT see it in the following visual aide. Install the Honda U-joint so that the longer side of the joint is closer to the t-shaped nissan piece.


Step 6: Mock it up and see how it looks


Step 7: Be sure you removed that rubber dampener. This is what it should look like without it. Hammer that T-shaped Piece down so that there is only 1.25" of splined shaft showing. See pic.


Step 8: Mock it up again. Have a beer on yourself.


Step 9: Put the bolts back in.


Step 10: tighten this bolt at the top of the honda joint next to the steering box. notice the flushness of the 2 parts.


Step 11: Tighten these bolts too...they are important. This is where the rubber steering damper WAS.

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[Buffalo Phil]

I swear to got that front end looks like a derranged dragonfly the size of mothra.





Good write up though! funny too.

[Mister Jersey]

lol@derranged crack dragonfly...

thanks for the compliment

[spanky]

quit wasting ur time and cut out thats ifs and swap a solid 44 that is ifs right?

[HeavyMetal]

spanky said:

that is ifs right?

if you cant tell you probably shouldnt be telling him what he should be doing instead

[spanky]

admin said:

spanky said:

that is ifs right?

if you cant tell you probably shouldnt be telling him what he should be doing instead

i was pretty sure just double checkin so im kool

[spanky]

here read up
www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=457037

[YeaItsCold]

admin said:

spanky said:

that is ifs right?

if you cant tell you probably shouldnt be telling him what he should be doing instead

[Mister Jersey]

spanky - thats an older pathy with a frame there is ALOT LESS FABBING for a front 44 in one of those. i have a 95 (wd21 - older pathy too) but its my dd so theres not playing with that one

[jeepgirl13]

Next time, do not use cement blocks. Just adding this for the safety issue.

[Mister Jersey]

i actually took that out in the write up when i copied it over to this site - i had the use of jackstands, various jacks and motor hoist holding up the rest of the truck.