Let's be honest. How hard is it to drop the cradle...

[fubar569]

...to do a full differential lockout kit?

Its gotta come down off the bolts for sure. Probably at least 6" to clear the drivers side rear diff bolt.

This is an option I'm considering but I REALLY don't want to do this and end up with it shifted. I'm in a garage on the floor. By myself. With a jack and 2 stands. I ever only planned to do the cradle lockout one side at a time so I didnt screw that up.

But if its gotta drop...I'm gonna kill a couple birds at the same time.

 

[vortecd]

So there is this:
https://www.bmrsuspension.com/siteart/install/SCB110.pdf

 

[vortecd]

These guy figured out a way to do cradle bushings without lower it

 

[fubar569]

I've read the BMR instructions several times.

Some people here say they make it overly complicated and it assumes a complete drop to the ground.

Filler tube, e-brake cables, brake calipers/lines, shocks and the bundle of wire connectors.

Some say the filler tube doesnt even need to come all the way off.

Just lots of different Info and a few ways to do it.

I want the way I'm least likely to fuck up.

 

[16GoManGoHC2]

It’s not that difficult, I clip brake lines body mounts by the shock tower tops and the hard lines will flex down enough to give you plenty of room to do the cradle bushings. Diff lock out has to go a bit lower but can be done the same way as well. Start to finish first time alone on jack stands and a floor jack 8 am start done by 4 pm

 

[fubar569]

Brake lines stay connected and you just unbolt the fitting from the body? I know about the filler tube on the other side too.

Most directions have you unhook all of those passenger side wiring connectors and the e-brake cables. You leave those connected too?

 

[16GoManGoHC2]

Didn’t have to disconnect any brake lines, I just un bolted the hard line mounting clips from the body right by the upper shock mounting point, 1 bolt each side and hard lines can then flex down some, this is right under the liner which you don’t have to take out either. I don’t remember having to disconnect any wires but if I did it was all plugs. You don’t have to remove the exhaust system, just the 2 mounts on each side, 4 total, 2 at the exit and 2 right by the cut outs and prop it up on boards mid way back so it’s not hanging off the manifolds. Didn’t have to mess with the E-brake cable either. Drive shaft stayed in place as well and I did both cradle and Diff lock out kits. Sorry, holiday party has my memory a bit faded at the moment lol.
It Was actually easier then I thought it would be. Worst part was drilling the limiters and knocking them off.

 

[fubar569]

I have a 4" CCI and don't have much clearance to heat shields and the like. I think its gonna need disconnected to drop much more than a couple inches...but that's fine as I need to loctite and retorque them anyways.

The less stuff I gotta mess with the better...but just has to drop juussstttt far enough for that single diff bolt.

Did you just center your floor jack up on the diff with some wood to stabilize it/drop it level? How hard was it to line back up?

 

[16GoManGoHC2]

I have a 4” Wiles DS with the accordion boot in the back and still cleared no problem. No, I NEVER jack up full weight of a car on a DIRS type rear by the pumpkin, I jack up from under the spring perches each side back and forth twice until high enough then Small jack stands on the unibody frame right next to the plastic jacking nubs, on small pieces of 2x2 wood. I then lowered the cradle from the pumpkin center, yes it dropped pretty evenly. To get it back in the same place look at the marks the rubber bumpers leave on the body where they were up against the frame and when putting it back up put them right back in the same place. I changed all the control arms to the ADD type while I was in there and aligned camber with a level and toe with a string to the front rims and it was almost dead nut right where it needed to be when I took it for alignment check. I did the Diff lock out kit too, hardest part of it is getting the top bushing pieces on on the front portion of the Diff, use a 24” pry bar and a 3/4” thick block of wood as a fulcrum pivot on top the exhaust hanger mounting point to pry it down enough to get the rings up and over the mounting bosses. I did it all alone, bitched some here and there but it’s do able alone. A good 1/2” compact impact makes it MUCH easier to do.

 

[fubar569]

The front (pinion) side of the diff lockout is done already. Did that when I put in the race brace.

I mounted part 1 of the DIRS to the differential and left part 2 off the car. Then I took out the 2 front diff bolts and the diff must've nosed down a solid inch or so. My top lockout rings slid right in with zero issue and plenty room to spare. Then I buttoned everything up with the race brace and new bolts...then mounted part 2 of the DIRS to the crossmember and to part 1 with the new bolt.

I have always jacked the car up on the center section but with a block of wood so as to not damage it. Any brace work is done suspension loaded. Ultimately for next year I'm gonna have a set of quickjacks.

My AAD arms were done last month. I went with parker's recommendation for tabs and that got me -0.4 degrees left camber and 0.0 degrees right camber with 6 tabs. I put 7's in the left and now I'm at -0.2 left and 0.0 right with me In it and toe is -0.05 per side. 0 thrust angle. I think an 8 tab would put me positive and I don't wanna do that so I'll let it ride as-is.

If I dont really need to touch that much to get the cradle down that makes my life much easier. I. Just surprised as everyone's instructions make it out to be a total shitshow.

 

[16GoManGoHC2]

I made the mistake and did the back first, even with bolts loose it didn’t want to come down once the fingers where pounded into the rubber bushings in the back. I’m running +.5 camber each side on 0 toe. Getting even tire wear across the face now and my street 60 fts are now under 2 seconds (1.875 best on the street) and 0-60 3.2-3.4 seconds pretty consistently and wheel hop doesn’t happen on my Nitto NT05R’s now unless I lower their pressure too far, like under 24 psi on the street, if I break them loose they just spin now not start hopping. I’m M6 and the manuals seem to wheel hop more then the autos for some reason.

But Yea, the instructions make it seem like way too much to do, it’s why I held off for months before installing the stuff. Read the instructions many times then just dug in and adjusted steps to match what I could do to not do some of the steps instructed. Just have to be slow and careful and make sure nothings hanging up on the way down or pinched on the way up. After I was done I told myself I should have done this in the beginning of summer not halfway through it. Sad thing is after I was all done got out on the street had a lot more NVH, pinpointed it down to my axles were bad and had to tear it back apart again to put new axles in and then it was smooth and no noise. The NVH I had was the axles not the lock out kits or AAD arms.

 

[fubar569]

When I try to spin a tire by hand there seems to be a good bit of play before the ping when it finally starts moving the driveshaft. I dunno. Still gonna send it til it blows apart. Maybe i can talk cole into sending me a welded up 2.62 center section to replace it with? Last piece after that would be new axles. Those honestly dont sound too bad from the diff instructions.

All this and the car has a much more connected feel now and each time the hop gets less and less prevalent. It should be zero by the time I am done and I'm good with that. I REALLY gotta try to make it hop now...

 

[vortecd]

No one watch the video I posted, look easy peasy

 

[vortecd]

If I ever decide to change the cradle bushings, that is how I'm going to do it

 

[16GoManGoHC2]

When I try to spin a tire by hand there seems to be a good bit of play before the ping when it finally starts moving the driveshaft. I dunno. Still gonna send it til it blows apart. Maybe i can talk cole into sending me a welded up 2.62 center section to replace it with? Last piece after that would be new axles. Those honestly dont sound too bad from the diff instructions.

All this and the car has a much more connected feel now and each time the hop gets less and less prevalent. It should be zero by the time I am done and I'm good with that. I REALLY gotta try to make it hop now...

That play you are feeling is probably in the same place mine was, the axels. These are DSS Stage 5 1400HP rated axles, lasted 1 summer, maybe 5 months. See the disc move but the inner hub at the Diff not move? Take the axels out and lay them flat they feel perfect, they only get worn in the spot and angles they run in. I doubt the play your feeling is in the Diff. If you buy new ones buy GForce Outlaws, they make their own CV’s, all others use off the shelf crap, I learned this the expensive way, I bought DSS

 

[16GoManGoHC2]

No one watch the video I posted, look easy peasy

Watched it, the BMR cradle lock out kit retains the stock bushings the rings just limit how much they can move. To install the Diff lock out kit you have no choice but to lower the cradle to get the rear limiters in place.

 

[jmoose1]

I just bought the AAD drag setup and have been reading as many suspension threads as I can. I'm in the same boat as Fubar, don't really feel like dropping the cradle unless I have to. I think I know the answer already but I'll ask anyways. You guys think the cradle bushings and diff lock out are really necessary on top of the AAD setup?
I was hoping just to throw the arms on hit the alignment rack and call it a day but I'd like some opinions so I can do it all at once.

 

[fubar569]

The AAD kit can install without dropping it AND without cutting the body if you have patience. I cut the bolt without cutting the body. Had plenty of room.

The cradle lockout only can be done one side at a time so not a complete drop. No alignment issues that way.

The front part of the diff can be done very easily if your diff brace is disconnected. The rear part you absolutely must drop the cradle.

 

[vortecd]

Watched it, the BMR cradle lock out kit retains the stock bushings the rings just limit how much they can move. To install the Diff lock out kit you have no choice but to lower the cradle to get the rear limiters in place.

Any reason not to go with the whiteline?

 

[fubar569]

In terms of stiffness...I'd say it goes

Stock
Lockout
Poly
Aluminum

At the risk of increasing NVH each step.

You should only go as aggressive as needed to limit the movement/hop under your intended use.

For most...the lockout will suffice if your bushings are still in good shape. If you drag race a lot it may be worth hitting poly right off the rip. The most serious of IRS drag racers have aluminum as a last-ditch.

If your bushings are shot and you have to change them anyways...I'd do the whiteline.