Well....after three months of waiting to get the kit, then another two months of it sitting around the house, I finally took my truck to get the CALMINI lift installed.  Didn't think it would be a big deal, neither did the mechanic (who regularly installs lifts and drops on shiny new pickups, hummers, etc.)....until the work started. 

Day One - First, they broke off a couple of strut bolts, had to drill them out, and nearly decided not to do the job right there.  They were concerned that a lot of bolts were rusty and would continue to give them headaches.  Needless to say, I was ready to call them a bunch of a$$holes that only wanted to make "trailer queen tricked out rides with spinning chrome rims," but I stopped myself.  Turns out that a couple years up north did put a little rust on my truck, though nothing serious in my opinion.  Trust me, I've seen some road salt rust in my day....I'm from Maine, originally.  Anyway, I assured them that somebody would have to do this, and I understand if it's going to take longer to do it.  Just treat me fair is all I ask.  So....they bombarded it with penetrating spray, let it sit overnight, and started again the next day.

Day Two - No problem dropping the diff.  Some more bolts broke off in the suspension, though, and they tell me that a couple of the CALMINI bolts (for the strut brace, maybe?) were too long, so they needed to make some up.  Then comes the real problem.  After hours of working on it, they tell me they just can't figure out how those springs are going to work in the front.  "They're stiffer than Super Duty springs.  I've never seen anything like it," the mechanic tells me.  He goes on to say that he's broken 2 spring compressors already and had four guys in the truck to try to compress the front with their extra body weight.  Next, the threads in the CALMINI strut end up stripping from the pressure.  Great!  Why is this happening?     Well, I show up on the scene, and it finally becomes obvious what's going on.  They didn't take out the 1 1/8" coil spacers from my Rocky Road kit!  You would think that they would have figured that out, since I told them I already had a lift kit on it, but I guess they thought it was a factory spacer.  So, to make a long story short, the front end is now done (10 hours labor!), with one CALMINI strut and one of my Old Man Emu struts that was already on it.  I need to take it back Friday to have the rear done (which shouldn't take long).  Then, as per CALMINI's recommendation, I'll just get any OEM-type strut sometime in the future to replace the one that got stripped.   

Wow...what a pain in the ass.  To make matters worse, now the Tracker front skid won't quite clear the lowered diff without a little modification. Arghhhhhhhh.  Additionally, one of the bolts attaching the front sway bar to the frame broke off from rust, so that needs to be tapped out and replaced, too.  Right now I'm driving around with no sway bar, and only the front done.  I need to try to get a front end alignment tomorrow from my trusty "old school" alignment guy, then get the rear portion of the kit installed Friday.  I'm planning on leaving for a major road trip Saturday.  I hope the hell everything goes well from here on out.  The only thing keeping me sane right now is looking at the front end, with those powder coated blue parts...they sure are purty!

I'll keep you all posted.  Hopefully my wallet won't get too much lighter on Friday.

Congrats on getting things started! Hope the rest of the install goes as planned. Get some pics up ASAP if you can!

PS: Keep an eye on my build-up... it's starting to take shape!

that sounds like a major pain, sorry to hear that, i know what the rust is like... sucks.  working on a northern truck it is a must to spray something on the bolts the day before at a minimum..  you could do the rear lift in your driveway with only a few wrenches and a jack, very staight forward!  and you could likely get away with leaving the 1-1/8 inch spacers back there.  doesn't sound like the guys working on the front are worth the money your giving them.. 

did you happen to notice how much longer the new tie rod ends are?  i'm curious if they're really any different then the stock ones other than some paint?

Skip the sway bar.  Rides better without it.  Seriously.

Hey all.  I actually have a lot more to share regarding the lift and install, but I took that big road trip and I'm currently on vacation.  For now, it suffices to say that this truck rides like a f%$#&n 1940s armored tank.  Knocks yer teath out of yer head!  Extremely stiff ride.  If money were no object, I would replace rear shocks with Rocky Road Hydros, and put Old Man Emu struts on the front (I actually still have one on the front for now...long story).  The rear shocks are bone-jarring compared to the Doetsch-Techs I had on before....unless it's just the springs.  I hope it softens soon....I'm pounding the hell out of it up here in Maine!  Also, it seems that I'm no higher up than I was with the RR kit.  However, I do have more travel.  Well, gotta run for now.  I'll have more info to share in a couple of weeks.  Later all....

P.S. - I am having lots of banging in the front diff while in 4wd, so when I get back to Florida the air actuator is history....it's really pissing me off!  I wanted that thing gone when I got re-geared last year... it's just one more thing to break.  Unfortunately, my r&p guy left the air actuator in there.  Gotta have a talk with him I guess.

Well...all hell broke loose on the trip back to Florida from Maine.  First, I get to Mass. and realize the rear diff is leaking.  No chance to get a seal, so mechanic checks fluid level.  Looks okay, but I have him replace the fluid because it looks a little bit contaminated...couple little metal bits as well.  Hope it's gonna be alright.  We discover the diff breather hose is disconnected at the right angle section about a foot above the diff, so we decide maybe it's not the seal, just fluid coming out of the breather hose as it flops around in the wind going down the highway.  (BTW, extend your breather hose on your diff or disconnect it from the body after a body+susp lift....there's not enough play for the downward travel). 

Anyway, back on the road....diff seems okay.  Get to downtown Hartford, CT and I hit a couple of massive potholes on the highway.  Boom!  All of a sudden my steering wheel is turned weird and the truck is pulling to the side.  Oh sh!*  I get into the breakdown lane and see that my wheel is crooked...THE DRIVER SIDE STRUT DETACHED AND NOW THE TOP OF THE STRUT RESIDES UP IN MY WHEELWELL!  It's a wonder it didn't destroy my front end....not to mention get me killed.  I thought I was going to be stuck waiting for a new strut...but it wasn't damaged, so the local Meineke was able to pry it back into place and get me on the road.  The tie rod is ever-so-slightly bent, but everything seems okay, and I get the okay to continue on my way.

Anyway...the diff continued to leak.  But apparently it wasn't too bad.  Now that I'm back home, the mechanic and I think that the diff breather hose was just a little loose.  It doesn't appear to be the seal.  Now, I've got to go get this thing aligned and try to straighten the tie rod.

It's funny...cause I actually checked all the other bolts on the kit several times while on the trip and everything was fine.  I wouldn't have expected the main strut bolt to come loose.  I think it's time to call the guy that installed the kit.  I think I deserve something for my troubles.

P.S. - I'll try to get some pics of my rig up soon.  Might wait until I get some new tires.  Mine are running low on tread!

Glad your okay.

Thx.  Me too.

Any pics yet?

Yeah...I'll get some pics up soon.  My truck really needs a bath, and my Goodyear MTRs are nearly outta tread, so it doesn't look the part right now.  Maybe in a few weeks I'll have it clean with new sneakers and I'll take some shots.  Still have to put on my Aftermarket4x4 gas tank skid, too.