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Van Compass Lift install

17K views 48 replies 19 participants last post by  Chillis 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey all,
This weekend I drove out to Van compass in Idaho, picked up all my new suspension components and started a self install

Falcon Adjustable Shocks
Rear Shock Relocation kit
Rear Shackle Lift
2" Lift Kit
Diff Skid plate
Sumo Bump Stops

Thankfully I had access to a lift at my uncles place and my uncle who has owned an auto shop for the past 30 years and my cousin who works on heigh performance race cars and mechanic for hire on track days.

The rear is where the bulk of the new parts (Shocks, Shock relocation brackets, Shackle lift, Diff skid and sumos) are installed and was also fairly straight forward, I had it done in less than a couple hours.

The front is a very different story, first because of the location of the top of the struts which are buried behind the dash. Thankfully you can access the bolts by moving some carpet on the drives side and removing the glove box on the passenger side. But I hit a dead end here because we did not have access to a Coil Spring Compressor (My uncles place is way out in eastern Washington and both his shop and cousins shop are in the Seattle area). Thankfully I realized this before I unbolted everything. Long story short is I was able to complete the rear but had to hold on the front. So my van is currently half lifted. I made an appointment on Wednesday with a shop to handle the strut spring compression for me.
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My Half lifted Van :(
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#3 · (Edited)
My uncle said those are way too sketchy. He would never use one and had a few stories to back that up. Use at your own risk. I think the safest thing to do if you want to DIY most of it is to remove the struts yourself and take the new springs and struts to a qualified shop and have them replace the springs.

This is what i would have done if it was not a Sunday and had more time. Now its just bring to a shop and have them do it for me. Should be 4-6 hrs of work at 100-150 an hr.
 
#11 ·
No, from their website:

"The second critical component of the Topo 2.0 kit addresses one of the downsides to the Ford Transit platform which is the lack of any real camber or caster adjustment built into the front suspension design of the van. This comes into play when trying to lift the vehicle for more ground clearance and improved ride quality since nearly any amount of lift will put the vehicle out of alignment specs and increase tire wear. An additional hurdle presented with the AWD Transit platform is the extremely short passenger side CV shaft. This CV joint will go into a bind if it is over-extended by more than 1.0” of additional droop over stock. To remedy the alignment issues as well as not over-extend the passenger side CV shaft on AWD models, we developed a ¾” strut spacer with built in camber and caster correction for the 2.0” of total lift gained when installing the 1.0” lift coils and strut spacer to have a complete front end upgrade that won’t accelerate wear on other critical suspension and steering components such as control arm bushings, tie rod ends and front axle shafts on AWD models. Front sway bar link extensions are included to maintain proper sway bar position."
 
#12 ·
My Ford dealership couldn't even do an alignment after the van compass lift install. Hub adapter wouldn't fit with 245 tires on AWD Transit that has the crazy offset spindle. Hunter alignment machine. Gonna try somewhere else but I've put a few thousand miles on it with no noticeable issues.
 
#14 ·
Make sure the torque to yield bolts that have to be loosened for the front install are replaced @eljefe

I'm still on the fence about installing this myself or having a shop do it
 
#15 ·
Make sure the torque to yield bolts that have to be loosened for the front install are replaced @eljefe

I'm still on the fence about installing this myself or having a shop do it
Thanks, I actually didn't loosen any bolts on the front. For me I really wanted to do the front, I just ran out of time and didn't have the right tools. If its about saving money, you can absolutely do the rear and then have a shop do the struts. Really all it is a strut replacement, swapping springs and a spacer so any qualified front end shop could handle it.
 
#16 ·
Do you have any pics of the front strut removal process? I’m curious about the strut top nuts location. As for the strut compressor, I’ve used a cheap kit bought off eBay for 9$ 15 years ago many times. No biggie. Finally, could you share the lift points you used to jack the car? I was under the impression that you could only lift it using the rear axle.
 
#17 ·
For the rear I used a lift to get off ground (standard lift points) and then jack stands on the rear (just incase) then used a jack to raise and lower the rear diff to loosen bolts and line things up.

As for the front struts. I never actually took them off since I didn't have the spring compressor but, the nuts are located under the dash. The drivers side is under carpet, it's tight but doable:
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The passenger side requires you to remove the glove box:
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#18 ·
#20 ·
They were ready immediately when I ordered them, But I delayed the trip a bit since I had other business in Idaho that got delayed. I'm still waiting on the front winch bumper, skid plate and Warn Zeon Winch. But I make frequent trips out there (Building a house near Sandpoint and have family in Spokane) so not worried about it. They said I should have the rest of the parts sometime in June.
 
#21 ·
FYI My local auto shop down the street quoted me at 5.5 hrs for the strut removal, spacer install and new spring install. Shops rates vary but expect $100 - $150 an hr so ($550 - $825). They have done lots of strut replacements on Transits before and really thats all this. I decided to go a head with them, I'll update and post pictures once its done.
 
#24 ·
I'll post an updated review after the front is done. But I noticed a significant improvement with the Falcon Rear Shocks. The ride feels smoother, much less sway / rocking and I noticed much less of that floating feeling. I did not play with the adjustments yet, I set them to 1 for the outer ring 4 for the inner. Excited to try the stiffer settings as I'm at the low end.

I would expect that there would not be much of a difference with the lift kit alone... the shocks are the real upgrade.
 
#27 ·
For the interested reader:

I documented my very amateur install here:


Plenty of noob tips and quick video of off-roading test.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#29 ·
Ok so I got the Van back from the shop and it looks great. Super happy with the work. The tech mentioned that it kicked his ass... :LOL: They had another customer (Wonder if you're on here) come in with a Transit and the Van Compass kit a few hours after they started mine and they turned them away. They said they wont do another one (Mainly because they can't get the lift high enough with the HR Transits in their shop)

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#30 ·
Since we are talking about lift kit, my friend got his installed today in Squamish in a shop owned by a friend of us. The mechanic is used to work on 4x4 and apparently did not have any trouble with the installation. 245 BFG T/A KO2

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As you can see, there is very little clearance between the tires and the front strut.

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#31 ·
Just paid a shop $1200 bucks to install the VC Red springs and strut spacer, rear shock relocation brackets (dumasses did not cut off the bracket) and the five leaf lift spring. I installed the factory rear sway bar afterwards, i have driven it around a bit and it rides out nice. will get falcon shocks after we weigh the finished out build.

Front shuts kicked their butt, again to tall for lift, at a 4x4 shop!!
 
#33 ·
I'm headed to a van outfitter on Monday for the install, will be curious how they do. They quoted a lot less than a 4x4 shop VC installer here in CO.
 
#34 ·
Nice! It's a very straightforward install, The rear was no problem, the front was the most intimidating but really the most routine for any shop that does strut work. I only hired a shop to do the front and they charged me for 5.5 hrs of labor.
 
#44 · (Edited)
Note I am posting this here instead of creating a new thread, I believe anyone looking to add this lift to their van will come here first anyway as this is the best thread on this entire site for this conversion.

To anyone who wants to DIY install the Vancompass lift - there are few things you should know up front that will save you a LOT of time and make the install process safer. For one - their instructions are wonky - there are some errors and inconsistencies - I sent this info back to VC they did not seem too interested. Mind you - I am an experienced mechanic with a lot of suspension experience - consistency means everything in suspensions. If you follow these points, I would rate this entire job a 5 out of 10 in terms of complexity and risk. If you miss this, it easily becomes a 10. I am confident any serious DIYer could do it but follow the points because the instructions will leave you shaking your head or lost.

Vehicle : 2020 Transit 250, MR, 148 WB RWD

Rear lift, high clearance kit & shocks :
1> If you already have fitted larger tires you are going to need a jack with at least 20" of lift. Ditto for jack stands. Hockey pucks make a great way to get an extra 1-2". I won't go into lift points or where to lift, I figured everyone here is smart enough to figure that out.

2> Make sure you have TWO sets of sockets and socket wrenches (or one socket wrench and one medium breaker bar) this will make the job MUCH easier. You'll want standard and deep wall sockets. Also make sure your set has a 22mm deep wall socket - mine did not and I had to make a trip to the auto parts store in the middle of my install - frustrating. Wrenches are pretty much useless for the rear install.


3> Make note of the nut / bolt sizes BEFORE you start , fumbling for them once you're in place under the vehicle is a PITA. (learned that the hard way). Unfortunately , there is not one bolt or nut that uses the same size.

4> Torque everything - use a good torque wrench - unibody vehicles are more sensitive to over / under torquing - if you don't want noise or stuff to wear out - torque it !!

5> Don't underestimate the effort required to shave the lower shock mounts. I used a Milwaukee battery powered die grinder - It took me a solid hour to cut the bosses off - I recommend a plug-in grinder instead - I have several batteries but I had to wait several times for batteries to recharge as the grinder goes through them quickly when cutting 1/4" steel.

6> If using the VC Falcon shocks - ignore the manual that states you need to install spacers on BOTH sides of the lower shock mount when it installs into the high clearance bracket. No way 2 will fit. I installed one. Manual is in error - you'd literally have to bend the bracket to get 2 in and I do not recommend that.

7> The boots that come with the shocks are WAY too long - if you choose to install them, make sure you push the the upper part of the boot at least 1/3 of the way up the shock body or they will bunch up and get cut by the lower shock mounts. Yes, they will cover a good portion of the Falcon label. After seeing how they looked installed - seems to me a haven for dirt and grit - I decided to remove them. Most 'wheelers don't use shock boots, don't really see the point.


There is a reason shops charge so much to do this job - it took me a solid 4 hours to complete the rear install - the work was arduous without a whole vehicle lift - I was on my back and / or bent over sitting which was hard on my back. Overall it went fairly well - I did not use the instructions - I found them not of much help.


Front install:

I've done enough front suspensions to know that trying to remove HD springs and installing struts with a rental spring compressor on a workbench or the ground is not a great idea - especially when the rental tools have been used by a lot of other people. Many do it, but once you see it done the right way - its hard to justify saving a few bucks and better to do it professionally.

I decided instead of going through all the trouble of dismantling and re-using the parts that came off the old struts (even though they are new) that I would order all new parts to pre-build the struts. That was by far the best decision - it makes the install FLY. I was also able to sell the old struts easily for more than what I paid for the parts and labor to assemble the new strut. A win-win.

So I purchased the parts on the parts list below - cost for all was about $250 - by doing so , I was able to drop them off at my local Big O tires - they have a wall mounted pro compressor - it took them 1/2 hour and I paid $30. So , $280 complete. I sold the OEM strut assy's for $450 !

1> PRIOR to dropping off the struts and parts @ Big O, I shaved the 10mm studs to the correct size and chased the threads so they mounted to the billet spacers easily once I got the assembled struts back.

2> Once I had the finished struts back - I mounted the AL Billet spacers using the included M10 - 1.5 Lock Nuts with no washers.


FABRICATION NOTE : The OEM strut top assy's are rubber coated. The VC spacers are not. If you install the spacers as they come you will have three potential problems - 1 - you will have dissimilar metal-to-metal connection (aluminum & steel) , which most definitely will invite galvanic corrosion. 2 - due to the metal-on-metal you may get creaking, and finally , there is no seal formed like there is with the OEM tops so you may get water seepage when driving in very wet conditions.

To fix that - I fabricated some gaskets out of a Permatex gasket sheet set I ordered on Amazon for $10, the thin blue material works best. I cut the gaskets out to surround the part of the spacer that comes in direct contact with the chassis and that worked great it sealed the holes and insulated the VC spacer from the van body. I am surprised VC does not include something like this in their kits.


Once all that was done - I made time for the install.

Tools ! The instructions don't mention several very important things - and if ignored - will leave you running to the parts store or shop after you start .

You will need a 30mm wrench and a torx bit set to install the lower ball joint nut - you will also need a 30mm socket and a torque wrench capable of delivering 250 foot pounds to properly install the lower ball joint nut.

I also recommend a 30" pry bar with a narrow end on it. You will use this to pry the A-Arm down so that the ball joint stud can be re-inserted into it. It <is> possible to do this by stepping on it, but you end up putting a far higher load on the bushings doing it - I don't recommend that.

Finally, most of the torque values ARE in the instructions but you have to hunt for them - I highly suggest writing everything down prior to assy so they are handy it will save a lot of frustration. Why they did not put that info in the table on page one is kind of a whiskey tango foxtrot moment.

Overall - the instructions are not great - they cover several model years and all the photos are for an AWD vehicle. While the install is virtually the same there are a lot of extra photos and clutter that just get in the way if you are working on a RWD vehicle - along with several confusing steps that simply do not make any sense. For that reason I recommend if you have a RWD van do yourself a HUGE favor - toss the instructions aside and watch one of the strut replacement videos on YouTube. The only thing you really need to pay attention to in the instructions is how to mount the sway bar relocation brackets - the rest is useless.

1> Before you lift the vehicle - loosen (but don't remove) the upper strut nuts on both sides - not only is this safer with the vehicle on the ground - but its a LOT easier to reach them ! Loosen them to hand-tight with a short 15mm ratcheting socket wrench. Not going to sugar coat this - the right side seems impossible - especially if your vehicle has the upfitter switch mod - expect bloodshed and cursing but it can be done. The left side is much easier. It took me over an hour to remove the nuts on the right side. 5 minutes on the left.

2> Instead of jacking up the entire front of the vehicle - I worked on one side at a time. I felt this was safer as you are going to have to put a LOT of muscle into untorqueing and re-torqueing the lower ball joint and steering knuckle nuts. I used a jack stand AND a floor lift to support the vehicle the entire time.

3> Again, ignore the instructions and use this procedure to remove the steering knuckle and lower ball joint nuts without damaging the steering knuckle or ball joint boots. Excessive hammering on the knuckle or A-arm is a sure fire way to damage it !! First, spray pentrant into the boss holding the tapered pins into their sockets. Let it stand for 15 minutes. Using a small hand held propane torch - carefully apply heat to the outer boss of the joint. Be very careful NOT to melt the rubber boot !! You won't need to use much heat - literally just enough to raise the temp 20-30 degrees is plenty - if the paint starts burning you are too hot ! Once heated - you can use a BF hammer on the square part of the tie rod bolt, one rap should easily separate it. For the lower ball joint - unscrew the nut until its flush with the end of the ball joint pin, then using a floor jack - support the bolt. Apply penetrant and heat as above. Using a large mallet (not a bare BF hammer) rap on the control arm as close to the joint as you can - once or twice - again - it should easily separate.

4> Once the ball joint / steering knuckle nuts and strut retainer pinch bolt is loosened and everything is more or less ready to extract, I placed the floor jack under the entire assembly (i.e. disc brake, knuckle, strut) - its HEAVY !! Remove the upper strut nuts and haul out the entire assembly.


5>The instructions are in error - they make references to retain and re-use the upper strut nuts. Don't ! They are useless - the VC top plate studs are not long enough to use them and if you do you will compromise the install !! Use the nuts & washers included with the VC install kit when you re-install the struts. The instructions wording is erroneous and redundant.


6> R&R the strut assy. Again - I had the strut prebuilt so all I had to do was remove the strut retainer pinch bolt, remove the old strut and install the new one. I installed the bolt but did not torque it yet. The instructions made this part seem easy - lol ! It wasn't. The paint on the Bilstein struts is much thicker than the OEM paint - so that made for an extremely tight interference fit. I opened the clevis on the knuckle with a large chisel - but still had to pound the knuckle onto the strut with a large heavy mallet. #1 reason I recommend removing the strut / knuckle as an assembly and not try to install the strut first, then the knuckle onto the strut. Again - watch the YouTube video - no one does it the way the instructions say to - and for good reason.


7> Before re-installing the strut assy - DRILL a small hole on the exposed strut alignment tab (1/8" worked for me ) - this will be used to install a tie-wrap to hold the AB sensor wire in place so its not dangling. It is a lot easier to drill this on the bench than trying to fit a drill into the wheel well once the strut is installed !

8> Using the floor jack, lift the strut assy into place. I highly recommend help here , if anything slips you are likely to either damage parts or damage yourself ! Line up the upper strut studs and lift the assy into place.

9> The instructions say to re-use the upper strut nuts to install the strut - bad advice. Use the new M10-1.5 lock nuts & washers. The instructions go back and forth on which to use and its confusing - as mentioned the studs on the new upper mounts are not long enough to use the OEM strut nuts.

10> Follow the instructions on re-assembly, and torque everything exactly as the instructions state.

Overall - other than the inconsistencies and confusion in the manual - following the process above took me less than one hour per side to do the actual install - but it took me more than one hour to remove the nuts on the right side so total install time right side was 2.5 hours, left side was 45 minutes. It would have been 2-3X that if I had re-used the old parts not to mention the risk of removing the old springs, etc. Overall very happy with the install - and seeing some of the horror stories above about bad installs at shops - very glad I did this myself. I really don't like anyone else working on my vehicles.

Pre assembling the struts was a HUGE time saver !!

Happy lifting.

Here's the parts list if you are interested in pre-building the strut assy.

Product Font Rectangle Circle Screenshot



These parts are also required - it is not wise to re-use them.

Tie Rod Nut (2) : W520215S442
Lower Ball Joint Nut (2): W711076S442
 

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#46 ·
Just completed my install this weekend, thanks all for the notes they helped make the whole thing go very smooth!

@6ixgun your tips were very helpful, but I also think that your advice to use a single spacer on the rear shock lower mount is incorrect. I fit both in and they felt like a perfect tight fit, as I think they should be. They took a little prying with a flathead to get in.

I'd be a bit scared putting 80ft/lbs of torque on them if it wasn't a tight fit, I think it would deform the shock mounts.

Tire Automotive tire Motor vehicle Tread Vehicle
 
#48 ·
Just completed my install this weekend, thanks all for the notes they helped make the whole thing go very smooth!

@6ixgun your tips were very helpful, but I also think that your advice to use a single spacer on the rear shock lower mount is incorrect. I fit both in and they felt like a perfect tight fit, as I think they should be. They took a little prying with a flathead to get in.

I'd be a bit scared putting 80ft/lbs of torque on them if it wasn't a tight fit, I think it would deform the shock mounts.

View attachment 179724
I tried that - it is probable that my mounts were slightly deformed - there was no way I was going to be able to spread them enough to get the second spacer in, I inspected it a few days ago it’s all wearing fine so no harm either way. Glad your fit !
 
#47 ·
For those who struggle to get the lower control arm to separate, especially on a brand new van, here's what worked for me when all other methods didn't:

 
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