Installation tips
1. The steering rack brace goes on first. Remove the nut on the driver’s side and the bolt on the passenger’s side. Place the brace on, and reinstall the stock hardware. The brace only fits on in one direction.
2. Install the front bolts loosely in the front skid first. ( where the stock one bolts up, in front of the radiator. Left side of picture below)
Then push it up ( a jack really helps ) and use the Allen wrench stuck thru the hole in the skid to find the stock holes in the frame. Then push it up into place, and install the flat head screws. Hole is circled below:
3. Then install the 1” long carriage bolts up thru the skid, the brace, a flat washer and then the locknut on top. Repeat on other side.
4. Now install the crossmember. The drivers side has clearance holes and the passenger side has weld nuts up in place. Remove the 3 bolts that attach the parking brake bracket to the inside of the drivers frame. Slide the crossmember up into place. Use the new longer bolts supplied to go through the brake bracket, then our crossmember, then into the tapped holes in the frame.
5. The passenger side is a bit weird, but the bolts thread into the welded nuts on our crossmember, then into the larger clearance holes in the frame. Make sure that the bottom of the crossmember is tight to the bottom of the frame. Tighten all bolts.
6. Now the belly can go up. It can go over the top of the front skid or under it. See which way it fits best, tho usually on top is best.
7. With the front of the bellypan hung up over the front skid, lift the rear of the bellypan up into place. Install a 3” carriage bolt, flat washer and nut in the rear crossmember to hold it up in place. Then install 2 grade 5 2 ½”carriage bolts up thru the first crossmember, with fender washers up on top and the locking nut to finish it off. Yes, it is very close to the Catalytic converter. Install the remaining 2 bolts ( 2” long carriage) in the rear crossmember.
8. Then install the 1” long carriage bolts and flat washers with locknuts clamp both plates together. Once all these bolts are installed, tighten them all.
Note, the bellypan is shown UNDER the front skid, but on TOP is usually best.
This is what the finished installation should look like, except for the orientation of the truck…
Thanks again and if you have any comments or questions, please call or email. [email protected] or 828-572-1202