My Rough Country Lift failure

Earlier this year I bought a Rough Country 3-inch suspension lift for my 2010 Ford Super Duty.

Friday I finally took time out to install it.

Everything was going good, until I installed the spacer under the front coil seat, and started tightening the new longer 14mm x 130mm bolt that replaces the factory bolt. I was tightening it by hand with a breaker bar, and broke it off.

Fortunately the piece that broke off in the top of the axle came right out by hand. Rough Country doesn't supply any torque specs for this bolt, so I was just getting it nice and tight by hand.

So, I compared the factory bolt to the one I broke, and saw that the factory bolt has a 10.9 rating, but the Rough Country bolt only has a 8.8 rating. Why would you replace such a critical bolt with a weaker one, especially since the new one is long and will have more leverage placed on it?

So, right now I'm fawked. I can't find a 14mm x 130mm bolt locally and had to order one from a place in Michigan. I ordered it over the weekend, and called them Monday to make sure it was going to ship. They assured me it would. They even sent me a USPS tracking number Monday. I tracked it today, and it was saying that they received the information, but hadn't picked it up. I called the place and they assured me it shipped Monday, and said USPS tracking is probably behind. Well, I checked on the tracking and found that USPS didn't get it until 10:33pm tonight (Tuesday). The tracking info says I won't get it until Thursday.

So thanks to Rough Country and their cheap ass shitty bolt, I've been without a vehicle since Friday, and will be without one for almost a week.

I need to write to them and urge them to replace those bolts in their kits with a 10.9 rated bolt. I'm just glad it broke here, and not while I'm pulling my 8,000lb trailer.

mtnrgr said:

Bummer Jim. Even with this unfortunate situation, good to see you wrenching again.

You still in Dallas?

Haven't seen you on here in awhile, all is positive on your end?

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I'm not in Dallas yet. I went down for a week in June and stayed with my daughter. I sold my house, but I don't have a closing date yet. Once I close I'm hooking up the camper and heading to Texas. Just trying to get some stuff that I wanted to do to my truck done while I still have a garage.

I'll be going to Dallas by myself and starting my next chapter in life. Life can either suck, or you can move forward, and look forward to new adventures. I'm looking forward to what my future holds in Texas.

Why by yourself? Did you and Mrs. TRS call it quits? If so, sorry to hear that Jim.

The wife and I are planning a out of state move as well. We are thinking Gulf Coast of FL.

hoosier1104 said:

Why by yourself? Did you and Mrs. TRS call it quits? If so, sorry to hear that Jim.

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Yes. It's OK.

You might go thru the rest of the kit and check for more cheap outs.

For as long as they made the diff hole punching kit for the Ranger (did they every fix it?) I would have been leery about them.