Just finished installing the Van Compass front lift today. Got exactly 1.5" lift, as advertised.
This is not a job for the faint hearted, although any competent mechanic with the right tools can do it.
The two most difficult parts: First, removing the calipers - no kidding. They are mounted to the steering knuckles with 12mm fine thread allen bolts that have some serious thread locking fluid applied. Fortunately I have a set of Snap-on allen wrenches and the 14mm one was able to withstand the 12" cheater I had to use. I doubt a chinesium allen wrench would have survived. It's tight quarters and the wrench/cheater can only swing about 1/6th turn. That's a lot of strenuous effort to remove a bolt, and there are 2 per side. I got a 1/2" drive 14mm allen socket (?) before attacking the other side. So don't try this job without a proper 14mm allen wrench.
Second, after hanging the strut-with-spacer from the chassis and getting it and the drive axle engaged in the steering knuckle (not too bad), the real wrestling match begins. Levering the a-arm downward while compressing the strut upward to get the ball joint stud into its hole in the a-arm is quite difficult. I used coil spring compressors to reduce the effort, but it was still a bear. There might have been some cursing.
Don't be surprised if either axle pops out of its inner spline during the wrestling match, but you can pop them right back in. The driver's side will spill gear oil if it pops out.
Oh, and installing that last T25 screw into its hole in the right front corner of the glovebox also brought out some colorful language.
I did one side at a time, on a lift. First side took about 6 hours, with a good helper. Second side about 4. Next time I could do both in a day.
