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New spring install this weekend

Tobtech

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Fullerton,CA
I have a tired 3" Pro Comp lift that has been on my Jeep for 4 years. Really it is 3" front and 2" AAL rear. Now with all my accessories, heavy spare and gear it is a little saggy.

I bought a set of RE 3.5 coils, RE 3.5" leaf pack, RE sway bar disconnects and a mystery adjustable trac bar that I got from a NAXJA member.

I am going to tear into it this weekend. Other than installing the Pro Comp lift 4 years ago, I have limited experience installing springs and no experience mixing and matching components. I am looking for general advice for things to watch for and potential problems that might arise. Any thoughts?

I know that I am only lifting another 0.5", however, since I know the RE lift is underestimated, here are my concerns:

Will using the lower control arms that came with my Pro Comp kit pose any alignment problems if the new springs give me an extra 1" or so?

I have MX9000 shocks that came with the Pro Comp 3" kit, I am going to continue to use them for now. How can I tell if I need longer shocks?

Hopefully everything lines up close enough to go get it aligned next week since I have a 4wheeling trip planned for next weekend.

Thanks
 
I wouldn't worry about the shocks. I had those ProComp shocks once and they will work with an extra .5 or 1" of lift. Just a little more up travel then down travel. You can add a bar pin eliminator and they would be good. If your axle can drop farther then the shock then you might have a problem... don't want all the weight pulling down on the shock.
Make sure you have long enough brake lines when the axles flex down. The 2 front and the 1 rear soft lines. I recommend longer S.S. ones if you haven't changed them out yet.
Hope that helps a little. If you run into a pickle hit me up... I'm not far from you.
 
XJ Control arm lengths:

Lift...........Lower Control Arms/Upper Control Arms
********Decimal**Fraction**Decimal**Fraction
Stock........15.75.......15 ¾........15.00.......15
2”.............15.92.......16............14.88.... ...15
3”.............16.09.......16............14.92.... ...15
4”.............16.33.......16 3/8......15.03.......15
4.5”..........16.47.......16 ½........15.11.......15
5”.............16.62.......16 5/8......15.21.......15 ¼
6”.............16.97.......17............15.44.... ...15 ½
7”.............17.36.......17 3/8......15.74.......15 ¾
8”.............17.81.......17 ¾........16.09.......16
9”.............18.30.......18 ¼........16.50.......16 ½
10”...........18.82.......18 ¾........16.96.......17
 
what parts do you have already?

Will using the lower control arms that came with my Pro Comp kit pose any alignment problems if the new springs give me an extra 1" or so?
after you lift, youll need to get it aligned. take it somewhere that can do lifted vehicles confidently. google search, and you can find info on how to do it yourself, in your driveway. all you need is a flat/even surface. only toe and castor are adjustable, you cant adjust camber. easy enough, i did it myself and im no rocket scientist. i actually find it easier to do myself now than with a helper. i use jack stands to hold the opposite end of a tape measure for me.

I have MX9000 shocks that came with the Pro Comp 3" kit, I am going to continue to use them for now. How can I tell if I need longer shocks?
do you bottom them out on compression or extension with the new lift? you likely will, and will likely need new shocks. the RE coils and leafs tend to run a little bigger than advertised. if you need to make them last for a little while longer, some home brew BPEs (bar pin eliminators) should be able to get you buy. make sure your brake lines are longer than your shocks! as they will probably be the limiting factor in your suspension.

Hopefully everything lines up close enough to go get it aligned next week since I have a 4wheeling trip planned for next weekend.
maybe someone going on the trip with you can give you a hand?

saftey first... make sure the jeep is chocked, and all jack stands are stable.

beyond that, the parts should go on as if they had a procomp sticker on them.
 
Hey Brandon, thanks for the info and the chart. I will measure and see what I end up with on the LCA. Maybe the next purchase will be some adjustable LCAs.

I have the longer stainless brake line for the rear. Fronts, I was going to play it by ear and either bend and relocate the hard line or get some new lines if necessary. My plan is to turn my Procomp 3" into a RE 3.5" on the cheap, then when it's time to buy new tires I am probably going to swap the whole thing out for a 4.5" lift.
 
what parts do you have already?



saftey first... make sure the jeep is chocked, and all jack stands are stable.

beyond that, the parts should go on as if they had a procomp sticker on them.

What's on it now:
Pro comp kit came with
3" coil springs
2" AAL
U bolts
lower control arms
sway bar links
trac bar relocation bracket
shocks
bumpstops

Parts I am going to install this weekend:
RE 3.5" coil springs
RE 3.5" leaf springs
RE sway bar disconnects
mystery adjustable trac bar (Currie maybe)
RE stainless rear brake line

Hopefully it will all go on like butter and I will take it down to Community Tire in Brea and get it aligned. They are the best shop in town and trust them to do the alignment.
 
Most fixed control arms are pretty close to stock length.

If your stock castor adjuster isn't enough, I'd suggest adjustable uppers. You should plan on replacing those some day anyway, I've see stock upper fold like paper. And the procomp lift came with a relocation bracket bot retains the stock track bar? Does that mean it's the bracket that drops the track bar on the axle side? If so, remove all that garbage and run the currie track bar in double sheer.
 
What's on it now:
Pro comp kit came with
3" coil springs
2" AAL
U bolts
lower control arms
sway bar links
trac bar relocation bracket
shocks
bumpstops

Parts I am going to install this weekend:
RE 3.5" coil springs
RE 3.5" leaf springs
RE sway bar disconnects
mystery adjustable trac bar (Currie maybe)
RE stainless rear brake line

Hopefully it will all go on like butter and I will take it down to Community Tire in Brea and get it aligned. They are the best shop in town and trust them to do the alignment.
I used to go to comunity tire when I moved to brea until I saw them use impact wrench on my plastic hub cab lugs on my Chevy. Now the best front end shop I have found and its old school is Bednar brakes and alignment in la Habra.
 
I used to go to comunity tire when I moved to brea until I saw them use impact wrench on my plastic hub cab lugs on my Chevy. Now the best front end shop I have found and its old school is Bednar brakes and alignment in la Habra.


Good to know, thanks.
 
First snag, need some help.

Rear brake line appears to be welded to the rear axle housing. I read on another thread someone else running across this and some people chimed in that is was not that way from the factory.

I bought this Jeep from a little old couple and it was bone stock when I got it, so I guarantee this is factory.

Anyone know the solution to putting the longer brake line on? I have the RE stainless line.


picture.php
 
got the rear brake line in, that was actually very easy once I realized what I was looking at. Wasn't welded just bolted.

Fighting with the front end now. Can't get the passenger side spring out because there is too much crap keeping it from flexing down. Anyone know what is mainly keeping the axle from dropping? Is it the trac bar or steering linkage? We took the nut off the trac bar mount bolt (lower one) and the bolt will not come out. It is stuck in the rubber bushing. big hammer won't budge it.

Last question, how do the lower sway bar bolts come out of the lower mounts? The one with the torx. I tried to break it free with a T30 torx and I think I just ruined the socket. Are they pressed in or what?
 
Thanks. Very nice of Jeep to put them in there for looks and break my torx bit, lol. So will a torch and a hammer fix it?

I started on the rear because I thought the leafs were going to be difficult. They went smooth and was done by lunch so what the heck, the front should be easy, right.

Now there she sits, everything on except the passenger side. Thanks to the short days and lack of good work lights we will hit it again tomorrow and hopefully we can kick its ass tomorrow.

83153-there-she-sits.jpg
 
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