I NEED some help! getting ready to lift...

i got a RE 3.5 kit that comes with springs, LCAs, sway bar connects and Full leaf springs. im goint to lift my chero this friday and saturday. i don't have a coil compressor so if anyone can please tell me how to get the coils out without one that would be awesome.and i didn't pbblast anything since i live in Florida and i thought i didn't need it.... i also have a couple questions:

-what is the fastest time you think a lift can go on by someone, by them selves, without a lot of fancy lift machines and specialty tools? I'm working in the driveway with the tools i got..

-i need to install a SYE and was wondering if i should install it first..i plan on using a stock rear DS as a front DS and was wondering if a stock DS would fit on a stock height cherokee..i plan on putting the lift on the cherokee right after but just incase time runs out..i need ride to school and work.

-is there a specific order on what to take off and put on?


ANY tips whatsoever on what to do, what is the easiest way, which side to do first, ANYTHING would be greatly appreciated. thanks!

Do the SYE this weekend, pbblast all of the bolts for the rear springs and LCAs. Then next weekend do the lift. Most likely the bolts that are going to fight you/break are the rear spring bolts that go into the frame and the rear upper shock bolts.

I just went through this (smaller lift but kinda the same process)and here is what I found:

1) Fronts took a day. not hard but a lot of wrestling to get the old springs out and the new ones in. Local autoparts stores will let you borrow a spring compressor but the ones they offered were more trouble than they were worth. One trick I found (unfortunately, for the second spring cuz I spent way too much time trying to fight the first one in place) was to remove the bump stop first. When reinstalling, I taped it to the inside of the springs so that I could reinstall it once they were in position.

2) Rears took me 3 weeks. Right side was pretty easy and took about 2.5-3 hours. On the left side I broke the front bolt so I had to order a set of Synergy mounts and cut the old mount out. Plan for this. It may not happen to you but if it does, you can't move the Jeep until you get it fixed. Mine happened in the driveway so the car sat on jack stands for two weeks waiting on parts.

HTH
Todd

1998xjspt said:

i got a RE 3.5 kit that comes with springs, LCAs, sway bar connects and Full leaf springs. im goint to lift my chero this friday and saturday. i don't have a coil compressor so if anyone can please tell me how to get the coils out without one that would be awesome.and i didn't pbblast anything since i live in Florida and i thought i didn't need it.... i also have a couple questions:

-what is the fastest time you think a lift can go on by someone, by them selves, without a lot of fancy lift machines and specialty tools? I'm working in the driveway with the tools i got..

-i need to install a SYE and was wondering if i should install it first..i plan on using a stock rear DS as a front DS and was wondering if a stock DS would fit on a stock height cherokee..i plan on putting the lift on the cherokee right after but just incase time runs out..i need ride to school and work.

-is there a specific order on what to take off and put on?


ANY tips whatsoever on what to do, what is the easiest way, which side to do first, ANYTHING would be greatly appreciated. thanks!

Click to expand...

Oh yeah, here is some of what you should plan for in the way of tools:

1) a big pry bar to help wrestle the front springs out
2) a pipe wrench to remove the bump stop
3) a 13mm socket to remove the lower shock bolts (and I think this is the same size as the bolt that holds the spring clip as well)
4) a 15mm (I think but don't quote me) deep socket to get the top nut off the shocks


Rear
1) a 21mm socket for the leaf spring eye bolts
2) another 21mm (deep) socket (or a 21mm wrench) to hold the bolt for the rear leaf spring eye bolt (the front spring eye bolt connects to a nut welded into a bracket on the body)
3) a 15mm socket to remove (or loosen) the sway bar
4) a 13mm socket or wrench to remove the upper shock bolts
5) a deep 18mm socket to remove the U-bolt nuts and the bottom shock bolt

Other
If you are installing new spring bushings, I would strongly recommend that you run to the local Harbor freight and buy a 1 ton Arbor Press like the one at the attached link. It was still a bit of effort but it did a great job of pressing the new bushings in for me.
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-ton-arbor-press-3552.html


As I said below, the fronts are just a big wrestling match with a lot of twisting and prying to get them free. I found it helpful to remove the sway bar mounting bolts on the front but you probably don't have to. The key here is to get as much droop as you can to unload those springs. By removing the sway bar bolts I was able to drop the front quite a bit. If you are worried about getting them back into place, don't be. By jacking the axle up (same process for the front and rear), you can easily move them back into place.

For the rear, I found it easiest to mount the front of the spring first and then the U-bolts to the axle and finally, the rear of the spring. The thinking here was that with the front of the spring and the axle firmly attached I found it MUCH easier to simply jack the axle up a little and pull down on the rear of the spring until I could slide a screwdriver into place to hold it. Trying to push it up into place was fruitless but pulling down (this is how it would flex with the car anyway) was MUCH easier.

If I recall correctly, the U-Bolts were supposed to be torqued to 80ft. lbs while the spring eye bolts were torqued to 110ft.lbs so you will also need a half decent torque wrench.

HTH
Todd

You don't need a spring compressor to get the coils out. Disconnect the sway bar and shock, jack the opposite side of the axle up and you should be able to rotate the coil out.

should i put a floorjack under the side of the axle that will be drooping down so it doesn't slam on the floor?

1998xjspt said:

should i put a floorjack under the side of the axle that will be drooping down so it doesn't slam on the floor?

Click to expand...

yes

Time estimate for the first time ever doing this- start friday as early as possible and you should be finishing up sunday afternoon/evening.

Once you've done it a couple times you can do it all in under a day, even with breaking the rear shock bolts and having to fight with the front leaf spring bolt.

Your lift comes with new lcas, remove the old ones, shock, and swaybar end links and the coils will be able to fall right out. No wrestling, no compressor, no pry bars needed.

From doing my lift and knowing that I had to drive it directly after. I took the whole weekend total of 16 hours. I started with the rear knowing I would have the most problems( broken upper shock bolts and what not). Figured if that took all day at least I could drive it at the end of the day, Without looking at the sky. Then the next day I did the front much easier. Big pry bar was very helpful without having a spring compressor. If you know someone with a cutting torch borrow it. Makes taking everything apart very simple just cut the coil springs (without a load on them) if you have a new track bar you can cut the TRE on the frame side instead of wrestling with it. And you can heat up the bolts for the lcas if they are seized.

what should i do if a upper shock bolt breaks?

The nuts for the upper shock bolts are welded to the jeep. If the bolt snaps you will have to get new nuts and bolts. Either with a chisel/punch and a hammer you will have to try to break the nut free or do like others have done and make an access panel buy cutting through the trunk. I'd try punching the nuts out personally. I wish I had.

do not cut access in trunk the nuts are not welded they are riv-nuts and will come out with blunt force from hammer and chisel. you then can fish new bolts in from between floor and shock mount. small handed people are nice for this. wrench will barley fit to hold bolt.

just cause you're in FL, doesn't mean your jeep has been in FL it's whole life. PB the fuk outta those bolts, there's no reason not to.

fallacist said:

just cause you're in FL, doesn't mean your jeep has been in FL it's whole life. PB the fuk outta those bolts, there's no reason not to.

Click to expand...

its been in satellite beach florida its entire life. im second owner.

but anyway, i BPblasted it the day before and no bolts broke. i got the front done but when i went to the rear, i found out that Morris4x4Center sent me the wrong u-bolts. im so pissed cause now i have to wait til wednesday til ii have my day off to finish up the back.

i also have trouble puting the rear axle on the centerpin of the leaf springs after the leaf springs ate attatched to shackles and frame. next time i work on it ill disconect the rear DS and try moving it to fit.

1998xjspt said:

i got the front done but when i went to the rear, i found out that Morris4x4Center sent me the wrong u-bolts.

Click to expand...

Did they take almost a week to respond to your emails and then tell you that what they sent actually supersedes what you ordered, despite the fact that the manufacturer has been selling both products concurrently for years and the "new" product has features -- like an overload spring -- that indicate it's designed with another purpose in mind? http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1099248

I picked up a $20 set of ratchet straps from home depot. strapped one end around the axle and attached the other end to the transmission brace. worked like a charm.

1998xjspt said:

its been in satellite beach florida its entire life. im second owner.

but anyway, i BPblasted it the day before and no bolts broke. i got the front done but when i went to the rear, i found out that Morris4x4Center sent me the wrong u-bolts. im so pissed cause now i have to wait til wednesday til ii have my day off to finish up the back.

i also have trouble puting the rear axle on the centerpin of the leaf springs after the leaf springs ate attatched to shackles and frame. next time i work on it ill disconect the rear DS and try moving it to fit.

Click to expand...

yzmuddereffer said:

Did they take almost a week to respond to your emails and then tell you that what they sent actually supersedes what you ordered, despite the fact that the manufacturer has been selling both products concurrently for years and the "new" product has features -- like an overload spring -- that indicate it's designed with another purpose in mind? http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1099248

Click to expand...

morris4x4officially sucks.