Thinking....How to install RE6130?

Am i missing something in my thought process? I was getting all excited about getting ready to order my RE6130 (4.5") when it donned on me...How am i going to do this? I have a nince, clean bay at work that i can leave it there as long as i want, undisturbed. I planned on doing it over the weekend, and finishing it up at night durring the week if need be. But i was thinking, when i take the wheels off, and have to disconnect the suspension components to take em out and replace them, what is going to hold up the jeep? I have normal 20" floor jacks, and whatever height standard floor stands. It appears to me that once i ahve the stands at full lift, and the axle dropped down, i may need more room to work with the springs,etc. Please correct me if i'm wrong, Geez I hope I am. Do i need to purchase extended floor stands? If anyone has taken this project on in a normal garage, without a lift, please give me some pointers- i'd rather not have any major surprises (PS: I already started spraying with PB Blaster- atleast 2 weeks in advance). If there are any surprises, you'll see me crying on here at 2am from work, looking for answers as to why life hates me... Thanks in advance. --Chad--

I did not install the RE6031, But I did do the RE6025 (3.5")

My stands at full hight are 24", I did not even raise anywhere close to that. Did it all in my driveway. I used 2x 3 1/2 ton jackstands, and a 2 1/2 ton hydrolic.
If you can get your jeep up on atleast 20" of jackstand you should be fine.

I highly suggest getting someone with some mech experience to aid you in the process if you have any doubts about installing these kits. I mean you prolly spent 1000bux and the last thing you want to do hack the final install.

:doh:

The RE systems are pretty complete (i.e.6130), but you have to understand how it works as an assembly in the XJ in order to have it work properly for you.


edit: or you can say F this!, and start wrenching :thumbup: !!

I'm confident with my wrenchin skillz, i was just sitting here trying to picture how high i would have to lift the body, to get the proper droop on the axles to install the lift correctly. I guess the picture tells me my answer, if it comes to it, i'll just have the axles sitting on cinder blocks to drop it down that much more...Thanks for the info and the pic. You can still post stuff if you feel like theres something I should know, don't be bashful people. --Chad--

when i installed mine, i just jacked up on the axle and slid my 6 ton jackstands under it at almost full extension. then removed the tires adn let down on the jack, allowing the axle to droop. like stated above, it doesn't need to be 10 feet in the air. just high enough so the axles and stuff are off of the ground.

you can see how hight up we lifted mine to work on it. i'm pictured here breaking off an upper shock bolt.

good stuff, thanks for the reply... looks like im all set on that part then, i'd just rather know now if i had to do something, than find out later. Thanx. --chad--

OK, THe 4.5 does have big springs, here is the best way, go buy the 12 ton jackstands, I think they extend to like 36", put a floor jack under the pumpkin, raise the vehicle up and place the jack stands under the frame as close to the leaf hangers as possiable, getting the jack stands as high as you safely can. then disconnect the u-bolts drop the axle all the way down, watch your brake lines, then remove the springs from the body, once the springs are on the body, raise the axle back up you should be able to get the springs on over the axle.

Next the front - do the same thing with the jack stands, and floor jack, remove the lower arms, and install the lower arms, then remove the upper arm on the drivers side, and replace the spring and the arm. then do hte passenage side the same way. If you remove both arms the axle will rotate forward. once this is done move on the the track bar, and then adjust it to center the axle back under the vehicle.

Then go and get an alignment.
Boom your done.

You don't need to go buy anything else. The more and taller stands you have the easier it will be, but it can easily be done without them. Just do one side at a time and remove the tires as described.

woohoo!!! the wife-in-law (read: awesome girlfriend) just won a grand on a scratch ticket!!! She just called to tell me that she's giving me $$ to help pay for my lift. NICE!!!

JeepinAudiophile said:

woohoo!!! the wife-in-law (read: awesome girlfriend) just won a grand on a scratch ticket!!! She just called to tell me that she's giving me $$ to help pay for my lift. NICE!!!

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dag, she got a sister?

yeah....lol....1: Jailbait, 2: Engaged- sorry buddy, better luck next time.

This is how I prefer to do it.

Just messin, I made the mistake of removing both of the upper and lowers and it was a PITA to wrestle the front axle back in place when I installed my 4.5" springs. When I sold them to a buddy and we installed them we did it the way described and it was a much smoother operation. You should be good to go.

Fryphax said:

This is how I prefer to do it.

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Yep, me too.

What is WITH you people...taking pictures of your rig instead of lifting it!?!? Then again, we did my 6130 in a marathon wrenching session that took 'til 0-dark-thirty in the morning; still wearing my grubbies and a 1/4" layer of grime, I pulled into the only 24-hour store with hand cleaner at 0600 and disturbed the people shopping for groceries at that early hour.

Anyway - you need a taller jackstand than the cheap ones. 6-ton stands should work fine, and remember that once the tires are off you can lower the axle almost to the ground to help facilitate swapping springs. I do one side at a time so I know the axle isn't going to rotate away (same goes for control arms up front). Start PB Blasting everything, especially the shock bolts and forward spring bolt in the rear.
http://www.yuccaman.com/jeep/45lift.html

lol. had a female friend snapping pics for me the whole time. i was too dirty to touch my digi cam. i got my lift on in one long session too. it was me and 3 others (two knew all about lifting xj's while the other one knew lefty-loosey righty-tighty) we started at 11 am and after an hour for lunch, several smoking breaks from the other two, being a man down for a couple of hours, and a few bs timeout's we were done by 10pm. not to shabby i think.

Grubbiness is my prime reason for not photographing my under-Jeep exploits as well. Didn't start my lift until after 1pm and it took 15+ hours for two knowledgeable wrenchers using only hand tools. I'd recommend a nice soft crash pad under the torque wrench though in case you decide to fall asleep at 3am while doing trackbar torques...

Hey Jim, she sat like that for about 3 months. I think I had time to take a few pics don't you?

Okie Terry said:

Hey Jim, she sat like that for about 3 months. I think I had time to take a few pics don't you?

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Now I don't feel so bad...

Took me 10 Days just to get the rear in(working by myself), I'll be getting the heep back on the jacks this weekend. Hope to have it done in a couple of days... :thumbup:

I built special body stands for mine, they went under the front frame and on the rear bumper mounts they stood about 4' tall and when I put my axles on I had to lift it higher to get my tires on. Then again I am running 40" tires,
trust me, I sadi 12 ton stands because I do not like to be under a vehicle hammering and twisting with cheapie stands that are lifted to the max. I would rather spend $30 extra on bigger stand so I could lift the stand to half the max and still get the height I need, I am all about safety. I have done many lifts, and with out the use of a real lift, I have found this to work the best, dont forget to remove your sway bars first, inface just remove the rear one all together and leave it off, it will give you more flex in the rear, also RE's disconnects suck, go and buy a pair of JKS disconnects, you'll be happy you did the first time you try and reconnect them.

Also do forget, SYE, shocks, and tires. With that high of a lift you may need the SYE.