• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

must haves for lift install?

Stripers247

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Aberdeen, NJ
been a lurker for a while but as i now have a 3" lift in the mail i thought id ask a few q's. Originally I was just gonna have someone put it in for me, but being the hands on kind of person I am, I wanna get under there myself and aquire the tools ill need to fix things as i go along (im quite sure this is only the beggining of work that I want to have done to my jeep)

Assume I have not a thing in my garage that i need to ge this job done...what am i looking at picking up in the way of wrenches, drills, drivers, jacks...whatever.

I did some searching through the site and found a few threads concerning this but really am not sure what is used for what...and what would make life easier as opposed to neccesary tools (what to rent/what to buy).


appreciate the info
 
PB blaster

Jack, jack stands

BFH (more than one)

Metric and SAE socket set, both 3/8 and 1/2"

Metric and SAE wrenches (if you only get/have one, get metric, cause they'll fit on some SAE bolts better than SAE will fit on metrics)

Breaker bars 3/8 and 1/2"

Impact gun (optional, helps make things go quicker, but not necessary)

Rachet strap

Beer and time


That's pretty much all that's needed.
What kit did you get? Full leafs? If not, you'll want to get an S10 main leaf under the XJ main leaf to support it, cause most (not all, but most) AALs don't go all the way to the spring eye. They're a few inches short, and result in the spring bending right there, which makes them sag.
 
Hey there, 1st off welcome to the forums :) allrighty tools for a lift, basic stuff like deep wall sockets in various sizes (example. 10mm through 22mm)
various size wrenches, floor jack, jack stands (both are needed) spring compresser(for the front coils you can rent this at autozone makes life alot easier) assortment of screwdrivers and locking pliers (always a big help) and basic ratchets and a big breaker bar or pipe to break loose stubborn bolts and nuts, be sure to tighten everything down realy well, it would suck to lose a coil spring cause of a loose retainer clip (found this out the hard way when I let my buddy help with my lift) and alot of pb blaster or wd40 will make life much easier. All of these tools can be gotten at walmart, kmart, autozone or pepboys, for next to nothing (check harbor freight tools if you have one near you theyre always cheaper and the quality is great!) thats about all youll need and maybe a few bandages for knuckle busters. Hope this helps, have fun wrenching, if ya got any questions we'll be more than happy to help as always.

Alex
henderson nevada.
 
I disagree on the spring compressor. Not needed. Disconnect shocks, LCAs, driveshaft, swaybar, and the springs fall out. Or, with the shocks and swaybar disconnected and the tires off, you can jack one side of the axle way up, and drop the coil out, and replace it with the new one, then do the same thing on the other side.
 
I never work on my cars. I just installed my RE 3.5" kit with a Lowes tool kit. You will need both metric and regular wrenches and sockets. I think my lowes $200.00 kit pretty much covered it. I did it in two afternoons and about 1/2 of a Saturday with no help.

A large flat blade screw driver helped tapping bolts out and minor alignment of things. I bought a $40.00 jack and jackstand kit from Auto Zone and went for it. The only tools I had to buy were a larger 13/16 wrench and socket to break the spring eye and control arm bolts.

I used the jackstands under the frame rails (get it as high as is safe) The floor jack under the axle. (I basically did one corner at a time. And the stock bottle jack to help align and push things around a bit.

It really wasn't that difficult. I would think that on a lift with air tools, decent equipment and some experience that a shop mechanic could do the install in 1/2 day or less.

I unbolted the rear brake line bracket from the axle, left it loose then had the tire shop install the extended line and do the alignment when I got my tires put on.

I say go for it, wrenching on your XJ will give you some insight and experience that will only help boost your confidence for future repairs.

Edit: I did not use spring compressor, but the passenger side spring was tough to install. I did not disconnect the steering, I used the bottle jack to push down the axle the extra 1" I needed.



 
After my first lift (in addition to many of the tools already mentioned), I bought a set of ratcheting box-end wrenches (for those really long bolts and hard to reach places where a socket just won't fit) and a set of gloves. My hands were looking like I was in a motorcycle wreck before the gloves.

Also add in a stereo, a couple of friends and more beer.

Good luck!
 
mjma said:
I disagree on the spring compressor. Not needed. Disconnect shocks, LCAs, driveshaft, swaybar, and the springs fall out. Or, with the shocks and swaybar disconnected and the tires off, you can jack one side of the axle way up, and drop the coil out, and replace it with the new one, then do the same thing on the other side.

I just like the compresser, fun to play with :) besides every one has theyre own methods which always makes things fun around here, cause ya never know when you might learn something new.
 
thanks for the replies

i just went with the rustys 3" full pack. i could have gone more expensive but the majority of offroading i do is on the beach...that mysto sugar sand is a real killer on a stock xj...

im not quite sure what the BFH acronym stands for.

most of the wrenches i do have in my garage...just making sure i wasnt completely off is a torque wrench needed?

im definately a little weary of getting myself into this but i think i can pull it off.
 
Last edited:
mjma said:
I disagree on the spring compressor. Not needed. Disconnect shocks, LCAs, driveshaft, swaybar, and the springs fall out. Or, with the shocks and swaybar disconnected and the tires off, you can jack one side of the axle way up, and drop the coil out, and replace it with the new one, then do the same thing on the other side.

X2.

BFH=BigFawkingHammer
 
I don't have and did not use a torque wrench.

I tightened all metal to metal connections as tight as I could by hand, maybe a tap or two with the hammer to be sure.

And all connections with rubber bushings firmly by hand, plan to check them a few times over the next few weeks.

 
Ship the kit to me and I'll install it on my XJ and do a step by step write up with pictures for you. Then when you order another kit for yourself you should be able to do it without any problems.

Seriously though, I think everyone pretty much covered everything you need, although I didn't see anyone mention a running vehicle. It seems everytime I work on something I have to run to the store to pick up something.
 
Stripers247 said:
most of the wrenches i do have in my garage...just making sure i wasnt completely off is a torque wrench needed?

I use a torque wrench for just about everything I do, but it really isn't necessary. Just make sure you German Torque everything.
 
MisterFubar said:
although I didn't see anyone mention a running vehicle. It seems everytime I work on something I have to run to the store to pick up something.

X2 for sure.

I will add to that even more... If you start the project in a place where the XJ can sit for a while and have a plan in place so that you are not depending on the XJ for a few days, it will certainly reduce a lot of stress should you run into any problems.
 
mjma said:
Also, patience helps. And lots of beer.
Screw patience. That's what the BFH is for :smoker:

Don't forget to check and re-torque everything after 3-4 weeks.
 
If you can possibly stand it (I wouldn't be able to...), start spraying everything that you think you need to remove a couple of days beforehand with your choice of bolt remover. Even if it means having the kit on your bedroom floor, it will save you at least one trip to the hardware store for a busted bolt or busted tool.

If you can afford them, the gearwrenches mentioned earlier are amazingly useful. Definitely a good investment, likewise with deep sockets.

I would also add a friendly pair of hands to help if you can manage it. Or, if not at least tell someone you are gonna be underneath your vehicle with a wrench. You don't want to be discovered trapped underneath an axle three days later.

-Vice Grips come in handy in the oddest occasions.
-Anti-Seize compound for things that you need to remove later and lock tite for stuff you never want to remove or have fall off.
-A good Pressure wash before you start will make your life easy. Not the touchless ones, the wand type; where you get to stick the wand and wash the underneath; where all the fun stuff is.
-A whole bunch of rags and a wire brush. Cleanup those bolts before you touch them! Aside from keeping your wrenches and sockets clean, you'll get a better fit and will be less likely to round something.
-You may end up needing a set of those extractors for busted bolts and rounded heads. (I sincerely hope not though.)
-A prybar can be handy as well.
-Although there are a lot of horror stories about Snipes (A pipe on the end of a wrench to increase leverage) and double wrenching (Where you put the box end on the bolt and link the open end into the box end of a second wrench. same purpose as a snipe) I have yet to see either a wrench or snipe break because of it. Of course, the tools I was using were all high quality..... So be warned. A snipe is a last resort. To be used when lubricants, heat, patience and all other avenues have been exhausted and you don't give a damn if the bolt breaks.
-Patience is your best friend. If you try to remove something and it seems stuck, back off and let both the part and you cool down. You get to think, the part gets to cool, making it less likely to break. You may have to tighten the bolt before it will loosen again.

Just go slow, enjoy yourself, think of the awesomeness you are making and don't drink TOO much.

Hell, actually; break all of the bolts and have a totally rotten time. It makes a better story. Listening to a brutal install nightmare is second only to actually trail riding on these forums :)

Besdes, if you need more help, someone is always on here.
 
yea, since i have the most awesome luck in the world..im going to plan on having quite a hellish time...breaking bolts and all..gonna be sweet



how high should the jack stands i get extend to?
the local pepboys/napa/autozone carry new shock mount bolts?

i just ordered the lift this past tuesday and the tires yesterday so i dont plan on having everything together until late nextweek sometime. im gonna start spraying stuff down tomorrow.

i went and checked out the stuff i had in my garage...i have pretty much a full set of wrenches from a 1/4 up to 7/8..a few breaker bars with some extenders and sockets from 2mm up to 20mm i believe..i think im going to see if i can rent a a spring compressor just to make life a little easier and get some drill bits to drill our those broken bolts


by BFH do you mean like a rubber mallet type instrument or an actual hammer?


should i throw on the tc drop while im under there or wait to see what happens?
 
Don't forget the sawzall/angle grinder etc, if you want to do some extra trimming (assuming your getting bigger tires as well) might as well do it while your putting your lift on.
 
NateST said:
Don't forget the sawzall/angle grinder etc, if you want to do some extra trimming (assuming your getting bigger tires as well) might as well do it while your putting your lift on.

Amen bruthah!

How the hell did we forget that until page two!?!

Besides, you can slap a wire brush on ye old grinder go to town! gently of course, don't want to destoy anything.
 
Back
Top