budget boost??

[TheBlueSub]

i just recived a 3" BB for my 1990 xj 4.0 4x4

2" coil spacers
1.5" coil spacers (scares me i have to stack 2 spacers together)
AAL rear
4 bolts
4 nuts

i recived no instructions and am lost i plan to do this lift this weekend if i can get help with the instructions

should i only use the 2" spacer and let the rear sit a little higher or is the 3" safe for now till i put bigger coils in the front

my goal is to add to this 3"bb to accomplish a 6-8" lift for 35" tires
thanks in advance

 

[reddragon72]

The spacers might be an issue. I have a 1.75 and a .75 inch spacers on mine and I think it is pretty close to the bottom of the shaft they slide onto. But then again I just feel that way and it may be perfectly safe. Stacking is not an issue, but stacking to close to the bump stop is another story. As far as the rear someone else will have to help with that, I have 3" blocks and they are leaving REALLY soon

 

[shortxjdoug]

well you should be ok stacking the spacers, and you will be able to add to them, just make sure you compensate for the extra length when you buy shocks with a lift kit, as well as brake lines. (trust me on this we have experience on that subject) the only way you will be able to add to the aal is a longer shackle, other than that its a new full pack or a shorter new full pack and shackle combo.
x2 on staying away from blocks, i've seen good springs go bad in a matter of months from blocks
btw pics of the bolts that it came with would help, usually with an aal there is a new center bolt for the spring

 

[TheBlueSub]

ok so does anyone wanna tell me how do to this coil spacer lift??? i has no instructions and i will post pic's of the entire lift/bb later on today (2/16)

thanks again

 

[Highmiles]

Check out these links and do a search - there is a ton of info on this site and these others...

http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/

http://www.lunghd.com/Tech_Articles/Suspension_Steering_Axles_and_Brakes/Budget_Lift.htm


A couple of tips - rent a strut compressor, not coil compressor
Use liberal amounts of penetrating oil on everything
Use liberal amounts of anti-sieze on bolts as you put everything together.
Have a breaker bar and cheater bar handy to loosen bolts.

It is very do-able in a weekend or even a Saturday afternoon as long as you don't break too much. The good news is you don't have to remove the rear main leaf spring.

 

[Highmiles]

One more thing I forgot - you mention the kit came with 4 bolts and nuts - I assume you mean U bolts. You will likely also need new center pins (2) and spring clips (4).

Like anything, the key is to make sure you have all the tools and extra's around before you start. If the Jeep is your only ride, getting halfway through and finding out you're missing something really sucks.

Finally, you might need to shim your rear axle. My guess (and that's all it is) is that you should look at getting 2 1/2* or 3* shims. This should get you in the ballpark. The real answer is to measure with an angle finder then buy the proper shim.

 

[TheBlueSub]

ok here is what i got

 

[Highmiles]

You might need U-bolts. It depends on whether your stock ones have enough extra threads left after adding the extra leaf.

NAPA carries 7/16" ones which are slightly smaller than your stock ones. If you can find 1/2 ones they will be a little larger than stock but you might have to hunt around for those.

It looks like those AAL's are the short style where you might not have to remove the stock spring clips - I used the long AAL's where I did need to replace them.

 

[TheBlueSub]

i have a little length on my U-bolts but should i add the aal in between my smallest and the one above it?? or ditch the smallest leaf??

and i am still not sure about the front lift

will i need brake lines??

 

[TheBlueSub]

Finally, you might need to shim your rear axle. My guess (and that's all it is) is that you should look at getting 2 1/2* or 3* shims. This should get you in the ballpark. The real answer is to measure with an angle finder then buy the proper shim.

shims??

 

[Highmiles]

Go and read those to web sites I posted earlier. Go Jeep has a ton of great information posted and the second site has a good right-up of how to replace both coils and leaves in the rear.

By lifting the suspension you will be changing the angle of the drive shaft. You may have to place shims under the spring pads to correct for this change. There is no real way to predict the amount of shim you will need because there is no way to know how much lift you will get from those AAL's.

read this:
http://home.att.net/~benmlee/driveline/U-JOINT.htm

**** My Opinion**** I can't believe that a short AAL is going to give you a 3" lift, especially if your stock pack is a little sagged. Do the rear first then decide if you need to bother with both coil spacers in front. I too am worried about stacking multiple spacers, but maybe that's just me.

 

[TheBlueSub]

ok well i will do the rear first and see what i get and i also am woried about the stacking of spacers and should i repalace the brake lines and i read the cheep lift article and they say i can streach the hard lines but i wanna do all this in one shot not a series of trial and error's resulting in a outta work XJ

 

[TheBlueSub]

anyone have any suggestions on things i might need and why there are 4 bolts in this kit??