Putting front lift on tommorow... This sound right?

Rear is done. Have been driving it around 2 weeks with 4.5" rear lift and its time to level it out. Have a few questions. I plan to use 3" coils, 2" spacers (actually about 1.9" RE) and the stock isolator under the spacer. That should net about 4.5-5.25"ish right? Will it be really tough to install this without a spring compressor or will dropping the axle be plenty enough even with the spacers?
Ok so heres the plan, tell me if i forgot something:

1. Jack front up and set on stands with both front wheels off and backwheels blocked, braked, etc

2. Relocate hardlines for brakes...hopefully they will be long enough?

3. Remove both front shocks and disonnect swaybar, unbolt trackbar from axle. Remove LCA from side I will be doing first but leave other connected to keep things somewhat lined up?

4. Jack up one side of axle as far as possible, unbolt coil spring retainer and coil will come out easily?

5. Insert spacer/isolator and tape them up then try to wrestle 3" coil in, bottle jack may be helpful to gain more droop.

6. Kinda confused when to install new control arms: With that side done; install new Tomken LCA. Fixed length. The bend or "dogleg" points down and the shorter part goes towards the front right???

Repeat process for other side...
Will I be able to compress the completed side down enough to get the other side done?

7. Torque stuff to specs.

I know i'm making it more complicated than it really is...the fact that everything is rusted bigtime will probably be the biggest obstacle.
I will highly appreciate any advice or help given and you will be my hero for the day!!

IIRC, I jacked up one side and did both the coils and control arms. Then did the other side. You should have enough room, I had 4.5" coils compared to your 3" coils and 1.9" spacers. I didn't use a spring compressor.

I paid the 30 bucks for some spring compressors and it definitely makes the job much easier/ quicker. Plus when you have to redo stuff like turn your spacers cause you didn't line them up right, then after that you realize that your spring isn't seated properly in the seat, (who me?) it makes it alot easier.

kmagnuss_2000 said:

I paid the 30 bucks for some spring compressors and it definitely makes the job much easier/ quicker. Plus when you have to redo stuff like turn your spacers cause you didn't line them up right, then after that you realize that your spring isn't seated properly in the seat, (who me?) it makes it alot easier.

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When using those you really gotta be careful cause they can be very dangerous. Also if you plan things right, you don't need them: I isntalled my 4.5" coils on top of the 1.75" spacer without the compressor.

Kejtar said:

When using those you really gotta be careful cause they can be very dangerous. Also if you plan things right, you don't need them: I isntalled my 4.5" coils on top of the 1.75" spacer without the compressor.

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Ditto, 4.5" ZJ coils with a 2" ProThane spacer...no compressors.

Well I worked on er all day but didn't get it done thanks to the control arm bushings (internal metal parts) being rusted solid to the bolts that run through them. Numerous soakings with PB didn't touch the inside. After about 2 hrs of spinning the bushings and wailing away at the bolts with a sledgehammer (hard!) I finally got one arm off and that side mostly done with the coils in (nope didn't need a compressor). Couldn't even get the other control arm nuts loose at all and literally cracked 2 Craftsman deep sockets with a breaker bar and bent an extension peice. Would you definatly recomend borrowing an impact wrench to do the other side??? Or won't this work much better? If not I'll just have to heat them up, but that could get nasty with the rubber in there...

which bolt body end or axle end?

Both

sawsall and a new bolt.

Use a strut compressor instead of a coil compressor.
The strut comp. has the bolts on the outside and has pins that hold onto the coil. The coil comp. has it's bolts usally on the all tread running down the middle of the coil.

It worked great for me and I never felt it was dangerous.

Uhhh......is it just me, or is this thread from last September?

Beej said:

Uhhh......is it just me, or is this thread from last September?

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Maybe that's how they do it in Red Bluff.

Beej said:

Uhhh......is it just me, or is this thread from last September?

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Ha, If he's as slow as me, he's still working on it!