Lift Newbie. Can anyone help me with recommendations
03-07-2008, 07:56 AM
#12
JK Newbie
Join Date: Jan 2007
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There's a write-up on the alignment too.
Re-centering the steering is a 5 minute job with a helper (included in the write-up).
I bought a skyjacker 4" lift from the local off-road shop & they installed. It was a piece of crap. Wheels off center, caster angle WAY off, ride was sketchy, ESP coming on, etc... Oh, and they forgot to mention on my 2 door I'd need a new drive shaft on the rear (especially since the kit didn't adjust the pinion angle on the back). Big mistake thinking everything would be set by them.
They put the kit in correctly, just with 4" of lift, you need adjustable things unless you're up for things being off, rubbing, and soon to wear out.
So I bought all the adjustable stuff from David at Northridge (Full Traction), took off the skyjacker stuff and installed all of it myself. I'd never none any of this stuff before. All went as planned in the write-ups. Great learning experience for my son & son-in-law too.
Short lift should be very straight forward for you, and you won't have all the issues I had.
You can do it!!
Blue Mesa
Re-centering the steering is a 5 minute job with a helper (included in the write-up).
I bought a skyjacker 4" lift from the local off-road shop & they installed. It was a piece of crap. Wheels off center, caster angle WAY off, ride was sketchy, ESP coming on, etc... Oh, and they forgot to mention on my 2 door I'd need a new drive shaft on the rear (especially since the kit didn't adjust the pinion angle on the back). Big mistake thinking everything would be set by them.
They put the kit in correctly, just with 4" of lift, you need adjustable things unless you're up for things being off, rubbing, and soon to wear out.
So I bought all the adjustable stuff from David at Northridge (Full Traction), took off the skyjacker stuff and installed all of it myself. I'd never none any of this stuff before. All went as planned in the write-ups. Great learning experience for my son & son-in-law too.
Short lift should be very straight forward for you, and you won't have all the issues I had.
You can do it!!
Blue Mesa
I am going to put a BB on my Rubi and am all for DIY work, however, I do not have a ton of tools currently, can you give me an idea of the tools that you needed to do your work? I have never messed with a lift kit, just general engine stuff in the past on my old Ford Truck
03-07-2008, 12:57 PM
#14
JK Super Freak
Its a 2" lift on a 4 dr JK.
Its a ~ 3" lift on a 2 dr JK, etc.
Their custom tuned shock/coil set up is the same for both it seems...so the lighter your rig, the higher its lifted...add armor, etc...its lower, and so forth.
If you get the Heavier duty coils, meant to support the extra weight of skids, sliders, bumpers, winch, etc...but don't have them...and are in a 2 dr...you might have a 4" lift.
That said...you'll have a tall lift, but, you will have NONE of what's needed to make a tall lift work...as its designed to be a 2" lift, (the legal limit in Australia).
By the time you add the track bars, and drive train parts, etc...you've spent as much as on anyother tall lift...its no bargin.
And their marketing about how its specially tuned for your rig is BS...as the 4dr and 2 dr kits are the same, etc.
You can vary the HD or regular coils, add spacers, etc...but, you're the one making it custom.
The quality of the parts they DO give you is great...most of the problems are from ordering coils for a heavier rig, and then not realizing you'll have to do all the taller lift mods to finish it off and make it work properly, etc.
03-07-2008, 02:33 PM
#15
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Looked at OME and looks like a good kit but I was worried about it being too much lift. They says its 2" but all the people I have seen with it say its more like 3 or possibly 4. I'm only putting 33's on and that may look a bit strange if I end up with 3" or 4" instead of the 2" I wanted.
Think I will go with the Teraflex. Still debating whether to get it with the front coils or not. Read some posts where people were having a hard time getting them in and I don't know enough about lifts to mess with all that.
Think I will go with the Teraflex. Still debating whether to get it with the front coils or not. Read some posts where people were having a hard time getting them in and I don't know enough about lifts to mess with all that.
03-07-2008, 03:24 PM
#17
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Klietable,
Key tools for me were:
Torque wrench, breaker bar, ratchet and open end metric wrenches. You shouldn't need a lot of the other stuff needed for driveshafts, centering track bar, etc...
I'm putting a Rubicon Express 2" lift in my son's TJ this weekend or next. These are mainly just nuts & bolts.
Hope that helps.
Blue Mesa
Key tools for me were:
Torque wrench, breaker bar, ratchet and open end metric wrenches. You shouldn't need a lot of the other stuff needed for driveshafts, centering track bar, etc...
I'm putting a Rubicon Express 2" lift in my son's TJ this weekend or next. These are mainly just nuts & bolts.
Hope that helps.
Blue Mesa
03-07-2008, 04:17 PM
#18
JK Enthusiast
DIY...no prob
Hey Davefollower~
As my username indicates, this is my first jeep. I installed my TF BB a month ago with no problems. This is definitely a lift that you can install and I highly recommend it for the reasons previously stated. WOL's write-up is money
Instead of spending $ on another person's labor, I spent $200 on upgrading my tools. To add to what's been said...
* It took me 7 hrs total time to complete the install. This is with a little head scratching since it was my first time ever. This time could have been cut down significantly if I had a friend's help.
* Floor jack...borrow one, rent one, buy one...make sure you have one
* Coil/Spring compressors (I think this is what they're called?
) - I struggled a bit getting my springs back in after the BB pucks were installed. I borrowed spring compressors from a co-worker and they made this super easy.
* While this isn't explicitly stated in WOL's write-up I learned on the back axle after doing the front...follow each step on each side, meaning when you lift the front and start to remove one side's shock, do it to the other side next. This allowed for more (and easier) movement of the axle as you remove/reinstall the springs.
* Take your time. Double check your work and have fun doing it...also be ready to be a little sore the next day!
Good luck and have fun! It feels great to look at it and know that you did the work yourself. If you have questions along the way, post an "URGENT" thread and its quite likely that you'll find someone who'll get back to you with help in short order!
As my username indicates, this is my first jeep. I installed my TF BB a month ago with no problems. This is definitely a lift that you can install and I highly recommend it for the reasons previously stated. WOL's write-up is money
Instead of spending $ on another person's labor, I spent $200 on upgrading my tools. To add to what's been said...
* It took me 7 hrs total time to complete the install. This is with a little head scratching since it was my first time ever. This time could have been cut down significantly if I had a friend's help.
* Floor jack...borrow one, rent one, buy one...make sure you have one
* Coil/Spring compressors (I think this is what they're called?
) - I struggled a bit getting my springs back in after the BB pucks were installed. I borrowed spring compressors from a co-worker and they made this super easy.* While this isn't explicitly stated in WOL's write-up I learned on the back axle after doing the front...follow each step on each side, meaning when you lift the front and start to remove one side's shock, do it to the other side next. This allowed for more (and easier) movement of the axle as you remove/reinstall the springs.
* Take your time. Double check your work and have fun doing it...also be ready to be a little sore the next day!
Good luck and have fun! It feels great to look at it and know that you did the work yourself. If you have questions along the way, post an "URGENT" thread and its quite likely that you'll find someone who'll get back to you with help in short order!
03-07-2008, 04:54 PM
#19
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I would recommend you save a lot of money and do this lift yourself like others have suggested. Teraflex and Rough Country are both really driveway under 3 hour lifts. A jack and some tall jack stands with basic hand tools are all you really need. Wayoflife has a great write up on the TF BB here. After you read through his detailed step by step you will be able to do this yourself. Be sure to recenter your steering wheel or you could get a code. Again this is very easy to do. I have helped a friend do this and we took our time with no issues. We did the TF and it was a very complete kit and the quality was very good. The only problem is I want one on my Jeep now and the wife says no money right now. 
Sounds like I need to sell something and bring in a little cash for the Jeep. What you learn about your Jeep is well worth the time.
http://project-jk.com/jeep-jk-write-...ation-write-up
Sounds like I need to sell something and bring in a little cash for the Jeep. What you learn about your Jeep is well worth the time.http://project-jk.com/jeep-jk-write-...ation-write-up
X2........................it is easy...
03-07-2008, 08:58 PM
#20
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Thanks guys. I'm not new to working on my JK or my old YJ. Just never done any suspension work before. But I think I will have a go at it. Seems most of you have had good luck with the install. I will definitely post some pics when I get it all finished.