My lift is finally finished. I like the 2.5" RE and only have one complaint,.. The only instructions that came with the kit were for the transfer case drop kit... With help on Jeep Forum I got through it though in 2 afternoons and some minor tweeking on the 3rd. day.
I started on the front end and finished it the first afternoon. Points to remember on the front end;
1). The spring eye with the full military wrap goes on the frame bracket Not The Shackle End!
2.) The shackle spring eye has 1/2" bolts and the frame spring eye has 9/16" bolts so make sure you use the right bushings on the right eye!!
3). The bolt for the top of the sway bar disconects is a tapered bolt. After pulling the cotter pin and removing the nut, screw the nut on backwards until the bottom of the nut is flush with the bolt. That way you can give the nut a couple of good whacks with a hammer to knock the tapered bolt out with out damaging the threads or the cotter pin cut aways on the nut.
4). The bolt that came with the track bar relocation adapter is not threaded far enough and the shank of the bolt fetched up on the jeeps bracket before it tightened the track bar adapter and I pulled it in half . I bought a new bolt and nut and put a couple of 1/2" washers under its head.
5). The origional bolt that goes on the top of adapter through the track bar needed to have several 1/2" washers for spacers to make it take up on the adapter.
6). Leave the spring eye bolts slack untill you get th new "U" bolts on. Tighten the "U" bolts first and then the eye bolts. You will want to wiggle the springs around to line up the "U" bolts.
Points to remember on the rear end;
1). The spring eye with the full military wrap goes on the frame bracket Not The Shackle End.
2). As above, Don't use the 9/16" bushings on the 1/2" end!!!
3). The shackle bolts were put in so you can't pull them out and clear the gas tank. I took the nut off of the lower end of the shackle and slackened the upper one. This allowed me to swing the outboard half of the shackle and pull the spring eye off of the bolt. Once the spring was off I was able to swing the inboard half of the shackle to clear the gas tank and remove the bolt. Put it back together with nut on gas tank side.
4). The spring eye bolts were seized in their bushings on the frame bracket. I bought 2 new bolts incase I had to cut them off. I used a 1/2" drive by 12" extension on the socket (to clear the side of the jeep to give me some turning room),and a 1/2 drive power bar and a 3 foot piece of pipe. I pulled the pipe almost 180 deg's and the bolt let go. Did this several times while spraying wd40 on the bushing. Then put the 1/2 drive electric inpact gun on it and spun it out. Used this teqnique on both sides and was able to use the origional bolts.
5). The 8 deg. aluminum shimes that go ontop of the rear spring packs and between the axle; the Thick End Of The Shim Goes So It Is Aiming At The Center Of The Jeep. That's thick part of shim towards the frame eye bracket.
6). Again, Tighten the "U" bolts first then the eye bolts.
7). When putting the new shocks on the rear I found that the top bolt on the frame did not need the new bushing that came with the shock. Either that bolt is big enough allready or my old bushings were stuck on the bolt. I could not tell either way so i just put that end of the shock on with out the bushing.
1" Transfer Case Drop Kit: This box is the only one with instructions, 6 pared down hockey pucks, 6 bolts and 6 washers. On all other bolts that I had to remove, I sprayed wd40 on them every day for a week before starting. The bolts that hold the skid plate on go up into the frame and I could not get any wd40 on the threads. As a result I broke one bolt off on each side of the skid plate.. Bought a set of "Easy-Outs" and drilled a hole up through the broken bolt. These bolts are very hard and I started with a small bit and kept increasing the size until I had a hole that only left about 1/16" of wall left of the bolt. Spray the drill bit and the hole you are drilling with wd40 to keep the bit from heating up and getting dull. I put the easy-out in the hole and tried a wrench on it, then vise grips, then a pipe wrench, then a pipe on the pipe wrench. That is when the female threads, that were welded in the frame for the bolt, let go. Every thing spun then, easy-out, broken bolt and the threaded thingy it was screwed into. I got the welder out and rewelded the female threaded thingy back to the frame. Tried to get the easy-out back out but it would not come out. I cut the easy-out off with a grinder. Also cut the heads off of 2 of the bolts that came with the kit and welded them to the broken bolts and used them as studs. Put the pucks under the skid plate and that finished the drop kit.
Break Line Extensions: When I tried to remove the old fittings the steel brake lines twisted to an alarming angle and did not let go. I was afraid of breaking them off so I decided to take it to a garage and have them put on. That way if a line breaks they will have all lines and fittings right there to fix them. With the jeep up on stands and axles hanging in air, the origional break lines still have some slack, so I think I am ok( on pavement anyway) until I can get it to the shop.
Took the jeep for several drives and the ride is not as rough, more "springy" where before it felt like I would bottom out on even minor bumps. Alignment does not seem too bad as I can let go of the wheel on a straight stretch and go for quite aways before slowly veering to the curb. The cross frame on the steering wheel was level but now sits at about a 45 deg angle. I will pull the steering wheel and put it back on with bar at level agiain. Will do alignment when I buy my new 31" tires. By lowering the transfer case the shifter stick sits back a bit further now. It would pop out of 2nd, 4th. and reverse. I pulled the shifter boots and sawzalled about 1/4" in the rear of the shifter opening and gears are ok now. All in All I am very pleased with my lift. Don't have a digital camera, and sorry for the length of the post.
Hope this post give a few pointers to some one planning a lift of their own.
Take Care
Peter
I started on the front end and finished it the first afternoon. Points to remember on the front end;
1). The spring eye with the full military wrap goes on the frame bracket Not The Shackle End!
2.) The shackle spring eye has 1/2" bolts and the frame spring eye has 9/16" bolts so make sure you use the right bushings on the right eye!!
3). The bolt for the top of the sway bar disconects is a tapered bolt. After pulling the cotter pin and removing the nut, screw the nut on backwards until the bottom of the nut is flush with the bolt. That way you can give the nut a couple of good whacks with a hammer to knock the tapered bolt out with out damaging the threads or the cotter pin cut aways on the nut.
4). The bolt that came with the track bar relocation adapter is not threaded far enough and the shank of the bolt fetched up on the jeeps bracket before it tightened the track bar adapter and I pulled it in half . I bought a new bolt and nut and put a couple of 1/2" washers under its head.
5). The origional bolt that goes on the top of adapter through the track bar needed to have several 1/2" washers for spacers to make it take up on the adapter.
6). Leave the spring eye bolts slack untill you get th new "U" bolts on. Tighten the "U" bolts first and then the eye bolts. You will want to wiggle the springs around to line up the "U" bolts.
Points to remember on the rear end;
1). The spring eye with the full military wrap goes on the frame bracket Not The Shackle End.
2). As above, Don't use the 9/16" bushings on the 1/2" end!!!
3). The shackle bolts were put in so you can't pull them out and clear the gas tank. I took the nut off of the lower end of the shackle and slackened the upper one. This allowed me to swing the outboard half of the shackle and pull the spring eye off of the bolt. Once the spring was off I was able to swing the inboard half of the shackle to clear the gas tank and remove the bolt. Put it back together with nut on gas tank side.
4). The spring eye bolts were seized in their bushings on the frame bracket. I bought 2 new bolts incase I had to cut them off. I used a 1/2" drive by 12" extension on the socket (to clear the side of the jeep to give me some turning room),and a 1/2 drive power bar and a 3 foot piece of pipe. I pulled the pipe almost 180 deg's and the bolt let go. Did this several times while spraying wd40 on the bushing. Then put the 1/2 drive electric inpact gun on it and spun it out. Used this teqnique on both sides and was able to use the origional bolts.
5). The 8 deg. aluminum shimes that go ontop of the rear spring packs and between the axle; the Thick End Of The Shim Goes So It Is Aiming At The Center Of The Jeep. That's thick part of shim towards the frame eye bracket.
6). Again, Tighten the "U" bolts first then the eye bolts.
7). When putting the new shocks on the rear I found that the top bolt on the frame did not need the new bushing that came with the shock. Either that bolt is big enough allready or my old bushings were stuck on the bolt. I could not tell either way so i just put that end of the shock on with out the bushing.
1" Transfer Case Drop Kit: This box is the only one with instructions, 6 pared down hockey pucks, 6 bolts and 6 washers. On all other bolts that I had to remove, I sprayed wd40 on them every day for a week before starting. The bolts that hold the skid plate on go up into the frame and I could not get any wd40 on the threads. As a result I broke one bolt off on each side of the skid plate.. Bought a set of "Easy-Outs" and drilled a hole up through the broken bolt. These bolts are very hard and I started with a small bit and kept increasing the size until I had a hole that only left about 1/16" of wall left of the bolt. Spray the drill bit and the hole you are drilling with wd40 to keep the bit from heating up and getting dull. I put the easy-out in the hole and tried a wrench on it, then vise grips, then a pipe wrench, then a pipe on the pipe wrench. That is when the female threads, that were welded in the frame for the bolt, let go. Every thing spun then, easy-out, broken bolt and the threaded thingy it was screwed into. I got the welder out and rewelded the female threaded thingy back to the frame. Tried to get the easy-out back out but it would not come out. I cut the easy-out off with a grinder. Also cut the heads off of 2 of the bolts that came with the kit and welded them to the broken bolts and used them as studs. Put the pucks under the skid plate and that finished the drop kit.
Break Line Extensions: When I tried to remove the old fittings the steel brake lines twisted to an alarming angle and did not let go. I was afraid of breaking them off so I decided to take it to a garage and have them put on. That way if a line breaks they will have all lines and fittings right there to fix them. With the jeep up on stands and axles hanging in air, the origional break lines still have some slack, so I think I am ok( on pavement anyway) until I can get it to the shop.
Took the jeep for several drives and the ride is not as rough, more "springy" where before it felt like I would bottom out on even minor bumps. Alignment does not seem too bad as I can let go of the wheel on a straight stretch and go for quite aways before slowly veering to the curb. The cross frame on the steering wheel was level but now sits at about a 45 deg angle. I will pull the steering wheel and put it back on with bar at level agiain. Will do alignment when I buy my new 31" tires. By lowering the transfer case the shifter stick sits back a bit further now. It would pop out of 2nd, 4th. and reverse. I pulled the shifter boots and sawzalled about 1/4" in the rear of the shifter opening and gears are ok now. All in All I am very pleased with my lift. Don't have a digital camera, and sorry for the length of the post.
Hope this post give a few pointers to some one planning a lift of their own.
Take Care
Peter