iinstallation of 3"lift

[stark]

i was debating between a rancho 2.5"lift ..a teraflex 3" lift..or a old man emu 2.5"lift...

i would like to install the lift myself..
are there any specialty tools needed that i might have a hard time getting or cost alot.
how long approx would it take to install the lift a weekend?

i've never done a lift before so please help me out and let me know if i should just have an offroad company install it or if it's easy enough i can do it

thanks

i have a 97 tj w/ manual tranny

[gatorfish]

plenty easy to do. All you need is a good set of sockets and wrenches and other basic hand tools (BFH), 2 tall jack stands, a good floor jack, some level concrete and a friend.

[Deathdealer]

This is a fairly easy installation. It should only take around 6 hours, mine took 10 hours to do by myself but I spent a lot of time getting the bushings off the old shock bolts as my new shocks didnt include the lower shock bolts. (Damn Chrysler for epoxying the bushings to the bolts).

Be sure to blast all the bolts ahead of time (24 hours) with a penetrating lubricant (such as WD-40 or PB blaster). It will also be easier if you enlist a friend to help you with the project.

I found a nice writeup for the Old Man EMU but they are all basically the same at this size lift They are a bit over precautious in the writup but it pays to be and may save you time and money down the road if something breaks while your doing the install. Either way its a good idea to take a look so you can see what your getting into with the pictures and what type of tools you need etc. Enjoy!

http://www.off-road.com/jeep/reviews/oldmanemu/index2.html

[Jeepchik]

You might think about gettin some spring compressors it makes the job alot easier

[stark]

thanks for the info leaning towards an old man emu system ..good price for the quality

[insaner]

where should I look for pricing/buying lifts?

[Jeepchik]

you can go to any of the offroad parts store websites and price them, here are a few

www.4wheelparts.com
www.quadratec.com
www.4wd.com
www.performanceproducts.com
www.acmejeepparts.com

Or most of the lift manufacturers have their own website that will direct you to where you can purchase them....hth

['drack]

Originally posted by Jeepchik
You might think about gettin some spring compressors it makes the job alot easier

You might not need them, but it's better to have 'em on hand than run out in the middle of the install. Most places will "rent" them for free. They charge ya a deposit and then refund it when you return it. I only needed them for one coil and that was only because my stands weren't tall enough to allow enough droop for the axle.

Keith

[gatorfish]

get some high quality, tall jack stands and spring compressors arent needed.

[tjjohn]

It is going to take a good amount of time to do the lift, especially if you are not farmilier with vehicle suspension systems. I turn wrenches for a living and it took me 14 hours. hungover in 100 degree weather with no help and a phone that would not shut up. I also added an adjustable front track bar steering stabilizer and a pitman arm that took me two hours to remove, I actually broke two pullers trying to take it off, thats right I broke two freakin pullers, and I had never seen a puller break. the third one worked, lol. if there are a few tools I would make sure to have on hand it would be a drift pin a 3 lb hammer, a pickle fork if you are changing your track bar and a pitman arm puller. the spring compressor really starts to help at the 4 inch hieght but you can get away without it. it is not too hard to do but some things take a little work to line back up corectly. When you do the transfer case drop, support the transmission via a floor jack and a block of wood ( avoid metal to metal contact ) remove the nuts on the transmission mount, and then drop the belly pan this will save you lots of agrivation trying to line the pan back up after your put the spacer in, that would also be a good time to install the shifter drop bracket since the pan is out of your way. I could babble on for hours, I learned everything the hard way. Good luck