newbie driveway lift install

[katuah]

howdy y'all. i just bought a new DD so I can finally mod my XJ without fear of having no way to get to work if i screw it up. i'm not an experienced wrencher, so you may hear a lot from me on here!

i thought i'd start off by asking if there's anything special I should know about installing a lift kit in my driveway (as opposed to a nice clean level garage).... and if there's anyplace in the Raleigh/Durham area that will rent tools like larger jacks and jack stands. i have no desire to get squished in this process, but i also dont want to lay out a bunch of cash for stuff i don't think i'll use very often (and have nowhere to store). Advance Auto told me they dont rent jacks, just hand tools.

 

[jeepgeek2002]

get some good jacks like the 3 ton ones..
2 jacks.. 2 jack stands... Drill.. coil compressor from advanced rental...
c clamps if your doing an AAL, a BFH, grease, and PIZZAs and drinks!

that should do it
Mark

 

[fishtank]

I'm not much help here but...I know when my buddies work on their jeeps the pizza and beer make me drop whatever I'm doing and go help

 

[Ghost]

You can get a nice set from sears. A pair of jack stands and a floor jack for about $100. Jeepgeek listed most of what you need. A good jack and jack stands is a good investment that could last a long time.

 

[BrandonC]

A good jack and jack stands is a good investment that could last a long time.

+1. Go ahead and cough up the cash for a decent jack and jackstands. Those are two things every man that is into any do-it-yourself automotive work should have. You'll be surprised how much you will use them once you have them at your disposal.

 

[bigalpha]

Get a nice floor jack - I got a 2-ton one and I have to set it on a concrete slab so it's tall enough to get the XJ (4.5" lift) off the ground to remove the 31's I've got on it.

 

[jeepgeek2002]

beer or spark.. Spark is like redbull but with alcohol..lol

mark

 

[POSJ]

Get a nice floor jack - I got a 2-ton one and I have to set it on a concrete slab so it's tall enough to get the XJ (4.5" lift) off the ground to remove the 31's I've got on it.

Two ton jacks are useless IMO...if you are buying a floor Jack get a four ton atleast. I understand there is a difference in weight but a two ton wouldn't lift the drivers front tire off the ground on my Chevy 3500...

Tyler

 

[bigalpha]

I wasn't advocating getting a 2 ton jack. Then again, I got mine for free.

 

[POSJ]

No I know, I was seconding your opinion. Sorry if it came across wrong. Back on topic: the tool I needed a bigger one when I've put lifts on was a vbfh...

 

[bigalpha]

Of course, you could stack 2, two tons jacks. Gives a total of 4 tons!

 

[High2by]

Why does that make sense??

 

[WTF]

While I do agree that jack stands and a jack are something most people should have, I can appreciate not having anywhere to store stuff. it is possible to get the job done (albeit slowly) with the stick jack. Jack stands are required and are only 20 bucks so price isn't a major factor. You can use them as a door prop or paper weight after you're done with the lift if storage is really an issue.

A hydraulic jack is great to have and once you start modding your jeep, you might start needing it more often than you think

these would be a solid start :
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=38846
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=91039

(note that you can get a 20% off coupon for H-F in the back of almost every magazine, to drop that jack into the mid 50's )

Wal-mart probably has something similar as well ( and they have a VERY liberal return policy, but you didn't hear that from me )

If you really are dead set on not buying anything, I would rent you tools for a few days with a cash deposit (a la the advance loaner tool program)

What lift are you installing? when and where? Welcome to your new addiction! :looney:

 

[Ghost]

When I bought my first jack I got this set. Everything to make driveway work easyer on your back.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...+Mechanics+Tools&sName=Lift+Equipment+&+Jacks

 

[Jamescad04]

That sets nice but wont work if all you have is a nice gravel driveway like the one I work on my vehicles in. I would honestly say get a jack and stands like everyone else says but also do yourself a favor and get some wedges to put under your tires too to prevent the vehicle from rolling back. Also if your driveway is gravel like mine go the the junkyard and grab yourself a front door panel out of an xj and strip everything off of it and use it as a mat to lay on. You'll be thanking yourself the first time you have to get underneath the vehicle. I actually carry that around in my jeep so if i brake down or if im on the trail and I need to get underneath my jeep I know I have a clean solid surface to lay on.

 

[katuah]

Wow, thanks for all the response. I definitely want to buy jacks, etc eventually, but right now the toolshed is full of NotTools (happens when you have kids, apparently) so I have asked around but nobody nearby has any to lend right now. (two guys have theirs in use under ongoing projects haha) There's a Harbor Freight right around the corner so I may just get em anyway and leave them in the kitchen until, uh, a place for them appears.

The driveway is not level, so I was more wondering if i was gonna have issues like stuff not wanting to line up due to it being on a slant.

WTF, i actually dunno which lift yet. i wish i could afford one of the DPG hybrid kits, but i gotta put on new motor mounts and probly a header too, so the cash is short. Right now its between the RE SuperRide 3.5" kit and the RC 4.5". most folks on here seem to say stay away from Rustys. its hard to tell which is best, RE or RC. RE has a better rep, but then again i saw where they just started getting their stuff made in china or taiwan or someplace like that. plus a lot of folks seem to run RC lifts for years. im not a big 'wheeler, i just want to go some places that are way off the hardtop.

Pizza is a go, but other projects have taught me the hard way to save the beer until AFTER the work is done ;-).

 

[bigalpha]

FWIW, my Jeep has a 4.5" Rustys lift on it. I haven't had any problems with it. I'm about getting to the point where I need things like TREs.

 

[katuah]

bigalpha, that's good to know. i think my wallet just decided it wont be the RE kit, so it's RC or Rustys. Here's a q for those with the Rustys lift: the Rustys 4.5 comes as either 4.5 leafs, or 3.5 leafs and a 1" shackle upgrade. Whats the reason I'd want to pay more for a shorter leaf & shackle combo, instead of just a taller leaf? Maybe that's a dumb question....

 

[r33pwrd]

Hey so im going to start my 4.5 RE lift this weekend... do you really need spring compressors? I would think with brake lines off you could drop the axle enough not to need them? Anyone done it without the compressors? Thanks

 

[BrandonC]

Hey so im going to start my 4.5 RE lift this weekend... do you really need spring compressors? I would think with brake lines off you could drop the axle enough not to need them? Anyone done it without the compressors? Thanks

I put in 3" coils without a spring compressor and it was tight, but I bet you could squeeze a 4.5" in as well. Just remember that with the sway bar disconnected you can jack up the axle opposite the side you are working on to get more droop to squeeze the spring in.