Major Lift HELP!! ***Completed pics / MEASUREMENTS on page 2

Jeep4me99 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 08, 2008 6:46 pm

Holy dang these OME's are stiff. So I am installing my new lift, which is basically a "frankenlift." small spacer, ome hd's and daystar strut plate. This day has just been horrible with all my missing tools, running to pep boys blah blah blah. So here is the dilema..i can't get the darn thing in

I have tried every way, but the geometry just doesn't work. If i have the clevis fork attached to the strut, there is noooooooo way to get the lower bolt in. I rachet strapped the lower a-arm as far down as it will go, but i can't put the assembly with the fork in because the spring hits the engine bay wall...won't work.
So then I tried having the spring assembly in place, then putting the clevis fork on the a-arm with the lower bolt already in place, then raising the lower a-arm and getting the clevis in place that way..nope doesn't work...something is too long. is my set-up f'd. I mean, the 4 inch lift goes in just like the 2.5's.

Here are some pics of the set-up (next to rusty's) and my last attempt at getting this together. Its dark now and I need a beer.

Tommo I may try installing with the spring compressors on, getting every thing together, then taking the compressors off. Has any one tried this method??? Any one have any advice??? How bout removing the upper a-arm and installing thelower clevis bolt first, then raising it up and trying to get the strut plate bolts to go into place?

(fyi...both ball joints are undone)

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:10 pm

You need to put that fork on the clevis first, then ratchet strap the fork to the lower control arm. The lower Balljoint does not need to be popped loose.

Is the sway bar unhooked? That my let the arm go down some more.

Make sure you dont let the cv come out since you have both the upper and lower joint out. that boot is all thats keeping it on.

tommudd · **Posted:** Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:11 pm

Not sure if this helps or not but I always start the nuts on the top of the strut first, just enough to get it to hang there and then start the clevis up on, from the pictures youre starting the clevis backwards of what I always do, I start with the bottom of the clevis out towards the spindle, also with the Frankelift you need to rachet strap it in sometimes, so getting your top bolts started , then the clevis and then with a rachet strap coming from the other side pulling in towards the center should pull it all together, you can loosen up the lower control arm as well, you will need to get an alignment anyways so hope some of the above helps, if not someone else on here can explain it better hopefully!

Tom

03CDKJ · **Posted:** Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:18 pm

Quote:

If i have the clevis fork attached to the strut, there is noooooooo way to get the lower bolt in

Me and my uncle did it this way.....
With a crowbar and pointy end of a ball joint seperator.

but we also disconnected the brake lines and everything else

Jeep4me99 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:27 pm

when i was tryiing to get it together with the fork on the clevis, trying to get the lower fork holes and lca mounting point to line up, the spring would just hit the fender wall when i tried to push it in. i dont thing racheting would have helped.

i had to undo both ball joints to let the lca drop enough to even attempt to get it together.

this is a real PITA, i'll just have to keep trying, but keep the ideas coming please.

oh and yes, the top bolts are only finger tight.

daspes · **Posted:** Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:29 pm

It is a pain. Did mine in the driveway, same issues as you. I ended up puptting the top of the strut in, lined the bottom up with the clevis (like in your 2nd pic). then put a ratchet strap from one clevis to the other and cranked and cranked until they popped in.

03CDKJ · **Posted:** Tue Jan 08, 2008 8:10 pm

don't worry after this it is a breeze!

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Tue Jan 08, 2008 8:27 pm

After ya'll that have completed the Frnkie II, how close does the UCA/UBJ sit to the strut at rest? On my CRD I have no spacer with OME (CRD Springs) and got about 2.25" of lift...with that spacer I would have been SOL.

Jeep4me99 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 08, 2008 8:50 pm

DarbyWalters wrote:

After ya'll that have completed the Frnkie II, how close does the UCA/UBJ sit to the strut at rest? On my CRD I have no spacer with OME (CRD Springs) and got about 2.25" of lift...with that spacer I would have been SOL.

gotta feeling i'm gonna be SOL...i was planning on getting als uca's anyway though

the wife's · **Posted:** Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:17 pm

Check out this... www.boulderbars.com on magazine article on "how to install a lift"

http://www.boulderbars.com/images/kj_pr ... rticle.pdf

Very helpful when I did my install. I also did my install as tommudd had described.

Clark

myjeepwalks · **Posted:** Tue Jan 08, 2008 11:17 pm

Here's how i do it.

1-assemble strut assembly with clevis installed onto strut.

2-i keep the upper ball joint disconnected from the spindle.

3-install strut, i finger tighten a few threads on the top 4 strut plate bolts.

4-then put the bolt throught the clevis and lower control arm.

5-jack up lower control arm with floor jack and install upper ball joint nut

6-then tighten everything to spec

works for me. never had to do the ratchet strap technique.

tommudd · **Posted:** Tue Jan 08, 2008 11:23 pm

[quote="myjeepwalks"]Here's how i do it.

1-assemble strut assembly with clevis installed onto strut.

2-i keep the upper ball joint disconnected from the spindle.

3-install strut, i finger tighten a few threads on the top 4 strut plate bolts.

4-then put the bolt throught the clevis and lower control arm.

5-jack up lower control arm with floor jack and install upper ball joint nut

6-then tighten everything to spec

******************************************************

If you have only done the Rustys then this above will work due to well it being a Rustys, but with the extra lenghth of a Frankenlift or what Jeepforme has built ( basically a Frankenlift ) they will be a lot harder to do for sure. I have done 2 Rustys, 1 OME and a Frankenlift and the last was the hardest to get everything in there for sure. Wish I was closer to run over and help you out as another set of hands would be great right now I bet! :wink:

Tom

Jeep4me99 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 08, 2008 11:53 pm

tommudd wrote:

myjeepwalks wrote:

Here's how i do it.

1-assemble strut assembly with clevis installed onto strut.

2-i keep the upper ball joint disconnected from the spindle.

3-install strut, i finger tighten a few threads on the top 4 strut plate bolts.

4-then put the bolt throught the clevis and lower control arm.

5-jack up lower control arm with floor jack and install upper ball joint nut

6-then tighten everything to spec

******************************************************

If you have only done the Rustys then this above will work due to well it being a Rustys, but with the extra lenghth of a Frankenlift or what Jeepforme has built ( basically a Frankenlift ) they will be a lot harder to do for sure. I have done 2 Rustys, 1 OME and a Frankenlift and the last was the hardest to get everything in there for sure. Wish I was closer to run over and help you out as another set of hands would be great right now I bet! :wink:

Tom

very true tom...myjeepwalks...with my rusty's it was cake, just like you wrote....but this is a whole nother beast!!!

out of everything though, i can't stand getting the bottom sway bar bolt back in...thats always a pita for me.

03CDKJ · **Posted:** Wed Jan 09, 2008 12:29 am

Quote:

i can't stand getting the bottom sway bar bolt back in...thats always a pita for me.

I forgot about that. Mine was the same.... I was on my back pushing the swaybar connect with my foot and my uncle put the bolt back in I didn't think it should have been that hard but I'm glad i wasn't the only one struggling with that :twisted:

dloc_jeep_KJ · **Posted:** Wed Jan 09, 2008 12:52 am

myjeepwalks wrote:

Here's how i do it.

1-assemble strut assembly with clevis installed onto strut.

2-i keep the upper ball joint disconnected from the spindle.

3-install strut, i finger tighten a few threads on the top 4 strut plate bolts.

4-then put the bolt throught the clevis and lower control arm.

5-jack up lower control arm with floor jack and install upper ball joint nut

6-then tighten everything to spec

works for me. never had to do the ratchet strap technique.

worked for me but had to ratchet strap it a little and i didnt have my front sway hooked up so that i didnt need to worry about. it can be a pain but u will get it i have faith

WoodysKJ · **Posted:** Wed Jan 09, 2008 1:17 pm

This may not completely address your needs but when i installed my OME HD srings and struts on mine I found a similar issue. Granted not as much lift as what you are trying to achive but as i went to install the assembled strut i too noticed it was not fitting.

I had removed the sway bar nut so the lower arm could swing as much as possible after seperating the lower ball joint. upon removing the lower clevis bolt from the lower control arm i found that I could not insert the entire strut/clevis assembly. so I installed the strut plate and assembly, finger tighten the 4 top bolts. then used a large slotted screw driver as a wedge to gently spread open the clevis clamp only a slight bit. inserted the clevis clamp onto the base of the strut and because of the screw driver in the last part of the clevis clamp i was forced to allow about a 1/4 inch of a clevis space.

upon removing the screw driver i inserted the upper clevis bolt and then the lower clevis bolt. then the ball joint re-assembled and the nyloc nut on there. then came the sway bar. once all was re-assembled I torqued all to specs.

Sat there an looked at it for a while and realized that the clevis clamp on the strut was too tight to allow it to slide on. used the wedge and resulted in a slight clevis additional lift.

My biggest problem was after the install. As i went to install the wheels i realized that the lift had lowered the hub so that i had to jack it up HIGHER to get the wheels back on. this made my old jack stands obsolete.

Jeep4me99 · **Posted:** Wed Jan 09, 2008 3:07 pm

All-Done!! that was easy...i'll post up some pics and details after i get all cleaned up...THANKS FOR THE HELP EVERYONE!!

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed Jan 09, 2008 4:37 pm

Jeep4me99 wrote:

All-Done!! that was easy...i'll post up some pics and details after i get all cleaned up...THANKS FOR THE HELP EVERYONE!!

That was easy " quote"....wow different story from last night!

Glad you got it done, hows it look and ride since you have had a chance to see how each does in a short amount of time.

Tom

Jeep4me99 · **Posted:** Wed Jan 09, 2008 6:09 pm

tommudd wrote:

Jeep4me99 wrote:

All-Done!! that was easy...i'll post up some pics and details after i get all cleaned up...THANKS FOR THE HELP EVERYONE!!

That was easy " quote"....wow different story from last night!

Glad you got it done, hows it look and ride since you have had a chance to see how each does in a short amount of time.

Tom

sarcasm my friend...sarcasm.

It wasn't tooooooooo bad. The rachet straps did the trick, just barely. If I would have to do one more click with rachet...no way it would have went.

I got called into work, so i will explain and put pics up at about 10:30ish when i get home.

But so far the ride is great. I'm very surprised for how stiff theOME's are. Its a bit squirlly since i need a new alignment, but I DEFINATELY need Als A-arms. I can maybe fit a sheet of paper bwtween the spring and UCA.

Jeep4me99 · **Posted:** Thu Jan 10, 2008 12:06 am

So I finally go everything done today..it only took like a day and a half. I ran into almost every major problem. The final one being that the LBJ stud threads were all messed up i guess from road debris, so it took me about an hour to get both sides tightend up. The nut would only go on so far, and not enough to leave the bit on the bottom to get a wrench on to keep the ball from spinning. So i had to use vice grip between the nut and the LCA to keep the ball from spinning, tighten the nut as far i could, then try to get the vice on the littlest tiny bit on the bottom of the stud and finally tighten it up. Not its complete and it looks great!!! I had one extra isolator in the rear from my rustys, in the picks the front looks a tad higher, but from todays driving it already settle to a perectly even stance. Here are some before and after pics.

Thanks again to all the guys who threw in some advice when i had brown stains in my pants not thinking this thing would work....

oh and since i don't want to say i have a Frankenlift since I didn't buy if from All-J's...I guess I'll call mine a Count Chocu-lift for now.

Before (rusty's with three clevis rings)

after

before

after

before (nose pointing down)

after(nose pointing up)

next to a stocer at the mall (hey there little guy..dont be scared :lol:

)

Major Lift HELP!! ***Completed pics / MEASUREMENTS on page 2

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