It's finally on!

We started the lift at 6pm or so. We intended to use a vehicle lift, but we ended up just using a hydraulic floor jack and jack stands. Front was a total pain to get in (and caused a blood blister on the guy doing it). Popping out the ball joint was easy, pulling out the spring and clevis bracket took some yanking. A couple hammer-smacks got the clevis off. To fit it all back in again we put the strut and clevis in separately, attached them inside the arms, fed the bolts through the top. To line up the bottom of the clevis he used a prybar on the front side and fed the clevis bolt through it backwards. hammered it right through to the other side. Back was a piece of cake, relatively speaking.

I'm a little higher in the front than the back, from eyeballing it, but it looks good. Rides like a dream on the trail and on the highway, no alignment needed. Total install was done by about 8:30 (2.5 hours total)


Stock Wheels with Stock 235/70R16 SR-A tires, just after a day of wheeling after installing the lift the night before.

More photos to come in the Northeast section after our Memorial Day trail run.

_________________
Jeff 2005 Jeep Liberty Renegade
4x4, 6spd, Leather, Sunroof, trak-loc, skids/rails, hitch+shackle, hooks, Alpine/iPod, Thule, GPS, CB, Frankenlifted w/ 31" MTRs
Photos Cardomain

Very nice. I think the front will settle out after a little while. I'm still debating lifting mine.

It was a long debate for me, too. I ended up with the following compelling arguments:
- I have some scrapes (pinstriping) and other light damage. On a luxury truck they look dumb, but on an offroad rig they are a badge of honor. Just had to make sure it was clear which truck I had.
- I've had one tire lose air thanks to something I ran over on the road, and I had to replace it. Tires are expensive, and I don't want to have to replace another one in the small size, since a larger size is not very much more money at all.
- A lot of people get the 245/70R16s because they fit on a stock truck and then upgrade later. The money they lose by buying tires twice I put towards doing the lift before the tires. I can run on my stock tires for awhile longer (the SR-As *really* aren't that bad at all in the 235/70R16 size)
- The fact that I spent so long debating it pretty much says to me that it will eventually happen. In which case, why wait?

_________________
Jeff 2005 Jeep Liberty Renegade
4x4, 6spd, Leather, Sunroof, trak-loc, skids/rails, hitch+shackle, hooks, Alpine/iPod, Thule, GPS, CB, Frankenlifted w/ 31" MTRs
Photos Cardomain

Looks good!

I am hoping to do the same thing this winter... Until then I have a trip to Europe to save for... *sigh*
Luckily the wife is already on board... or at least knows that fighting it is a lost cause!

Guess now you can take the "Frankenlift on order" out of your signature huh?

_________________
06 Renny - Dark Khaki
Full skids, rockrails, lightbar, sunroof
245/70/16 Firestone Destination ATs (yeah baby!)

- KJ eXpeditionary Group : Founding Member
- Southern Ontario (S.O.) L.O.S.T
- CarDomain #2347285

haha, good call! fixed that right up!

_________________
Jeff 2005 Jeep Liberty Renegade
4x4, 6spd, Leather, Sunroof, trak-loc, skids/rails, hitch+shackle, hooks, Alpine/iPod, Thule, GPS, CB, Frankenlifted w/ 31" MTRs
Photos Cardomain

It was a long debate for me, too. I ended up with the following compelling arguments:
- I have some scrapes (pinstriping) and other light damage. On a luxury truck they look dumb, but on an offroad rig they are a badge of honor. Just had to make sure it was clear which truck I had.
- I've had one tire lose air thanks to something I ran over on the road, and I had to replace it. Tires are expensive, and I don't want to have to replace another one in the small size, since a larger size is not very much more money at all.
- A lot of people get the 245/70R16s because they fit on a stock truck and then upgrade later. The money they lose by buying tires twice I put towards doing the lift before the tires. I can run on my stock tires for awhile longer (the SR-As *really* aren't that bad at all in the 235/70R16 size)
- The fact that I spent so long debating it pretty much says to me that it will eventually happen. In which case, why wait?[/quote]

I really like your logic.

_________________
'04 Renegade 4x4
L.O.S.T. #058466
Car Domain, Updated: 2/23/2009
===_oooo
(_l_|_,\____\,_
{----__---_(olllllllo)
()_)"""""()_)--"--)_)

I've managed to convince myself that I'm saving money AND I got to buy a new toy! hot diggity!

I just measured clearances the other day, all these are with stock 235/70R16 SR-A Tires:

Ground to front of rock rail: 15"
Ground to rear rock rail: 14"
Ground to top of wheel well, front: 35.5"
Ground to top of wheel well, rear: 34.5"

_________________
Jeff 2005 Jeep Liberty Renegade
4x4, 6spd, Leather, Sunroof, trak-loc, skids/rails, hitch+shackle, hooks, Alpine/iPod, Thule, GPS, CB, Frankenlifted w/ 31" MTRs
Photos Cardomain