Difficulty of install: Rustys

Donnie · **Posted:** Tue May 29, 2007 11:54 pm

How tough, on a scale of one to ten, would a Rustys 2.5" lift be to install? Are the directions straight forward?

jason thompson · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2007 12:26 am

Easy IF you have a bench mounted spring compressor like the mechanic that did the work on the wife's KJ

You could bring loose struts and prings to a shop and pay them some cash ,under the table or on the side type of deal, to do the spring work for you
The rear takes all of an hour and that is with some BSing around
the front once the struts and springs ar togeather may take 3 hours in and out

1-10 I would say its 3+ but keep in mind I can swap LCA's on a TJ ,all 4, in under .5 hour
on the same ride in less than an hour I can not only do LCA's but also set pinion angle
and I would bet I could do a BB on a TJ in under 2 hours in and out

CIMMERIAN · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2007 12:38 am

Not too hard at all, may just want a third had just incase. I just got the Rusty's springs front and rear (about $250). I took my uninstalled OE strut assembly down to the local shop and had them install the old isolators and mounting plates to new springs and Rancho's struts. Front was a piece cake, needed third hand to help put bolt thru clevis @ LCA. I put a conduit nut, not washers to get extra .5" ( at least). Rear,I added another top isolator, the only problem was getting holes to line back up, get a couple of jacks and just lift and jack here and there to get the axel to line back up at the LCA, sway bar I just took and kept it off.

csukoh78 · **Joined:** Thu Mar 08, 2007 10:34 pm **Posts:** 501

Pain in the @$$. Dude, I'm pretty darn mechanically inclined, but there are NO instructions with the kit, and even all the write ups here forget some pretty basic things you need to do when you attempt something like this. If you have never messed around with a suspension before, I say pay the man. (ed. if you do this, find out his favorite beer and try to get him to help you on the side. Every mechanic I know or have ever dealt with is more than happy to put a little extra cash in his pocket and sip his favorite cold ones...may not be fair or ethical, but its life....)

However, I also do highly recommend at least trying to do it yourself, simply because you will learn a lot about the suspension. Just understand the headache you will get doing it.

OH, and make sure you have the right tools...long handle torque wrench, 21 mm socket head, rubber mallet, jack stands, floor jack, spray on Lithium grease, etc etc. Its possible to use Autozone's spring compressors to put the struts together, but its much much much easier to just take it to a shop with a wall mount compressor. Call around and find one before driving everywhere.

I'm glad I did mine, but all the little problems together like squeeking, clunking, etc etc makes you have to find the source of the problem and fix it. It is NOT a problem with the kit, its the fact that the installation is a trial and error since Rusty's makes the unforgivable error of including no instructions. Headache, but now I'm a suspension pro, so take that for what its worth.

Maximum Carnage · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2007 8:47 am

It’s pretty easy but you get no instructions with the lift kit. You can take the struts to Pep Boys and they will do it for under $50. But if you decide to do it yourself make sure you get the correct spring compressors. Get “Macpherson Strut spring compressor” just like the ones in the first pic DO NOT get the second one pictured below those clamps that hold your spring will be too thick. Good luck

Donnie · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2007 9:20 am

Do you have pictures of yours Max?

Maximum Carnage · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2007 11:13 am

I hope you mean my Liberty cause here it is.

NjjeepKJ · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2007 3:15 pm

im' not mechanically inclined, my brother and his girl helped me get mine in, we had it done 3 hours and we didnt have a bench mount spring compressor, we had one of the portable kits. did it in my fron drive

chetos · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2007 3:38 pm

Going from slammed to lifted in less than a couple of months :?:

We are evil aren't we!! :twisted:

raceinfan · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2007 4:36 pm

chetos wrote:

Going from slammed to lifted in less than a couple of months :?:

We are evil aren't we!! :twisted:

thats funny right there :-)r

adamkrz · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2007 5:33 pm

If you get stuck let me know - I live in New Britain. I did mine a few weeks back..

myjeepwalks · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2007 8:19 pm

Absolute pain in the stupid if you ask me. Then again i did the lower control arm bushings and clevis bushings with an air hammer to get them out and a vice to press them in. What a nightmare. Well worth it when it was done though!!

hyedipin · **Joined:** Thu May 11, 2006 10:20 am **Posts:** 1667

ronnie, if you are like me drive a bit crazy at times and take corners fast, I don't suggest lift.
I really want a beefier looking KJ, but I am scared of the increased rollover risk

Difficulty of install: Rustys

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