Frankenlift settled in, no problems

aliastel · **Posted:** Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:17 pm

Installed the Frankenlift with Al's uca's last October and have put about 5,000 miles on it. I have the Premium II with the OME HD springs front and rear with the OME HD shocks. There was quite a bit of creaking from the springs at first, but they are as quiet as stock now and feel soooooo much better. I ran over all the railroad crossings and potholes I could find at speed to settle it in and I would say that it has dropped about 1/2 inch. I have a clang now and then when a front wheel drops suddenly into a hole, but much less than when first installed. There has been no damage to the CV's whatsoever. The boots are intact and the CV's are quiet and seem solid. Angles aren't too bad either. I am installing an ARB bull bar and Warn 9.5XP winch in about a week, along with Skid Row skids. All of this will add 250-275 pounds to the front, so that will bring it down a bit more. Great lift in my opinion!!!

-David

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Feb 18, 2009 7:42 pm

Watch those upper balljoints.

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed Feb 18, 2009 8:08 pm

Jeepjeepster wrote:

Watch those upper balljoints.

he installed Als arms at the time he installed the lift

gmoney2626 · **Posted:** Thu Feb 19, 2009 11:28 am

aliastel

Great news on your experience... you said that you experience a thumping noise when your suspension droops (extends)? Could you elaborate a bit more on this? I am experiencing this issue but havent used the new UCAs. I still have stock ones and my thumping happens more often then not.

Also would you mind taking a photo of the front end of your vehicle. I would like to see the angles of your CV's (both sides) and would like to be able to see where the bolt for your LCA is located at... where it bolts to the frame (the alignment bolts)

Thanks

macgyver · **Posted:** Thu Feb 19, 2009 12:07 pm

aliastel wrote:

Installed the Frankenlift with Al's uca's last October and have put about 5,000 miles on it. I have the Premium II with the OME HD springs front and rear with the OME HD shocks. There was quite a bit of creaking from the springs at first, but they are as quiet as stock now and feel soooooo much better. I ran over all the railroad crossings and potholes I could find at speed to settle it in and I would say that it has dropped about 1/2 inch. I have a clang now and then when a front wheel drops suddenly into a hole, but much less than when first installed. There has been no damage to the CV's whatsoever. The boots are intact and the CV's are quiet and seem solid. Angles aren't too bad either. I am installing an ARB bull bar and Warn 9.5XP winch in about a week, along with Skid Row skids. All of this will add 250-275 pounds to the front, so that will bring it down a bit more. Great lift in my opinion!!!

-David

If you installed Al's arms without clearancing the pockets, that could be your noise on down travel. Check there first before you go any farther.

aliastel · **Posted:** Thu Feb 19, 2009 12:34 pm

Could you describe what I need to do to "clearance the pockets"?

Thanks,

David

tonycrd · **Posted:** Thu Feb 19, 2009 12:51 pm

Here ya go:

http://jeepinbyal.com/A-arm_mounting_pockets.aspx

gmoney2626 · **Posted:** Thu Feb 19, 2009 1:12 pm

tonycrd wrote:

Here ya go:

http://jeepinbyal.com/A-arm_mounting_pockets.aspx

So to install UCAs you need to grind away the pocket to allow them to swing fully? Is this because the new UCAs are a round tube and not square like the OEM UCAs? From the picture you posted it looks like he did some metal fabrication too... is any of that involved? The before shot looks like there is metal in the bottom of the pocket that I would assume would get ground away as well but the after shot shows metal in the bottom of the pocket.

tonycrd · **Posted:** Thu Feb 19, 2009 1:32 pm

No worries, JBA went wild with the angle grinder. :twisted:

There is no before or after pic, the one on the left is the rear pocket, the one on the right is the front pocket. What you see inside the pocket is the frame rail, thats already there.

The downward angle of JBA's is different from the OEM ones so they 'reach' further down, getting into contact with the sheet metal of the pocket.

Here's what I did:

Had the suspension at full droop, it won't go any lower because the shock isn't any longer.

Fit the A-arm, not tightening the mounting bolts. Now it can move up and down freely.

Mooved it up to the bumpstop: plenty of clearance in the pocket so no need to start demolishing there.

Mooved it downward, connecting it to the spindle, contact on the lower portion of the front pocket. Grinded down the lower part of the front pocket, little paint, done.

gmoney2626 · **Posted:** Thu Feb 19, 2009 3:09 pm

tonycrd wrote:

No worries, JBA went wild with the angle grinder. :twisted:

There is no before or after pic, the one on the left is the rear pocket, the one on the right is the front pocket. What you see inside the pocket is the frame rail, thats already there.

The downward angle of JBA's is different from the OEM ones so they 'reach' further down, getting into contact with the sheet metal of the pocket.

Here's what I did:

Had the suspension at full droop, it won't go any lower because the shock isn't any longer.

Fit the A-arm, not tightening the mounting bolts. Now it can move up and down freely.

Mooved it up to the bumpstop: plenty of clearance in the pocket so no need to start demolishing there.

Mooved it downward, connecting it to the spindle, contact on the lower portion of the front pocket. Grinded down the lower part of the front pocket, little paint, done.

Okay I guess I will have to look at my jeep tonight to get a before image.

I am still having troubles with my CV angles and wondering if the UCA might help.

tommudd · **Posted:** Thu Feb 19, 2009 3:15 pm

For the pockets there is like two thin layers of metal which comes up about 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch ( have seen a little difference in years there) but what I have done on 3 sets now is take an angle grinder with a cut off wheel on it, make cuts down through the metal to the main part of the frame/pocket and either cut off or pound over the metal to make some extra room for the arms to drop down.
Easy and LOTS OF FUN :twisted:

to do!

BTW, Arms will not help the CV angle any

Tom
Also I never take pictures, so no use asking, no time for that stuff when we're doing lifts or UCAs :wink:

Guess I could take some up close after shot :shock:

gmoney2626 · **Posted:** Thu Feb 19, 2009 3:28 pm

tommudd wrote:

BTW, Arms will not help the CV angle any

Thanks

Frankenlift settled in, no problems

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