Apparently I was unprepared for my lift...

liquidxit2 · **Posted:** Wed May 04, 2011 9:16 pm

Well Got started at 6pm and stopped at 8pm with only the drivers front done. Still need to tighten the UCAs and the swaybar wont line up to get bolted in. Im taking the day off tomorrow to do the rear and a buddy is coming over to help with the clevis (unless I get the rear done and work some ratchet strap magic) since its a pain solo.

My question is how did yall get the sway bar to line up with the LCA? I tried ratchet straps, and jacking the jeep up on the LCA and nothing is getting it even close. Im at a loss here as Im not a suspension guru at all ( our shop specialized me for everything but suspension and eek(emissions gravy boat)). Thanks!

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Wed May 04, 2011 9:31 pm

Leave both side of the swapbar unhooked till you finish both front sides and lower it back on the ground,then the links will line up much better.

liquidxit2 · **Posted:** Wed May 04, 2011 9:48 pm

tjkj2002 wrote:

Leave both side of the swapbar unhooked till you finish both front sides and lower it back on the ground,then the links will line up much better.

Sweet thanks! All I can say is wow its MUCH higher then it was and Im definitely happy. Just hope everything goes well tomorrow as Ill be taking a 9-10 hour drive and I want to take the jeep and not the wifes honda...

tommudd · **Posted:** Thu May 05, 2011 1:35 am

Like Troy already stated its way easier after its on the ground. Most of the time just a little budge and the bolt's will go in. After you do a few lifts you'll find it pretty easy to do them by yourself.
Make sure to get that alignment before your 9-10 hour trip!
Good luck!

ihatemybike · **Posted:** Thu May 05, 2011 8:22 am

I follow this order when putting the suspension back together.

Clevis mounted to lower A arm.

Jack up the lower A arm till the hole for the sway bar lines up and insert bolt.

Set upper or lower ball joint in respective hole*, the jack up the A arm to fit tightly together, install and tighten nut. Occasionally a ratchet strap between the a arms pulling them together is used when the ball joint wants to spin.

*I undo the upper for making suspension work, lower for CV and hub bearing work, both for lower ball joint work.

liquidxit2 · **Posted:** Thu May 05, 2011 8:38 pm

I just used ratchet straps to pull the lower clevis in. Worked well and when my buddy came over I was cleaning up so he helped a bit and we knocked back a few and cigars. Tried doing the back last night and with my setup I couldnt get the rear end to droop down enough to get the OME spring in. so Ill be taking it to the stealership for the back end. Painful as the rear is the easiest and would take no time at all if I had a lift or at least the right jack setup. So far now the jeep looks like its loaded down a bit, but thats fine as I am out of town this weekend.

Thanks for all the help. :JEEPIN:

kskj · **Posted:** Thu May 05, 2011 10:46 pm

Hydraulic jack between the control arm and the frame brings it down so you can change the springs easily.

liquidxit2 · **Posted:** Fri May 06, 2011 12:50 am

Yeah sadly I don't have a bottle jack. Dealer quoted me 120 for the springs and shocks so ill have to bite the bullet. Funny how the front was much easier for me then the back. Oh well guess ill have to re evaluate my jack situation for the future.

j-rod · **Joined:** Mon Apr 25, 2011 9:05 pm **Posts:** 201

save the money....worse case....unbolt the control arms at the axle and drop the axle.

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri May 06, 2011 8:34 am

liquidxit2 wrote:

Yeah sadly I don't have a bottle jack. Dealer quoted me 120 for the springs and shocks so ill have to bite the bullet. Funny how the front was much easier for me then the back. Oh well guess ill have to re evaluate my jack situation for the future.

Your stock jack under the rear set works as well ! 120 for less than 30 minutes work? Don't think so
and don't unbolt the LCAs :roll:

j-rod · **Joined:** Mon Apr 25, 2011 9:05 pm **Posts:** 201

tommudd wrote:

liquidxit2 wrote:

Yeah sadly I don't have a bottle jack. Dealer quoted me 120 for the springs and shocks so ill have to bite the bullet. Funny how the front was much easier for me then the back. Oh well guess ill have to re evaluate my jack situation for the future.

Your stock jack under the rear set works as well ! 120 for less than 30 minutes work? Don't think so
and don't unbolt the LCAs :roll:

why not?

At The Helm · **Posted:** Fri May 06, 2011 8:50 pm

Because you don't need to. Just put the rear on jackstands just in front of the control arms (you can use the stock jack). Suppport the axle under the differential with jack, then unbolt the shocks and sway bar. Allow enough droop to pull out the springs, install bump stops, lift springs and new shocks and your done. Easy peasy.

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri May 06, 2011 9:13 pm

Don't even have to drop the sway bar unless you are removing it for good.
I've redone my rear setup at least twenty times ( trying different things) and never unbolted it.

j-rod · **Joined:** Mon Apr 25, 2011 9:05 pm **Posts:** 201

Atthehelm wrote:

Because you don't need to. Just put the rear on jackstands just in front of the control arms (you can use the stock jack). Suppport the axle under the differential with jack, then unbolt the shocks and sway bar. Allow enough droop to pull out the springs, install bump stops, lift springs and new shocks and your done. Easy peasy.

thats how i assumed he was doing it and still couldnt get it done.

my bad

liquidxit2 · **Posted:** Sun May 08, 2011 12:51 pm

With my current jack setup I can't get much height and can barely get the tires off with stock height let alone when lifted. The reason I'm not out buying a jack is I HAVE to have the jeep running tomorrow by mid morning and I don't have time to do the rear and get it aligned by the time I need it fully functional. If I wasn't out of town and getting home by 9pm and having to go to work when I get home (i hate IT) I would do it myself as I HATE other people driving my jeep, but with the stealership I can get it all done by 9-10am.

Sucks really bad but I'm between a rock and hard place.... :banghead:

If I only waited until next weekend it could have been all done out front.

Apparently I was unprepared for my lift...

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