Frankenlifting tomorrow - tips?

chrismc · **Posted:** Wed Aug 22, 2007 12:10 am

So I'm planning on installing my Frankenlift II CRD tomorrow, and I was wondering if anyone had any hints to make it easier. I've read that an "extra set of hands" is very helpful, but I couldn't find any. I have the new spacerless setup (pre-assembled), which is supposed to be significantly easier to fit in the front than the old setup.

Are any unique or special tools needed? I have a full set of sockets, wrenches, 4 jack stands, and your usual tools (no air tools, unfortunately).

Thanks in advance!

pixeldzn · **Posted:** Wed Aug 22, 2007 12:29 am

You are gonna need prayers without a b uddy to help.

Getting an unsettled brand new frankie in a gasser is a pain in the rear.

Maybe it'll be easier on a CRD. (The rear is easy no matter what. The front is the hard one to get in.

Ratchet straps are your friend. you can use them to help pull the bottom of the strut into the clevis.

Take your time and don't get frustrated. Once you figure out one side, the other will go easy.

nix · **Posted:** Wed Aug 22, 2007 1:41 pm

I would start with the front drivers side in the installation process. It's the hardest to do which will make the others go by quicker and easier. Watch your CV boots. Spray a bunch of WD-40 or another product on bolts / upper a-arms to loosen then up. This will help if you don't have air tools. Make sure you get a torque wrench and torque the bolts back down when finished. I found that I didn't need any help with the fronts- but I needed help with the rears. The rear is easy and not complex. However, I had a hard time getting the larger springs to go back on their purches in the rear. I tried jacking up the other side to get room- but it didn't work. In the end I had my wife push the springs into position while I stood on the rear brake and jumped up and down.

dog_party · **Posted:** Wed Aug 22, 2007 2:41 pm

I agree with starting on the front driver's side. That's where we started on mine and it was worth it.

Since it comes preassembled nowadays, you won't need any super-special tools like a strut compressor (for stripping struts and scaring everyone else in the garage) or a handgun (for shooting yourself in the head). I do, however, suggest:

Take picts of the engine-bay before you disassemble the passenger side (pulling the airbox out). It was fun getting that back in correctly. We went and stared a Ugg's CRD engine bay to figure out how to line everything up after the lift was put in (and we still didn't do it right :oops:

)

Something else I found REALLY helpful...having a buddy with skinnier hands/fingers than my big fat Flintstone hands/fingers. The third (forwardmost) nut on the driver side (front) would have been IMPOSSIBLE for my fat fingers to get on. If you have ham-hands like me, get some loonnng tools and something magnetic or "grabby" to hold the nut in place while you screw it back on.

We jumped up and down on the rear axle to get everything in there, but it could be done solo...just not as easily. But after you do the front, you'll be in dreamland when you do the rear.

And, the most important suggestion I can make, since you're doing it solo...get drunk AFTER the installation.

Good luck.

Pablo · **Joined:** Thu Feb 02, 2006 10:06 pm **Posts:** 1201

loc-tight everything you pull out of the engine bay. That oil burner likes to loosen the little nuts and bolts up that fasten everything under the hood.

Are you doing the arms too, or just the lift?

chrismc · **Posted:** Wed Aug 22, 2007 11:29 pm

Wow, I don't know why everyone makes such a big deal about the lift. I finished up in about 5 hours, solo. No major catastrophes or headaches. Mostly just sore hands from so much wrenching.

I did the rear first, and figured out the hard way that you should disconnect the sway bar before trying to jam the springs in. Once I disco-ed the rear sway bar, I had enormous amounts of flex, and had no problem fitting the new springs. I drilled the base plate before adding the springs, and attached the bumpstop after they were in place.

I had to do a brief LOSTKJS search to find out where the brake line bracket went, although it was obvious once I get to the passenger rear.

For the front, I used a "Wonder Bar" prybar in combination with a BFS (Big F* Screwdriver) to pry the clevis apart and remove the old strut. It worked very smoothly. I then pried the empty clevis apart on the garage floor and wedged a "spacer" of 4 stacked washers between the two sides of the clevis to keep it open. I loosely hung the new strut from the upper bolts, then the clevis popped right on with no effort. After attaching the lower clevis bolts and tightening the upper strut bolts, I popped the washers out from the clevis (they exited with quite a bit of force), and it slammed shut, perfectly in place. I then put in the upper clevis bolt and tightened it up. Finally, used the floor jack to compress the new suspension, and then popped the upper A-arm back on.

The only problem I had is that I completely lost one of the rubber spacer/mount things that goes under the airbox. It seems solid enough with only two of the three. Figuring out how all the driver side parts come out took a little investigation, but it wasn't bad. I ended up leaving the battery tray in the vehicle, attached to the wire harnesses, but remove the bolts so I could push it out of the way while working. The way the ESP/ABS harness comes out just made my day.

chrismc · **Posted:** Wed Aug 22, 2007 11:34 pm

Driving report-

I felt/heard a few things "adjust" when I first started driving after the lift, which made me do a mental "did I tighten everything" checklist (I'm certain I did).

I feel the little things in the road more after the lift, but the big things seem to be more smoothed out. Overall, I like it.

The steering is quite squirrelly. I'm pretty sure I desperately need an alignment, and the steering will be fixed with that. Going to take it in tomorrow.

Oddly, I notice driveshaft vibrations under acceleration. I wouldn't have expected this, as the driveshaft is not at a very extreme angle at all. Its not annoying, but it is very noticeable. I'm sure I won't notice it anymore after a few days.

Now I just need to bend over and let the tire salesman take advantage of me.

Next stop- offroad! I'm heading out to Ouray and Moab in a week and a half. I can't wait.

GaCRD05 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 23, 2007 10:11 am

Thanks for the write up. All of us who will one day be installing this lift appreciate how easy you made it sound. Don't forget to post pics so that we may drool :lol:

Johnboy · **Posted:** Thu Aug 23, 2007 11:48 am

UPS dropped mine off yesterday. I can not see any reason not to add a few (3 or 4 from reading here) conduit nuts to the clevis and an extra set of isolator pads to the rear? I expect that to get me close enough to the 2.5'' mark and mostly eliminating any rake. If there is a reason not to do this, Id love some one to tell me BEFORE I do it..but I am unfortunately used to learning the hard way....

nix · **Posted:** Thu Aug 23, 2007 12:25 pm

Johnboy wrote:

UPS dropped mine off yesterday. I can not see any reason not to add a few (3 or 4 from reading here) conduit nuts to the clevis and an extra set of isolator pads to the rear? I expect that to get me close enough to the 2.5'' mark and mostly eliminating any rake. If there is a reason not to do this, Id love some one to tell me BEFORE I do it..but I am unfortunately used to learning the hard way....

If you add conduit nuts to the front - make sure you do the driver's side first. For me, at least, I could fit more conduit nuts on the passenger side than I could on the driver side. I put 3 on the passenger, then tried to put 3 on the driver's side and they wouldnt' fit.. but 2 would. So then I got really mad and had to re-do the passenger side and remove the 3rd that I was able to put in so the front would be even.

Johnboy · **Posted:** Thu Aug 23, 2007 12:45 pm

You likely just saved me much time!! Thanks!!

Johnboy · **Posted:** Thu Aug 23, 2007 12:46 pm

Thought I would add a comprehensive post, asking ALL my questions....

So, I have a FL II (OME CRD HD) sitting in the box at home. I plan to add 2-4 conduit nuts to each clevis, and an extra isolator pad to the rears. Assuming this gets me 2.5” (depending on where I am factor), any advice or experiences with the following:

1) any reason NOT to do the clevis/isolator lift in addition?

2) Tires. I do not want to trim anything. I can live with minimal rubbing, so long as there is no consequence, i.e. tire wear, etc. Planning on GG AT 2. I know 245/70 R16 is safe. Any thoughts on 245/75’s?

2) I dearly want black crager rims (they are cheap, at least where I found them online!)
Should I maintain factory BS-ing?

Anything else I am overlooking? I have zillions of hours reading posts….very few actually wrenching on the KJ.

Thanks!

chrismc · **Posted:** Thu Aug 23, 2007 1:52 pm

Johnboy- Here are my thoughts about the conduit nuts, etc... A spring is designed to operate through a given range of motion, and give a certain "feel" throughout that range. Anytime you add spacers, or anything of the sort that compresses the spring more than normal, you are limiting the range of operation, and changing the characteristics of how it operates. Additionally when off-roading, over-compressing the spring like this will limit the wheel's downtravel and overall articulation. You might gain a small amount of ground clearance under static conditions when sitting level, but overall you are limiting what your suspension can do. I would steer clear of extra spacers like this and focus on making tire clearance in other area (like trimming plastic and working with the pinch weld).

Right now, my tire plan is 31x10.50/15 TrXus on Crager Soft 8's (15x8, 4.75" BS). I plan to trim and pound, as none of the parts are "permanent", or visible from the outside.

chrismc · **Posted:** Thu Aug 23, 2007 1:55 pm

I do not understand why people have been having so much trouble fitting springs/etc in place. After jacking up the KJ, dropping it onto jack stands placed under the frame (not under the suspension members), and removing the swaybar, and then suspension attachments, I had PLENTY of working room to get everything in place.

Frankenlifting tomorrow - tips?

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