lift install madness

[chiefiji]

i finally got all my lift components this week and started to install it myself starting at 1130 in the morning. well its taken me close to 11 hours and i've FINALLY got 1 out of the four spacers in. yea, you read it right, 11 hrs just to do the the front left side. i'm sure others have done the complete lift in 11 hrs or less, but what can i say, i'm not mechanically inclined.

that being said, i'm so happy that i got at least one of the spacers in. my runner is sitting in my garage right now with one side waaaay up, haha. i cant wait till morning so i can finish this sucker.

the hardest parts so far has been wrenching down the springs, and reinstalling the spring/shock assembly back into the struts. i really wish i had air tools as having to wrench down the compressors by hand took a lot of elbow grease. when putting the assembly back into the struts, i couldnt get the dam bolts to align correctly and that took forever to get right. there was a lot of adjusting of the upper a-arm and pounding, but the assembly finally went back in.

i thought i could be a hero and do this all by myself, but having a friend or two really saved me from killing my back and arms. i'm also taking my time because i'm a little paranoid that my truck might fall off the jacks, the spring compressors might pop out, or the bottle jack might slip out of the a-arm.

this is the most frustrating and tiring project i've ever done, or will ever attempt to do on my truck. however, even though i'm only 1/4 of the way done, i like what i see so i cant wait to finish this up. ok, that's it for now. i just needed to vent a little bit before i go get some rest. hopefully i'll be done by tomorrow and can post some pics.

 

[bulldog-yota]

Keep going!!

Hopefully you are using good instructions.

BTW, you are lucky you dont have XREAS to deal with as well.

 

[chiefiji]

Keep going!!

Hopefully you are using good instructions.

BTW, you are lucky you dont have XREAS to deal with as well.

i just happen to be using yours and rocky's together . without your writeups i'd be at a total loss so a big thanks goes out to you two :bowdown: .

as i was putting the assembly back in i thought about how you xreas people did this install. i had to manipulate the entire shock setup every which way during the whole process so i'm definitly glad i didnt have that xreas leash.

 

[chiefiji]

did anyone switch out the rear shocks? is it a matter of just removing the bottom strut mount and top shock mount? thanks.

 

[bulldog-yota]

did anyone switch out the rear shocks? is it a matter of just removing the bottom strut mount and top shock mount? thanks.

With XREAS I didn't replace my rear shocks, but they are a breeze. As you said you simply remove the top and bottom .

 

[chiefiji]

With XREAS I didn't replace my rear shocks, but they are a breeze. As you said you simply remove the top and bottom .

ok cool.

the second front side took about 2 hours to finish. 11hrs vs 2 hrs, big difference. now on to the rear.

 

[chiefiji]

how did you get a hold of the top bolt on the shock? i cant seem to grab the top and turn the nut at the same time, there isnt enough space.

edit: nvm, solved a problem but created a new one. i lost my wrench, but more importantly, one of those rubber spacers. my butter fingers couldnt hold on and it fell into the truck and i cant find it!!! crapp....

 

[Good Times]

hope ya got it done!

 

[chiefiji]

well i finally got the lift in and the wrench that my truck ate still cant be found, oh well. my mom swung by to see what i was doing and she commented how i need bigger tires now.. she sure knows best .

 

[4route]

congrats on doing your lift! glad mine and bulldog's write-ups helped you out!!!

if it makes you feel any better, i put a new lift in this weekend and just try stuffing a 4.5"'s worth of lift spacers in there! took me nine hours yesterday to do one of the fronts because i tried it a new way ... usually i can do the entire lift install in a few hours front and back, but trying it a different way this time ... goodness it was rough! my arms look like i've been abused by a boyfriend!!! but no, just the bruises that come from wrestling with the coil compressors and trying to reattach the upper balljoint while swiveling the spindle around and pulling hard on the upper a-arm till the two meet up again.

anyway, congratulations, i sure hope it made you feel good to complete your lift, because i know that's a rough process without help and without power tools.

great job!! now all you need are bigger tires and some pictures to post.

 

[gbailey]

ive been thinking about lifting mine for a few months now. i used to have a jeep and i traded it in for my toyota and it was lifted. i know by lifting the jeep it was real hard on the transmission. how does your guys cars hold up now with the lifts? and what lifts do you recomend for like 2- 2.5 inches. i dont want anything big just want to look alittle more agressive. oh yeah and post some pics chiefiji i want to see what it looks like

 

[chiefiji]

ive been thinking about lifting mine for a few months now. i used to have a jeep and i traded it in for my toyota and it was lifted. i know by lifting the jeep it was real hard on the transmission. how does your guys cars hold up now with the lifts? and what lifts do you recomend for like 2- 2.5 inches. i dont want anything big just want to look alittle more agressive. oh yeah and post some pics chiefiji i want to see what it looks like

i'll be posting pics later tonight. others can chime in about durability but i havent read about anyone having major issues after lifting as long as they stay within reasonable limits. hook up with NE as they can make you custom heights.

 

[chiefiji]

Before the lift....

The lift in progress. I think it took me 3hrs to get to this point where i finally got the front shock assembly out.

The dreaded spring compressors. I was initially wrenching the compressor with the assembly standing up. Later when I figured out that lying it flat was the better route, I was able to compress the springs a lot faster.

Front NE spacers

The rear spacers and bds shocks.

result of the lift. time to start tire shopping.

 

[4route]

henry, is that you?!

the truck looks great!!!

 

[chiefiji]

henry, is that you?!

the truck looks great!!!

thanks! yup, thats me. thanks again for the great writeup. you have to put in a section about putting in those shocks tho for clueless people like me . i suppose part of the "fun" is figuring things out.

 

[4route]

that's a great idea ... i didn't include it just because i have xreas and didn't have to mess with uninstalling the old shocks and reinstalling new ones -- i just had to uninstall the lower mount ... but i'll definitely add something to the writeup for those without xreas who have to go through that process.

thanks for the suggestion!!

 

[Guest]

Henry-

Great work bud! The overall stance looks perfect from the side if you ask me...way to stick in there and install that kit. Keep us all posted as to how you like those BDS shocks since you are the only other person running them besides myself for the time being...though I am now stocked up with 20 sets to keep up with all the new orders, lol. I think you will grow to love em. NE cannot thank you enough for your patience with us. Be sure to keep us all informed when you get those new tires! Keep it up man.

Anthony

 

[bulldog-yota]

Looks great, when do we go wheeling again?

Did you take measurements before and after from the ground to the fender high? Front and rear.

 

[chiefiji]

Looks great, when do we go wheeling again?

Did you take measurements before and after from the ground to the fender high? Front and rear.

i actually took pictures of the measurements to remind myself (bad memory).

Before lift
front: ~33.3''
rear: ~36

After lift
front: ~37.5''
rear: ~38.5''

i still have to do an alignment and it probably needs to settle some so the measurements will most likely fluctuate. if only i can get myself to wake up early enough to get an alignment, i'm forced to drive my sister's corolla for the next few days. i'm itching to feel what the effects of the lift has done to the truck.

as for wheelin, i can't wait till the next time. maybe i'll try something crazier now with the lift .

 

[bulldog-yota]

I would wait a bit before doing the alignment. Give the suspension a good workout (speedbumps multiple times, etc). Then check to make sure everything is still tight and torqued correctedly, and only after that get an alignment. That way you are sure if anything had to settle in, it is done and the alignment is done on a stable suspension.