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113 messages, Last post on Sep 08, 2009 at 6:48 AM
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Replying to: karlw90 (Apr 05, 2007 7:42 am) Prior to doing my own lift, I had really only changed the oil on my cars. I am NOT mechanically inclined, but since I got the Jeep, I've: - replaced the entire radiator and hoses - replaced the thermostat - changed the brakes (front and rear) on multiple cars - dropped the gas tank to install armor - installed new electrical lighting etc. The point I'm making is that the OME instructions are VERY VERY easy, regardless of which setup you choose. OME's instructions are VERY good and step you through it. Instead of paying a shop to do it, you really can do it yourself. I KNOW there are at least 2 4x4 groups in the Chicago area. If you join up, you'll make some friends who can show you the beautiful areas around there offroad, and probably find somebody willing to help you for the cost of a deep dish pizza and some beverages for their time. You learn more about your Jeep, you can save probably about $400 in labor, and have the satisfaction in knowing you did it yourself. -Paul
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Replying to: erickpl (Apr 06, 2007 4:14 am) I'm pretty mechanically inclined, and have done a few things on a car, and figure I can do anything with good instructions but the 7 hours we worked on that lift would have easily been 10 or more if I were on my own. The air guns, hydraulic lift, and plethora of tools were a great help and the use of all of his fancy extensions and swivel attachments made getting to the tough bolts easier. But because neither I or the guy helping me had ever done this before (and I had never seen the underside of my Jeep before) the reading of instructions and general deciphering of info took a little more time than expected. I could probably do the job now in 1/2 the time knowing the process. So, do it yourself, sure... but ask that pal with all the cool stuff to help 'cause it would have been a bitch without all of the equipment and tools. BTW, I am going in for my alignment and I have driven about a 200 miles on it, do you think I've done any permanent damage. It seems to go straight when I let go of the wheel, but my steering wheel is not straight and that bugs. Dirk really took care of me and I really like the ride with the OME shocks and springs!! 
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Replying to: beerhunter (May 07, 2007 9:52 pm) Having a knowledgable helper who has the power tools will definitely make life easier! I did mine 100% alone while my wife and son were at scuba diving lessons in about 7 hours, and that included dropping the tank. I had only muscle-powered tools, but my Jeep was 100% rust free (from the desert of California). As for the alignment, you can do it yourself with just a wrench, a tape measure, and a helper. Follow the steps on www.4x4xplor.com/alignment.html and it will also show you how to recenter your steering wheel. It is ridiculously easy to do. If, after you do this, you don't feel comfortable with your alignment, then spend the $$ to get it done professionally. But I've used this method both after my lift and after replacing the tie rod and my TJ tracks straight and true. Let's see some pics of your lift! Here are a couple of mine this past weekend.   -Paul
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Replying to: erickpl (May 08, 2007 4:28 am)
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Replying to: 4rider (May 08, 2007 11:50 pm) With a 1" MML, the engine by the mounts will go up 1". The actual lift at the t-case is a bit less, so you MIGHT need the linkage drop. Most people do the BL/MML, then see if they need to do the linkage afterwards. Some MML kits come with that linkage. My JKS BL/MML setup did not but I didn't need it. -Paul
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Replying to: dmrap (Mar 22, 2006 10:01 am) |
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Replying to: erickpl (May 09, 2007 4:13 am) |
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Whaddia think about this... Before I got my lift I had a bit of a wobble in the steering at 45 mph while accelerating and decelerating. Now that I have lifted the suspension, the wobble has become more pronounced. I was speaking to a mechanic friend of mine who suggested that because I have 31" tires the steering dampener(that horizontal shock) might not be strong enough to handle the larger tires. He suggested that I get a more high performance unit. I thought that a tire might be out of balance creating some sort of harmonics at a certain mph. any thoughts... |
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Replying to: beerhunter (May 09, 2007 10:34 pm) 1. You may have a balance/alignment issue. Check out www.4x4xplor.com/alignment.html for a DIY alignment process. 2. Check for loose steering components. You should also have somebody sit up in the TJ and turn the steering wheel back and forth. While they do that, look at EVERY joint in your steering system and look to see if something lags behind when the wheel is turning. Your pitman arm, coming out of the steering box will move. If anything lags behind that in starting to turn, you have a loose joint. I found my front track bar was loose at the frame and that contributed to a VERY loose steering. Another likely culprit would be the tie rod ends. I have tightened all of mine. If you DO find loose joints, take the joint off to see if the holes have been ovaled to allow more play. The photo below, from 4x4xplor, shows the various steering and front end components.  -Paul
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Replying to: beerhunter (May 09, 2007 10:34 pm) I had a similar experience at the same speed, but it was more of a vibration that I could feel through the steering wheel and not really a wobble. It turned out to be my front right tire. It had a plug in it from a nail and the more the tire wore down, the more weight it required to balance. In that case a re-balancing and re-distribution of the wheel weights did the trick. Paul hit the nail on the head (nice graphic), the steering stabilizer will not cause a wobble, but a worn stabilizer or smaller than required stabilizer will "show" you more wobble than a new or upgraded one. Yours should be fine with 31's. Have you already aligned the front? Another often overlooked spot is the sway bar disconnects. They should slide on and off with no effort while sitting level (and they probably won't be the same length). If they don't, you have some "pre-load" on your swaybar which will make the sway bar "search" more for level after hitting a bump, possibly causing some of what you feel as wobble or "longer than normal oscillation" as the suspension tries to dampen itself out. |
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