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Installing a Lift Question...

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Old Mar 3, 2012 | 09:11 PM
  #1  
wvhillbilly79's Avatar
wvhillbilly79
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From: Nettie,WV
Installing a Lift Question...

I was wonderin, Alot of you all on here have lifted trucks and I am wonderin do you do it yourself or have a shop do it?

The reason i ask this is i have a 4 inch lift waitin to be put on, And i wanna here from you guy's that did it yourself so i'll know what to expect as i start to tackle this task.

I'll be doin it by myself in my driveway, I am hopin that it can be done in a weekend. I don't have air tools, but i do have tools alot of them lol.

I have jack stands and all the stuff to hold it up as i'm doin it

My Question is what is the the hardest thing about this ? I'm sure all the rivet grinding is the most time consuming. I really just trying to get a heads up on what to expect when doin this

Thank You,

Jason
 
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Old Mar 3, 2012 | 09:18 PM
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From: vernon hills IL
you wil need air tools, some of these bolts dont like to come out! lets start by whos kit do you have?

justin
 
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Old Mar 3, 2012 | 09:28 PM
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From: Nettie,WV
I got rough country lift, I also have a snap-on cordless impact gun i have broke wheel studs with it lol it has the torque

Thank for reply
 
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Old Mar 3, 2012 | 10:02 PM
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It was a DIY for me. To make life easier- jack, stands, air tools or hand tools, compressor, drill and possibly a torch if its above the rust belt. Hardest part: putting the radius arms into the new drop bracket, its one of those "just a dam hair and it will fit" things.
 
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Old Mar 4, 2012 | 01:04 AM
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From: Saukville WI
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Just take your time make sure your truck is safely jacked up to allow the front axils to drop down freely. Make sure you check all the new nuts bolts & brackets are tight.
Hardest part: putting the radius arms into the new drop bracket
I agree lifting my f-150 6" skyjacker took me a week about 2 hours a day ALONE and the ONLY thing i needed help with was getting those radius arms in....PITA Im sure you can handle it tho with a friend. Air tools are nice saves time and dosent need recharging, torch would be a big help a few rivits are HARD to get at with a angle grinder or drill. On my 86 150 i had 3 people helping and we had that jacked up in one weekend oh and these were all done in my driveway Go for it!!!

Were always here to help
 
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Old Mar 4, 2012 | 05:26 AM
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A torch is almost a must, those bolts can be extremely stubborn, saves alot of time to just "go ugly early" and burn them out. A steady hand to go with it helps too. Air tools are nice if youve can get your hands on them. If your replacing the hardware as you go(i highly recomend) you can easily put it back together with some basic hand tools. Good luck, be safe
 
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Old Mar 4, 2012 | 06:57 AM
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DIY for me. Took me two days and a good friend to get it in when I originally installed the 6". I also DIY on my 15" front and 18" rear solid axle conversion. If you spend the time on it and pay attention its easy. Plus you gain the experience on how to repair it later.
 
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Old Mar 4, 2012 | 10:01 AM
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From: covington, ky
My truck is rusty.The problem's I had are the following:
I could not get the radius arms nuts off and had to go to a shop that works on semi. They used a torch and a big impact to loosen them.
The leaf springs bolts would not come loose.Went to a friends house and he cut them off with a torch.
Had to go to shop to get the pitman arm off. ( I broke the pitman arm tool trying to get it off)
I used a big breaker bar on the nuts that hold the coil springs down.

You might have to replace other parts that you thought was good like the following:
Had to replace all the steering linkage.
The truck steered good before the lift and 35 inch tires after the lift it is loose. So I still have to replace the steering box.
 
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Old Mar 4, 2012 | 10:27 AM
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From: Nettie,WV
Thanks for all the reply's

I now have a good idea of what to expect

Are the axle drop brackets riveted on to
Im excited to get this done
 
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Old Mar 4, 2012 | 12:01 PM
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From: covington, ky
My axle drop brackets are bolted on, but I not the original owner.
I read the Rough Country instructions and it says some might be riveted from the factory.
 
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Old Mar 4, 2012 | 12:15 PM
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Read this:
Lifting an '80-'96 Ford Half Ton - Off-Road Magazine

They installed a Lift on a bronco TTB which is the same thing virtually
 
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Old Mar 4, 2012 | 07:51 PM
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From: Nettie,WV
LOL Nickk, I have read that like four times or more, Its interestin and it's also on Rough Country website under the 80-96 lifts. Thank you all for the reply's if weather is good this commin weekend i think i'm gonna tackle it

Thanks,
Jake
 
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Old Mar 4, 2012 | 10:46 PM
  #13  
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From: Rusty, Maine
Originally Posted by cpnhgnjnky
Plus you gain the experience on how to repair it later.
I agree^^
It took me a weekend to do it on my truck but I did one on a buddies truck a year prior.
I know that you prob dont want to hear it lol, but good air chisel works awesome on those rivets which do hold the pivot and radius arm brackets on (at least on all the trucks I've worked on).
 
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Old Mar 5, 2012 | 12:05 PM
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From: Nettie,WV
Yea i heard that they work good also, Just dont have a big enough compressor to run it, But if all goes well i'm gonna do it this weekend with a grinder,chisel and a hammer lol the hard way

Thanks again for the replies,
Jake
 
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