Another FZJ80 lift install, thanks to ONSC members...

Mtbcoach · 05-10-09, 10:51 AM

I can't leave well enough alone and took advantage of Metal Tech selling some OME lifts at a nice discount. I picked up a "J" lift since I really only wanted to do it once. I also picked up their 1.5" spacers for the front to help reduce the "stinkbug" look and got the LandTank castor correction brackets.

All said and done, with hindsight, the lift install went very well and fairly easily with the experience of Jon, Greg and Clint. It probably would have been easier to drill the holes for the castor brackets with everything off in the front. But, we did it "mostly" as instructed and it went fine, just drilling those holes given the space constraints is a friggen pain in the @ss.

If it weren't for Greg applying the force on the head of the drill, I'd still be drilling. I blew my wad in the first 2 holes and had no more arm strength left so we used Greg's leg strength to finish the rest of the holes.

I drove it before we installed the castor correction brackets, then again this morning to see if I could tell the difference and it was definitely noticeable. Very glad I did it though I was cursing myself at the time. The project did get interrupted with the bit of storm that blew through with 3 bolts left to install. So, the girls and I went out to finish it this morning, leaving Regina to do as she wanted to, it is Mother's Day after all.

Enough talk, now for the pics...

Metal Tech spacers, just drop the bump stops, install the bump stop into the spacer, install the spacer back into the bump stop holes, piece of cake...

Springs, spacer, installed in front...

Passenger side complete...

Driver side complete...

The inverted stickbug look...

Close up of Land Tank's castor correction brackets installed...

Back complete...

Before pic just for reference...

Thanks again for Jon, Greg, Clint and Lil Clint for all your help. The suspension would have been reasonable to do alone, or with my girls. Doing the castor brackets alone would have taken longer unless I figured another way to get leverage on the head of the drill. Otherwise, nice project, makes it drive WAY better than it was before. But, it won't fit in the garage any longer...

fourtrax · 05-10-09, 11:20 AM

Looks good.

rutbeer · 05-10-09, 11:28 AM

You don't waste any time modding things, do you?

Mtbcoach · 05-10-09, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fourtrax

Looks good.

Thanks, it drives well also...

Quote:

Originally Posted by rutbeer

You don't waste any time modding things, do you?

That's what Regina says also. My excuse this time was that it is a safety issue since its Mikaela's daily driver. That 12 yr old suspension needed to be upgraded, right...

Fort Knox · 05-10-09, 01:39 PM

Looks great Jerry. I was hoping to be able to stop by and lend a hand, but with being gone the last couple weekends (OBX and a wedding in NJ), I had too many things on the honey-do list. Getting ready to go out and mow the lawn now. Glad it went well!

Mtbcoach · 05-10-09, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fort Knox

Looks great Jerry. I was hoping to be able to stop by and lend a hand, but with being gone the last couple weekends (OBX and a wedding in NJ), I had too many things on the honey-do list. Getting ready to go out and mow the lawn now. Glad it went well!

No worries Alan. We all had some stuff to make up for over the past and coming weekends. I was lucky enough to have the crew that had the time to get away considering the late notice for my HAMOM request.

Thankfully, I have kids who want to have cash in pocket where they get paid for such things like mowing/trimming the lawn, saves me on my duties. But, I guess I paid them back by getting this lift installed on "their" rig...

lt1fire · 05-11-09, 05:37 AM

My honey do list is off the charts right now. But Andrea likes all the camping we have been doing so i'm doing my list during the week days after work and school

What size tires are you going to be putting up there.

Mtbcoach · 05-11-09, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lt1fire

My honey do list is off the charts right now. But Andrea likes all the camping we have been doing so i'm doing my list during the week days after work and school

What size tires are you going to be putting up there.

I'm thinking a 35X10.5 or similar. I can't imagine doing anything bigger than that since it will be mostly a daily driver. I'd probably be smarter to go with a 33" tire to help save on some MPG, we will see with some research, pricing and time frames...

jfz80 · 05-11-09, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mtbcoach

My excuse this time was that it is a safety issue since its Mikaela's daily driver. That 12 yr old suspension needed to be upgraded, right...

haha ok I would thik that might have worked for OEM height or 2.5'' ; but 5''

Why does everyone overlook the trxus 34 x 12.5

Thats a LOT of lift for 33's. A nice set of 315's or like you said some BFG MT's in the 35x10.5's would look appropriate under there.

Looks Nice!!

Mtbcoach · 05-11-09, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfz80

haha ok I would thik that might have worked for OEM height or 2.5'' ; but 5''

Why does everyone overlook the trxus 34 x 12.5

Thats a LOT of lift for 33's. A nice set of 315's or like you said some BFG MT's in the 35x10.5's would look appropriate under there.

Looks Nice!!

But honey, Metal Tech is having a sale! If I'm putting suspension on, I might as well make it something nice. At least, thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

I've not overlooked those, I ran them on my FJC until I just went up to the SSR's in 35X10.5. I like them and they worked well. I've got to try and be patient since Greg guessed I'll have tires on it before the end of the week. He can't always be right...

lt1fire · 05-11-09, 10:16 AM

I could get you some prices from my work if you want?

strong_toy · 05-11-09, 10:26 AM

Looks and rides good. Now it just needs a set of 35's...

Jerry, please thank all the ladies for helping watch the little guy for the day.

The big question is are we going to see the 80 this weekend?

diggity · 05-11-09, 05:21 PM

Man Jerry that looks great. Sooo, when are the tires coming, it has been several hours already...surely they are already on the way or..well on it already

southerncruiser62 · 05-11-09, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mtbcoach

I've got to try and be patient since Greg guessed I'll have tires on it before the end of the week. He can't always be right...

So which ones you end up getting?

Mtbcoach · 05-11-09, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lt1fire

I could get you some prices from my work if you want?

Thanks, sure couldn't hurt, could it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by strong_toy

Looks and rides good. Now it just needs a set of 35's...

Jerry, please thank all the ladies for helping watch the little guy for the day.

The big question is are we going to see the 80 this weekend?

I'm trying to tease Mikaela into coming. She is starting to work as a lifeguard and will probably have to this weekend. We will see...

Quote:

Originally Posted by diggity

Man Jerry that looks great. Sooo, when are the tires coming, it has been several hours already...surely they are already on the way or..well on it already

Man, I guess I'm pretty transparent...

Quote:

Originally Posted by southerncruiser62

So which ones you end up getting?

I haven't made any decisions, really, I haven't...

What I did do was fix the tight relationship between the front drive shaft and the sway bar You can see evidence of rubbing in the background of the first picture. After searching ih8mud, looking at the various options at the various vendors. I decided to go with the Slee 2" front sway bar drops for $41 + shipping...NOT.

I called up my buddy Shep at Fabco in Cary, picked up a slab of 2" X 2" X 8" aluminum bar stock for $16, cut it in half, drilled the appropriate holes, picked up some longer bolts and here are the results. It took some serious fab skills to put these together, one cut, 4 holes drilled, I'm a friggen genius...

Now, what am I going to do about those tires again...

southerncruiser62 · 05-11-09, 07:36 PM

Jerry don't forget to hit the landtank brackets with some primer and paint....

little_joe · 05-12-09, 04:54 AM

Swaybars are for grrlz. O wait............

Looks very nice Jerry! My apologies again for not being able to come over, but now I'm back towards even karma with la esposa.

I suspect we'll see 35's on it in short order.

rutbeer · 05-12-09, 06:54 AM

So how long before the trailer is in tow behind this with a RTT on it?
You couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting 5 of those in Moab.

Mtbcoach · 05-12-09, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by little_joe

Swaybars are for grrlz. O wait............

Looks very nice Jerry! My apologies again for not being able to come over, but now I'm back towards even karma with la esposa.

I suspect we'll see 35's on it in short order.

Glad you've got the needle swaying back toward the "good" side. I can't order the tires until I decide which wheels to go with first. I've been thinking about these in 24X10, think they are trail worthy?

Quote:

Originally Posted by rutbeer

So how long before the trailer is in tow behind this with a RTT on it?
You couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting 5 of those in Moab.

I've got to get off my butt and get it moving in the right direction. I'll be in need of it in July when I head back to CO for Overland Institute Training. So, yes, its in the "pipeline"...

southerncruiser62 · 05-12-09, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mtbcoach

I've got to get off my butt and get it moving in the right direction. I'll be in need of it in July when I head back to CO for Overland Institute Training. So, yes, its in the "pipeline"...

So hopefully you haven't hit the confirm button for the tires yet, you'll need to go ahead and get the other two for the trailer, I'd just do it this week when you order the others.