Installing a lift kit at home (1 Viewer)

[LT 562]

Looking for some guidance (after having searched)

Is there a safe way to install a 3" lift kit at home with typical floor jacks and stands? I can't find a way to get the rig (safely) high enough for front or rear to fully droop.

I have a HF long reach jack that lifts up to about 22". Was looking at leftover building material like a section of 4x12, etc.

Thanks.

 

[HandForged]

google cribbing...

 

[LT 562]

Thank you for the response.

If I did something like that, I'd need to make a cradle to go under axle to get more height. But wouldn't the frame settle down on the cribbing at an angle? Most automotive examples I see are setting the tires down on cribbing.

Earlier I began looking at ways I could make a cradle to lift at trailer hitch then slide something like cribbing as jackstands underneath the hitch cradle.

 

[HandForged]

I'm going to give you some advice and I don't mean to be negative here but if you don't know how to properly lift a truck to install a lift kit then I am going to imagine that you don't know how to do the lift. Take it to someone who does or get someone involved in your project that has some experience.

I have lifted coil sping and leaf spring trucks dozens of times with little more than a highlift jack, floor jack, some jack stands and cribbing. Do it one corner at a time. Don't try to pick the truck up completely to do it all at once. Eat it like an elephant, one bite at a time. Invest in a coil spring compressor. Jack up the front corner with the shocks, lower arm and track bar off. Put the jackstand on cribbing under the frame to let the axle hang under it's own weight. Unbolt the top of the spring clamp and put on the spring compressor. It will come out easily. The take it off the stock spring and install it on the new spring. Compress it until it will fit into the bracket. Reverse the compressor and install the New shock and reverse the process. Let the truck down off of the stand and move across to the front.

 

[LT 562]

I just realized I'm looking at this wrong. Once I get the tires off the suspension will have plenty more clearance to sufficiently droop down. Sorry, first time really getting into the suspension of my 80. Thanks again, back to it.

 

[Rwhat]

6 Ton jack stands.

 

[LT 562]

Appreciate the responses and I don't take constructive comments negatively.

Lifted my Tacoma in the past but I feel the IFS and Leafs are a different animal. And before that, been more of a sports car guy with coilovers relatively being a piece of cake.

 

[Rwhat]

There is plenty of write ups here. Just make sure you are able to jack it up as high as you can (within reason) so that you can get enough droop to put the new coils in.

 

[LT 562]

Understood. Unfortunately, just one of those brain fart moments.

Trying the new Eibach Lift Kit. Might wait for next weekend to start, as it's my daily driver. Will update once in if anyone is interested.

 

[ColoradoBoy]

Understood. Unfortunately, just one of those brain fart moments.

Trying the new Eibach Lift Kit. Might wait for next weekend to start, as it's my daily driver. Will update once in if anyone is interested.

Slee Offroad supplies a nice write-up with pictures that I found very helpful when I did mine (no prior experience with suspension work prior).
Cheers!

 

[LT 562]

Thank you, appreciate it. My senior moment was just around the elevating of the truck. My post was in attempt at taking a moment to assess safest process.

There are great guides out there, most I found just used 2-post lifts (slee, otramm, etc) and there's the part where my brain wasn't working so well not realizing there was almost a foot more droop to be had once wheels were removed.

At the moment, I don't have concerns about the actual removal and install.

Thanks again.

 

[Rusty Marlin]

When I did mine, by myself, I put the frame on cribbing and jack stands just high enough to keep the tires in contact with the ground.
The rears I did one side at a time only removing one tire at a time. Piece of cake.

The fronts, are not a piece of cake. One side at a time, but I also put in new radius arms at the same time, probably should have done that after the springs and shocks were in. I needed a small come-along to keep the front axle from "escaping" out the front while using the new radius arms to rotate the axle tube and my son rolling the tires one side at a time for fine tuning to get the bolts across the frame mounts and the rear radius arm bushing hole.

At the hight I had the frame, and removing one tire at a time, there is plenty of flext to get the factory springs and shocks out and get the 3" Icon progressives back in. Zero struggle with spring or shocks.

 

[bencallaway]

I did mine parked in the street in front of my house. Delta arms, springs, shocks, panhards, sway bar drops, and a knuckle rebuild.

 

[LT 562]

Thanks guys.

 

[mudgudgeon]

google cribbing...

 

[mudgudgeon]

One tip that makes it easier, loosen off radius arm and control arm bolts at the frame end so they can drop more easily.
You also want the bushes to settle into the new resting position with the cars weight on the ground before you tighten these bolts, otherwise bushes will be twisted after the lift

 

[Railwelder93]

View attachment 2193397

I’ll raise you one,

 

[Rusty Marlin]

Words fail me at this particular moment...

 

[HandForged]

last one looks like how I removed the body on the rolled 80 I used the chassis from. Drivetrain out, all the body mounts out I hooked a tow strap on the drivers side and yanked it with my dually on the passenger side. I didn't feel like cranking the heavy equipment, plus I thought it would be fun.... and it was.

 

[rolliges]

I've done a minimal lift on my 80. I am nothing more than a novice mechanic who researches throughly (here on Mud) what I need to know and have before doing anything. (even then, sometimes I'm "scared" but it's just parts).

My OME 2" lift was done with a floor jack, bottle jack, and HF 6 ton jack stands. Pretty easy.

Hardest thing is the front upper shock nut. Need a wobbly 17mm if I recall correctly. Get to it.