Lift kit advice

[chris10]

I know this has to have been answered several times on here but I’m having difficulty figuring out how to do searches. I’m looking at doing OME heavy duty 3 inch lift. I’ve read that you do need to do adjustable panhard and others say you can modify existing. My question is what all is required for this lift? Do brake lines need extended? Caster corrected? Panhards? I plan on running 35’s so regear to 4.88’s unless there’s a better ratio. What else needs considered or modified? Does front driveshaft need replaced due to angle change to prevent vibrations?

on another note my rear hatch is loose and rattles. Do I need the latch replaced or can it be adjusted somehow?

thank you in advance advice is appreciated

 

[chris10]

I know this has to have been answered several times on here but I’m having difficulty figuring out how to do searches. I’m looking at doing OME heavy duty 3 inch lift. I’ve read that you do need to do adjustable panhard and others say you can modify existing. My question is what all is required for this lift? Do brake lines need extended? Caster corrected? Panhards? I plan on running 35’s so regear to 4.88’s unless there’s a better ratio. What else needs considered or modified? Does front driveshaft need replaced due to angle change to prevent vibrations?

on another note my rear hatch is loose and rattles. Do I need the latch replaced or can it be adjusted somehow?

thank you in advance advice is appreciated

Or can someone explain to me how to search threads on this topic. Sorry I’m computer illiterate.

 

[LandLocked93]

Year/mileage/current setup? Intended use?
Search "3" OME "lift"
I have that lift and needed nothing more than OEM bushes replaced (w/OEM bushes)
Parts, labor, & expertise(key) provided by Slee Offroad in Golden.
The other mods you mention have their place tho usually beyond 3" lift on average.
And consider your max load-out weight when choosing spring rate.

My '93 came with vintage rubber brake lines and didn't need to change them (275kmi) after the lift. Full articulation on 30" tires wasn't a problem.
I've since both moved to 33s and replaced the OEM rubber lines with stainless braid, extended-length(strangely cheaper). Again from Slee Offroad. Installed myself. Was presumably lucky and had/have no issues.

Castor can do with correction admittedly. But maybe only 2 degrees, all things being base-lined. Not a big deal in my case - 90% off road. YMMV if daily driver on-road.

Re-gear is probably good for 35s, tho I feel I could be fine on 35s now having had some time on 33s with factory gearing. Again commensurate with intended use.

Front drive shaft options are single? or double cardan. Stick with factory and only change if vibrations persist after thorough troubleshooting (u-joints/phase/orientation). I haven't needed to change from OEM shaft and vintage u-joints thus far. But again YMMV.

Rear hatch closures can be adjusted. And/or the rubber seal for both top and tailgate doors could be collapsed and needing replacement.

 

[mudgudgeon]

I know this has to have been answered several times on here but I’m having difficulty figuring out how to do searches. I’m looking at doing OME heavy duty 3 inch lift. I’ve read that you do need to do adjustable panhard and others say you can modify existing. One or the other should be done, cut and sleeve the original, or buy adjustable. Adjustable is a better option
My question is what all is required for this lift? Do brake lines need extended? yes. You risk breaking the standard lines if you go a bit hard core offroad.
Caster corrected? yes if you drive it in road regularly. Every inch of lift changes caster by ~1.5°, 3" lift will put caster well outside the factory limits, and they can become a handful to drive, particularly under brakes and with bigger tires
Panhards? Yes, with 3" lift, your getting to a point where Panhards should be altered
Plan on running 35’s so regear to 4.88’s unless there’s a better ratio. What else needs considered or modified? Longer bump stops, extended sway bar brackets, extend LSPV bracket for rear brake. If you're running 35" tires, give the brakes a freshen up, refresh and bleed brake fluid etc
Does front driveshaft need replaced due to angle change to prevent vibrations? Maybe, but usually ok with 3" lift

on another note my rear hatch is loose and rattles. Do I need the latch replaced or can it be adjusted somehow?

thank you in advance advice is appreciated

You'll get lots of opinions on this.

Some of these things, you can "get away" without doing it, but you risk damage, or compromise handling and safety on road, or compromise capability off road.

 

[chris10]

Year/mileage/current setup? Intended use?
Search "3" OME "lift"
I have that lift and needed nothing more than OEM bushes replaced (w/OEM bushes)
Parts, labor, & expertise(key) provided by Slee Offroad in Golden.
The other mods you mention have their place tho usually beyond 3" lift on average.
And consider your max load-out weight when choosing spring rate.

My '93 came with vintage rubber brake lines and didn't need to change them (275kmi) after the lift. Full articulation on 30" tires wasn't a problem.
I've since both moved to 33s and replaced the OEM rubber lines with stainless braid, extended-length(strangely cheaper). Again from Slee Offroad. Installed myself. Was presumably lucky and had/have no issues.

Castor can do with correction admittedly. But maybe only 2 degrees, all things being base-lined. Not a big deal in my case - 90% off road. YMMV if daily driver on-road.

Re-gear is probably good for 35s, tho I feel I could be fine on 35s now having had some time on 33s with factory gearing. Again commensurate with intended use.

Front drive shaft options are single? or double cardan. Stick with factory and only change if vibrations persist after thorough troubleshooting (u-joints/phase/orientation). I haven't needed to change from OEM shaft and vintage u-joints thus far. But again YMMV.

Rear hatch closures can be adjusted. And/or the rubber seal for both top and tailgate doors could be collapsed and needing replacement.

1994 FZJ80 so far completely stock. Mostly intended use will be high mountain trails. Not extreme wheeling but have capability to do minor rock crawling when needed. Then highway driving to get to trails. Not a daily driver.

 

[LandLocked93]

1994 FZJ80 so far completely stock. Mostly intended use will be high mountain trails. Not extreme wheeling but have capability to do minor rock crawling when needed. Then highway driving to get to trails. Not a daily driver.

Copy that.
Assuming you haven't had the rig very long and/or don't know its history, I highly recommend starting the baseline process.
This thread will definitely get you going.
Comprehensive Baselining List - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/comprehensive-baselining-list.308884/. Also read the comments on this thread. Alot of insight from very knowledgeable MUD members that will help you zero in on what best meets your trucks needs relative to your intended use.

Gratuitous and unsolicited related ramblings follow:
I started by simply inspecting as many of these items as I could, earmarking what appeared vintage for revitalization or replacement. The thought being that as I modified the truck to suit my needs everything else I didn't need to modify was at least gone over and knowingly in serviceable condition for the foreseeable future. Beyond the mods, ALWAYS use factory parts when and where you can. There are some items that can do from the aftermarket, but by and large stick with OEM as much as possible.

The temptation of course is to just bolt stuff on to address an intended use and deal with breakdowns or failures as they arise. Problem is tho, where I go - and from the sound of it where you will go too - is not the time or place to have to deal with failures. Especially as I usually wheel solo (not the best idea but it is what it is).
Plus worn parts "ahead or behind" new parts often lead to premature wear of the new part, negating the cost and effort to replace those parts to begin with. It's a long road frankly, when its your own wrenches turning. But it's def worth the effort in the long run and you'll learn a ton about just how well built and engineered (with the end-user in mind) these things are.
Took me 2 years of spring/summer/fall to finally get to the major mods I wanted to do (mostly interior - renewable air/power/water and thorough power monitoring). And my truck was in good (read period & stock) condition when I got it.

The few things I had a shop do were either just cheaper and faster for them to do (i.e. control arm bushes) or far beyond my motivation and tool/skillset (tranny rebuild, head refresh, etc). But they needed to be done nonetheless to ensure I returned from where ever the 3 lockers and winch took me. lol

Good luck and Happy Trails! Loved Grand Junction when I was there last, btw.

 

[Pascoscout]

With my 3" lift I did castor correction via DELTA Radius arms (bushings or plates also an option) and I did the rear pan hard bar relocation bracket because I got a little rear end wander at speed. I also added extended brake lines and both front and rear sway bar drop brackets.

Can you get by without that stuff, maybe. But if you drive on the road a lot to your trail heads you'll appreciate the castor correction and if you flex out your rig the rest is just cheap insurance to keep stuff from braking. New brake lines are also a good reason to flush the brake system which probably has 20 year old fluid in it.