New Member - Looking for some help to tackle new suspension..Pizza and Beer included! (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Threads
5
Messages
45
Location
West Hills, CA
Hi All,

Been stalking this forum for a few years and have always dreamed of a triple locked FZJ80. Well, yesterday I took ownership of a white 1997 FZJ80 (purchased from a MUD member) and now the fun begins. I have also recently purchased an Ironman 4x4 2" suspension kit so I'm hoping to get that on the rig asap but I have an issue...I have no tools and minimal knowledge (outside of endless forum scrolls and countless Youtube videos). I'm eager to start participating more on this forum so I thought I can entice some local MUD members to help me out by providing some Pizza and Beer (or any beverage of your choice). Now, given the current climate of the world I understand some people might be wary of meeting up and I completely understand. Regardless, please PM me if you are local so we can connect!

Location: West Hills/Canoga Park, California (The Valley)
Vehicle: 1997 FZJ80 Locked
What I'm requesting: Help with my new suspension
What I'll give in return: Food, Beer, endless Thank You's

Feel free to PM me if you're anywhere in the vicinity I don't mind meeting up. Thanks all and stay safe.
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Congrats! I keep looking at 80s but they are hard to find in good condition anymore and the prices are out of control. Yours looks nice, best year and color.
 
Congrats! I keep looking at 80s but they are hard to find in good condition anymore and the prices are out of control. Yours looks nice, best year and color.
Thanks! And I agree with you about prices. I found this one via Mud but it was located in Vancouver Washington. It’s in great shape tho!
 
Congratulations! Nice looking rig! In addition to this clubhouse, you might also want to check in with the LA County Trail Crew. I don't know the club's status, but when I moved from the SFV to South OC 15 years ago, they were active & meeting in Sylmar.

Best wishes on your suspension work. Most of the work should be pretty simple with a 2" lift. If you decide to do castor correction bushings, even that's not too bad, you just have to find a shop to press out the old bushings & press in the new. For your 2", it's only springs & shocks, right (no brake line extensions, bump stop extenders, longer sway bar links, etc...)?
 
Its been said before and I will say it again. If I can do it you can do it - assuming youre able to do physical work. Never worked on cars or anything mechanical before acquiring my 80. First thing I did was install my 2.5 OME Heavy shocks and springs. Bought a 3 ton hydraulic jack (recommend buy >3 ton with a good max lift height), jack stands, metric tools, breaker bar, PB blaster, and a good light source. You will use these again when you install bull bar, rear bumper, skid plates, and sliders on your 80. And other things your 80 needs fixing.

OME suspension installation - Slee Off Road
I did not install caster correction bushings or brake line extensions.

I used Slee's instructional page on whats needed and how to lift the 80 (using Old Man Emu) in addition to the knowledge of fellow MUD members as backup resource. It took me two days (<8hrs labor?) taking my sweet time. I was able to do it on my own; but it could have been easier faster to have another person lending a hand or two - you are installing shocks and springs DUH!

I still dont know what Im doing but its great that IH8MUD exists. Good luck.
 
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Congratulations! Nice looking rig! In addition to this clubhouse, you might also want to check in with the LA County Trail Crew. I don't know the club's status, but when I moved from the SFV to South OC 15 years ago, they were active & meeting in Sylmar.

Best wishes on your suspension work. Most of the work should be pretty simple with a 2" lift. If you decide to do castor correction bushings, even that's not too bad, you just have to find a shop to press out the old bushings & press in the new. For your 2", it's only springs & shocks, right (no brake line extensions, bump stop extenders, longer sway bar links, etc...)?

Awesome, thanks for that. Yeah I've never done suspension work, Did brake rotors and pads on my 04' 4Runner but thats about it. I have the FSM and lots of youtube knowledge in my head lol. Not to mention the Slee article. I've also spent some time regarding the caster bushings. I think I'll get the lift on and see the alignment at my local shop before deciding what to do.
 
Its been said before and I will say it again. If I can do it you can do it - assuming youre able to do physical work. Never worked on cars or anything mechanical before acquiring my 80. First thing I did was install my 2.5 OME Heavy shocks and springs. Bought a 3 ton hydraulic jack (recommend buy >3 ton with a good max lift height), jack stands, metric tools, breaker bar, PB blaster, and a good light source. You will use these again when you install bull bar, rear bumper, skid plates, and sliders on your 80. And other things your 80 needs fixing.

OME suspension installation - Slee Off Road
I did not install caster correction bushings or brake line extensions.

I used Slee's instructional page on whats needed and how to lift the 80 (using Old Man Emu) in addition to the knowledge of fellow MUD members as backup resource. It took me two days (<8hrs labor?) taking my sweet time. I was able to do it on my own; but it could have been easier faster to have another person lending a hand or two - you are installing shocks and springs DUH!

I still dont know what Im doing but its great that IH8MUD exists. Good luck.
You are like the voice inside my brain HA! Everything you mentioned I think I have in an online cart for checkout at Harbor Freight. I think I'm going to give it a whirl and take my sweet time. No rush. Spending a decent chunk on automotive equipment but it will come in handy as you said. I'll keep you updated. Thank you.
 
Go searching for an epic fail on a Harbor Freight jack! Almost killed one of our SoCal members a few years back!

Edit - Yikes...more than a few years back - 2009! See my next post with link to the thread.
 
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Saved you the search - here's the thread.

 
Saved you the search - here's the thread.

Good god....
 
Awesome, thanks for that. Yeah I've never done suspension work, Did brake rotors and pads on my 04' 4Runner but thats about it. I have the FSM and lots of youtube knowledge in my head lol. Not to mention the Slee article. I've also spent some time regarding the caster bushings. I think I'll get the lift on and see the alignment at my local shop before deciding what to do.
If you can do rotors, you can do springs & shocks! Good call on the caster correction. Firestone has (or at least had) a lifetime wheel alignment package. It’s very handy to be able to check/adjust your alignment at any time. I checked my caster several times (stock, and with 2 different sets of springs, before & after correction, etc...). If you’re still within factory specs after the lift, there’s no need for correction. Good luck with the lift!
 
Good god....
Not to bag on a fellow’Mudder, but it doesn’t matter how cheap or how expensive a jack is, I’d never get under any vehicle without good quality jack stands of the appropriate capacity & height needed for the vehicle & the job. If you don’t have good, tall, heavy duty jack stands, I’d suggest you buy/borrow/rent some for this project.
 
Not to bag on a fellow’Mudder, but it doesn’t matter how cheap or how expensive a jack is, I’d never get under any vehicle without good quality jack stands of the appropriate capacity & height needed for the vehicle & the job. If you don’t have good, tall, heavy duty jack stands, I’d suggest you buy/borrow/rent some for this project.
I was going to buy the 12 ton ones. I’ve heard great things.
 
Saved you the search - here's the thread.


That's why I don't like to raise those jacks up.
I prefer to use the tallest ones I can find on their minimum lift setting (zero).
The 12 ton ones are a good example. 19.5" high.
 
That's why I don't like to raise those jacks up.
I prefer to use the tallest ones I can find on their minimum lift setting (zero).
The 12 ton ones are a good example. 19.5" high.
Super scary. Also doesn’t hurt to put a tire under alongside your stands and floor jack.
 
Here's how I look at tools and such.
It's not an investment for the current job, but one for future jobs I will do on the car.
I used them numerous times and mine are the 6 ton ones. I wish I got the 12 ton version which I probably will for more peace of mind.

So you will end up dividing the initial cost over multiple jobs you will do in the future.

These ones are on sale, clearance actually. Try using a coupon too if they allow you. For $90 these are cheap and good to go because you don't have to raise them up since they are tall to start with.

Suspension work is easy, but time consuming the way we do it alone in our garage.

12 ton Steel Jack Stands
 
There is a recall on the 3ton and 6ton jack stands.
I returned my 6ton set today and got the 12ton ones using a discount code.
 

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