got some questions!

[jpsnbrews]

hello to everyone,
new to the triad area and your forum. have been checking the forum out for awhile. i am getting some parts together for an install but need to check to see if im going in the right direction. hope that i can get some info.
i ordered a re 3.5 superflex kit. thought when i ordered i would be putting it on in a month or so and money was a factor - now over a year ago. ordered the kit and it came with a set of pro comp shocks and steering stabilizer. now i realize i should have gotten kit w/o shocks. live and learn.
since all that i have been trying to piece together other small things. have the sye from AA, some 33s, wheels, etc all for an 06 tj, 6 speed, d30/d35. haven't bought a drive shaft. this has progressed over a year and a half. in the process i have moved to nc, work work - ie: i can do more now.
now i am going with 4.5" coils and adding adj upper control arms front and rear. later i want to go long arm but for now this should be good. get it shaken down, add more armor, axles, etc. for now i have questions that i hope a few of you can chime in on.
i have a lot of questions and i have found limited answers from searching other forums. i haven't even posted anywhere as a lot of forums are more interested in 'where can i get a red anodized oil drain plug to match my jeep' or 'where is the best place to put my walmart sub box'. From trolling here i see there are actually people that fab, and more so, get off the internet and build, wheel, break, repeat. please humor me. i do have some jeep and mechanical knowledge and have been around jeeps before but never really done a ground up build. so here goes....
-- the re 1553 brake lines that came with 3.5 kit are the same part number for the 4.5 kit. can i get away with these or do i need to order something bigger than 20" to be safe?
-- the shocks that came with the 3.5 kit, some say the will fit 4.5 and some don't. pro comps own pdf for these says 3-4". guessing the kit will be taller before it settles a little so?? id really like to do this right and have been looking at the fox 2.0 and bilstein 5100 and just selling the pro comps. higher end shocks dont list lift size, they are sized by compressed/extended. so how do i figure out what i need?
-- the re 3.5 kit has a rear track bar bracket which is re1603 and the re 4.5 kit has a re1602. what is the difference? can i use what i have or do i need the other part number?
-- and speaking of rear track bar. do i need a new one?
-- the advance adaptors sye kit. i bought it new in box but from a guy that bought it new in the box and never used it. there is a little plastic bag of rings in there. o rings, a blue plastic piece, metal rings. is there supposed to be bolts or washers or anything else? according to the inst your supposed to label and place aside the stuff you take off. just want to make sure when OR IF i tear this open i don't have it apart waiting for parts im missing. opening the tcase is something i would like to have help with. id like to know how it goes together with some help vs pay for.
-- the 3.5 kit didn't come with front track bar or bracket. from what im reading i will need this so i should order this as well right?
-- the upper adj control arms for the front and back. how do i know how to adjust them? seems a silly question but how tight should they be or will i just know? the re install
directions have measurements as a starting point but how will i know if there is an adjustment to be made?
-- rear sway bar, do i really need it. jeep will see about 50/50 on and offroad driving.
-- can i really measure for a drive shaft before the sye and lift have been installed? tom woods and others say i can measure from the plastic boot thing at the tcase to the center of the joint at the rear end and get the numbers to order what i need. true?
-- and i think lastly. how hard is this to install? ive got a small garage space that i can use for about five days. ive never used a spring compressor, kinda scary some of the things ive read when using it too. tools i have available to me are basic hand tools, a old dewalt drill, im trying to bum a couple of floor jacks or just buy them, i found a guy on craigslist that had some of those stationary stand up floor jacks so im gonna look at getting them, and oh yeah i have no air tools.
some people were telling me i need some specific tools like a tie rod end puller and a pickle fork and air tools. im willing to try it but damn if its not freaking me out that if i get the thing torn apart and i get stuck on day four and have to have it hauled away in parts.
and fyi i called a few shops in the area. tried to call andy at CRS but never got a hold of him and saw on pirate he closed?? i called tarheel and left a message but never heard back. 4wp char quoted me a grand to install the lift and sye and they would order me a ds which was another 400. galloway told me 700 but i would be on my own for the drive shaft and sye kit as they don't touch t cases. another shop berated me for buying something other than rough county and told me how unsafe RE lifts are and they wouldn't dream of selling re or install them. they he transferred me to a guy in the shop and that guy told me he would do the lift for 800 as long as there is no welding or cutting but not the tcase or ds. lol, on and on.
i found this site randomly of a link from another site. i appreciate any and all info anyone can give me or direct me too. i dont know anyone here, if i was back home there would i could bribe my friends with pizza and beers and it would get done in a weekend or too. and i dont want to give the impression im here to get someone to do it for me. like with the tcase, id like to take it apart and have help vs paying for something and not gaining any new knowledge. im looking to make some friends to wheel with, learn from - not find free labor.
ive got some stuff on order and i am looking to start this cluster in the next 30 days. thanks for any info anyone can give me.
thx
steve o

 

[jpsnbrews]

ok, wrong place posted maybe?

 

[BigClay]

If you are looking for help and advice on 4x4s and related items, especially in NC, you are in the right place; however, to be honest, I haven't read your entire post because, well, I am lazy sometimes and don't feel like reading a novel to get to someone's question. Try breaking the questions up or at the very least putting some breaks between paragraphs to make it eaiser to read; and see if you get a better response. Just my $.02.

By the way welcome!

 

[RenegadeT]

If you are looking for help and advice on 4x4s and related items, especially in NC, you are in the right place; however, to be honest, I haven't read your entire post because, well, I am lazy sometimes and don't feel like reading a novel to get to someone's question. Try breaking the questions up or at the very least putting some breaks between paragraphs to make it eaiser to read; and see if you get a better response. Just my $.02.
By the way welcome!

x2, I read less than half of the original post, then bailed...

 

[redneckjeep87]

go to a local driveshaft shop to get your shafts...WAAAYYY cheaper than tom woods...universal driveshafts in kannapolis does great work with quick turnaround.......dont really need any swaybars IF your really careful...leave the front on and toss the rear, just get some quick disco's for th front......i would think for a 4.5 lift youll need adjustable trackbars, dont quote me on it tho...and yea you need them bc they keep your axles in line underneath your jeep......you dont neccesarily need airtools, they make everything go faster but they arent needed...cant tell you how many axleswaps and lifts ive done without em.... where at in nc are you at? me and a buddy of mine could possibly do it all for some cash...def less than all the shops...we've got everything needed over at his house...pm me or call me 7047467971 if interested.....
Tabb

 

[RatLabGuy]

Holy long text batman

 

[99ncxj]

yea, i would love to help you out but i got about 1/10th down your post and gave up. Sorry, just too lazy i guess. I would love to help you out if i can. I'll see if i have time to read it all later.

 

[Ron]

Im feeling nice...

hello to everyone,<snip to save space>hope that i can get some info.

hi, howdy, Welcome...lets see what we can do

i ordered a re 3.5 superflex kit. <snip to save space> live and learn.

Amen Live and learn...sell em on ebay, CL, here etc. and recoup some cash, mark the rest up to stupid tax...or just run em....

<snip to save space>06 tj, 6 speed, d30/d35. <snip to save space>

Ok....now we know what we are working on....

now i am going with 4.5" coils and adding adj upper control arms front and rear. later i want to go long arm but for now this should be good. get it shaken down, add more armor, axles, etc.

Ok so the previous info was back story now look 4.5...FWIW I would build once build right...building something thats not what you want with the stated intention of tearing it down in the future rarely makes you happy in the interim....

for now i have questions that i hope a few of you can chime in on.

oh we are just now getting to the questions...my bad disregard all previous comments.

i have a lot of questions and i have found limited answers from searching other forums.

I have to note you mention searching other forums but not searching here...lets hope that just a typo and carry on

i haven't even posted anywhere as a lot of forums are more interested in 'where can i get a red anodized oil drain plug to match my jeep' or 'where is the best place to put my walmart sub box'.

Red anodized oil drain plug?
Really what kinda fag wants red, blue is where its at
And Wal Mart is way too high on the sub boxes check out the flea market.

From trolling here i see there are actually people that fab, and more so, get off the internet and build, wheel, break, repeat.

yep there are many here that do, and plenty of other places as well....we also have more than our share of web wheelers...(regretfully myself included recently)

please humor me. <snip to save space>

Oh Ok...now we are ready to ask questions...got it....wait deja vu?
nah its all good.

-- the re 1553 brake lines that came with 3.5 kit are the same part number for the 4.5 kit. <snip to save space>

Well if they use the same part # on both kits you should be good...if you need longer try that search button there is a very good local vendor that will give you a better product at 1/4 the cost

-- the shocks <snip to save space>so how do i figure out what i need?

Back to the shocks....
since every vehicle and every lift are slightly different, Id say your best bet is to install the lift kit and see where you are with the shocks you have. If they wont work simply take a compressed and flexed measurement and use that chart you have...
No magic bullet here.

-- the re 3.5 kit has a rear track bar bracket which is re1603 and the re 4.5 kit has a re1602. what is the difference? can i use what i have or do i need the other part number?

the difference is the last digit one is a "3" and one is a "2"....
just kidding, sorry no specific experience with this kit cant help.

-- and speaking of rear track bar. do i need a new one?

Know what I just realized?
We dont know what your intended usage is.... this answer may vary a bit between high speed dune running and rock crawling...but Im gonna take a flyer and say just leave it off

-- the advance adaptors sye kit. i bought it new in box but from a guy that bought it new in the box and never used it. <snip to save space>

hopefully someone else bought this specific kit and can help...Id bet the bolts get re used though....thats what sucks about buying 2nd hand

-- the 3.5 kit didn't come with front track bar or bracket. from what im reading i will need this so i should order this as well right?

i am growing tired....I must have missed something. If you need it and dont have it, are you asking if you need to purchase it?
At this point let me make an observation. A lot of mention of ordering parts, and buying off some guy etc.
Its times like these where an extra $10 spent at our local vendors would pay off ten fold. We have authorized vendors for every parts you have mentioned on board, Im sure they would take 10 minutes for a values customer, to answer a product specific queestion.

-- the upper adj control arms for the front and back. how do i know how to adjust them? seems a silly question but how tight should they be or will i just know? the re install
directions have measurements as a starting point but how will i know if there is an adjustment to be made?

alignment?

-- rear sway bar, do i really need it. jeep will see about 50/50 on and offroad driving.

Am I missing something?
Maybe fatigue is whipping me or beer 14 may be the one with all the alcohol in itt tonight........didnt we cover this?

-- can i really measure for a drive shaft before the sye and lift have been installed? tom woods and others say i can measure from the plastic boot thing at the tcase to the center of the joint at the rear end and get the numbers to order what i need. true?

there goes that O word again.....
you ccan get a good estimate and probably be right....like I said in the shock reply though, if it were me I would want to measure whats real.

-- and i think lastly. how hard is this to install? ive got a small garage space that i can use for about five days. ive never used a spring compressor, kinda scary some of the things ive read when using it too. tools i have available to me are basic hand tools, a old dewalt drill, im trying to bum a couple of floor jacks or just buy them, i found a guy on craigslist that had some of those stationary stand up floor jacks so im gonna look at getting them, and oh yeah i have no air tools.
some people were telling me i need some specific tools like a tie rod end puller and a pickle fork and air tools. im willing to try it but damn if its not freaking me out that if i get the thing torn apart and i get stuck on day four and have to have it hauled away in parts.
and fyi i called a few shops in the area. tried to call andy at CRS but never got a hold of him and saw on pirate he closed?? i called tarheel and left a message but never heard back. 4wp char quoted me a grand to install the lift and sye and they would order me a ds which was another 400. galloway told me 700 but i would be on my own for the drive shaft and sye kit as they don't touch t cases. another shop berated me for buying something other than rough county and told me how unsafe RE lifts are and they wouldn't dream of selling re or install them. they he transferred me to a guy in the shop and that guy told me he would do the lift for 800 as long as there is no welding or cutting but not the tcase or ds. lol, on and on.

WOW.....
where to start..
you are going to need tool.
jackstands are life safety devices...learn the lesson of the kit bought with parts we dont know about..for under $100 you can have 4 good jack stands from Norther, HF etc.... and you will know their history.
There are a number of vendors here capable of installing this lift for you, but again they would be much more enthusiastic if you had purchased it from them. FWIW and not to start a bash fest, you mentioned 3 shops that you contacted....none of the 3 would do anything more technical than a tire install for me.
ALL have some good guys, but enough screw balls that you cant be sure what you are getting.

i found this site randomly of a link from another site. i appreciate any and all info anyone can give me or direct me too. i dont know anyone here, if i was back home there would i could bribe my friends with pizza and beers and it would get done in a weekend or too. and i dont want to give the impression im here to get someone to do it for me. like with the tcase, id like to take it apart and have help vs paying for something and not gaining any new knowledge. im looking to make some friends to wheel with, learn from - not find free labor.
ive got some stuff on order and i am looking to start this cluster in the next 30 days. thanks for any info anyone can give me.
thx
steve o

Welcome again...hang around a bit....there are plenty of folks here who would help a friend for a beer or two..but it really sounds like you need someone to provide knowledge, tools and work space. frankly 5 days is not a lot of time unless you are taking it off work and will put all days in...a few hours after work a night will eat up days in a heartbeat.
make a habit of looking through our vendor section, supporting the locals, (even if it costs a bit more) and make friends you will have all the help you need....
Next time please limit threads to one or two questions....I need a nap now

DAYUM CANT POST WITHOUT TRUNCATING MY QUOTS...IT EXCEEDED 10,000 characters max size....

 

[Mac5005]

A few words of advice.
Ditch the rear sway bar, and Drive carefully. Keep the front, and get some disconnects.

You are going to need to keep track-bars both front and rear, but you will need either brackets to move the mounting point(s) or will need adjustable ones.

On the brake lines...well deal with shocks first.

On the shocks, either run the procomps, or buy some. If you run the procomps, and they are built for 3-4 inches of lift, you will only lose droop travel, by running them with 4.5" of lift.

If you want to buy some other shocks, Get the lift on, and measure from the mounting hole(axle) to top mounting point AT Ride height(measurement A). Then measure from the bottom of the bumpstop, down to the axle(measurement B). Subtract the meas. B from the measure A, then subtract 1" from that to cover the compression of the bumpstop, and that gives you the Compressed length of the shock.

Then jack up the frame in increments, while leaving the axle on the ground. Jack the frame until either A) the brake lines/steering bind, or B) the control arms/driveshaft bind, and then lower frame down back an inch or so. and this will give you the measurent for the extended length of the shocks.

or

Measure the shocks you are running now, both extended and compressed, add the amount of lift you will be running to those measurements, and there you go.

For brakes lines, either use the ones with the kit, and you may have to move the mounting holes/clamps, to ensure they do not get tight before your suspension droops all the way, OR order new lines after getting the shocks mounted, to ensure they do not bind when drooped out.

As for driveshaft, Get all done with the SYE and the lift and measure to the correct specs, and get one made up.

The adjustable upper control arms are to re-align both the castor and pinion angle in the front, and the pinion angle in the rear, AFTER installing the lift and all the geometry changes.

You also may need a dropped Pittman arm, in order to keep your steering geometry from going all to shit. Just make sure you try to keep your drag-link, and your track par parallel, in order to try to avoid bumpsteer.

If you do not feel 110% confident that you can do any/all the work that is needed for the Lift/SYE install, and only have a limited amount of time for the install, then I'd reccommend taking it somewhere. If you had an open amount of time, then do it yourself, learn a little bit while doing it, and save some cash, that you could invest in a good jack and stands.
They are the most important tools you have because they are critical items that could seriously injure you, if they are inadequate.

Welcome to the board!!!!


(Another Holy Long Post, BATMAN)