Installing a 2.5" lift in my garage myself?

[Steveo]

Having said that...

• Have a buddy type person help, sometimes a second pair of hands is very helpful
• Yes, have two jacks for the job. And jack stands.
• Invest in your own skills and tool collection, don't pay other people to do so
• Installing a lift kit is straight forward (My Mopar lift was my first install) but can be time consuming. Especially when holes don't line up (I'm looking at you LCAs) and torquing everything to spec.
• As others have said, follow the written instructions (Mopar cartoon instructions are full of errors, keep this in mind) and you'll be fine.
• End-link bolts top/bottom are the same diameter but different thread pitches. This might save you a few minutes. (iirc) Put the nuts back on the bolts to keep track while they're out.
• The front bump stops are kind of a bitch to install. Have some flex-head wrenches/ratchets for this. A strap-wrench helps too. (this is Mopar lift specific advice)

Bottom line, if you're confident with a wrench (and have the right wrenches etc.) then you can do this job. You can't really screw it up, 'cept for possibly putting parts in the wrong places (Note: this is where Mopar instructions have errors)

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[Thegrants82]

So... I am very handy around the house and on cars. That being said, I have never installed a lift on a Jeep myself. I plan to buy a 2.5" lift and would prefer to install it myself, more for the project and learning than to save money. I put my winch on myself and few other things and I think it's a lot of fun.

That being said, several friends have told me a spring compressor, which I've never used, can be extremely dangerous. My questions is this, can I install the lift and components of the lift and then drive it to a shop to have them swap the springs out? I am not sure the order of installing the parts so I wasn't sure if this was a possibility.

Any tips on using a spring compressor safely?

TIA!

Simple job. YouTube and go at a slow pace. It’s really not that hard.

 

[Neanderthalman]

Go for it!

One thing not mentioned - make sure you’ve got enough overhead clearance to get the Jeep *out* of the garage when you’re done.

 

[pitsqrd]

Chem,
As some of the replies indicate, it's not that hard. I am new to Wranglers but have been wrenching on cars since I was 14 when my Dad and I re-built, painted and upholstered a 1965 Mustang as my 1st car. I just installed a Rubicon take off suspension and the Mopar longer control arms in my 2020 Sahara last weekend. I did not need to use a spring compressor, I don't really think you need to do something like that unless you have a lift greater than 3.5" and are not using a lift.
Having said this, I would recommend you have at least a couple jack stands that you can get to about 18" high or higher and at least one or two floor or bottle jacks that you can use to support and lower your axles so can create space between the frame and axles to pull out the old spring and install the new springs without having to compress them.

There are a lot of good detailed videos (some bad ones also) on the internet that show you how to do this type of install and although a lot of the videos show the work being done with a lift, keep in mind that if you aren't going to use a lift, the work will not be exactly the same as the video show, because you will need to use the floor jacks and Jack stands instead.
You will also need some 1/2 sockets and box/combo wrenches in the 18mm-24mm range and I recommend at least a 24 inch 1/2 breaker bar as some of the bolts and nuts are torqued pretty tight from the factory. You will need a torque wrench that can go up to at least 160 ft-lbs (higher is better).

If you do have some buddies who have replaced spring and shocks before it would definitely be a great idea to have them help. Again there is a lot of good info on the internet, and I found these two pretty helpful for my install: and . The E-brake relocation is optional if you aren't doing a 3" or greater lift, but I did it anyway and made my own bracket, because it did help me lower the rear axle to get the springs out without the e-brake cables being hung up.

Just budget a little more time and take your time. Good luck and rest assured the good people on this forum are standing by to provide info and suggestions.

Thanks
G

 

[oceanblue2019]

So... I am very handy around the house and on cars. That being said, I have never installed a lift on a Jeep myself. I plan to buy a 2.5" lift and would prefer to install it myself, more for the project and learning than to save money. I put my winch on myself and few other things and I think it's a lot of fun.

That being said, several friends have told me a spring compressor, which I've never used, can be extremely dangerous. My questions is this, can I install the lift and components of the lift and then drive it to a shop to have them swap the springs out? I am not sure the order of installing the parts so I wasn't sure if this was a possibility.

Any tips on using a spring compressor safely?

TIA!

You don't need a spring compressor to get them out. Depending on what lift you may want a spring compressor to get them back in, but is doable without as well.

As long as you are smart enough to realize a compressed spring contains enough energy to kill you and can read the safety instructions on how to use the spring compressor you are fine. AutoZone loans them out for free as part of their tools program.

 

[Thegrants82]

You absolutely do not need a spring compressor but it makes so much easier.

You don't need a spring compressor to get them out. Depending on what lift you may want a spring compressor to get them back in, but is doable without as well.

As long as you are smart enough to realize a compressed spring contains enough energy to kill you and can read the safety instructions on how to use the spring compressor you are fine. AutoZone loans them out for free as part of their tools program.

 

[jessedacri]

I just got an RK Flex No limits 2.5" in and back when I was looking at Metalcloak I was going to do it myself - now with all the adjustable length LCAs/swaybar links, there's a bunch of specific adjustments to make and jam nuts that need something like 275ft-lbs once they're in position.

Having never done a lift before but skilled with a wrench (despite owning not many tools), is this something I can work my way through? The instructions seem doable, but it's the precise lengthening of the arms and links as well as not quite knowing the tool required to apply 275-315ft-lbs on massive 1 1/4" jam nuts.

 

[Thegrants82]

Amazon electric impact gun for like 50 bucks.

I just got an RK Flex No limits 2.5" in and back when I was looking at Metalcloak I was going to do it myself - now with all the adjustable length LCAs/swaybar links, there's a bunch of specific adjustments to make and jam nuts that need something like 275ft-lbs once they're in position.

Having never done a lift before but skilled with a wrench (despite owning not many tools), is this something I can work my way through? The instructions seem doable, but it's the precise lengthening of the arms and links as well as not quite knowing the tool required to apply 275-315ft-lbs on massive 1 1/4" jam nuts.

 

[oceanblue2019]

You absolutely do not need a spring compressor but it makes so much easier.

Did you not read what I said?

 

[DOOKEY]

Amazon electric impact gun for like 50 bucks.

Be honest. You've never torqued down jam nuts before have you.

 

[Thegrants82]

Did you not read what I said?

Was I replying to you? Nope.
Did I read what you said? Nope.

 

[jessedacri]

Amazon electric impact gun for like 50 bucks.

Be honest. You've never torqued down jam nuts before have you.

I mean yeah - there's not a chance in hell an electric impact is going to be able to touch these jam nuts. Exactly why I'm curious as to how one would do it. Is it just a situation where you need to just get a large, basic adjustable wrench and crank it down as hard as you can?

edit-seems like Metalcloak has or once had a specialty bit, is this what people typically use or is there a more common way?

 

[DOOKEY]

Big adjustable.
Correct size wrench.
Pipe wrench if you want scarred nuts.

Always nice to put a piece of pipe on the wrench.

 

[Chemy350]

Wow!! Soo much good information here!!! I truly cant thank you all enough- you have not let me down!

I consider myself very meticulous and detail oriented when wrenching. I have my A+P license (Airframe and powerplant) which is an aircraft mechanic. I only did it for a year or so before I left the business but I love doing this stuff. I don't know the first thing about a lift kit, I have paid previously to have it done.

I do have a few good Porsche technicians here that have no experience in lift kits but would be happy to help me. I have most of the tolls listed. I'll need a couple of high jack stands and maybe a new torque wrench.

I will be sure to post here if I have any questions and I will also post after I do it

Thank you all!

 

[Chemy350]

Chem,
As some of the replies indicate, it's not that hard. I am new to Wranglers but have been wrenching on cars since I was 14 when my Dad and I re-built, painted and upholstered a 1965 Mustang as my 1st car. I just installed a Rubicon take off suspension and the Mopar longer control arms in my 2020 Sahara last weekend. I did not need to use a spring compressor, I don't really think you need to do something like that unless you have a lift greater than 3.5" and are not using a lift.
Having said this, I would recommend you have at least a couple jack stands that you can get to about 18" high or higher and at least one or two floor or bottle jacks that you can use to support and lower your axles so can create space between the frame and axles to pull out the old spring and install the new springs without having to compress them.

There are a lot of good detailed videos (some bad ones also) on the internet that show you how to do this type of install and although a lot of the videos show the work being done with a lift, keep in mind that if you aren't going to use a lift, the work will not be exactly the same as the video show, because you will need to use the floor jacks and Jack stands instead.
You will also need some 1/2 sockets and box/combo wrenches in the 18mm-24mm range and I recommend at least a 24 inch 1/2 breaker bar as some of the bolts and nuts are torqued pretty tight from the factory. You will need a torque wrench that can go up to at least 160 ft-lbs (higher is better).

If you do have some buddies who have replaced spring and shocks before it would definitely be a great idea to have them help. Again there is a lot of good info on the internet, and I found these two pretty helpful for my install: and . The E-brake relocation is optional if you aren't doing a 3" or greater lift, but I did it anyway and made my own bracket, because it did help me lower the rear axle to get the springs out without the e-brake cables being hung up.

Just budget a little more time and take your time. Good luck and rest assured the good people on this forum are standing by to provide info and suggestions.

Thanks
G

Thank you!! Great Info!

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