Lift nightmare!!! Well sorta.

[kolesy]

Put the lift on a week ago! Let me tell you somethin! It started out as a b-e-a-utiful Saturday morning. My wife, myself and a friend headed up to the hobby shop on base to install the lift cause they had a strut compressor(key word had). So we started on the back and we had the back on in a matter of 20 minutes. Lowered it off the jacks and I was in love!!! =D> It raised the back up 2.8 inches!!!! So then we started on the front. Everything came out fine. Then I went to disassemble the stock front struts. When I went up to the compressor I knew this was goona be interesting. This thing was older than the oldest man alive I think!! Well I got it apart with minimal trouble considering what I was working with. Then I took the strut plates I orderd as well to see how they fit. Well they were drilled just a hair off and they wouldn't fit over the stut studs so I had to machine two of the holes out a lil more. They fit just fine after that then. so then i went to assemble the new BIGGER struts. Yeah everyone knows how strut compressors can be and I had my doubts about this one but I forged ahead anyways. Well as I was compressing the new spring one of the upper arms on the strut sompressor somes off the spring and the strut plate goes flying across the Shop at MAC1! I missis my wife's head by a few feet! I almost crapped my pants on that one! Heaven forbid if she would have gottin hit by it! After that I was through tryin to use their haggard compressor so I called around a slew of places to put the new ones together for me to no avail. So my neighbor works at Sears auto center and said he could to em for me the next day. I was forced to assemble the one old strut I took apart to put back on. I did this ever so carefully. put the old front back together and drove home to take the struts back off again to give my neighbor for the next day. You should of seen how funny my kj looked with just the back end lifted! So the next day I get em back throw em on and I was in heaven!!! I love this lift so far and I can't wait to test it offroad!

Just be aware of using these strut compressors!!!! Make sure the tools you use are servicable!! Trust me!!!!

Also any body have the strut plates from Rusty's and if so did they fit good when you got them?

 

[Bennett]

Geez thats a scary expierience... Everytime so far when I take apart my struts I go to autozone and rent their strut compressor (they are free, but you need to put a deposit down).

Also any body have the strut plates from Rusty's and if so did they fit good when you got them?

Yea same thing happened to me... Had to drill out the holes larger. I thought it was just my struts, but apparently they don't drill them correctly. It's a shame because they cost so much to begin with and then they don't even fit correctly.

 

[kolesy]

Yeah I asked Autozone here if they haqd one to rent but they didn't so I had to go up to my hobby shop on base. But at least they had a drill press for me to use to ream out the strut plates! \/
They biggest thing I wanted people to get outta that post was just to make sure you use the right tools for the job and you know how to actually use them. I don't know what I would have done if that plate hit my wife.

 

[Gordo]

Same thing with me and my Rusty's strut plate. I wonder why Rusty's couldn't get the holes drilled correctly. Sure extends the amount of time you need to install the lift when you have to machine out the holes. You were lucky that you had access to a nice drill press. It ***** trying to do it with a 12V cordless drill.

 

[kolesy]

I bet man! So did you just put the plates in a vice or somethin??

 

[Gordo]

Nope, just stepped on it with one foot and drilled away. When doing the first plate I had to stop 1/2 way through and charge up the battery.

 

[bohica-kj]

quick question.....do all lifts require a strut compresser?
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I just ordered the Day Star 2.5. Am I going to need one to install it?

 

[kolesy]

Yep. Cause if you are using a spacer lift you must disassemble the front struts to put the new spacer in place. The spacer seats between the spring and spring seat. If you are getting new coils for up front and using the stock strut, same thing you need a compressor. The only way you would not need one is if your new lift comes with the front struts already pre-assembled. I think the frankenlifts come with pre-assembled struts but no others. I could be wrong on that one though.

 

[Bennett]

Nope, just stepped on it with one foot and drilled away. When doing the first plate I had to stop 1/2 way through and charge up the battery.

haha me too, but I had a big milwaukee 1/2 hp arm ripper "off-er" drill.