lifting ttb's is a PITA!!!!!

[xkotyx]

just thought id say! especially when you dont have every right tool. worked on it for 6 hours and the front still isnt done. got the worst of it out of the way though. at least the rear will be a breeze!

 

[adsm08]

One of the reasons I decided not to lift.

 

[ragajungle]

Koty,
What is the hardest part? I am planning to do mine (my kit has been sitting since June).

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

One of the reasons I decided not to lift.

5 Years ago, I started my lift after work at 5pm and drove it home drove it home by 11:30pm. It still needed an alignment, but it was all together. With the right tools, and a hoist...its pretty simple actually.

 

[xkotyx]

5 Years ago, I started my lift after work at 5pm and drove it home drove it home by 11:30pm. It still needed an alignment, but it was all together. With the right tools, and a hoist...its pretty simple actually.

haha we didnt have ALL the right tools, so there was some impravising. and definately no hoist. but we're getting there

 

[xkotyx]

Koty,
What is the hardest part? I am planning to do mine (my kit has been sitting since June).

well what was a pain for me, was you have to grind off 4 rivets holding the drop bracket on the engine crossmember. we got one side mostly off the rivets, then our grinder broke. so we had to spend a while drilling all the way through the rivets.
and when putting it back in, the 2 sides of the axles had spread apart alittle- the easiest fix for that was to strap a come-along to each side and just winch the sides together.

biggest advice though, is make sure you have AT LEAST one helper, but 2 was ideal for me, cosidering we didnt have a hoist nor all the ideal tools.

 

[colby450xc]

Rivets kinda suck but a good grinder makes short work of them, that is if u can get the grinder on the rivets. Other than that rust sucks a bit and the nut holding the coil spring if it is rusty it is a mother.

 

[xkotyx]

Rivets kinda suck but a good grinder makes short work of them, that is if u can get the grinder on the rivets. Other than that rust sucks a bit and the nut holding the coil spring if it is rusty it is a mother.

yeah, we got the grinder up to the bolts, but the grinder motor went out before we were finished, so we spent a while drilling because i was the only one with a vehicle, which was in pieces.

and the bolts on the coil springs were kinda rusty, but we used a good cheater pipe on the end of the wrench so it wasnt too bad

 

[Destroyer000]

i usually disassemble the front axle and put the beams up separately. Much easier that way and you get the regrease the bearings and everything since your in their.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Of course it's a pain, if it wasn't, everyone would do it!
Good luck on yours

Richard

 

[holyford86]

i usually disassemble the front axle and put the beams up separately. Much easier that way and you get the regrease the bearings and everything since your in their.

And this coming from someone that has installed at least a half dozen TTB lifts, and removed and disassembled countless others. It definately is easier to work with beam by beam, you would think it would be easier in one piece but you will spend more time fighting with it.

 

[TRX501RYAN]

I did alot of mine myself with the odd helping hand here and there and the worst thing is the stupid rivtes, i did major grinding on all of them up front plus replace all the hangers, other then that i did alot of other work, like all new brakes lines and ETC i took about 2 weeks doing it, working here and there, and taking my time, running back and forth to get parts and wating on others... but wasnt all that bad... having all the parts ready and an extra hand it could be done in a day,

 

[86 slo-vo]

a plasma cutter is best for the rivits, had all mine off easily...

i put the front end of my truck togather by myself, it deffinantly sucked...one beam at a time but i still had to fight it alot

 

[xkotyx]

yeah we have been constantly fighting it. we are almost completely done with the front end. i have to work tomorrow plus its the girlfriends birthday. so they are gonna start on it while im at work.

might have to tell the old lady we can celebrate her birthday when we get the ranger back together

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Koty,
What is the hardest part? I am planning to do mine (my kit has been sitting since June).

Rust and any Rivited parts are the worst unless you have the proper tools, then it isn't too bad. An Oxy-propane or Oxy-actelyne torch and an air chisel makes things a lot easier (impact gun helps too) even if you don't have a 2-post lift at your disposal.



I've lifted and repaired several suspensions right in the driveway. Once I had the privledge of doing it in my neighbors garage where I had access to air tools (and it made the job considerably easier working with air on a concrete floor). And twice I got to work on suspensions in a regular shop with a 2-post lift at my disposal (now THAT was nice!). TTB isn't all that hard to work on if you have a helping hand or two and a few of the proper tools.