Lifting! got questions

94STXRanger · Mar 6, 2008

Alright so yesterday me and a buddy started working on getting my lift on. Decided to do it in steps so we started with the rivets. We cut, grinded, pounded, drilled and everything else you could think of on the first one. Then we found out the quickest way. So the rest we cut the head some, air chiseled the rest of, drill the rivet and beat it out. It went smooth, iguess. We got all four out on the radius arms and put bolts in there place.
So tomorrow we are gonna attack the pass. side bracket. I figured the best way to get to those PITAs was to take that bolt out and drop the beam. Does that sound about right? If i just unbolt the beam and let it fall it shouldnt fly off anywhere because of the spring should it? Just let it hang while we de-rivet?
Hopefully we will get those buggers out and start putting on brackets. Everything seems like it should go well, my only real concern is the springs. Should i undo the radius arms, bolt the beams to the frame, and slowly lower the beams to get the springs out? Or bolt the beams and arms and just let them down that way?
I think thats all my questions and hopefully it should go smoothly, but who knows. Any advice on the rear? Im putting in 3" blocks- :no2:

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Thanks for the help!

Thighman · Mar 6, 2008

So wait did you add the radius arm drop bracket I pressume or are you just pieceing together something and replaced rivets with bolts for the fun of it lol.

Anyway, yes just drop the axle thats fine. Now with the stock radius arms it may be difficult to get the coil back in there, but not impossible. Actually I just completley rolled the axle out... its way easier that way.

But anyway, how were you gonna get the new coils on if you didnt do that. I hope I understood you lol

94STXRanger · Mar 6, 2008

Yesterday i was replacing each rivet with a bolt so i could drive it home, gonna put on all the brackets tomorrow.
For the springs, i know i have to drop the beam, but should i undo the radius arm or the brackets to keep them from binding up or anything? Basically leave them connected when replacing springs or dis connect them.

94STXRanger · Mar 6, 2008

Any suggestions?

4x4junkie · Mar 7, 2008

I just drop the whole axle down to the ground and move it out of the way. Seems easier that way rather than trying to wiggle drills/grinders/chisels/etc in between there.

94STXRanger · Mar 7, 2008

well we basically wiggled everything. its being atotal PITA. hopefully done tommorrow. Luckily i crushed my fingers between the spring and lower mount! Im a dumass.

mkpecor · Mar 7, 2008

unbolt the radius arms to and the they will come off with the front susp..

michowski · Mar 7, 2008

its really not that bad. Just use 2 drill bits from small to larger, then use an air chisel to finish it off. Once I got in a good rythm doing this for all the leaf spring shackles, front end peices for a lift I was popping a rivet like every 2 minutes. It helps when your drill bits are sharp too.

87xlt · Mar 7, 2008

take both pass and d side beams out, with everything attached(coil, radius arm),your gonna have to, to get those rivets under the engine.....and kinda sketchy taking out rivets and replacing with bolts so you can drive home, but thats just me.

its just kinda a pain in the ass to line up the hole in the beam with the drop bracket on the pumpkin side but once you got the bolt through, just use a jack to jack it up and tigheten your bolts up. good to go.

make sense? ive had a few beers

compleckz · Mar 8, 2008

87xlt said:
and kinda sketchy taking out rivets and replacing with bolts so you can drive home, but thats just me.

i love the idea, if you dont have much time to work on it, and its your daily driver-- this is a great way to minimize downtime. we all bolt the drop brackets on anyways, so whats wrong with bolting on the stock brackets?

metalmacguyver · Mar 8, 2008

87xlt said:
kinda sketchy taking out rivets and replacing with bolts so you can drive home, but thats just me.

What do you think the rivets are replaced with anyway? What he is doing is just fine.

Totalled · Mar 8, 2008

There's a factory TSB on replacing the rivets with bolts because the rivets get loose in their holes and make clunking nosies in some vehicles.

canyoncritter · Mar 8, 2008

as long as he used good bolts grade 8 etc,and bolts that fit and not some no grade home dump bolts he will be just fine with the bolts in place of the rivits.

undo the calipers, hang em out of your way, undo the front drive shaft,tie it up out of your way,take the bands off the axle shaft slip yoke boot.

pull the radius arm nut and pull the bolt out of the beam piviot, use a pry bar to push the beam out of the piviot bracket, pull passenger side beam out and to the right. let the axle shaft seperate at the slip yoke, do the same with the other side, and reverse to put back in...install piviot drop brackets...when putting back in, leave the radius arms semi lose on the beams, makes it easier to get the radius arm/beam combo in in one shot.

if you have 2 people its really very simple to drop the front ends on rangers

94STXRanger · Mar 9, 2008

Thanks for all the help guys. Got it all finished. Will post pics soon.

Lifting! got questions

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Yeah, I built that.

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