[ I apologize for the lack of pictures. We were on limited time and weren't prepared for photography to be a part of the conversion. If you have any questions about the details, please e-mail me: [email protected] ]
My beginning RigRater Score: 304RRv1.0 with a BOA of 14.44.
Some measurements for this phase only:
The ProComp 4" kit was chosen for many reasons. The biggest has to
be the completeness. The only thing I added that I thought should have
been in the kit was the drop pitman arm. I got the after market polyurethane
bushings to replace the frame end of the shackle bushings. Since it's
all down, replace what can be replaced.
For those of you who are thinking about this, or almost any, type of conversion or replacement, be prepared. This takes more time than you expect and more tools than you probably have. Along with the standard english and metric socket and wrench sets, we used:
1" box iron rod, 3' long (required. Do not attempt without
this wrench extension.)
5hp gas powered air compressor, w/ hose
1/2" air impact wrench
3" cutoff wheel, air powered
brake line tools (cutter, flange, wrenches)
Sawzall
Pitman arm puller (rented)
torque wrench (10 to 120 ft-lbs), high quality
monkey wrench (to remove old, rusty front shocks)
small 2 ton floor jack
large 5 ton floor jack
2 small jack stands for holding the axles (a third one would have helped
keep the axle from rolling at times)
2 large jack stands for holding the frame and body
Brake fluid
For a month before doing any conversion like this, oil all the bolts and nuts. I used a lot of WD-40 and sprayed everything except some brake brackets. We regretted this little oversight and it added about 6 man-hours to the job.
The installation was nearly textbook. Although we had our share of snags. First, the upper front shocks bolt was very stiff. To overcome this we put a rag on a 9/16" box end wrench and put it on the upper nut. Then we let that rest against the body as we turned the upper shock with a monkey wrench. This took some time, but it got the job done.
The old brake bolts and fittings were a minor problem. Brake line is somewhat fragile compared to the amount of work that is required to get it loose. We didn't have brake tools, so we CAREFULLY used vice grips on the fittings. I don't recommend this at all. Get the right tools to do the job. The front passenger side was the sacrificial learning prop. We ended up cutting back about 12" of brake line and mating a new section in place. We never did find the fitting mounting screw after it finally came out. For the front drivers side fitting mount we removed the air cleaner, removed the air cleaner mounting plate, pushed the body out of the way, and really cranked on the T40 screw. It came out, but we didn't put it back in. We put in a new grade 8 machine hex bolt here as well. A much better install than factory all around. And now I have stainless steel braided brake lines. Be careful how these are twisted before they get tightened down. They can rub on the tire or get pinched in the shock if not done correctly.
The biggest time consumers were the drop pitman arm and two of the spring bolts on the body. First the pitman arm. This was on there with no chance of it coming off. The 7 ton 2 arm puller tried, but no way. The pitman arm puller didn't have what it needed either. We pounded, oiled, pried, and wished. Then someone put the Sawzall to it. That dulled some blades and made a few nicks in the arm. Then out came the grinder. Three cuts later we still had the pitman arm attached to the steering box. The 2 arm puller came back out, but didn't do anything until someone lightly tapped the arm with a hammer. The arm simply fell off while the two arm puller crashed to the floor. The steering box looked OK with only 2 shallow nicks in the pinion. We put the new arm on and it was all back together in a matter of minutes.
The spring bolt that wouldn't budge. Both were on the drivers side and both were where the springs attach to the frame (not the shackle). These things just wouldn't move. The nuts came off just fine, but the bolts seemed to be bonded with the bushing sleeve and bushing. We could put the breaker bar on the bolt but it only twisted the spring. The grinder once again to the rescue. The bolts were cut between the spring and the fame and the spring dropped right out. New bolts were found and the project continued.
There are a lot of places on the Internet to read about doing this conversion and the steps there-in. Here is what those sites, and the lift manufacturers don't tell you:
1. Get more parts than what came with the kit.
A. New drop pitman arm. My new unit is 4" of drop and 5.5" center-to-center. It works well.
B. More polyurethane bushings. Replace the bushings where the shackles attach to the frame. Also, the bushing kit I purchased had much higher quality bushing sleeves. The ProComp kit came with stamped sleeves, the bushing kit had solid sleeves.
C. Grease will squirt out of every possible fitting. Have a full grease gun on hand when you are done.
D. Polyurethane lube came in handy for putting all the bushings in place. This adds a little time, but is worth it.
E. Polyurethane tie rod and drag link grease fittings are also a good investment. Have these on hand before you start the project.2. The transfer case drop is not a good long-term idea. My transfer case dropped about 1.5" and has caused the following changes:
A. The engine moved back about 1.75", putting great stress on the engine mounts. There is no doubt that this will shorten the soft rubbers' life span.
B. The exhaust is not sitting correctly since it attaches to the transfer case skid plate. The exhaust rattles horribly.
C. With the engine mounts stressed as they are, all the engine vibration is transferred directly to the frame. To put it bluntly, at traffic lights and other idle times, prepare for a rough wait.
D. The gear and transfer case shifters will drop about an inch. This may be uncomfortable for some drivers. I found them to be a little more "correct."
E. ProComp does mention that the shifters may hit the body and might not go into gear. Their solution is to notch to body under the shifter boot. Luckily I did not have to do this. I did have a problem with the gearshift hitting an after market console. I slid the console backwards to fix.3. Bump steer is not as bad as most claim. But on-highway bouncing at 65 MPH and above was quite noticeable. Jeep tells you that a Jeep doesn't drive like a car. After this conversion, it will drive even less like a car. Slow and easy is the best way to keep the shiny side up.
4. Always get new spring to axle U-bolts. And if you swap the 4" springs out of the kit, also swap out the U-bolts. The U-bolts I ended with are quite long. My installation would have been fine with a new set of stock sized U-bolts. On the bright side, I can put in shimms for more pinion angle without getting longer bolts.
Some additional advice for installation:
First, if it's your Jeep, don't drink alcoholic
beverages during the conversion. Let the crew helping you drink, that's
fine, within limits. But your head needs to be clear and you need to
be very aware of what everyone is doing to your vehicle.
Second, use the instructions provided. Even if
it means a 30 minute time-out while work stops. My crew enjoyed the
breaks and used the time to get more beer and recycle the used beer.
Third, feed the crew. I was VERY LUCKY that we
had a GREAT helper inside the house taking care of the things I totally forgot
about. She had some rules that we followed and she fed us well.
I wish that I had planned on this so she wouldn't have had to do it.
But Kari, you were great!!! Thanks!!!
Fourth, you torque all the bolts. Period. Your
life, your Jeep, your insurance, your family, everything, rides on those
being perfect. Don't let your friend with a 6 hour beer induced buzz
set the torque for you.
Five, double or triple check the brakes, lines, fittings,
hoses. Two people checked mine before I looked at them. Have someone
else double-check your work if you do the brakes yourself.
All this writing might seem like a downer, but it isn't. These are the things that everyone should know before they dive into this project. I had my suspicions, but did not know about all these little caveats. I hope that this page can inform and enlighten. But please don't let this page dissuade you from doing what you want. Please let it inform you of some of the troubles and differences you may experience. And, above all, be safe.
My end of Phase 1 RigRater Score: 317RRv1.0 with a BOA of 18.78.