One of the easiest ways you can give your Jeep Wrangler a majestic look is by giving it a little suspension lift. By lifting it a few inches off the axle, you not only give it a new vibe but also a heightened perspective where it will be towering way above other vehicles on the road. But, how do you give your Jeep such a majestic lift? Well! Glad you asked. You only need a Jeep lift kit installation and your Jeep will be good to go.
Now, whether you’re an off-road enthusiast or a frequent on-roader driving to and from town daily, lifting your Jeep Wrangler will come with myriad benefits. One of those is increased ground clearance to create some room to fit larger tires. Another one is giving your Jeep greater articulation to allow it to flex its suspension for better traction and stability.
How to Install Jeep Lift Kit: Step-by-Step Guide
So, in case you’ve been asking yourself whether a Jeep lift kit is a necessity or just a luxury, then I believe you have an answer. And since it’s everyone’s dream to have a Wrangler that’s an off-roading monster, this guide will discuss a step-by-step procedure of how you’re supposed to fit a Jeep lift kit on both the front and rear sections of your Jeep. So, if you’re ready, then let’s roll on.
Gather Your Essentials
- Jack and jack stands
- 3/8” and ½ “ ratchets
- 15mm, 16mm, 18mm, and 21mm sockets
- Extension
- 14mm, 15mm, 16mm, and 18mm wrenches
- Trim panel removal tool
The amount of time needed for the installation should be anywhere from 3 to 4 hours. The difficulty level is moderate meaning any enthusiast DIYer can manage to install the lift kit provided you follow these steps to the latter.
Front End Installation
- Step 1: Start by jacking off the Jeep using jack stands on both sides of the vehicle’s frame. When you’re done, pick a floor jack and place it beneath the axle on which you’ll be working on. When you’re done, remove the tires and the wheels.
- Step 2: Once your Jeep is off the ground, confirm whether all the accessories in your lift kit are present without missing anything. Also, confirm that all the installation tools are present. It’s always a good practice to start from the front and then work your way to the rear.
- Step 3: Start by removing the brake lines bracket to avoid stretching the brake lines when lowering the axle. Using the 18mm wrench and socket, remove the bolts on the way bar end links to loosen the axle.
- Step 4: Next, pick a 16mmwrench and socket to remove the upper mount of the front shock absorbers. Here, you’ll remove the upper nut, retainer, and grommet.
- Step 5: With the sway bar already out of the way, lower the axle using the floor jack to remove the coil springs. When lowering the axle, you need to be really careful to avoid stretching the ABS and breathers too much.
- Step 6: With the coil springs already loose, remove them gently then twist the factory bump stops to remove them as well. Also, you’ll have to remove the lower nut, grommet, and retainer of the lower shock mount.
So, with everything out of the way, it’s now time to relax and get ready to install your new Jeep lift kit.
- Step 7: Start by reinstalling the bump stop by aligning it together with the extension and the jounce tube. Lubricate it a little then lift the axle using the floor jack until the bump stop is seated steadily.
- Step 8: Next, slide the coil spring back on and slide it gently until it sits on the lower spring brackets groove.
- Step 9: Once you’re done, install the shocks by inserting the upper mount followed by the lower mount.
- Step 10: With everything set, lift the axle back to its initial position to prepare for the reinstallation of the end links and the wheels. To reinstall the sway bar, you’ll only need to use the factory hardware. Reinstall the front track bar, the wheels, and the tires before lowering your Jeep to the ground.
Rear End Installation
- Step 1: The first step of installing a lift kit on the rear of your Jeep is to lift it off the ground using jack stands on each side of the vehicle’s body and a floor jack to support the axle.
- Step 2: Next, remove the tires, the wheels, the brake line brackets, the ABS brackets, and the parking brake brackets.
- Step 3: When you’re done, use a 21mm socket to detach the rear track bar from the axle. Make sure that you only loosen the rear control arm bolts but not remove them.
- Step 4: Using 16mm and 18mm sockets, remove both bolts that support the upper and lower mounts of the shock absorbers. When you’re done, remove the shocks out of the way. With the brake line bracket and the ABS wiring also out of the way, lower the axle gently to create enough clearance to remove the coil springs.
- Step 5: In case there’s limited space, you can remove the sway bar to create more clearance. Once everything is out of the way, start by installing the new coil springs. You can use the factory spring isolator or spring pad to mount the new springs.
- Step 6: With the new coil springs installed, it’s now time to install the shocks. As usual, start by mounting the top section of the shocks then lift the axle just a little to mount the bottom part of the shocks.
- Step 7: Now that your new kit is installed, it’s time to restore every component to its initial position. This includes remounting the track bar, the sway bar, the brake line brackets, the ABS, and the breather brackets.
- Step 8: Now it’s time to reinstall the wheels and the tires. When you’re through, lower your Jeep to the ground and get ready to tackle the trails.
Conclusion
As you can see, replacing your Jeep’s old suspension system with a new lift kit is not a complex task. However, you need to follow each of these steps to the latter to ensure that you don’t mess up anything along the way. When choosing lift kits, you need to know that these accessories come in different types and sizes.
Therefore, you need to choose the right type and size that will work for your specific needs. Overall, lift kits are intended to lift your Jeep to indomitable heights to allow it to conquer the toughest of terrains with ultimate enthusiasm.