I am about ready to buy the SL but a few things i need to know first.

1) am i goin to need new O-rings like the instructions say?

2) other than the torsoin bar puller what other special tools will i need?

3)all i have is basic handtools can it be done or do i need to borrow a compresser and air tools?

4)I will have a couple of buddys help (none who have ever installed a superlift) about how many hours is the install time?

5)What problems can i expect to run into during and after i install the lift? (besides front driveshaft)

guys who have put a SL on give me the good and the bad...i want to know what i am gettin myself into in advance. Thanks

 

it can be done with hand tools but it will be much easier if you can use air tools... expect everything to take twice as long as you expect... i have never doen a SL just the RCD and 2wd spindles so i cant give any specific advise

 

dude....borrow a compressor. I'm tired of throwing on lifts w/o having air. Usually it's only at my buddys house. Shoot I bring my compressor to help out. Compressor will definately help with the tear down process.

Sorry....no superlift experience experiece here.

 

1) I didnt use new O-rings.
2)None, I modified a $6 C clamp to pull the bars, so if you don't have a puller, you can make one easily.
3)Hand tools will do it just fine
4)Took me and a buddy about 8 hours start to finish doing mine with just hand tools, we took breaks for food and drink too.
5) Only problem I had was the driveshaft rubbing the exhaust, but that is because mines an 07, if yours is older than 06 don't worry about it then.

 

Check your parts, mainly the bolts and nuts. I made several trips to the hardware store during my install. Mine took three days just waiting on Superlift to over night missing parts. Also check the welds on all welded parts. I had the lateral support bracket break the first time I put it in four wheel drive, it was only spot welded.

 

2)None, I modified a $6 C clamp to pull the bars, so if you don't have a puller, you can make one easily.


Sounds like a great idea, how did you do it?

 

definately make sure youve got all the hardware, superlift is good at not giving you everything you need.

 

anyone else want to throw in their 2 cents?

 

At first it seems daunting, but its not all that bad. It took me about 4 hours an evening for 2 nights in the driveway with basically a socket set and breaker bar, no air tools. If you are doing it on a budget go to autozone and get their loaner tools for free. Get the universal 2/3 jaw puller and you can use it on the tbars, axles, and balljoints. Also get a 32mm socket for the axle nut and torque wrench from them. I used the balljoint separator from them to help break free the bearing assembly, it fits the flange on it perfectly.

 

that o ring seal is for pulse vacuum hubs, which you do not have.

ive installed the kit 3-4 times, its not bad. can be done in one day easy. just work hard at it.

 

we did mine in 6 hours, that was including beer breaks. I also had a guy who installs lift kits all the time helping, or rather i was helping him, to do it. the UCA ball joint pin was alittle stuck so we spent some time beating on that to break free, other than that the install was very straight forward, just time consuming. air tools are a massive help.

 

RCD FTW

i guess my .02, take your time...

 

Took the clamp and busted off the swivel base. Then the ball that is left from the swivel part fits nicely into the Tbar Key dimple. Wrap the c-clamp around the x-member, put the ball in the dimple and crank away, it will preload the bars and then you can remove the adjusting bolt.

 

great info guys, keep it coming

 

should have the lift in by the end of the month so give me all the advise you got

 

If I was YOU, I would go down and buy about 3-4 cans of PB Blaster, and soak every single bolt, nut, shank EVERYTHING...for a week.....every night I went out and spent 15min to soak everything that I had to take out or loosen or whatever. All that a WEEK before I planned on putting it on, dead blow's, AIR DEFINETLEY AIR. Jack Stands, Floor jacks....ball joint puller, 3 jaw puller....LOCKTIGHT, scotch bright pads.....that's all I would have to say.

 

ball joint puller??? is that the fork lookin tool to bust tie rod ends loose?

 

yes sir....it's called a pickle fork.

 

My buddy and I installed my lift. We started at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning and finished up about 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning. Granted we weren't going ***** to the wall. I'm sure it's been covered, but I didn't end up reading all the posts. It was a pretty easy install. It turned out, my truck didn't need the o-rings. I think it might've been on the older models with manual hubs, but my truck has electronic hubs. We didn't need a torsion bar puller. An adjustable 3 jaw gear puller will do the trick nicely. We used a 3 jaw puller and made it a 2 jaw puller, because you need the kind with the flexible arms. We also used the gear puller to remove the tie-rod ends. And pulling the hub off. It was a pretty universal tool. I'd also use pneumatic tools. Hand tools would make the job last a long time, either way, it'd definitely be worth it. Also I wouldn't pay too much attention to the torque specs that Superlift suggests. We tried it on a couple of the bolts and stuff, and ended up stripping out nyloc nuts and bending the crap out of washers. We made more than one trip to the hardware store.

 

If you are like me and don't have a service manual I found this to be a big help.

T-bars LCA
All the specs are there since the front hasn't changed since 99, just look around the links and scroll down most of the pages to find the 99 and newer ranger info.

 

thanks....that is a big help

 

OK ive searched this and cant find much over my 2003...will i have to get smaller rotors to install the lift or will the stock ones work?? I am getting AAL and chevy shackles, how do you go about installing them?

 

you will not have to buy new rotors. The SL spindles are drilled for either rotor size you have.

 

I am getting AAL and chevy shackles, how do you go about installing them?

what about this??

 

The shackle is pretty straight forward remove the old one and put in the new one. The AAL all you have to do is unbolt the spring from the axle then use a c-clamp to hold the spring together and remove the center bolt. then install the AAl in between the last 2 springs then reinstall everything in reverse order.