BamaXJ

So I got my 3" Rough Country AAL ready to go on. We spent Tuesday doing the rear, and Wednesday (today) was for the front. Well, we've spent total 10 hours on the front today just trying to get the coils in. I rented a coil spring compressor from Auto Zone but it did not do the trick. How in the world can we get these coils compressed enough to get them in or does anybody have advice on this issue? I can not shell out more money to a shop to get it installed. We already have the rear AAL's, shocks, and front shocks done. Just need to get the front coils in and the Jeep will be done.

Currently it is my DD and it is sitting under my buddie's carport until tomorrow when we will try to ghetto-rig a way to compress the coils. I need help, very badly. Please. And thank you.

rubicancherokee

What we did with my brothers was disconect the sway bar and shocks on both sides. Compress the spring as much as possible, jack up the opposite side of the axle allowing the side you are working on to drop. Watch the brake lines. That should sovle the prob.

4.3L XJ

It is some work, but disconnect the track bar,shocks and upper links and one or two of the lower links. That will allow the axle to drop down far enough for the springs to just slip right in

liftedjeepxj

The actualy coil spring compressor from autozone isnt the right set up, the strut spring compressor is best. And as said above. With the jeep on jack stands and take your jack and jack up the opposite side to get the other to flex down. Just wait until you get the coil spacers and you want to throw those on! HAVE FUN!

By the way, i have had three cherokees. 2 with a 3 inch lift with spacers, and the last with spacers only. on all three i only disconnected:

shocks (took completly off to avoid them being in the way)
sway bar end links
bump stops

Other than that just jack it up and put your jack stands on something sturdy like patio pavers (8x8 walk way pavers) and with a stack of 2-3 of those and the jack stand, that axle can sit fully flexed and all the room you need!

sluggy

as every one else had said, disconnect everything and jack up one side to lower the other.

i tried everything the first time i did it, but ended up doint that
good luck

clayton3854

i had the same problem and none of my friends nor myself could do it so i had to pay a shop to do it and they themselves had the same problem and it took them 10 hours overall to do it costing me round $600 worth of labor which sucks but was the only way i was gonna get it on since i have a 4.5" lift and we just could not get the coils on no matter what we did

muddeprived

You didn't do enough. You gotta disconnect the lower control arms at the axle end, trackbar, sway bar, and draglink. Your axle will fall as far as you allow it and springs just fall right out. The lower arms are what's limiting your droop cuz they end up maxing out and hitting the shock mount. I used to use spring compressors but the time it takes to tighten em down I already have everything disconnected. It's also a bitc$ to get em off once the spring is in place.

93gc40

Don't disconect trackbar or draglink. You should get enough droop with just the shocks, swaybar and LCA at the axel. Then use a jack to flex the axel. I've had my 5.5" lift in an out a couple times this way. I did use a spring compressor but only on the first side. The second side is always easier.

Destro

I did mine a month or so ago and I too used the spring compressor from Autozone. BIG MISTAKE. Took two of us 3X longer than it should have as well as a huge freaking pry bar. Got a strut spring compressor for when I did the spacers and by myself I had both spacers in in about 2 hours.

Get the strut spring compressor- I bought one from Harbor Freight for $12 as I figure I will be doing my buddies Jeep soon too, and never know when I will have to take mine apart again.

~K