Getting up the usual parts....TRE, upper/lower control arms,trackbar and drag link. Any tips to make it go better? I know on control arms don't torque the bolts down unless vehicle is sitting on ground,measuring tie rod ends to get it pretty close to alignmentand lots of PB Blaster. Any thing else? Thanks

 

Buy a 2 x 6 65 inch long piece of lumber, lay that in front of the tires, right up against them, then mark each tire relative to the lumber. I used blue painters tape to go from the tire to the lumber. This will insure you get your toe back to what it was before you did all your work.

It is ridiculously easy to mess with the toe and get confused and lose the turn count, so having a reference point is critical.

 

You guys got rust down there? How are the spring perches?

 

Not too bad think last time I looked just some surface rust no rust thru like my floor pans were. Jeep spent 4 years up north that's the cause of most of the rust.

 

When I removed control arms for bushing replacement I ratchet strapped from front to rear axle and another strap to the rear axle of my other jeep which I had parked in front of it. That way if the axle moved at all, which it did, I was able to shift it to align the bolt holes. Bye the way only remove one control arm at a time. I had a shop do the bushings for the upper control arms that are in the axle housing. They removed both sides at once and had a hell of a time getting the bolts back in.

 

Thanks for the info. Figured the control arms will give me the most fits. I've read storied about some who got ahead of themselves and did not do one at a time and had it shift on them.

 

IMO people have trouble because it's very deceiving where the center of gravity is. If you put the lower control arms in first, it looks like the weight of the yoke would draw downward. However, if you look at the position of the LCA brackets on the axle you can understand how it is the yoke will pivot upward (or put differently, it's REALLY hard to pivot the axle backward). However, if you carefully jack right under the front cover it spins easily into place. Axle shifting to put the track bar in not really an issue. Keep all the bolts loose till everything together.

Had my front axle totally out to weld on new axle perches.

 

"However, if you carefully jack right under the front cover it spins easily into place"...thanks gonna remember this. I have rebuilt the front end on my 67 stang,72 Nova, 76 F100. 2001 f150 and a friends 78 z28 hopefully since this is not my first time on a front end I can overcome any issues..I hope since this xj has been tempting me...

Hey Dave, just wondering where your perches rusted out?

 

Basically, like, everything

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/fro...eplace-248588/

 

Looks like it turned out great!

 

Thanks! I had it down (undo the UCAs) to put in Moog CC782s cause that's what "everybody" is doing for a 2" inch lift. Turns out some people have trouble with variable rate springs (they occasionally clack) and I'm one of the lucky ones. But I like the look otherwise.

 

I usually try too stay away from doing springs after a mishap on my old 67 mustang while installing shorter but stronger springs to drop the front down 2". Long story short spring collapsed bowing at a almost c shape and my finger got caught between it and coil spring compressor. Lucky my wife was home and heard me yelling. Your probably thinking how the hell..but if you ever seen how the springs sits inside the tower imaging getting a good angle with three of the threaded compressors you can tell how this could happen....maybe.