Rear - Removal

All right, you've been here before, you know what to do.  Get the rear in the air by the frame and keep the jack on the axle.  Wheels come off again.  Removing the rear driveshaft helps too.

• Remove the lower control arms.

• Remove the rear track bar

• Get rid of the rear sway bar links

• Take off the rear shocks

• Now you can droop the rear axle the same way and yank out the stock springs.

Rear - Installation

The instructions call for you to install the lower control arms and new sway bar links first, but it's much easier to get the springs in first.  So we'll move on to the track bar steps and come back to all that stuff post springs.

*You can get the control arms ready by inserting the sleeves and bushings and then halfway installing them and the sway bar links by their high side.  Remember on the new arms: the welded part up and closest to the frame side.

You are going to reuse the old track bar, but install a bracket to lift it higher up.  The bracket it going to fixed into postion in a couple of ways.  You old track bar bracket had a dust cover on that you must remove.  That cover was held on by two plastic pegs.  You will be using the holes that the pegs were inserted into, but you'll have to drill them out a little larger.  Before you do, go ahead and put the bracket on using the original star bolt and place the provided spacer (it looks like one of the ones you used on the center skid but longer) on the bolt between the bracket and frame.  This will keep the empty space where the track bar used to be from crushing and compromising the new bracket.  Now the small peg holes should just about line up with the predrilled holes in the new bracket.  You can drill them out now to accept the provided 3/8" grade 8 bolts.  You can finishing mounting the track bar after getting the springs in.

Existing star bolt - 74 ft/lbs

Lower nuts - 20 ft/lbs

You can get the bump stop extensions on after installing the springs as well, as long as you get them into position inside the springs.  A longer bolt is provided to accommodate the spacer. 27 ft/lbs

Spring Time!

Muscle up the rear springs into position at this time.  Check for any hose binding, but you should be able to do some axle tipping like you did in the front to get them in.  If you didn't install the bump stops yet, get on it.  Now you can go back to the arms and links.

The links are easy enough to get on, but the control arms require a bit of trickery.

*Tip:  In order to get the arms on now that the springs are having their way with the axle, you'll need to tilt the differential pinion angle up.  This can be done by simply putting another jack, not on the yoke, but near the front of the pumpkin.  Jack it up and watch the arms line right up.

Link ends - 40 ft/lbs

Arm nuts - 130 ft/lbs

Shocks:

*Tip:  You're going to have to press in the bushings and brackets again.  Maybe you can come up with something better, but here at the Ghetto Mechanic Shop we had to come up with another new technique.  We used a large C-clamp (we so need to invest in a shop press) and pressed the bushing through "catching it" in a large socket.  The socket allowed the clamp to push against the shock eye and accept the bushing/bracket while we pressed it in from the other side.  We used small vise grip to keep the bracket from just sliding through the bushing.  Hey, whatever works, right?  One more thing: make sure you put the boot on before you put the b/b in!

Upper nut - 17 ft/lbs

Lower nuts - 20 ft/lbs

The last step is you need to finish up installing the track bar fully.  It should go up with no problem.

37 ft/lbs

Wow, that went fast!  You're so close to being done!  All that there is left is the new track bar and bracketry for the front.  Throw on the wheels, grab a drink and admire your work and your "new" Jeep.

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