At home OME lift install

Remove the first 4 bolts on the skidplate, leaving the back 2 half way out and the skid will droop down up front to allow the driveshaft clearance for the axle to hang lower.
Coat all the bolts in antiseize before install. Make it easier should you ever need to remove them again.
Leave all the control arm nuts loose. Even better if you leave all the nuts loose. When finished with install and back on the tires go back and torque all the bolts. This will allow all the bushings to be settled and allow equal up/down movement. Not needed if using Johnny Joints (or similar). After tight use a paint pen (an easy to see color) and lay a stripe down 1 side of the nut and onto the exposed threads. This will make it easy to see if any bolts have loosened. After 100 miles or so go back and retorque them all. Then re-paint them.

If he can’t undo the control arm bolts due to rust he surely won’t be getting the skid bolts off without snapping them.. not sure OP wants to venture down this approach.
 
Thank you all for the help. Really can’t say it enough because I couldn’t have done it without your advice/what worked for you guys. I went and picked up Harbor Freight spring compressors and that got the job done. Onto Trackbar, quick discos, and Currie Currectlync this week!

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Thank you all for the help. Really can’t say it enough because I couldn’t have done it without your advice/what worked for you guys. I went and picked up Harbor Freight spring compressors and that got the job done. Onto Trackbar, quick discos, and Currie Currectlync this week!

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Well done. Not such a difficult task when you break the job down.
 
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How did you get your front shock top nut to 20 ft lb torque?

I have mine tight enough now to where it spins the upper part of the shock. I'm guessing I will be able to torque it when I get it lowered back to the ground.
 
How did you get your front shock top nut to 20 ft lb torque?

I have mine tight enough now to where it spins the upper part of the shock. I'm guessing I will be able to torque it when I get it lowered back to the ground.
16mm cone wrench for Ranchos. Not sure for others.
 
How did you get your front shock top nut to 20 ft lb torque?

I have mine tight enough now to where it spins the upper part of the shock. I'm guessing I will be able to torque it when I get it lowered back to the ground.
I tightened my upper shock bolt to where it spins the shock as well. I was thinking that once I have it on the ground I would be able to torque it without it spinning, can someone else chime in on this issue?
 
I tightened my upper shock bolt to where it spins the shock as well. I was thinking that once I have it on the ground I would be able to torque it without it spinning, can someone else chime in on this issue?

Confirmed it still spins when on the ground 😐 .. perhaps I have it too tight to begin with.
 
Confirmed it still spins when on the ground 😐 .. perhaps I have it too tight to begin with.
There was just enough of the rod above the nut that I could grab with vice grips while I tightened the nut with a wrench. Of course I don’t know the torque on it but I did 2 turns past snug and will monitor after 100 miles.
 
When I installed front shocks, I used a small wrench on the flats at the upper end of the rod to hold it still. Front upper but torque is 17 ft lbs. I used a crows foot on a torque wrench, keeping it inline so the torque isn’t off, to get it one time but it was a pain in the ass.

Now I just hold the top with a small wrench and tighten the nut until it bulges out the rubber bushing. Then I run another but down on top of the other as a jam nut.
 
There's a spot on the shaft, below the cup that the lower bushing sits on, with flat sides you can grab with vice grips. If you have a boot installed you have to pull it down a bit to see it.
 
Not trying to hijack this thread, but ... why start my own when we're doing the same thing :D

I was on a roll yesterday, I got the front all back together and started on the rear.

Everything is out ... including all four rear upper shock bolts!!

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If he can’t undo the control arm bolts due to rust he surely won’t be getting the skid bolts off without snapping them.. not sure OP wants to venture down this approach.
All my skid bolts thread in and out like new. Control arm bolts not so much. How 1 Jeep rusts is different from another. Or maybe the skid bolts have been antiseized and other bolts aren't. Or the control arm bolts are original and skid bolts have been in and out multiple times. Or.....🤔
 
Looking good! What are you getting for tires?

Since you ordered the OME kit did you get the JKS Rear Sway Bar End Links? Wondering if you had to cut some threads off of those or not? Got any pics of the rear components so I can see if I'm doing it right? :D
 
Looking good! What are you getting for tires?

Since you ordered the OME kit did you get the JKS Rear Sway Bar End Links? Wondering if you had to cut some threads off of those or not? Got any pics of the rear components so I can see if I'm doing it right? :D
I’m going to run these tires through the Northeast winter then I’m leaning towards BFG KO2’s 265/75/16

I did put on the JKS rear links and I had to cut off 3/8inch off each end of both sides to shorten them

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I’m going to run these tires through the Northeast winter then I’m leaning towards BFG KO2’s 265/75/16

I did put on the JKS rear links and I had to cut off 3/8inch off each end of both sides to shorten them

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My OME shocks came with the black plastic upper boot/covers. Those look metal and similar to the older style OMEshocks that everyone says ride better.

Do you have the part numbers for them?
 
My fronts came with black plastic and rears with metal on rears. Front 60047 and rear 60048.

Oops, I was wrong. My rear shocks were all metal too. I had the same parts numbers too.

For some reason I was thinking all four had the plastic tops.