Wesway lift in 2023 using salvage yard parts?

[Will_K]

So I looked around but didn't really see this variant of the cheap 1" lift discussed, but this seems to fit with what I'm thinking and I'd be interested in any feedback. My plan is to just have a cheap easily installed and removed setup for offroad use. I've never really done offroad aside from driving my truck through a junkyard in northern Michigan, and I've got 3 teenagers - I want to take the libby out with them to see if I can spark an interest. I've acquired a set of 15" steel aftermarket wheels from a '96 Grand Cherokee and mounted a set of Forceum 235-75R15 mud tires, all acquired from salvage yard for about $170. Mounting and balancing was almost as much as the materials at $150! They almost clear as is, just a little rub on the front inner fenders at full steer.

Anyway, I've read the pieces of this here and there, here's what I put together as my idea:

Front, swap strut forks from a Jeep Liberty KK. I've read they're 3/8" longer and give 1" front lift. Looks like these might cost at most $5 each as "small brackets"
Rear, add 2 upper spring isolators per side. This is hard to figure out because my local yards don't seem to have a price, but the closest might be "shock bumper" at $7 each

Total cost would be estimated at $38. Not too hard to set up in a Friday evening, go out and have fun on Saturday then return to stock configuration Sunday.

Thoughts?

 

[tommudd]

????????????????????
Why would you want to only get 3/4 of an inch of lift and return to stock after a week end
Lot of work for nothing really
Plus with stock suspension you are more than likely an inch below stock height now anyways
on flat ground measure left side , middle of the wheel to bottom of the flare and report back
Maybe able to give you some suggestions
Getting an alignment twice a week would be expensive as well Id think

 

[duderz7]

While you're kinda of right in the sense of those being easy changes it's still a lot of effort for little gain. You'd be wasting a fair bit of time disassembling and reassembling twice in one weekend. Time you could actually be playing. If you wanna lift on the cheap and aren't concerned about ride quality your ideas are fine, but I suspect you'll want good suspension before long.

 

[tommudd]

Still trying to wrap my head around the fact you want to install and uninstall a lift in the same weekend
A well installed lift can be run all the time and is actually better riding, handling etc
On one of mine set at 4.5 inches I ran for well over 120,000 miles , and before that 100,000 at 3.25 inches of lift.
So actually only lifting 3/4 of an inch, for the amount of work involved , an alignment after wards ( if you do not want to kill your tires plus handling on the road will be off ) a lot of work for nothing really gained
Instead install a good set of tires on stock wheels
go out to a few backroads ( gravel/dirt ) see if your kids really like it or not
Then if they do, build from there

Sorry if I sound harsh, I just tell it like it is and hate seeing people waste money / time for nothing

 

[Will_K]

As far as alignment goes, when I first bought the vehicle I got new tires and asked for alignment, but the shop recommended against it because the suspension was too rough. The vehicle had at least 266k miles (I say at least because the speedometer wasn't working and the odometer wasn't going up because a fuse was out for the instrument cluster. Both rear upper bushings were shot - the center was completely loose and disconnected from the rest of the rubber on both sides.

Took me 2 hours to change that out along with the lower control arm, shock and brake rotor and shoes.

Dropping the axle to change a spring isolator? I'm okay with that.

Really this is a backup car while I'm rebuilding an f150 triton v8 until my son starts driving, and for that purpose I'm inclined to stick with stock ride height.

If we do get into offroad then maybe I'd do something bigger and more extensive. For now this is dabbling. A necessary precursor to going all in. Learned that one by putting up a pool that's been used twice a year the last 2 years by the kids.

 

[tommudd]

Again measure as I suggested
Plus adding a different clevis in and out is not a 5 minute job, especially if the suspension is " rough "
As for alignment , if the guy was telling the truth , then I would not even drive it !
Run it the way it is for a back up
Off road when done right these things go everywhere something bigger and more extensive will go ( from over 45 plus years of experience }

 

[Will_K]

I made a 30 minute salvage yard stop and the rear coil spring isolators were easy. Just hit the upper shock bolt with the cordless impact wrench and the springs can easily pry out. I got 4 isolators in 10 minutes. I got the 4 isolators for $10.60.

The front forks were admittedly a little more than I was ready to do quickly. I think just a little big of spring compression would have been enough to get it out. The first fork I tried, the impact wrench wasn't enough to move the upper bolt so I moved to another vehicle. The upper bolt came out, but the lower bolt spun because the flag on the bolt head was loose and I couldn't get a socket on the bolt so I moved to another vehicle. That one I got both bolts out, but I couldn't quite get enough clearance to slide it off the bottom of the shock and ran out of time.

If it truly requires pulling a ball-joint, which wouldn't be terrible but I didn't carry a hammer with me, then clearly it wouldn't be a quick swap. I think with a stabilizer bar link unbolt and a little bit of strut compression it can be done.

I'd also note that when I got the tires, I said check the alignment and brakes but I'd do the work myself. He said the brakes were fine. I'd say now that I replaced the rear brakes the pad thickness and rotor thickness were probably in spec, but I also don't think they really looked because they knew I wasn't going to spend any money with them.

Both left side fender flare height measurements read 31.5" and both right side measurements were 32". 225-75R16 on stock 16" wheels, tire pressure checked within the last week - I guess that's about 17-3/8" for the left and 16-7/8 for the right.

 

[tommudd]

Your measurements of 31.5 etc mean zip, only real way to measure is like I posted above, front , left, middle of the hub/wheel to bottom of the flare, which takes tires out of the mix, two different brands of tires the same size can be different heights
if you say 17 inches , you are two inches below new stock height

 

[Will_K]

I was thinking about it on the way home from work yesterday, this includes a harbor freight winch and a f ton of tools. Plus a set of skid plates. That probably accounts for an inch.

 

[tommudd]

No matter what you do your stock suspension is shot ,
Ive done over 70 KJ lifts in the past , well since 2004, Seen wthey are like when they pull in and leave. Swhat extra weight does with stock suspension and whatit does with a full spring ift. Stock suspensis done by 60,000m miles , sprand shocks both. I understand tryingthe cheap way out but.....................

 

[tommudd]

No matter what you do your stock suspension is shot ,
Ive done over 70 KJ lifts in the past , well since 2004, Seen wthey are like when they pull in and leave. Swhat extra weight does with stock suspension and whatit does with a full spring ift. Stock suspensis done by 60,000m miles , sprand shocks both. I understand tryingthe cheap way out but.....................

 

[Will_K]

So at this point I have rebuilt the rear suspension including a set of Monroe shocks. When I do it right, and I will, my intent is to do it once.

What I don't mind doing as an interim step is to make an incremental improvement that I can do cheap. Salvage yard springs would be an option. I've got 4 local you-pick yards I go to, and the one I like best currently has 17 kj vehicles in inventory. My question would be - is there a good way to distinquish a spring that has not sagged without being able to see how it sits with vehicle weight on the wheel? Will I see a difference in free height on a good spring? Will I see something like paint rubbed off where there's coil-to-coil contact? Will there be a way to distinguish aftermarket springs if I see them? (Preferably a subtle one since an obvious difference might get swooped up before I get there.)

 

[KJowner]

As Tom has said, the stock springs are poor, any old ones are probably scrap. If the cars are sitting on there wheels in the yard and still have engines in you could measure the arch to centre as above and see if there are any in spec. There is also a chance that something in the yard has had a lift fitted, that would be the best option.

 

[Will_K]

That's what I'm saying though. In all 4 salvage yards, the rules are to bring your own tools except torches or grinders not allowed (anything that could spark a fire) and mostly no jacks (although I usually find vehicle jacks under the back seat)

Anyway they set vehicles on stands made of wheels. Often wheels are removed but vehicles never are sitting on the wheels. Often they are on 3 stands and one is under the gas tank which makes it hard to get gas tank skid plates.

I haven't seen any libbys with obvious lift kits yet. Cherokee and wrangler yes, just not liberty. Renegades show up. But floodlights disappear within 15 minutes, I swear...

 

[KJowner]

I'm afraid without load its impossible to judge the amount of sag in the spring. The Diesel springs are higher rated than the petrol ones.

 

[duderz7]

I'm afraid without load its impossible to judge the amount of sag in the spring. The Diesel springs are higher rated than the petrol ones.

I think it may just be the fronts, but don't quote me on that.

 

[Will_K]

I'm guessing there's probably a reason, but I don't think any out of the dozens of liberty vehicles that have cycled through the 4 salvage yards in the time I've been watching have been diesel. Or manual trans for that matter. Hmmm now that I think of it, I also don't think I've ever seen a passenger side airbag deployed.

Well anyway, maybe I'll grab these parts cheap and I'll achieve enough lift to almost get back to stock ride height for how.

 

[KJowner]

I think it may just be the fronts, but don't quote me on that.

You're right, I forgot to mention that!

 

[Will_K]

Your measurements of 31.5 etc mean zip, only real way to measure is like I posted above, front , left, middle of the hub/wheel to bottom of the flare, which takes tires out of the mix, two different brands of tires the same size can be different heights
if you say 17 inches , you are two inches below new stock height

BTW I finally unloaded everything in the back and did a direct measurement, I got 19" in the rear both sides and 18" front left, 18.5" front right.

 

[tommudd]

You are an inch below new stock height
as far as getting springs from a junk yard , be more work than what they are worth
considering even an 07 is 16 years old and if you could find one with 20,000 miles on it they would be sagged down
I have had ones in my shop with 67000 miles and sagged down over an inch and a half before , so it would be a guessing game and no worth the hassle . I just gave away front and rear springs, shocks and other parts to an old drunk for him some beer money . 12 complete sets of KJ springs , worth nothing