Before I get the Lift installed...

[navigator]

Caleb, it is better to ask a "dumb" question and get a good answer than to not ask the question at all.

[Cable810]

I agree Navigator.

[Cable810]

Sorry for the Double post. Looking at hose clamps I have a few options. Which ones would you suggest?
http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... cBEPMCMAA#
http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... wBEPMCMAc#
http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... EBEPMCMAI#

I'm thinking something like the first one. Its got a good width.

[Me007gold]

The1st kind, however they need to be 4 or 5 inches not 1 inch. one of the other guys will answer on size

[Cable810]

Ok, So something thats got 4-5 inches in width or circular length? Understand my terminalogy...

[Mudwheelin]

Circular length.

[Cable810]

Ok, So any width but 4" Circular?

[Mudwheelin]

Grab a measuring tape and measure it. This has been covered a few times. You need to do some research. By the sounds of it you have no idea what your doing...

[Cable810]

I know what I'm doing, Taking the factory clamp off the CV boot and replcing it with a hose clamp. Thats how I'm undestanding this.

[djthumper]

Go to Lowe's or Home Depot and get 4" hose clamps.

[v7guy]

Grab a measuring tape and measure it. This has been covered a few times. You need to do some research. By the sounds of it you have no idea what your doing...

I think what he's trying to say is that it doesn't seem like you understand why you need to do the things you're being told to do. You are greatly increasing the wear on the ball joints, tie rods, end links and wheel bearings. The odds are very very good that in the extremely near future you will be replacing many if not all off those items. If you're not able to do the work yourself you are going to spend several thousand in labor. Ask you're mechanic how much he wants to replace those items. Are you going to be able to recognize when those items are wearing out by the sounds? Do you know how much those parts are? These parts will wear even if all you do is cruise on the street.
$266 isn't even going to begin to scratch the surface.
I'm not trying to give you a hard time really, but you're doing yourself a huge disservice by not reading, researching and knowing what you are getting into. If your parents are as hesitant to let you do this as it sounds then you are going to end up making them even more reluctant about future endeavors when you start having all the problems you will have.
we all want to see another lifted 360, but getting all the answers without understanding the whole picture is a disaster waiting to happen.

[Trail X]

We're honestly trying to help you Caleb. Money doesn't grow on trees, we all understand that and that's why we want to guide you.

More than anything, you need to find a mentor that knows how to turn a wrench.

[Flying Monkey]

Being your 18, your money would better be spent getting out of mommy and daddys basement so you can be your own man. Harsh but the truth. its becoming the general thought in this thread your not ready for this kind off ordeal yet. I know im coming off as a dick,but someone has to.

[Cable810]

I think what he's trying to say is that it doesn't seem like you understand why you need to do the things you're being told to do. You are greatly increasing the wear on the ball joints, tie rods, end links and wheel bearings. The odds are very very good that in the extremely near future you will be replacing many if not all of those items. If you're not able to do the work yourself you are going to spend several thousand in labor. Ask you're mechanic how much he wants to replace those items. Are you going to be able to recognize when those items are wearing out by the sounds? Do you know how much those parts are? These parts will wear even if all you do is cruise on the street.
$266 isn't even going to begin to scratch the surface.
I'm not trying to give you a hard time really, but you're doing yourself a huge disservice by not reading, researching and knowing what you are getting into. If your parents are as hesitant to let you do this as it sounds then you are going to end up making them even more reluctant about future endeavors when you start having all the problems you will have.
we all want to see another lifted 360, but getting all the answers without understanding the whole picture is a disaster waiting to happen.

Pretty much as a rule of thumb going up means added strees on certian parts of the Vehicle. I do not know what the sounds are when those parts are going bad, sad enough. I'm assuming that when wheelin the stress on those parts will increase vs just driving on the street.
Answer me this if I'm to read and research where am I to start? You don't send a soldier on a mission with no map and compass?!?!
Parents are willing to let me lift, but when it comes to working on it thats a different story. I would explain but thats another story/PM.

We're honestly trying to help you Caleb. Money doesn't grow on trees, we all understand that and that's why we want to guide you.

More than anything, you need to find a mentor that knows how to turn a wrench.

I see that ya'll are trying to help me, I really do. Sadly money dosn't grow on tree. When I'm working 15-18 hrs weekly now on 2 days, then in the summer I'll be at 5 days aweek avg 27-35 weekly with an hourly pay of 8. I'm trying to find something else with more hours. Thank you helping a person who dosn't understand a whole lot when it comes to vehicles and haveing the patience to deel with me
I agree that I NEED to find someone who can help me. Maybe I can move in with you

Being your 18, your money would better be spent getting out of mommy and daddys basement so you can be your own man. Harsh but the truth. its becoming the general thought in this thread your not ready for this kind of ordeal yet. I know im coming off as a dick,but someone has to.

Problem is I have no where to go. I'm still in high school(Senior). I have no clue what I want to do. I can't(right now) leave my job and move and not be able to find anything. Thats my biggest concern. ANd thank you for comeing off like that.



I'm calling the shop monday and letting them know I'm going to wait to get it installed.

And Happy Easter!!

[The Roadie]

Answer me this if I'm to read and research where am I to start?

Find local offroaders and cultivate a mentor. Offer to help THEM wrench on their vehicles and you learn by osmosis. Find and read all the books in your local library about offroading.

You don't send a soldier on a mission with no map and compass?!?!

No, but competent soldiers are trained in group missions by being part of the team first. Not sent out solo. Even a scout gets trained by other experienced scouts first before being sent out alone. It's difficult to believe your family is so isolated there isn't ONE experienced offroader in your or your Mom's or Dad's acquaintance.

No Internet forum can be a good substitute for old fashioned personal apprenticeship. It's a process that's worked for thousands of years. Do I remember reading that you've been home-schooled? An isolation from your age-peers is one huge downside to that process, unless I'm missing something.

[Mudwheelin]

Where to start?....same place we all did. I asked the same questions you did right off the hop and remember getting chewed out by everyone (roadie)--lol. But I finally figured out how the search bar works and now I'm sitting up high with the rest of these guys. If you don't have time to read, then you don't have time to offroad. If everyone on here gave me all the answers when I asked, I would have never learnt anything or been able to help anyone after the fact. Now that I've been through the truck and this forum I feel confident that I can help others(when needed,if they searched first) and fix my own stuff without a stealership. Start reading is where you need to start.

[v7guy]

I would encourage you to read the threads on this board. Most of the pertinent/popular topics are on the first couple pages of each section of the board. Just click and start reading. You'll be able to read what we've commonly done, the problems we had, along with the solutions and in many cases the accompanied costs. It is a good little bit of reading, but it'll help you make informed, smart decisions based on everyone's experience. As an added benefit you get to learn the culture of the board and the personalities you're dealing with. It shows us you appreciate the time, money and effort all the guys have put in and that you're willing to do some work to gain the knowledge that has been freely given.
If you come away from reading a thread and find you don't understand, do a search for the topic you're reading and read a bit more. If you still don't get it, or are having trouble visualizing what is being discussed ask a question in the old thread. Bring it back to the top. We prefer this. It keeps the thread tech dense and helps others find mountains of info when they search. Be sure you read the entire thread though. If the answer is already there you will be called out.

To be honest, I'm really surprised you got the answers you did. Traditionally this board is pretty intolerant of people wanting to be told what to get and what to do. I don't know if we're starting to get soft in our old age, if maybe we have too many newer members that are eager to spoon feed, or if you just happened to catch a lot of people on a good day. But typically people that don't do their homework get tarred, feathered, swatted with a news paper, ridiculed and ignored... in no particular order.

I'm a relatively new guy here, but I think what I've written here is a really solid start for you.

[Cable810]

No, but competent soldiers are trained in group missions by being part of the team first. Not sent out solo. Even a scout gets trained by other experienced scouts first before being sent out alone. It's difficult to believe your family is so isolated there isn't ONE experienced offroader in your or your Mom's or Dad's acquaintance.

No Internet forum can be a good substitute for old fashioned personal apprenticeship. It's a process that's worked for thousands of years. Do I remember reading that you've been home-schooled? An isolation from your age-peers is one huge downside to that process, unless I'm missing something.

As far as I know there is only one offroader in my family my dads step Brother. I don't know him very well. He has a jeep thats jacked and he has come up north for some wheelin trips, to an island up here. Thats it. Will my parents let me hang with him No go wheeling with him NO. There are some things that he has done that my parents don't like. So he is out of the question. My Uncle told me to buy tools and theCHiltons manual. Have I done any nope. He would have been the one to mentor me on how to work on the TB. But now that my Grandfather has passed he hasn't called or anything, since the 13th of march.

There are a few jacked up jeep here in town and a few jacked up trucks in general. The jeep guys seem to be in there 50s. Should I talk to them Yes. Seeing that my dad is a state trooper I dont know if he has stoped anyone of them, and if they like my dad. Yes people here hold grudges against my dad for putting them in jail for DUI... Then there are people who have thanked my dad for what he did.

Yes you heard right I'm homeschooled. If I wasn't homeschooled I would never have the job I have now, bought the Trailblazer.

What I have read, been told and seen on TV I'll need some basic Wrenches, Ratchet and Socket Set, and Screw Drivers. Once those what then? Jack Stands, Air Tools!?!? Parents have a 2 ton jack

I shall start reading the threads and sacrificing Facebook Yes I am supprisied as what answeres I got.

[Trail X]

Caleb, have you ever seen the movie Gran Torino? (if you haven't, do so!) I hate to make comparisons, but you're a lot like Toad. I'm sure you're a bright guy, but you need some direction. You need to get your hands dirty. You need to get in trouble, then learn from it. Learn how stuff works. Take apart your mother's hairdryer and put it back together.

Does your dad not own tools? One piece of advice I was given a long time ago. If there's a tool you need... buy it. You will probably need it again. A basic tool set is an ESSENTIAL part of any man's possessions.

If I were your dad, I'd take this upon myself to create a good father son bonding exercise from this. Buy a few tools, buy the lift, read over the install manual, read over some threads here online, then go start taking stuff apart. Maybe you both will learn something. If you get stuck, it's a $60 tow down to the local mechanic's shop - at least you tried.

[djthumper]

LOL, Toad... Not a bad comparison.