Zero busted knuckles! So, so easy! The prerequisite is an impact wrench, in my case, a borrowed, 20V Kobalt! So my vintage 99 TXT 36v was due for a lift kit, especially since I bought the oversize tires last year, that only scrubbed the wheel wells on trips through the ditches!!
The Jake's Kit and the instructions were great. I started with the front end, and was challenged with removing the tie rods from the original axle. Well, the 4# ballpein hammer did wonders, except I smashed it a bit hard and buggered up the threads, so we had to buy a shiny new set. ( see the pics) .
The rear end was a little more challenging , but then I had an ah-hah moment, and grabbed the ratchet straps, and slung them over the rafters in the garage and threaded them through the hole between the seats and suspended the rear end, with just a few tries .
The shocks were the next challenge, where merging technologies triumphed over the 25 year old rust. I grabbed a vintage monkey wrench, (from grandpa stash of important things) , and voilà, with a touch of WD-40. and the impact wrench, the rust was defeated!
Then came the leaf springs! The rear bolts were easy, but the front bolts, no so much. On the interior nut, I ended up reverting to the shade-tree go-to tool: the adjustable Vice Grips! But to my chagrin, the impact wrench overpowered the nut, and stripped it bare, so I was left with another challenge! Well, Paul told me about this tool that I would come to know as 'my best friend': an electric hand held grinder with a 5 inch wheel. So within minutes the nuts were ground off and then we were off to the races, putting it all together.
The guys in the back at Buggies Unlimited, you know- the techies, were great! Todd was able to dust off the 1999 parts manual and found a part number for the bolts, which were in stock, so I placed the order today, and we'll be finishing the project in a couple of days.
Buggies Unlimited is the Best!
1994-01.5 EZGO Medalist-TXT Electric - Jakes 5 Inch Axle Lift Kit
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