I'm looking in to purchasing a 2 inch lift kit from Anderson Design and Febrication for my XV. Any recommendations for a great shop to install it for me? The kit includes strut spacers and multi-link spacers. http://andersondesign-fab.com/09-13-2-wmlk-copy.html
I just helped install one of those kits on a friend's 2013 Forester a couple weeks ago. It was pretty easy, and 3 of us with basic hand tools were able to do it in a few hours, including the time to clean up the beer I kicked over. Anyway, I'm sure there will be some recommendations, but just about anybody with a clue should be able to figure it out (just remember, the orientation of the front strut blocks is important, they are stamped R and L, and should be put in so the logos are facing up when read from the front of the car).
Ok, that helps a lot. I have been debating on doing it myself or not. One of my buddies that does off roading in Jeeps told me to have it done in a shop because it's tough, but he only knows Jeeps... ha. Did you just use a floor jack? I don't have access to a lift.
Sounds like a jeep owner thing to say. Yep, floor jack, stands, and hand tools. The front is as simple as removing the struts, bolting the blocks to the top of the strut, and putting it back in (a little prying to get it lined up with the taller height, but not bad). The rear is a little more difficult, but still not bad. Put the car on stands, wheels off, we put the brake line relocation brackets in now so we didn't have to worry later, we also removed the ABS sensors in the rear and re-routed the wire under the brake hose. Then unbolt the rear strut tops from the body, remove the 4 smaller bolts that brace the rear subframe to the body in front, then (with the jack under the diff) unbolt the 4 big bolts that hold the subframe to the body. Then you lower the subframe several inches (it'll hang up on the exhaust a bit, but we had enough room to work without dropping the exhaust). With the subframe hanging on the jack, we did the strut/shock spacers. The passenger side hangs lower (due to the exhaust on the driver's side), and we were able to put the spacer on top of the shock without disassembling anything else further. But the driver's side, I ended up un-bolting the lower control arm from the knuckle (and sway bar) so I could swing it down further and make room to get the spacer in on top. There are stock spacers between those 4 big bushings and the body, they're cast and sort of cone-shaped, they get removed. We loosely bolted the lift blocks to the body first (you'll need a 7/8" or 22mm wrench, can't get a ratchet in there). Then bolted the subframe to the blocks, don't forget the support brackets in the front and big washers in the rear. Then added the lift blocks for those front support brackets, and tightened everything down. All installed:
