I have a 2013 6.2 SD that I want to lift but I have heard the cat and the drive shaft will hit when the lift is installed. Ive been calling every shop in town and even ICON themselves to try to get the answer of what I need to do and somehow, no one has any 1st hand experience on whhat needs to be done.

I cant be the only person with a 6.2 that wants it lifted.

Any help?

Thanks!

 

Well finally talked to someone who was able to offer me an idea. They hadnt heard of the problem but threw out the idea of maybe putting on a smaller diameter drive shaft. It would have to be custom built but it sounds better than having to cut up the exhaust infront of the cats.

The problem lies in that when a lift is added, the drive shft will hang down lower than stock and it will encounter the cats, barely, less than a quarter of an inch of contact it looks like but still enough that they will meet. I was thinking maybe just put in a pry bar and bend over the exhaust plumbing but I dont know how bendable that stuff is....

 

I've moved your thread to the 6.2L V8 forum. Many of the folks here have lifted or leveled their trucks so someone should be able to give you some answers. You'll likely have a better chance of getting a response here than in the SD forum.

 

Thanks Powerstroke!!

I didnt know this forum even existed. Found the answer to my question!

 

You're most welcome.

Glad you found an answer. Now you just gotta post up some pics when it's done.

 

Yuuup! Keep an eye out for it on these boards.
Quick teaser details. 37x13.50 Toyos - Icon 4.5" lift on a 2013 Xtra cab short bed super duty. All white with black wheels. Can't wait!

 

I ran into this problem when I did my lift install a while back. I have the exact answer you need. When lifting your 6.2SD more than 2.5", you need to have someone make you a custom 2" OD drive shaft. I had the lift installer remove my driveshaft and send it to a fabricator, so exact measurements could be taken. It took the entire day, but I had the lift, new drive shaft, and tires installed. For a completely new drive shaft, it was $450.

I would suggest having a completely new shaft make, instead of using parts from the existing, so if you even want/need to bring the truck back to 100% stock, you can easily swap them out. See the pictures I posted in the thread linked below, discussing this topic. I hope this helps.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-wheels-2.html

 

So, what's the answer?

 

Basically theres two options, You can do like suggested aboveand haave a new drive shaft fabricated, or you can have a slight bend fab'd into the exhaust.

I found a post from a guy that chose the exhaust re-routing and said it was a super fast $50 fix at a local muffler shop and he didnt say anything about any ill effects...

Soooo at this point a $50 bend in the exhaust sounds better than a $450 axle swap.

 

I first looked into the exhaust mod, but there really doesn't seem to be any room to move the cat to another location. Additionally, if the sensor for the cat is moved too much, it will read different temps and could through an engine light error. It's up to you, but I don't care to risk having a check engine light come on constantly.

 

I don't see why adding a slight jog or shift in the exhaust would cause all those problems. I'm not talking about completely relocating the catylic converter. I'm planning on just having it slightly shifted over. Maybe like an inch and a half at the most.

Have you had anyone confirm that they had check engine lights come on after the exhaust mod? Everyone I heard from has done the exhaust mod and have not had any issues.

 

I guess my truck specifically doesn't have an inch to spare to move the cat over any. If you for the room, go for it.

 

I had the same issue and was pissed after driving 300 miles and put in in 4WD to find out I had a problem!!!

I have successfully installed a 6" Stage 2 ProComp lift and had the exhaust/drive shaft issue. At first, the drive shaft rubbed the cat and then we took it back. I had a heavy-duty adjustable front track bar installed in addition to the lift components. (Since they didn't catch it, they gave me the $350 track bar for free!!!) Before and after installation, we took measurements of the front-end geometry and the track bar even straightened up the tracking better than with just the ProComp lift components. I now have approximately 1/2 to 1 inch clearance between the cat and drive shaft. I suggested they contact ProComp, but everyone knows how that ended up. I have had zero issues since and 20,000 miles, and daily off-roading with lots of flex.

FWIW - I am running the above lift, 37x12.5x18 tires on 18x9 rims.

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for the info!!!

So just to clarify, the only mods you have done to fix the clearance issue was install an adjustable track bar? Was you axle shifted very far to one side? Im not really sure how a track bar would have fixed the problem.

Unbelievable they sent the truck home with you the first time and didnt bother to tell you about the cat/driveshaft clearance issue....

Thanks again!

 

Yes, that is correct. The lift kits use a front track bar relocation bracket rather than track bar replacement. It works fine for the diesels and I assume ProComp just said it should work with the gassers too, but they were wrong. It was only rubbing a minor bit, but it would've been enough to wear a hole in the cat and not to mention the horrible grinding sound when in 4WD. The front track bar keeps the front axle in place from side to side. The problem did not show itself until the vehicle was put in 4WD and I think the torque pulls the front axle towards the passenger side causing it to hit the cat.