I do not want to do an extensive lift here, but I want to raise up the front of my truck about 2 inches. I have a 1973 250, 390 highboy. It has a closed-knuckle dana 44 front axle. I just want to make it sit about 2 inches higher so does anyone know what I need to do.. and what I will need?

 

Look into getting a "add-a leaf", good for 1 1/2 to 2" and cheap and easy to install.

Rough Country Add-A-Leaf Kits - JCWhitney

http://www.summitracing.com/int/sear...dd-a-leaf-kits

I quick looked them, so make sure you get them for the front and not the rear.

 

Thank you for the feedback and sorry it took me so long to reply but what I ended up doing was getting some 2 inch blocks off the back axle of another highboy and put them on the front of mine with longer u bolts.. seems to be working good, just gotta get longer shocks now

 

MAJOR FAIL, front blocks are a no go, bad idea and in some states against the law. Yes it worked, but its not a proper, safe and or smart way to go.

The add-a leaf was only like 80 bucks (could maybe be found cheaper) and no need for longer u bolts or shocks.

Only morons at car shows and bone heads run front blocks on any vehicle that is going to be used on the street.

 

Only morons at car shows and bone heads run front blocks on any vehicle that is going to be used on the street.[/QUOTE]

Is'nt that truck one of those factory original Tyler Speth spethials.

 

More effort was put into that truck to do it wrong, then to do it right in the first place. Wow, what a piece of s&!t.

 

Not just front blocks, but added some square tubing there for shear shock and aerodynamic factor. I believe it is on that "scary front suspension" web sight....oh wait its got triple shocks up front, so its all good, right?

Nice 4wd dorkfish, where is your front drive shaft? But its got diamond "bling" plate over lays on the front and rear shackles, so give me a "hell ya, I'm bad"

Driving that thing would be a wild as wrestling a 110 hooker names "P-recious" that was hyped up on a 1lb of Colombian blow in a Las Vegas strip joint while trying to get my Ferrari keys back after that one time after I said she could drive...

Love them steering angles, but wait I have my blocks braced and diamond plated too!

Fail. lol

 

"More effort was put into that truck to do it wrong, then to do it right in the first place".Hey Boodrow this site will help you get it right the first time around,there are some skilled padres here.And they will steer you straight.

 

Remember boys and girls, just like drugs, front lift blocks are bad mmmmmmmmmmk!

 

Oh god I have seen front lift blocks fail first hand scary!!!! Do not attempt. Ps no I wasn't the idiot who did it I just happen to see it.

 

How many of you have actually see a front lift block move, or u-bolt snap?


I am going to keep a head count...start listing names and posting pictures if you have them.


People who seen the failure described above:

1.) 77&79F250
2.)

 

Always one on the other side of the fence... Let's guess you have front blocks on all three of your trucks? I am only saying I think it a bad idea, to each his own.

And yes to a small degree on some newer year/years of Ford ? 90's ?? or newer, they did use a small (very small if I remember right, like 1") block on F250 or 350 maybe even 450's front axle.

For the record I have seen a 79 F250 D44 front axle with 4" side gusseted front blocks installed FAIL. U bolts snapped like twigs and allow the truck axle to completely (as a whole assembly) move sideways by maybe 2 or 3 ft as the axle tried to steer the truck around a L/H corner. The R/H tire hit the frame thus stopping it from coming all the way out. Then the axle continued to travel back a foot or so and twisted so the dvrs side tire hit the door, and then slammed the front end to the ground.

The back part front fenders took the brunt of the load and the mud tires ate the fenders alive, truck was going maybe 40 MPH (guess) followed by destruction of the brake lines, and all steering components, front drive shaft was destroyed, it even cracked the front housing of the NP-205 xfer case.

Since it was sort of in a turn when the truck frame slammed into the ground it dug into the dirt and almost flipped the truck onto its passenger side. It trashed the passenger side fender/inner fender well/core support/hood, even more and taking the door with it, along with the cowl gap.

Grill shell toast, passenger side door would not open....And yes this was a mud truck on dirt in a track environment, and no pic sorry it was back in the days of film cameras. So here are some things to consider now.

Lets add in speed, pavement (better traction), other drivers, throw in a panic stop normally followed by some sort of a turn. Its human nature to try and stop and or turn away from a sudden stopped or lane changing jerk, deer, kid chasing a ball, back end of other car trying to avoid rear ending the other guy.

So to me front blocks are a no go. Throw in speed, acceleration, weight x mass-='s force applied bla bla bla. Some kind of ge wizz math thing and bam you done tore up your truck. And took out a mini van full of nun's going to revival.

When all you needed to do was work a few more over time hrs, don't try to be a cheap *** and get a proper spring lift or at least a add-a leaf.

Add in a lol to top it off.

 

You would guess wrong.




I just find it funny how many people on this website think that a front lift block of ANY size is like a ticking time bomb waiting to kill a van full of nuns heading to a revival.


Yet how many have actually seen first hand front blocks or u-bolts fail?

 

Figures, I guess wrong all the time, lottery tickets, is she really mad, do I have enough gas, was that a cop? You know small stuff.

I have made a # of wrong decisions in my life, like typing the big reply above.

It was a mini van and they were going to mass BTW.

I have had first hand experience of front blocks, thanks to the PO. His fix to wore out HB leaf springs and a front sump 460 pan getting hit by the front pumpkin, I'll just add block's up there duh?

At least the rest of the truck was not to cobbed up.

I did not give them a chance to fail me, I put on some Rough Country 4" springs, while parked along side the road.

It drove ok on the ride home, had alot of bump steer, I was so terrified that the front end would fly off, I only did 15 MPH in the slow lane with my flashers on. lol

 

i have heard of people spitting out the rear end with lift blocks, longer u-bolts with just a small block between the axle and leaf springs it can be just a matter of time. why create a weak point when it can be done safely and cheap with an add a leaf. i have never seen a failure on lift blocks on the front end because i don't know anyone dumb enough to do it.