I am sure everyone has seen a vehicle with a bodylift that became separated from the frame either on a trail (roll over) or from an acccident, or at least has heard about it.

I usually do not do body lifts except on my Bronco IIs, so I can fit stuff that I normally would not be able to fit.

So, in looking at this 88 B2 and how to lift it and how to fab some things up I wanted, I was looking at the factory design.

I think I know why body lifts fail in an accident, especially being hit from the side.

I always assumed it was from being on stilts and being torqued over. I do not think this is a reason.

If you go out and look at your Ford (truck, van, etc.) you will find behind the body mount there is a "shield" built into the body mount under the floor pan, that drops 1-2" below the frame's flange that would engage the frame in a side collision.

I think when you lift a vehicle, this ends up with that "shield" clearing the frame in an accident and allows the body to be pushed over much more then it would normally and relys on the body mount and thin washer on the mount to stop the bolt from pulling through the rubber.

What do you think?

 

I think that "shield" is more of a brace for the floor. Usually its grade 5 bolts most people use, and not grade 8's, that fail.

 

Never seen that shield thingy on my 82 bronco, or any truck. Never seen a properly installed body lift fail either.
Also, my body mounts have very thick steele that keeps them in place not a thin washer that alows it to be pulled through the mount.

I agree with grade 5s failing, that when people get cheap and use hockey pucks or 2x4s. Again, it goes along with a improperly installed body lift can cause just as much trouble as an improperly installed suspension lift.

 

seems to me the hard lift blocks usually dent in the floor of the cab and allow the bolts to loosen up

 

another friend of mine rolled his 78 with body lift....the cab bolts ripped through the floorbehind seat, and the bolts behind the front tires were badly bent and almost broke off

 

body lifts are scary anyways lol, i would just do long travel

 

Ive had body lifts on almost all my trucks and never had a problem with them.

 

But have you ever rolled your trucks?

 

Nope. And if you roll your truck you dont expect to have any damage?

 

I expect to have damage, I don't expect the cab to separate from the frame. And I think that's the point that's trying to be made.

 

This thread is old but I have rolled my truck with a body lift and I had no damage. Usually the front cab corners is where it tears so when I swapped my last cab I made custum mounts with 3/16 steel. Not a problem anymore

 

I've never seen it in person, but that would be a site to see a body seperate from a frame. I saw some pictures of a Jeep that was stuck and they ripped the tub off. Not sure if that was a body lift though.

 

i don't get the body lift hate, and never will. like stated up there a few years back, cheaper hardware in the kits would be the culprit imho. when you space the body away you create a lot of leverage on the bolts holding it on, so why wouldn't you use the highest grade bolts you could get as well as thicker washers. use the bolts in the kit as a measurement reference and hit up the local hardware store or closest fastenal truck. almost every damn lifted truck around here that's not a diesel has a 3'' body lift, and i've never heard of one failing. i did see the front two bolts come out on my buddy's old chevy while we were mudding, but the bolts weren't the cause. it was rusted out holes in the core support mount that let the bolts come through when he hit a big bump.

 

This is to Dan and Tin. The idea of this thread isn't saying that they will fail prematurely while driving or wheeling- but that they can fail in an accident or roll over.

Now how many of these truck's have you seen or ran with that have been rolled or wrecked? I say either way it's going to **** it up. Dan is right, it does put a lot of leverage on things, and stresses the bolts even more. Upgrading the hardware COULD possibly prevent this. (Not that it's a for sure fact that you will separate the cab anyways.)

I think most people have a problem with body lifts because they look bad to some people. Not because they fail while driving/wheeling. (Because they point being made is saying that they can fail in an impact.)


Yawn.

 

Anything can fail.... especially in an accident. Body lift are fine in my eyes. Never had any problems with them, and until I do I will continue to back them.