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Considering getting a 3" body lift, do you have to modify anything when installing the lift, like the shifter? Also does anyone have a photo of all the mounting points?
Please reconsider! body lifts are just plain cheesy , IMO suspension lifts are much less of a PIA to install and it's lift your truck can actually benefit from via higher ground clearance and improved axle articulation.
i must say i have a body lift on both my trucks and they are fine when installed correct.
My wheelin rig has a 2" lift, but i removed the stock rubber bushing and welded round pipe to the frame mounts. Made the cab much more solid and feels great. also the space it created for pulling motor, working on stuff is GREAT.
Now my new truck, has a plastic 3" body lift crap. It flat out sucks. for one its plastic. Second they half A$$'d it with only putting 4 blocks in the bed so the center sags BAD. When they put it on the bed is off center. Im getting ready to remove the body lift on this truck.
heres my 2" body lift. stock highboy on 37s
new truck you can see the huge gap between bumper and bed.
Considering getting a 3" body lift, do you have to modify anything when installing the lift, like the shifter? Also does anyone have a photo of all the mounting points?
Cheers Rob
Like others, I think body lifts are a bad idea. A small lift is marginally okay, but anything more is, as Montana Highboy puts it, "cheesy".
Think for a second about all of parts that mount to the frame but interface with the body (or mount to the body but interface with the frame). For example, the engine mounts to the frame. The fan bolts to the engine but the radiator is essentially attached to the body. So how's that fan going to work inside the fan shroud? (Hint: it wont!) You'll have to remount the radiator lower.
How about your brake lines. Brake master cylinder and booster are attached to the body, but the steel brake lines that run along the frame are attached to the frame. You raise the body up three inches and you have issues. What about the steering linkage? You're changing the length and the angles. Various linkages (transmission shifter, transfer case shifter, carburetor, etc.) How about the large diameter fuel filler hose(s)? The list goes on and on...
Finally, by raising the body you are raising the center of gravity of the vehicle, but are making no compensating suspension adjustments. Not a good idea...
So what are the positives of a body lift over a suspension lift? The only one I can think of is cost.
My not-so-subtle advice is save your money and do it right...
Wow. Lots of negativity about body lifts. I don't see anything wrong with them if they're put in by someone who knows what they're doing AND they use all the parts.
The 3" body lift in my truck has 8 blocks under the bed, six under the cab, and I have stock body bushings. It doesn't feel any different than it did when it was stock. The cab doesn't sway, or groan, or move around, or ride funny. I had to move my bumpers up so it didn't look odd. No modifications were needed for the steering column and the only thing else I needed to do was adjust my clutch linkage and move the radiator down. (just drill two more holes) If you have a column shift automatic, you'll need to weld in 3" to shifter linkage. That's it. Everything just falls into place. The fuel filler hoses have plenty of slack. No problem there. The steering linkage from the factory has a dog leg in it. When you do the body lift, it actually STRAIGHTENS the steering linkage. The steel brake lines to the master cylinder also will stretch just fine. There's three coils in the brake lines to compensate for vibration. (rubber mounted body and solid mounted brake lines) the coils will stretch out without straining anything. I've put body lifts in trucks and wheeled the CRAP out of them and never broke ANYTHING. I HAVE, however, broken plenty of drivelines and yolks from stretching out the suspension. Suspension lifts are FAR MORE involved than a body lift. That's coming from a guy who's built quite a few trucks to beat on out in the woods.
...of course what do I know, I've only been doing this for 30 years.
Stock suspension and 3" body lift.
All the same arguments can be made for suspension lifts. The steering stabilizers have to be modified, the rubber brake lines have to be replaced with longer ones. The e-brake cable brackets have to be relocated, New drive shafts have to made that are longer, axle mounting angles have to be changed, the transfer case has to be lowered to help with driveshaft angles, ....the list goes on and on. It is FAR EASIER to properly install a body lift. No system is more "right" than the other. As long as you don't go over 3" in body lift, there's absolutely NOTHING wrong with it. ...and "raising the center of gravity"? Really? 3"? You think that makes a difference? Ok, it does, but what suspension modifications did you make with your 6" spring? Did you put bigger sway bars on it? Did you put ANY sway bars on it? What about those 37" tires? Did they help with body roll? It doesn't matter how you get there, the higher the truck, the more top heavy it is and you need to adjust your driving style accordingly. You guys bashing body lifts need to be honest with yourselves. The only argument that you can make with any validity is that a suspension lift looks better because it doesn't have a gap between the body and frame. If you're driving a truck with a body lift that broke something, it wasn't installed properly or who ever did it used inferior parts. plain and simple. You're subject to the same short comings with a suspension lift.
What ever you do, do it correctly and safely. I've seen body and suspension lifts that were just flat out dangerous.
You make some interesting points, but I think there are some errors as well.
Depending on how it's mounted, the steering stabilizer mounts to the axle housing and the tie rod. As such, a suspension lift would have no effect...
Suspension lifts come in different heights just as body lifts do. Generally speaking a three inch suspension lift will not require longer driveshafts, longer rubber brake lines, re-located emergency brake cable brackets, etc.
A big suspension lift... absolutely. But then you're comparing apples to oranges: three inch body lift versus six inch (or so) suspension lift. Additionally, many of the required components for a suspension lift are available off the shelf, such as longer sway bar links, dropped pitman arms, longer shock absorbers, etc.
The half tons have one end of the stabilizer mounted to the cross member under the engine, so if you go to a dual set up, you need to change it. That's why I said that. I think the shortest spring lift you can get is 4". (aside from a 2" leveling kit that only lifts the front axle.) The brake lines get tight even at 4" when you consider flexing the truck. Same with the e-brake cable. That's why I mentioned it.
That's why I like body lifts. Without spending huge money, you can split the lifts so neither part is stretched out too far. Say you want to run 38's under you truck. A 4" suspension lift and 3" body lift will get you there without stretching either part out to the point you'll have issues. With Earthquake II I had 17" of lift. 3" body, 12" suspension, and 2" traction lift. (the traction lift actually DOES help with drivability) I had 44" ground hawgs under that truck with PLENTY of room to spare.
Not trying to be a hard nose, just trying to bring up all the relevant points for lifting a truck while being realistic.
Nothing like a guy knowing what he is talking about, and the fact he is close enough to come help and has helped with a # of my projects, makes him all the better.
And he has helped alot of fellow FTE Missouri members with Ford and non Ford issues, all day long. I'd give this guy the shirt off my back in the dead of winter, even if he had a coat, and I know if he needed it he would not ask or take it.
Alot of valid points to consider on both sides of the subject........Rock on Alan!
I already have a 6 inch suspension lift I need to go 2 inches higher to go with my tires. My bumper weights just over 300 pounds and the winch almost a hundred. The tires on my truck right now are Dick Cepek
38X15.5-15.The tires that are going on my truck are 39.5X15X15. Those blocks came from Mcbay performance. It goes between the spring perch and the housing. They don't look very safe so I'm going with a 2 inch body lift what do you think.
The block was for the rear only and no real way to add 2" on the front. So a 2" body will work, just follow the well stated advice in the prion posts and you should be fine.
I will not use this lift. It does go in and lift the truck.
These blooks came from McBay performance for the front of my truck they do fit on the Dana 44 under the spring perch.I got one on didn't look too good. 11/2.
, IMO suspension lifts are much less of a PIA to install and it's lift your truck can actually benefit from via higher ground clearance and improved axle articulation.
