I have finally dusted off my 1980 4x4 with a 86 cab to get it ready for some mudding this summer. .


This truck was well used and abused before I got it about 10 years ago, once I got most of it put togetherand then it sat during and after a divorce so it was past time to do a little freshing up on it.

I have been deciding on what kind of lift to do on it and got looking under the rear and noticed it had two sets of blocks on it. Two 2" blocks. The ones on the bottom have bump stops on them and the ones stacked on top look to be just regular blocks.

For a 1980 4x4 stock did it just come with one sets of blocks in the rear from the factory? If so it looks like something a previous owner has installed.

 

The blocks with the bumpstops on them are the oem ones.

 

Yes, only the ones with stops are factory. The other ones re aftermarket and it's not really the safest thing to stack blocks like that. You should remove them both and get one appropriate size block to put back there.

 

Stacking blocks is standard procedure. You still need your bumpstop on the factory block. And a 4 inch lift kit will come with a 4 inch block. So to get 4 inch lift you need the stock factory block and the 4inch lift block.

Blocks do introduce axle wrap.

 

With a 4" lift you only need the 4" block in the back. The lift is supposed to give you 4" in the front and 2" in the rear so the truck will sit level when finished. The factory one is supposed to be be removed. Stacking blocks increases the risk of one of the blocks moving around and spitting out.

And yes blocks do increase axle wrap.

 

Thanks, that was the info I was looking for. When I got looking at it I figured it had been added on. I don't have a lot of previous history on the truck. It was in very rough shape when I got it. No doors, lots and lots of rust in the cab the rear corners were rusted off, the bed was missing what was left was still held on with the bed bolts. The gas tank was missing and parts of the straps were still there. Rear brake line had about a 1 foot section rusted out. (I knew it did good burn outs for some reason,lol) and it had a chevy behind the seat gas tank. It was just a woods machine, run hard. One day it stopped running on them and it just sat after they tried new plugs, wires, cap, etc.

It turns out part of the oil pump broke off and locked up breaking the distributor gear. I found that out after I got it. I should of stuck a cam in it then but didn't. I just put in a new oil pump and a new after market timing gear set to get rid of the factory set with retard on the cam. I have a 4v intake for it put up, also a cam and headers will be dropped in later on. 351m/C6/9" 3.50:1


The front doesn't look like it was ever lifted. I put the 35" tires it came with back on and took some measurements (thornbird 35" x 14.5"). 3 1/4" between the middle of the fender on the front and 5" in the rear.

Just researching right now what I wanted to do, I will leave the blocks on the rear for now and look at a better spring later on. Mine has the stock 4 leaf pack currently.

I was looking at some 2wd F250 front springs or some 2" spacers on the front.Maybe a 1" body lift with rubber mounts. I don't want to go any higher than that with a body lift IF I do the body lift.

Thanks again.

 

You can do that if you like, but I don't agree with doing it that way. I like the rake the factory gives the trucks, it's there for a reason. When the truck is loaded, it levels out, that is the way it's designed. If you level it unloaded, then it sags terribly loaded. A mall cruiser that was never used as a truck would probably be ok with it though.

 

Well that's how the lifts are designed by the manufacturer. If you would still like the rake then you need to buy a bigger block or springs separately, not stack the one in the kit with you factory block. It's un-safe.

Imagine you go out and go off-roading and your stacked block setup become loose and started to shift. If it didn't come all the way out then you wouldn't notice it and there's a big possibility, especially with the extra axle wrap that when your truck is on the road (be it unloaded or even worse, loaded) the block come all the way out and you loose control at 50+ mph. Somebody could get seriously hurt. Lift blocks are cheap compared to your own or someone else's life. Buy the right one.

 

I don't like blocks at all if the truck is gonna see offroad or any towing. Lift springs is the way to go.

 

The factory blocks with the spring bumper on them looks like they won't walk or won't walk as bad. Has anyone had one of them walk? Just curious.

 

You should be fine with the factory block. It's when lift blocks come into play or you start stacking blocks on top of your factory block.

Any hard off-roading and you don't want lift blocks at all. You want lift springs. But if your just playing in the mud lift blocks will be fine. Just NEVER stack 2 blocks together no matter the situation.

 

When I bought my '97 F-250 it had a new aftermarket lift block and U-bolts on the driver's side and the other parts that ha come in the kit sitting in the cab. The PO said that the factory block had fallen out because "they do that sometimes". So apparently it happened on my truck, but not to me.

 

To keep the height I have I will have to junk yard look for a factory 4" F350 lift block that way it will have the bump stop built in for a extra layer of protection. IF not I will just have to go springs later on.

I have been trying to get it fired up today where it will stay running. I had a square aluminum tank in the bed but the gas had turned to varnish so I am in the process of trying to clean that out. I have thinner soaking in it right now.

I got a pile of tires to swap as well. I have a good used set of 31" (31 x 10.5 x 15) tires on 6 bolt Chevy rims I am going to pull off and put on the original style factory steel rims on the truck. I have 31" all terrains but they are severely dry rotted to the point two won't hold air over night.

I pulled the motorcraft 2v off trying to get it working properly and put on a 2v holley aftermarket replacement economaster I got off of a 460 in the junkyard. The truck was running when they brought it in, but unless I pour gas into it, it won't run. So I will be tracking that down tomorrow. When I have it back running right I will then be trying to get a lift done right.

Here are some shots of it.

20160425_205517 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

20160425_205521 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

20160425_205528 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

20160425_205538 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

20160425_205546 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

20160425_205604 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

20160425_205554 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

20160425_205623 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

20160425_205652 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

20160425_205758 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

20160422_172532 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

20160422_172543 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

20160425_205707 by Safjist Nipnog, on Flickr

 

truck looks to be a good platform to start from, lot better than mine was!


If your motor has a fuel pump bolted to it run a hose into a can of fresh gas to feed the carb and see if it will stay running then.


On the lift blocks, if both blocks are either steel or alum. have them welded together so they act as 1 block. It also looks like the bump stop block is in the wrong place. Should it be at the top so it stops the wheel from going up and hitting the body? You don't want to hurt the rear fenders as we cant get them anymore!


What size is the stock tire / wheel? It looks like the 31x10.5x15 tire is too big for the steel wheels and why I ask. Then again if it is just to move it around because the others don't hold air that would be ok.


Looks like your truck was either a style side or had work done to the cab as it is missing the filler plate(s) between cab & bed step and from the picture did not see any holes were they would had been installed.


Keep the pictures coming
Dave ----

 

It says right here in the instructions to keep the factory block and add the lift block to it.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/roughcountry/install/7577.pdf