lift kit
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lift kit
I want to lift my 1988 f150 about 5'' do i need to change anything in the front or rear to go that high. Will the driveshaft be long enough and in the front do i need to drop the radius arms and pitman arm. The truck is a 2wd
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 8,542
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From: Louisiana
I agree with these: coils, brakelines radius arm drops and a pitman arm, but other than that, you either need to drop the I beams all together, or heat them up and bend them to the propper angle.
For any lift up to 6", you usually don't need a longer driveshaft.
For any lift up to 6", you usually don't need a longer driveshaft.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,377
Likes: 2
From: Elkhart IN
well, drop brackets would be bolt on, and since it's a 2wd I can bet it wont be beat on so you wont have to worry about them. Bending the beams takes stuff other than hand tools, and Ford even casts right into the beams "do not bend heat drill or weld" or somthing like that right on the beams.
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 8,542
Likes: 5
From: Louisiana
Wow, Prices have changed alot since I was looking at lifting my 2wd. I found the same kit I was looking for, and it is about $700. It is only a 3" lift, and when I first looked at it a few years ago it was $1,300.
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Lead Driver
Joined: May 2000
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From: Senoia, GA
Originally Posted by marioc956
I want to lift my 1988 f150 about 5'' do i need to change anything in the front or rear to go that high.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Quesnel, BC, Canada
Originally Posted by chrono4
mbb, the 2wd and 4wd's are the same lift wise. Takes the same parts, pivot drop brackets, coils, brakelines radius arm drops and a pitman arm.
Originally Posted by MBBFord
I agree with these: coils, brakelines radius arm drops and a pitman arm, but other than that, you either need to drop the I beams all together, or heat them up and bend them to the propper angle.
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 8,542
Likes: 5
From: Louisiana
Yeah, there is one guy in here that has a nice 66-72 F100 with a 6" lift, and a custom drop for the i beams.
If the search function worked, I'd find his link he had on it, and it turned out great for him, and it's all the same for the I beams no matter what year(basically)
If the search function worked, I'd find his link he had on it, and it turned out great for him, and it's all the same for the I beams no matter what year(basically)
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,955
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From: Quesnel, BC, Canada
a buddy of mine made some to go under a 7.3L diesel in an F250. They worked great, beefier than aftermarket. He took some square tube, cut it to length, drilled holes to run a bolt through the old pivot holes and the new drop piece, cut up some flat bar, drilled the new pivot holes and welded them on. (used a couple plug welds too)
Measure the inside face to the inside face of the bracket, get some square tube that will fit snug in there. The flat bar with the new pivot holes is welded to the outside of the square stock to create the new opening for the axle pivot. Gusset at will, we didnt use any and they held up to an airborn diesel.
Heres a pic I made a while ago to send to another user, disregard the 2.5" measurement, it was how much he wanted to lift his truck. The top bolt hole is used with the origional pivot hole in the stock bracket. The darker lines on the bottom show the flat bar. Above the top bolt hole you want as much material as you can to weld to the stock bracket.
Measure the inside face to the inside face of the bracket, get some square tube that will fit snug in there. The flat bar with the new pivot holes is welded to the outside of the square stock to create the new opening for the axle pivot. Gusset at will, we didnt use any and they held up to an airborn diesel.
Heres a pic I made a while ago to send to another user, disregard the 2.5" measurement, it was how much he wanted to lift his truck. The top bolt hole is used with the origional pivot hole in the stock bracket. The darker lines on the bottom show the flat bar. Above the top bolt hole you want as much material as you can to weld to the stock bracket.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2003
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From: Houston, Texas
Originally Posted by pud
definately use a drop pitman arm, it will drop all your steering linkage. Theres no way to not use one with 6" of lift. The tie rods are all your steering linkage consists of.