what is the cheapest way to lift a 2wd twin i beam front suspension about 2 inches

 

Long ago (I do not recommend) people used to heat and bend the TIBs to get some lift. In fact correcting alignment problems were dealt with this way.
Some companies may still offer modified TIBs with the spindles lowered.

Longer springs may work, but I am not sure about the alignment issues with adding just the longer springs.

I would look for modified TIBs just to be safe.

 

If your bolts are long enough, use 1 1/4 inch flat washers under your lower front spring mounts. use about 5 on each side & this should get you raised about 2 inches. Weld a bead down the front & rear of washers when you get it bolted back together.
I've been correcting ford ranger alignment problems with this for years. Just be careful you don't get too much positive camber & definely have your truck realigned. Hope this helps.

 

I can tell you from experience, DO NOT put longer springs in place of your stock ones. I tried to install front springs from a 1972 F-250 camper special in my 65 F-100, the front end tends to sag a little bit since it had a six cylinder and now has a V-8. The F-250 springs were a few inches taller and made of stiffer coils, needless to say they fit but the front wheels would not stay level. This would eat tires alive had I drove it this way. It did raise the front end but it would not work. It was a pain in the butt to have to redo everything when I thought the project was done.

I do have to say after installing new radius arm bushings, axle pivot bushings and new shocks the front end sits level now without the sag that it use to have.

Jeff

 

I'm going to revive this thread just a little bit to add what seems to me to be the easiest and best working method I've seen.

There should be a thread not too far back (say around three months maybe, if that) from a guy that did 3-4 inches of lift by creating new mounting points for the I-beams so he could retain all of the stock geometry. In this case, then yes, you would want longer springs, and potentially stiffer as well. I'm sure if you did a search, you could find the thread. He had plenty of pics in his gallery to show what he'd done, too. The only thing I would change from his solution would be to fabricate removable brackets and do some reinforcing on them.

I should also say that there's been mention in that thread or perhaps another close to it that you could also swap the left hand beams to the right and vise-versa, flipping them upside down as you go. Understand this was supposed to be more difficult and time consuming to pull off as well as questionable on how well the suspension geometry was correct.

 

Sorry, I realized I could pull that thread up in my subscriptions.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/3...-complete.html

 

For about 700 to 800 autofab in San Diago, CA has a 3 inch lift. www.autofab.com