I'm a definite plus vote on the body lift.
One of my trucks has 400K on it now. I got it two years ago, stock. It had 100k on the motor and 360K on the truck. I didn't realize how loose and sloppy it was until I took it apart and installed a body lift while I was doing several other mods at the same time. After I got it back together and drove it I was amazed at how tight the suspension became and how much quieter and smoother the ride was. High mileage diesel trucks vibrate a lot and have many things that work their way loose or wear out over the years. The bolts that came out of the truck were in VERY BAD shape. They were rusty and had areas worn thin from the body and bed shifting around and grinding on the bolt shanks. I used a 2" kit because I only needed enough room to make the downpipe work. It is GREAT!!! There is a lot more room to work on things under the truck. I can pressure clean the WHOLE underneath of the truck. That 2" of clearance really makes a big difference. Having all new hardware is what really sells me on the body lift. I'm not crazy about the idea of having poly blocks on my truck but I have never heard of them crushing, breaking or splitting on any truck and they are all around me with some pretty serious applications. I, too bent my 4X4 lever to make it fit good again after the install. There is tons of room for the downpipe. The kit called for notching the bottom of the front of the frame to lift the front bumper. I didn't like that. I notched the bottom of the bumper and it worked great. It was easier to notch the bumper on sawhorses than it would have been to climb under and notch the frame. Besides I would rather build a new bumper that fits than to notch my frame, but it worked fine notching the bumper. You have to fabricate something for your rear bumper to lift it to match.
To those of you who boohoo body lifts I would say don't knock it until you've tried it. If you insist that you would never do it I would at least pull the front and rear sets of bolts out that mount your bed and check their condition and replace as necessary or just re-install and tighten if they are still in good shape. Chances are your bed is loose and hopping around back there.
I also installed an add-a-leaf kit in the front and I clear 35's no problem. Truck looks good and rides good. I say go for it but use 2" not 3".

 

Yeah Im not a fan of 3 at all. I may even cut a 2 down to 1.5 or so if I go ahead with it.

Smaller it is the easier it is to make invisible.

Thanks for the bumper tip as well.

I'll either do that, or I may just build a new bumper to fit, since my front bumper is pretty beat anyways.

 

Your instance of the gooneck hitch. I hope that it is bolted to the frame and not the body. In that capacity, you are right the load carrying capacity is not altered. What I was referring to is the guys like me that actually use their bed to haul stuff in. For example, I plow in the winter time and its not uncommon to see my truck running around with a pallet of salt (49 50lb bags for a total weight of 2450lbs!). Now in that instance where the extra weight in the bed already alters how the truck handles and stops, would you want to risk the safety of you and others on the road around you with long grade 5 bolts and poly blocks? There is a reason that most prodction beds are mounted directly to the frame with NO spacers like the cab. How many 2 1/2 ton, 5 ton or even larger trucks have any sort of spacer block between the load deck and the frame? Wanna guess, try NONE. Half truths you say, I think you need to go back to school and forget about the little play toys called Jeep and learn about how to carry a load safely and securely in a vehicle of circumsance before you come back and preach about how many off road toys you have built! I've been around the block a time or 2 myself.

You said it all! With all of the milage on that truck, and you found that suprisingly enough, over time and miles, the bolts had loosened up some, and a few even were damaged by rust. Now imagine that same truck with the old rusted bolts carrying a heavy load in the bed. Now jam on the brakse to keep from slamming into granny that just ran that light, oops too late there stays your frame while the cab shifts forward slamming into the motor. I know, it sounds extreme, but it has been known to happen on more than 1 occassion when using any sort of body lift over a stock or replacement type (not lift) body bushing.


Why cut a 2" in half? If you just have to have a body lift, then why not get a 1" and be done with it?

 

The weights are just estimates, but really its just common sense as well. In 1 ton truck, the majoritty of the weight is in the frame, and drivetrain. Suspenion lifts raise everything but the axles and tires. Call it 1500-2000lbs. Most loaded d60's and 1ton ff rears have no problem tipping the scales at 700lbs. Tires anywhere from 200-400 depending.

Frame, motor, trans, t-case, accessories, etc etc are going to eat up another 2500-3000lbs. Box, bumpers, and cab are lucky to weigh in at 2500. Thats pretty aggressive really.

Like I said, on a truck thats 6k plus, raising the body is shifting right around 1/3rd of the trucks weight. Susp lifting is all but the axles, meaning 2/3-3/4 the weight depending on what on the axles.

I like your idea of dropping axle mounts. Im on the fence with a shackle reversal and couldnt decide what I would do with the rear if I went that route. So far my idea was to go custom heavy Alcan leafs and bags to avoid the chincy blocks and saggy springs all the local shops want to sell you.

You can get into my line of work if you want, but be forwarned, there's not much money in it, and the better you get, the more people line up at your door and soak every waking minute out you.

I started it as a side thing to offset my own tool and part costs. At its peak I was doing nearly 50 hours a week on top of my 9-5r. For three years my holidays were taken to build for people. Kids came and I've slowed it now to 25-30 hours a week.

Im set here to retire from the side work business next month. All my tools and parts are paid for, and Im tired

You can do it if you want. Personally I think night work at Starbucks would have been less headaches

The axles in my heep are spidertrax 609's. Rear is spydertrax housings, solid FF rear, willwood gm3 calipers, Truhi 9" 3rd member, 35 spline detroit, superior evo shafts and, 5.38's.

Front is Spydertrax housing and ultimate 60 knuckles, spydertrax 2 peice d60 shafts, ctms, truhi 3rd, 35 spline detroit. Chev 3/4 ton calipers on superduty re drilled rotors. Full hydro and finishing brake touches are in the works.

I understand you dont like BL's, everyone has their own preferences. Heck, I hate and would never run radius arms, but like you helping buds to BL's, I still build radius arms for some guys.

As always, to each their own.

I dig your Bronco Cutts. Aside from old heeps those are probably my favorite oldschool wheeler.

Thanks for some good discussion.

Oh, and Im not sure, mebbe somethings changed, but I've never known dynatrac to do 9's

 

Not sure I like your tone buddy.

I read your pet link/ "technical" write up on body lifts. Body mount bolts in single sheer? Good one. Grade 10.9 bolts? Aside from the fact I dont think body mount bolts are metric (although maybe they on fords, I dont know), this is just over kill for no reason. The 1/8" steel that body bolts thread into will shear, and tear apart before even a 1/2" grade 5 bolt will even come remotely close to shearing.

Shifting cabs during braking? I smell some web wrenching going on. I've personally witnessed fullsize body lifted trucks in multiple roll overs with not shifting of the cab or box off its body mounts......

If you have a shifting box or load under braking, the mounts are so rotted out that the truck shouldnt even be on the road. Body lift or not.

Industrial trucks are not isolated for multiple reasons, cost, reduced maintenance, and lack of concern with NVH. I highly doubt its to stop the deck from flying off the back of the truck

I have no problem hauling a load safely my freind. I've hauled 120,000lb log units in the rockies in the dead of winter. I drove truck professionally for nearly 10 years in the logging and oil industry. You feel free anytime you wish to discuss safe hauling with me.

p.s. you find me a 1" body lift for a fullsize truck and I will more then likely buy it.

 

OH giggity!

 

my cab has shifted foward 1/4" or so since i installed the BL (years ago)

im removing it when i pull the cab after i finish the suspension on my f150





i still think BL's should only be used as a last resort on engine swaps/ exhaust fitment situations.......there is always a better way (more expensive)

 

The 10.9 bolts that Fred (er, Adrian) was referring to are more commonly called grade 10 here in the USA. If you noticed where he is from, he's a little Down Under. Single shear is a correct statement. What would you call it? This is part of the reason that people like me and most of the rest of the offroad forum regulars get into trouble with the Mods. It's people like you that think that since they have bolted on some high dollar part to their generic 4x4 1 or 2 times they are "exeperts on all things 4wd" and refuse to listen with open eyes and ears to other opinions, and get defensive and claim "half truths" but have no facts, just generalitys to respond with.

On that note, I'm done here before the Mods start swingin the ban hammer!

 

By defination if body bolts were in single sheer, they would not be holding the body to the frame. Double sheer is two coneection points. Frame and body.

Please, know what you are talking about before preaching.

10.9 is a metric designation, and equivelent to a standard grade 8.

A grade 10, half inch bolt in a body mount application is wrong. The amount of torq required to properly stretch the threads, and maintain tension on a bolt that hard is not acheivable.


Grade 8 is pushing it, and should still use a combonation of thread lock and a locking nut mechanism. Because again, the 35ft lb spec of a body mount, is not enough toque to even put a grade 8 1/2" nut and bolt into proper tension.

These are facts, not generalizations.

Your opinion is yours to have, but matters not, as its just an opinion. We all have them.

Thank you for exiting the thread, as its quite obvious you dont actually have anything usefull to add.

Having posted pictures of my rig in here, and have you refer to me as bolt on is an obvious statement of your ignorance.

Good day.

 

other than the dealer where can i find stock size body bushings? mine are all cracked up and worn out. thanks, dan

 

Ya, i'd have to go negative on the BL. Friend of mine's ranger had one, and he lost his bed on a gravel road because the crap had been "stressed". you could make a good one if you have a fabricator's shop ;-) .
Fishman- how much did you stretch your wheelbase? it looks really nice, and i'll bet it does well too!

 

There's only a couple things that can cause what happened to your friends ranger.

Most common on old trucks, body lifted or not is for the stock mounts in the box to rot out and let go.

The most common cause for something like that when a body lift is installed is installer error. Lack of thread lock, and improper toque will cause the bolts to vibrate loose and fall out.

I've worked on lots of jeeps with one, the other, or both of those problems. I had a YJ in once that was so rusted out I had to plate and rebuild every body mount in the tub. I'd be afraid to see would have happened had he started wheeling that rig with the body in its original condition.

Which he probably would have, had he not decided he wanted me to install a small body lift in it for him.

Unless the bolts on your freinds truck were all snapped, which I will pretty much garruntee you they werent, the loss of his box had nothing to do with the lift he had under it.

I do own a fabrication shop, but its not required to do a body lift properly. A few tools and some common sense are all you need.

As with anything, taking short cuts will just lead to headahes down the road.

This is where the old superstitions get people every time. Many think the change in length will allow the bolts to brake. It simply isnt true. Even increasing the length of the bolts, they are still significantly stronger then the sheet metal they are bolted into.

 

The ranger was actually a 2001, and hadn't seen bad duty.
I think the kit was cheap, because it broke at the weld to the plate that bolted to the frame.
I wasnt saying all are bad, im sure there are good ones, but i dont like them because of that experience.
And i'm not saying you HAVE to have a fab shop,
Just saying it would be nice...

 

OFF TOPIC

Anyone know of a place where you can get a kit to replace all the stock bolts, bushings, whatever else is there to hold the cab/bed to frame that isn't a lift though? Is there such a thing or would i be better off just replacing with grade-8 bolts from the hardware store? Your thoughts?

-Robb

 

I know you can for Jeeps Rob, but no idea on fullsize. There must body mount kits from a restoration outfit somewhere.

Just make sure if you are going to use grade 8 you are generous with the loctite, and recheck all the mounts after a week or so.