I would like to clear 35's, but i hear that swamper makes a 34, so not a bad compromise between the seemingly "sheepish" 33's and the montster 35's. Would a 3 inch body lift allow this? Found a shop that does this stuff, told me about 1800 for a 6 inch skyjacker lift installed, or 500 for the body lift. Being 17 1200 dollars for lift and tires sounds better than 2500., but can i fit the tires i want? what width can i go? Will i need spring spacers or new radius arms or anything to fit 35's on a 3 inch body lift?

 

I assume this is a 4wd. 34's should fit on a 1/2 ton w/ 3" no problem but not a ranger. You didn't say what kind of truck you had. Both those prices seem rediculiously high. You can buy a 3" body lift for less than $100 so that means their charging you over $400 in labor:-staun
Personally I don't like body lifts. I would always chose a suspension lift over a body lift. Body lifts tend to create problems w/ shift linkages and steering shafts. They also offer no benifits other than adding a little space. Suspension lifts add more useable wheel travel and often time ride better than stock. $1200 for the lift sounds high to me as well. A 4" skyjacker kit (no rear springs)for an 80-96 F-150 typically runs around $500 so that means they want $700 just to put that on. The lifts for the 79 and earlier are even less. Ultimately it's your call but you have my $.02 worth.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 04-Nov-02 AT 08:43 AM (EST)]>I assume this is a 4wd. 34's should fit on a 1/2 ton w/ 3"
>no problem but not a ranger. You didn't say what kind of
>truck you had. Both those prices seem rediculiously high.
>You can buy a 3" body lift for less than $100 so that means
>their charging you over $400 in labor:-staun
>Personally I don't like body lifts. I would always chose a
>suspension lift over a body lift. Body lifts tend to create
>problems w/ shift linkages and steering shafts. They also
>offer no benifits other than adding a little space.
>Suspension lifts add more useable wheel travel and often
>time ride better than stock. $1200 for the lift sounds high
>to me as well. A 4" skyjacker kit (no rear springs)for an
>80-96 F-150 typically runs around $500 so that means they
>want $700 just to put that on. The lifts for the 79 and
>earlier are even less. Ultimately it's your call but you
>have my $.02 worth.

I have both! But I'm not a big fan of body lifts, although they have improved them quite a bit. The price for labor probably depends alot on where you live. I live in Illinois, in the Chicago area where $400 dollars labor for a body lift and $700 for a suspension lift would probably be about average.

 

I just started calling around for a suspension lift called a 6" superlift. everywhere I called they were $550-$600.

 

I would have to STRONGLY advise against a body lift, unless of course you value looks over performance AND looks. Depending on how mechanically inclined you are, you may even be able to install the lift yourself, and get the suspension lift for the same price as a body lift installed at a shop. When I first bought my '96 f-150 9 months ago, I was very uninformed and reluctant to do any work myself, but not having the $$ to get work done at a shop is a great motivator and now i do just about everything (exept tranny work) myself. All depends on your situation.

 

id love to do it myself but there is welding involved in the suspension (downloaded skyjacker instruction manual) and i dont have any friends to help lift the body.......... Also, everytime i do something it gets messed up lol. I will see what my "mechanic" will install it for......He did my gas tank for 300 including parts so he's pretty reasonable.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 06-Nov-02 AT 05:16 PM (EST)]The bottem line is form vs. function. In my opinion, body lifts are worthless and look like crap to boot. Many things can cause a stuck, but I guarantee that once your frame bottems out you are royally screwed. Suspension lifts move your frame up giving you more clearance, while body lifts do not. Do it once, do it right.

Almost forgot. Got a chuckle out of your "monster 35s" comment. I suppose its all perspective, but 35s are the "smallest" tires I'd run off-road.

 

well 35's aren't really monsters but appearantly they are to these trucks, cus they are a B to fit. I got friends where I'm from who think 38's are small, so I know where ur comin from

 

get a six inch skyjacker. i dont think there is any welding involved. i think there is some involved with the body lift. im in the process of doing my bodylift right now after doing a 6 inch superlift. I dont think there is a big deal with bodylifts as long as you cover up those gaps betweeen the frame and body

 

i have a 3 inch body, i had some ugly gaps between my frame and body but fixed it with gap guards and a couple of cans of undercoat. no one would have guessed i had one! all think its a suspension lift. i think i fool myself sometimes jk

 

I agree with rbrendel, I too have a 3" body lift and it looks fine as long as you cover up the gaps. But a 3" body lift is not going to clear 35s, especially if they are 35x12.5s or wider. Check out my gallery, I have a 3" lift with 33x10.5s.

Someone mentioned getting stuck, I have seen quite a few people stuck because they got caught up on their differentials not the frame. Granted, if you get stuck on the frame you are really stuck. But most people I have seen stuck were because of poor driving skills and getting their differentials caught or worse cracked open. Neither a suspension lift or a body lift will increase the distance from the differentials to the ground, only bigger tires will increase that distance. A suspension lift will not raise them, it raises the body/frame but it also causes problems with driveshaft angles and steering shaft angles. So either way you could have problems.

The prices that you were quoted do seem high.