where are you guys getting your lift kits, and does anyone know how to make one at home? i would prefer to build one minus parts i cant make such as shocks, but i will buy one if i have to.

 

Try broncograveyard.com and wildhorses4x4.com. Just remember there is no such thing as an all enclusive lift kit. Leave room in your budget for the unexpected. Also in case you arent aware, if you plan on going higher than about 4" you will need lengthened driveshafts. If you have any questions about lift kits, shoot em my way. Ive been in the off road world my whole life.

 

If all you want is clearance for bigger tires and don't want to spend a bunch on a full suspension lift (though it is by far the option I would prefer myself) you can purchase a body lift kit. This just lifts your cab and box off of the frame a couple of inches, giving you that needed clearance. The only real thing you need to worry about then is lengthening your steering shaft and possibly your brake lines, depending how high you lift.

I've seen people use hockey pucks and high grade steel bolts between the frame and the cab/box, but I would rather use a respectable company's body lift kit. Whatever you do, do NOT use 2x4 hollow steel beams run across the frame, sitting on the 2" side! (I can't believe the dealership was even trying to sell a truck like this!)

You can easily go home built with this route, but just make sure your setup is stable. As I stated before, a 4" lift with only 2" of base doesn't provide that good of stability, where as a 4" lift with a 4" base would be more reasonable. You also have to include the rubber bushings yourself, where as most kits provide these.

Body lift kits and big tires can still turn heads though. For me its usually "Whoa, nice looking truck." Then get closer and, "Oh, it's just a body lift." Big tires, nice rims, and a clean wash will still turn my head, at least.

EDIT: Also, your bumpers won't move with the cab and box, so you can either get a kit to lift them too, modify brackets to lift them yourself, or have a somewhat odd look about your truck, provided that you do get a body lift.

 

Before we take random stabs in the dark, we should probably try to figure out what the OP is lifting?
2wd?
4wd?
1/2 ton?
3/4 ton?
How high is this gonna be lifted?
What are your fabrication skills, and do you have the equipment and confidence to weld well enough to make a safe modification?
Do you understand the importance of proper steering geometry, and suspension cycles.
Too many variables here to try to guess.
Perhaps a little more info could be helpfull.

 

Self quote IMO, spend the money, get the proper Suspension lift, show off to all your Body lifted friends, if you wanna be street legal and safe too.

For extreme off road use only (just an opinion) and with lots of fabrication experience, make your own. That way you can tinker around, find out what works best (and make some good roll bars as well, safety first).

Best off talking to the Off-road boys if you wanna know more. I'm sure they'd be more than happy to help with this stuff.

Now to see how all irrelevant this was when he says its a 2wd, lol.

 

Well I don't know about you guys but i would be perfectly fine with that. But I doubt most of you guys are still in high school lol. I don't have a lift on mine but the body kit, 20in rims, wine of the supercharger and the drone of the exhaust work tho. Oh yah Im not trying to be a forum crasher, I am just trying to find out what I can because if everything goes right in my future I will be getting a 79 supercab that needs restored. So i fugured I better book up. Thanks in advance

 

That's a cool thread and a great write up by Fred. :)
But the thread left me feeling uneasy when it comes to the bolt talk.

10.9 is not a "grade 10" bolt, a 10.9's strength is more like a "grade 8" bolt.

Bolt Depot - Bolt Grade Markings and Strength Chart

Off hand, when it comes to bolt strength it's easier and cheaper and better
(we ain't working on airplanes;) to go up a size instead of going with small
"higher strength than grade 8" bolts.

The chart describes how they are made but the methods and materials are
only for comparison since an outfit can figure out a cheaper way to get the
same strength... it's considered the same thing grade-wise.

Also check out how weak the stinkin' stainless steel bolts are! :/

Adding stainless steel bolts can actually increase the overall corrosion rate.
"all corrosion is electrical" -Richard "Curly" Hastings metallurgist

Alvin is not interested in no dangged "lift kit" in AZ

 

Body lifts DO have their place! An old trick to running a BL off pavement and preventing the body from ripping off when the frame gets flexed is to use valve springs under the mount with the bolt running through them. This way when your frame flexes there is some give in the mounts. Ive seen this setup work very well.

 

What about doing an add a leaf? How much lift would I get from 3 or 4 leaves(leafs?).

How much difference would that make? I ask cause you guys advised against making your own, and you can just get leaves from a donor truck.

 

You can control the change if you were to re-arch the springs you have now. :)
I did mine own but you could take them to a spring shop if you don't have
access to a sledge hammer. ;)

One caution I mention every time is how the locating pin on my spring packs
aren't the same distance from the front eye. Ford did that to make the rear
axle square with the frame! So if you buy new springs measure the crap out
of your springs and your frame. ;)

IMO add a leave is a sloppy-assed way to do this. YMMV
It adds friction to the leaf pack that's not good for anything.

I'm going to keep posting this crap over and over until someone else
re-arches their own springs and finds out what a cool thing it is and then
I'll have an ally? ;)

http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/clamp.jpg
-rear clamp made from 3" square tubing-

http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/zerks.jpg
-front clamp that's holds the overload leaf straight! :)-

I decided I wanted grease zerks instead of adding plastic pads. YMMV
Even tho I'd already bought the pads from a spring shop. :/

Ford sez: to oil the spring pack and BTDT and the oil (even STP) doesn't last
long enough to make it worth while because the job's a real messy pain in
the neck. :)

Are you game? ;)

Alvin in AZ
ps- zerk threads = 1/4-28

 

sorry i aint been back till now but ive been having comp issues. and its a 74 F-100 351M c-6 1/2 ton 2wd flatbed so a lil light in rear. im wanting about a 2-4 inch suspension lift. i have access to almost any tool or piece of equipment and i have a fairly extensive experiance in making parts for trucks from working with my dad ford lover and blacksmith and brother has owned almost 20 f-100's.and id like to make any items i can obviously not shocks or that kind of junk. i am willing to put in the man hours to build what i can just need to know specs and possibly see pics of partsi can do a bl anyday and have this offroad the next this isnt a pushover truck its a pretty good mudder can keep up with some 4wd's dont try to say bs ive done it. thats how it got the nickname black ice cuz it pulled a 4wd out of an ice puddle cuz it was just polishing an icecube.

 

sorry had to edit this message because it posted twice

 

I think he's more talking about the spacers for the lift. I've seen this done, but only badly. The guy that had one of my old truck did it and it was way off center. Bed was lower then the cab, etc. Plus he used washer to space out the steering column. Yeah, he was a hillbilly. I gave him a break since he was only like 17. His dad was pissed because the oil pan seal was shot ruining his driveway. I walked away with his 4x4 for $600.

 

i want to make the parts that arent to itricate such as the spacers yes but im a better fabricater than that, and i have access to the tooling.i dont know what all i need to do a lift and thats what im trying to do anyone got a pic of a kit so i can see all parts?