1996 Sport body lift questions

Ok, considering doing a body lift on my 1996 Sport (ass well as TT and F-150 rear springs). Been reading several posts and while I see that the PA-853 kit is what most people use, it also appears that most of the parts in the kit don't work anyway without modification. Bolts too long, drop brackets don't fit, etc, etc. Looks like the only really usable parts are the spacers and the steering extension. So, that being the case for most people, can I just use some 3" spacers from another kit and make the rest work? I'm going to swap an electric fan in anyway, so no need to drop the radiator. Ground straps are no big deal. It's a 5spd and I'm not worried about a shifter extension as it sits too damn high for me already. Any I can but bolts anywhere if I don't already have them. Thoughts on this? Am I missing something? The only real hurdle I see is the steering extension. Can that be purchased separately? And where exactly does it go? I know there was a design change from `97 to `98 so there is a different spacer, but what was the change? Any help is appreciated. Thanks

I fabricated my own body spacers and used a ranger steering shaft and went to the local bolt store and bought the bolts needed. I also modified the bumper brackets.

Ok, cool. That's what I was hoping. I just have an issue with spending $200 for something that half the parts included are useless. I have a bunch of old lift blocks from other kits that will works just fine without paying for a bunch of parts that won't fit anyway. You say you used a Ranger steering shaft. What was the difference? And did you need to modify it?

This might help in sourcing the bolts.


I got them from Fastenal.

Sweet!! Definitely be useful, thanks.

Steering extension is sold separate, but it's expensive. It goes on the end of the shaft and into the column end. There is a thread here on how to modify a Heep shaft instead.

Make your own Bumper Brackets.

The E-brake cable extension is useful tho, and since your manual, I would think you would want this as well. This can be made as well.

Ground strap drop bracket for the firewall and the shift cable bracket can also be made.

Lower Radiator brackets are nothing but two 1.5" Rectangle tube cut to one inch pieces with a bolt hole drilled in the center of the small sides. Then two 3" x 3/4" straps for the top. Can make these easy as pie.

I bought all the puck mount bolts needed, at a John Deere dealership with a service center for one lift I installed. They carry metric and have a huge selection of all grade 8 hardware. Tip.... Get a large fender washer from them for the front mounts.

So, I see no issue with just using the pucks and making everything else.

Bugzturbo said:

Ok, cool. That's what I was hoping. I just have an issue with spending $200 for something that half the parts included are useless. I have a bunch of old lift blocks from other kits that will works just fine without paying for a bunch of parts that won't fit anyway. You say you used a Ranger steering shaft. What was the difference? And did you need to modify it?

Click to expand...

It is 3 or more inches longer and thinner, there was a slight minor mod, the write-up may be one of the links in my Sig.

96ex5.0 said:

It is 3 or more inches longer and thinner, there was a slight minor mod, the write-up may be one of the links in my Sig.

Click to expand...

Just checked all your sig links, nothing about the shaft other than a mention of it in the power steering delete post.

gmanpaint said:

Steering extension is sold separate, but it's expensive. It goes on the end of the shaft and into the column end. There is a thread here on how to modify a Heep shaft instead.

Click to expand...

I'll look for it

gmanpaint said:

Make your own Bumper Brackets.

Click to expand...

That was the plan, shouldn't be too difficult.

gmanpaint said:

The E-brake cable extension is useful tho, and since your manual, I would think you would want this as well. This can be made as well.

Click to expand...

Didn't think you would need to extend that, but I'm sure I could figure something out.

gmanpaint said:

Ground strap drop bracket for the firewall and the shift cable bracket can also be made.

Click to expand...

I'll probably just use a longer ground strap instead. And 5spd won't have a shift cable to deal with.

gmanpaint said:

Lower Radiator brackets are nothing but two 1.5" Rectangle tube cut to one inch pieces with a bolt hole drilled in the center of the small sides. Then two 3" x 3/4" straps for the top. Can make these easy as pie.

Click to expand...

I'm going electric fan anyways, so the radiator can just stay where it it. Hoses shouldn't have any problem flexing a bit with the fan and shroud out of the way.

gmanpaint said:

I bought all the puck mount bolts needed, at a John Deere dealership with a service center for one lift I installed. They carry metric and have a huge selection of all grade 8 hardware. Tip.... Get a large fender washer from them for the front mounts.

Click to expand...

I have an industrial hardware store around the corner from the shop so I should be able to source them pretty easy.

E-brake cable will be lifted with the body lift. Stock cable tension mount will be too low, so the extension bracket gives a new tension mount to route the cable thru. It won't work without it.

The steering shaft mod I was thinking of is for a 1st gen, never mind, it wont work for yours. My bad.

Bugzturbo said:

Just checked all your sig links, nothing about the shaft other than a mention of it in the power steering delete post.

Click to expand...

Yeah I noticed that too, the first one was it but it's taking me to the other. I'll dig it up