3" Body Lift. Question about the bushings and just cutting w sawzal vs breaking bolts

[davebar]

Just started my body lift and gotta love living in the rust belt. only got to 2 bushings so far. Stripped one and broke the bold on the 2nd. Its gonna be fun.

Anyway, I was wondering if it makes any sense to replace all the bushings with new while Im doing the lift. Daystar kit 150.00. Not sure if its needed, but would that be better than drilling out all the bushings and using nuts and sleeves on the lift bolts?

OK, JUST FOUND MORE INFO ON BAD BUSHINGS....It appears the Day Star kit requires the use of the sleeve and other parts of the stock bushings. I had planned to jujst sawzal the damn things and use the day star kit, but I guess I can cuz I ll be cutting through the sleeves. HOWEVER, if I use bolts and nuts, do i really need sleeves? I assume the sleeves are threaded for the bolt and thats why they need to be replaced.

Please advise.....

 

[Jason c]

HOWEVER, if I use bolts and nuts, do i really need sleeves?

.

You can run them as is, just drill them out with a 1/2 drill bit. The bolts in my kit were long enough to go all the way and get a lock-nut and washer on it.

 

[tgreene92]

don't even bother to try to drill it out, i was wasted a whole day with an industrial drill and mean bits and never got through one bolt. just cut off the bottom mount then jack up the truck and remove the middle bushing. take the rubber off the metal insert then put a new metal sleeve inside the rubber. then reinsert with lift block and bolt and put a nut and lock washer on bottom. if i did this from the start id be done, now im on day 3 of my body lift install. anybody who thinks they can efficiently drill one of those dang bolts out is insane.

 

[Jason c]

LOL. I drilled mine out and I am quite sane. I started with a small bit down the center thinking I could take some of the pressure off the threads and get it to move, but it was still stuck. So then I stepped up to the 1/2 inch and lots of PB blaster.

 

[tgreene92]

i guess you were lucky, i did the same thing and got nowhere. it was much faster and easier for me to just cut them and put a new sleeve inside. I know a few other people that had zero luck with drilling them out.

 

[storlied]

I drilled my front two out just fine with a drill press.

 

[davebar]

I hate to do it, but I think I am gonna buy the bushings kit and just replace all of them. My bushings seem to be pretty crappy anyway and I really dont want to do this project ever again. So, might as well drop the extra 150 and do it now.

My plan is to add a non threaded sleeve into the new bushing rather than trying to salvage the old ones. Then just run the new bolt with a nut. Will this set up worK OK. I have not seen a bushing apart yet adn I am not sure all I need to keep from the old stuff.

 

[tgreene92]

I drilled my front two out just fine with a drill press.

yea once i got the middle bushing out i was making good progress getting through on the press but the metal sleeve inside the bushing was so rotted it just crumbled. I guess im just really unlucky. It definitely is a good idea to just get the new bushings if your at all unsure about your current one, and yes the non threaded metal sleeve and nut and bolt will work just fine.

 

[Slowy]

the lower part of the bushing was about $20/each at the dealer. i accidentally drilled out the rear (DOH!)

 

[davebar]

just picked up a good set of drill bits. Figure i will give it a try.

Assuming all of them need drilled out with 1/2 and the bushings are still ok, do I need to still sleeve them and do I use nylon locking nuts or just use lock washer with lock tight? I assume Im gonna need to replace the bushings and go with nuts on all the mounts.

 

[Slowy]

Why are you drilling them all out? When I did mine, only the fronts had to be drilled out because the bolts go in from the bottom. The rest of the bolts went in from the top and traded into the stock lower bushing. None of my bolts from the kit were long enough to go through AND use a nut.

 

[tgreene92]

Why are you drilling them all out? When I did mine, only the fronts had to be drilled out because the bolts go in from the bottom. The rest of the bolts went in from the top and traded into the stock lower bushing. None of my bolts from the kit were long enough to go through AND use a nut.

We got on the topic of drilling because as stated in the first post one bolt broke and another bolt stripped.

 

[davebar]

Drill baby Drill.....Sorry, couldn't help it.

I assume I need to drill, Only tried 2 bolts so far and one stripped and the other broke. So, I figure the others will do the same by the looks of them. I hope its not the case, but Im in Cleveland, so its got alot of rust.

 

[Slowy]

We got on the topic of drilling because as stated in the first post one bolt broke and another bolt stripped.

O yeahh... Try the dealer, if you buy new lower bushings that have sleeves and threads.

 

[Slowy]

don't even bother to try to drill it out, i was wasted a whole day with an industrial drill and mean bits and never got through one bolt. just cut off the bottom mount then jack up the truck and remove the middle bushing. take the rubber off the metal insert then put a new metal sleeve inside the rubber. then reinsert with lift block and bolt and put a nut and lock washer on bottom. if i did this from the start id be done, now im on day 3 of my body lift install. anybody who thinks they can efficiently drill one of those dang bolts out is insane.

did you not reuse the stock lower part of the bushing that went under the mount? i don't know if i'm reading your post right.

its interesting how post #2 says the bolts were long enough for his 98. but now that i think of it, i don't see how the bolt could go THROUGH the threaded lower bushing AND stick out far enough to use a nut/washer.

am i missing something? i'm pretty familiar with all of the body lift hardware as i just did it about 2 weeks ago.

 

[davebar]

Hmmm, I read it as the bottome bushing needs to be drilled out and the new bolt just slide through and does not thread. Thats why a nut is needed.

Did you use the 883 kit?

Ill check my local dealer for the mount prices. I just figured aftermarket for all of them at 150.00 was a better deal and cheaper.

 

[tgreene92]

did you not reuse the stock lower part of the bushing that went under the mount? i don't know if i'm reading your post right.

its interesting how post #2 says the bolts were long enough for his 98. but now that i think of it, i don't see how the bolt could go THROUGH the threaded lower bushing AND stick out far enough to use a nut/washer.

am i missing something? i'm pretty familiar with all of the body lift hardware as i just did it about 2 weeks ago.

yes i reused the lower part but i banged out the threaded sleeve cuz it got stripped when i tried drilling it out so the bolts are long enough to just slide through the middle and bottom bushing without threading into anything then just put a lock washer and nut on the bottom, when i finish my body lift tomorrow ill get some pics of how i did it.

 

[Slowy]

Hmmm, I read it as the bottome bushing needs to be drilled out and the new bolt just slide through and does not thread. Thats why a nut is needed.

i guess i just missed the whole 'sleeve can't be reused' part... wasn't clicking before, lol

Did you use the 883 kit?

yeah, and i have parts left over. (apparently the ranger uses 14 spacers and a bunch of other stuff)

Ill check my local dealer for the mount prices. I just figured aftermarket for all of them at 150.00 was a better deal and cheaper.

i paid $40?? for the two rear lower halves.
so if they are $20/ea and we need 10.. then $200 for all (actually $160 since you have to drill out the fronts anyway).
but you don't have to 'modify' them like you said you did with that other kit.

 

[davebar]

I am gonna try to just drill and use a nut too. I priced the bushings at dealer coat and they are quoting me 15 for the front and 20 for the rest. For that price, Id rather just buy the after marhet kit for 150 and replace the the top and bottoms. Hopefully, I will not need to do that.

 

[Jason c]

did you not reuse the stock lower part of the bushing that went under the mount? i don't know if i'm reading your post right.

its interesting how post #2 says the bolts were long enough for his 98. but now that i think of it, i don't see how the bolt could go THROUGH the threaded lower bushing AND stick out far enough to use a nut/washer.

am i missing something? i'm pretty familiar with all of the body lift hardware as i just did it about 2 weeks ago.

My bolts were all long enough to put a nut and washer on. I had to rearrange a few to get the lengths right because some are longer then others.
This is the kit I used: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-7888300/

Edit: Here is a pic with the nut and drill out mount.