How to: 3rd Gen BODY LIFT. Install. | Page 26 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

do you or anybody on here know how i could make a homemade lift for the coil springs? alot of people have ideas for homemad body lift just like i do, but im trying to suspension lift mine to not have to deal with flipping bumpers or new brackets or a ton of fabbing. i think of it like if im gonna have to fab up my truck then im gonna fab up a homemade spacer for my coil springs buy some lift shocks and let it be. if anything else needs to be done then I will deal with that after the fact but other than that i just need some ideas of how i can make some homemade spacers. 1.5'' 2'' 2.5'' or 3'' either or just so i can get some height and not have this puny 2wd look lol if yall know what i mean

Look at the 1.5" body lift sticky thread. No brackets or fabbing needed. Will set you back about $50.

Look at the Roadbully spacer lift and BTF Fabrication lift spacer threads. You can't buy Roadbully spacers anymore but BTF still makes them. Sure you can build your own, but if you're put off by making a couple of brackets like for the 3" body lift then I think you're going to find making your own suspension lift spacers and installing them is going to take plenty of work too.
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





suspension lift that I used was from Traxda
Kit #102020 - '02-'05 Ford Explorer 2wd/4wd/Sport-Trac - Front And Rear Lift Kit
102020
$367.00

The body lift I plan to use is Performance Accessories 883 The most complete 3-inch Body Lift Kit for 1998-2000 Ford Ranger, Splash and Edge. Fits 2WD and 4WD models. $190.00

It works for the explorers with the detailed instruction I've acquired from a guy in BC Canada he's a well trusted source since he did it to his own explorer with great success, the whole install takes 10 hrs. By the way the bumper flip is only the metal hitch part not the plastic body panels and it not that hard, I swapped out my small receiver for a 2" one and total time was 45 mins from start to finish( removal of plastic bumper panel, removal of metal bumper/hitch install new 2" metal bumper hitch the n reinstall plastic bumper panel) all us explorer owner can do it.
 






Started on my body lift this afternoon. Got both bumper covers removed. Thought I would knock the front mount out. It went quickly. Snapped both bolts. Still have to get the middle section out. Hope this is not a sign of to come.

3386E449-0C86-416C-99AF-495C877D2109_zpsustze2r8.jpg
 






I assume you know that bolt from the front mount is not needed by now..
 






I assume you know that bolt from the front mount is not needed by now..
 






For anyone interested, summit racing has the same BL as performance for a little less money.

Summit Racing Part Number:SUM-7888300

20160217_141840.jpg
 












Thanks Ronin, just finished it last week.. Got lots of great advice from this site.
 












Slightly.. 3" lift

Steering: ya may need to grind a notch in the new steering extender, then drill a hole thru it for the new bolt. Depends on what model explorer you have.

Trailer hitch: The trailer hitch can be removed from the frame and literally flipped over and remounted. You will need to remove good amount of foam from the bumper in that area for the hitch to fit. Bit it comes out great.

The two front mounts: the threads have a tendency to get rusted solid. if you can't get them out, grind off the head off to remove the mount. Once removed, put it in a vice, gauge where the old threads of the old rusted bolt start then cut it completely through with a Saw or cutting tool. You can reuse the mount and install the new bolt through it without using the threads because the new bolt doesn't use them.

Front bumper: you will need to elongate the existing holes. No big deal

No wire or hose extensions were needed.
 






how much would it usually cost to pay someone to do this lift?
 






Just to let everyone that is interested in doing a body lift know that a one and a half inch body lift is possible with very minimal modification here are my results, this is my ex with a Roadbully lift and a one and a half inch body lift.


Photo-0008.jpg
I was told on my 2002 eddie bauer explorer I'll need 2 1/2 on front and 1 1/2 inch on back. Is yours what mine could look like? Also, what tires you have on?
 






Hey Christina a body lift is done all the same height and only lifts the body up off the frame. A suspension lift will push the suspension down and give clearance to the frame and differentials...
A 2.5 front and 1.5 rear suspension lift will give you about 3 inches front and 2 inches rear it will leave the front a little higher than the back at that much lift. I would do 2 front and 1.5 rear. then add a body lift.
My 2002 eddy has 3 inch body lift and 2.75 front and 2 inch rear. sits just about level and I clear 285/75R16 with room to spare.

Cheers Randy...
 






Nice thanks
Hey Christina a body lift is done all the same height and only lifts the body up off the frame. A suspension lift will push the suspension down and give clearance to the frame and differentials...
A 2.5 front and 1.5 rear suspension lift will give you about 3 inches front and 2 inches rear it will leave the front a little higher than the back at that much lift. I would do 2 front and 1.5 rear. then add a body lift.
My 2002 eddy has 3 inch body lift and 2.75 front and 2 inch rear. sits just about level and I clear 285/75R16 with room to spare.

Cheers Randy.....
Thanks for all info..
 


















awesome and thank you Ronin. i just checked ur truck out that thing is sweet
 












Gonna tackle this next week. I'm confident that I'll be able to do it, the only thing I'm worried about is the rear bumper, I read the whole thread and it seems everyone was pretty vague about their method of doing it. The dude that made the thread even said he had to fabricate new rear brackets? I don't have access to my own machine shop lol. Are the rear brackets related to the hitch, because if they are then all I have to do is flip and trim it a bit? Thanks
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





Did the PA883 Body Lift this weekend, really was straight forward. This thread was an immense help to get me through the lift.

First bolt took us 80 minutes.

That’s the #3 position. We determined that these looked the hardest to get out, not only because of the rust, but because of how they are tucked up over the frame. We figured if we could get these apart, the rest should be easier, and they were.

Once we got through the two #3 mounts, things started going much quicker. The trick to this is to heat the protruding bolt until your PB Blaster starts to smoke. Heat and a good bite on the spinning mount is key.

Front mount.

The other side broke from the top side, and we could not break free the bolt in the bottom side mount. We had to cut the head off the bolt to get the mount apart.


The steering extension went on with minimal mods. I did not have to grind the female end of the extension at all, it fit perfectly. I did need to file generous chamfers on the male side, but otherwise the extension fit as snug as the OEM connection.

Here she is, all lift blocks in place and snugged down (except for the broken front mount).

Radiator Fan Shroud, cut to clear for body lift. What a pain this was to take out. When I went to put it back in, I took out the top half and dropped it in from the top. It was much easier than trying to put it in from underneath.

I flipped the rear bumper/hitch, and had to trim the foam filler inside the bumper cover, as well as some of the cover.

The installation of all lift blocks took two of us all day (about 8 hours), including two trips to Lowe’s and stopping to eat lunch and dinner. The next day I did the Fan Shroud, installed the Front Bumper, flipped the Rear Bumper and installed the Rear Bumper Cover. Then I applied Loctite and torqued positions 2, 3, 4, & 5 to 60 ft lbs. once I remove the broken bolt in the front mount, I will torque them to 41 ft lbs. I also put all the interior trim back together.

Next to do is the front upper ball joints (the passenger side is so bad I stopped driving the truck). Then a right rear wheel bearing, and four Moog struts with spacers for 2” more lift.

Making plenty of room for a set of 265 75 16 Dirt Commanders that are getting lonely. I have a set if American Outlaw rims with a -6 offset for them. Should look awesome.
 






Back
Top