I know nothing about Lifts....but I wanna..

[Noober1]

Make my truck look bad ass! What's a body lift? What does it include? What's the other lift? Instead of piece milling things together can anyone illustrate this mystery?

And, what should I do to my 92?

 

[tweakedlogic]

the first thing i would suggest is use the search feature on this forum.
A body lift is hard plastic cylinders that are longer than the stock ones. There are 1", 2", and 3". The three inch might require a steering shaft or shifter extension. A kit should include the brackets to re-align your bumpers.

There are many ways to go with suspension kits. Most times, anything over 2" isn't going to align. over 2" will come with drop brackets that move the pivot mounts lower so you can get the geometry correct. The rear you can use shackles or add a leaf. the shackles might make you more tippy in off camber situations, the leaf will make it a stiffer ride with less flex. @ 6" lift for the rear, you simply install new spring perches on top of the axle. Same ride/flex as stock.

You can piece a lift together and get good results.

Again, search, read, learn, then ask questions you are having trouble with.

 

[Bruces expo]

Hey noober Look up my navajo pics here -- http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=217205 -- , look at my mods in my signature and you will get an idea of what it will look like , the 3" body lift DOES require a Steering extension , and also with a body lift , you have to drop down your Fan shroud with brackets , i did my own body lift in my front yard with only 2 jacks and a bunch of blocks of wood , i also did my own lift coils and shackles in the rear , Hope i Can Help

 

[rhauf]

noober...

get a drop bracket lift kit, it's the best compromise (in my all knowing opinion haha) between price, and performance (not to mention it looks better than a body lift)
a drop bracket lift kit replaces your stock front axle pivot brackets with lowered ones, includes a drop pitman arm, radius arm bracket drop, and lift coils. (and lift leafs for the rear)


a body lift will get you this:
more wheel-to-fender clearance
higher center of gravity.

a suspension lift will get you the above, as well as:
more suspension travel.
more ground clearance.
better articulation
looks better

 

[Noober1]

Hey noober Look up my navajo pics here --http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=217205 -- , look at my mods in my signature and you will get an idea of what it will look like , the 3" body lift DOES require a Steering extension , and also with a body lift , you have to drop down your Fan shroud with brackets , i did my own body lift in my front yard with only 2 jacks and a bunch of blocks of wood , i also did my own lift coils and shackles in the rear , Hope i Can Help

Nice Navajo!!!! That's a little high for me but I do like!!!!!

 

[Noober1]

noober...

get a drop bracket lift kit, it's the best compromise (in my all knowing opinion haha) between price, and performance (not to mention it looks better than a body lift)
a drop bracket lift kit replaces your stock front axle pivot brackets with lowered ones, includes a drop pitman arm, radius arm bracket drop, and lift coils. (and lift leafs for the rear)


a body lift will get you this:
more wheel-to-fender clearance
higher center of gravity.

a suspension lift will get you the above, as well as:
more suspension travel.
more ground clearance.
better articulation
looks better

Where did you get yours? Where would you get one now?

 

[Bruces expo]

Nice Navajo!!!! That's a little high for me but I do like!!!!!

haha Thanks , Its Not High Enough For Me

 

[mikewild]

Forget the body lift, you'll get much more use out of a suspension lift. Here's mine with a 6 inch lift & 35's

 

[rhauf]

Where did you get yours? Where would you get one now?

My explorer had a 4" lift of that style on it when i got it. I don't know where it came from or what manufacturer it was. something i will mention about it though, it needed a little "trimming" on the drivers side drop bracket (or else the diff would collide with it at full compression).
i have since removed the stock axles and suspension and put in 1 tons.

if your short on cash, look in junkyards for lift stuff. i lifted my bronco with a drop bracket lift kit i found in the junkyard, and it worked great. lots of air time, went down the rubicon, 4x'd good and everything.

here's a kit on summit (i just did a quick search, there are tons of them) it includes quite a bit of stuff you don't need (sway bar junk, new shocks, etc) but it gives you an idea of what you need..
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SLF-K491/?rtype=10

depending how resourceful you are, and if you have use of a welder (or friends who can weld) this will help you greatly..

front end stuff you would need is: lift springs, drop pitman arm, axle pivot drop brackets, radius arm drop brackets (or extended arms). your stock brake lines and shocks can be reused, the shocks may limit down-travel a little but not a big deal. junk your sway bar stuff (first mod for offroad vehicles, sway bar removal)
if you can weld (or get a friend to), you could build your own extended radius arms pretty easily.

for the rear, if you want about 5.5" of lift you can do a spring over axle swap (there are write ups on here how to do that im sure) or else you can do add a leafs, or add junkyard leafs to the pack, or get rear lift springs. or make a longer rear shackle and put a block between the front shackle and the frame.

how crazy do you want to get?


mike. your explorer looks pretty nice there.. how is wheel to fender clearance with the 35's?

 

[Noober1]

Forget the body lift, you'll get much more use out of a suspension lift. Here's mine with a 6 inch lift & 35's

I love your truck! Looks great!!!! If I wanted to do the same lift you did...can you point me to a kit online? Do you have anymore pics to share on level ground?

 

[mikewild]

My lift is all custom, it's not a kit you can buy. We did a cut & turn to the front TTB, built custom radius arms with heim joints & drop cross member. Used F250 shock towers welded to the coil buckets, BDS 6 inch lift springs & did a SOA on the rear. I suspect that a 6 inch lift kit will give you about the same sort of ride height. I did a kit in a 91 Ranger, but it also had a 3 inch body lift in the truck, and it sat just a tad higher than the exploder.

Cut & Turn TTB

Drop cross member

Exploder VS Ranger

This pic shows it just after the build sitting on 32's

As for stuffing the 35's, they fit nicely, the only rubbage I get is on the radius arms at full turn and inside the rear wheel well a little bit on steep articulation.

I don't really have a regular pic of the truck sitting on pavement other than this one sitting on 33 BFG's

 

[Noober1]

My explorer had a 4" lift of that style on it when i got it. I don't know where it came from or what manufacturer it was. something i will mention about it though, it needed a little "trimming" on the drivers side drop bracket (or else the diff would collide with it at full compression).
i have since removed the stock axles and suspension and put in 1 tons.

if your short on cash, look in junkyards for lift stuff. i lifted my bronco with a drop bracket lift kit i found in the junkyard, and it worked great. lots of air time, went down the rubicon, 4x'd good and everything.

here's a kit on summit (i just did a quick search, there are tons of them) it includes quite a bit of stuff you don't need (sway bar junk, new shocks, etc) but it gives you an idea of what you need..
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SLF-K491/?rtype=10

depending how resourceful you are, and if you have use of a welder (or friends who can weld) this will help you greatly..

front end stuff you would need is: lift springs, drop pitman arm, axle pivot drop brackets, radius arm drop brackets (or extended arms). your stock brake lines and shocks can be reused, the shocks may limit down-travel a little but not a big deal. junk your sway bar stuff (first mod for offroad vehicles, sway bar removal)
if you can weld (or get a friend to), you could build your own extended radius arms pretty easily.

for the rear, if you want about 5.5" of lift you can do a spring over axle swap (there are write ups on here how to do that im sure) or else you can do add a leafs, or add junkyard leafs to the pack, or get rear lift springs. or make a longer rear shackle and put a block between the front shackle and the frame.

how crazy do you want to get?


mike. your explorer looks pretty nice there.. how is wheel to fender clearance with the 35's?

Post a picture of your Explorer!

 

[Noober1]

My lift is all custom, it's not a kit you can buy. We did a cut & turn to the front TTB, built custom radius arms with heim joints & drop cross member. Used F250 shock towers welded to the coil buckets, BDS 6 inch lift springs & did a SOA on the rear. I suspect that a 6 inch lift kit will give you about the same sort of ride height. I did a kit in a 91 Ranger, but it also had a 3 inch body lift in the truck, and it sat just a tad higher than the exploder.

Cut & Turn TTB

Drop cross member

Exploder VS Ranger

This pic shows it just after the build sitting on 32's

As for stuffing the 35's, they fit nicely, the only rubbage I get is on the radius arms at full turn and inside the rear wheel well a little bit on steep articulation.

I don't really have a regular pic of the truck sitting on pavement other than this one sitting on 33 BFG's

That's a sexy BEAST! Your reply was exactly what I've been hoping someone would post. Now, if I could only match up your lift with an actual kit I could buy online. Also, I'm looking for a front and rear bumper setup..... check out my post if anyone has suggestions where to get this as well! http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=273287&page=3

 

[rhauf]

Post a picture of your Explorer!

here's my build thread
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=293768

here's some video of it when it was on 33's with a 4" drop bracket lift.
it actually did really well with the 33's, 4" lift, and a rear locker (welded)
I did need to trim the lower corners of the front fenders a bit to prevent wheel rub.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD_JBygDP4A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN8qy2rbo-Q

It looks like the bumper you want is custom. so you could have a shop make it but they would probably charge a lot..
might be a good time to get a welder and some tools start playing around. a bumper would be a great first project.
for what a shop would charge to fab a bumper like that (around $1000) you could buy all the equipment to make it yourself.
just sayin... its nice to have tools

 

[Noober1]

here's my build thread
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=293768

here's some video of it when it was on 33's with a 4" drop bracket lift.
it actually did really well with the 33's, 4" lift, and a rear locker (welded)
I did need to trim the lower corners of the front fenders a bit to prevent wheel rub.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD_JBygDP4A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN8qy2rbo-Q

It looks like the bumper you want is custom. so you could have a shop make it but they would probably charge a lot..
might be a good time to get a welder and some tools start playing around. a bumper would be a great first project.
for what a shop would charge to fab a bumper like that (around $1000) you could buy all the equipment to make it yourself.
just sayin... its nice to have tools

I like the lift but why does it sound like a rice burner?

 

[rhauf]

I like the lift but why does it sound like a rice burner?

The previous owner put a flowmaster 40 on it with a 5" (diameter!) turndown coming out of it.. it was horrible.

i'm not a fan of loud exhaust on a v6 anyhow, so i have since reverted it to whisper quiet stock exhaust. here is a recent video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G6zk4DSBek

 

[Noober1]

The previous owner put a flowmaster 40 on it with a 5" (diameter!) turndown coming out of it.. it was horrible.

i'm not a fan of loud exhaust on a v6 anyhow, so i have since reverted it to whisper quiet stock exhaust. here is a recent video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G6zk4DSBek

Much better! I was just wondering if something was wrong with the cat or something.

 

[Noober1]

Hey Guys....I've been reading about f150 leaf springs... Is there something that says a 1990 (or whatever) f150 springs will work for a 92 exlorer? Thanks!!!

 

[tweakedlogic]

I think.., I think, it's 84-98. Double check that. So yeah, if it's like mine, you'll get a little over 2".

 

[Noober1]

I just read the War and Peace post about the f150 springs and although there were lots of words... I didn't find it very informative. I could of summed it up by saying:

Have your springs made this mfg or buy f150 springs from a junk yard. Don't forget to over torque and my relative/engineer said shackles are bad... Mmmm k

Is there another post that actual information rather than an essay that needs cliff notes?