2001 2wd Questions about TT & Shocks

[juicy-jj]

Hey guys, I recently acquired a white 2001 Sport Track 2wd that I am getting ready to modify. I do not want to do a bodylift because all the local shops want over $1,000 for the kit + install due to the fact that the rear bolts in the bed have to be torched out.

So with that being said, how high can I crank the Torsion bars? Is 3" a possibility? Keep in mind this is the 2wd. If I crank the Torsion bars up to 2" or even 3" , is there going to be a need for new shocks? If so, how do I measure and what is a good brand and model?

I would love to purchase the 3" lift spindles but right now I can not afford $500 for them.

Are there any other "cheap" ways to go about lifting my 2001 Sport Track 2wd?

 

[swshawaii]

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=39
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=97
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=120

 

[OffTrac]

A 200%+ markup on the body lift kit!? I wouldn't bother with that shop again for anything...ever.

Why do the bed bolts need torched out? Those were by far the easiest for me. Do you know for a fact they need torched out or is that what this obviously crooked shop told you?

The rest of your questions are answered in the threads posted above. Most questions you'll have about our vehicles are easily found using the search feature at the top of the page. Good luck. Hope to see another lifted Trac soon.

 

[interscope8]

due to the fact that the rear bolts in the bed have to be torched out.

Torching bolts out of a plastic bed wouldnt be a good idea I dont think

 

[OffTrac]

Torching bolts out of a plastic bed wouldnt be a good idea I dont think

Hahahahaha, I didn't even catch that!

Please, whatever you do, don't let that shop touch your truck.

 

[juicy-jj]

I have searched a lot, spent hours reading over the threads. I can not find a definitive answer on the TT as to how much lift is possible with that. I am guessing that if it is true that there is 3" inches of possible lift from a TT on a 2wd Sport Track, and if I go that rout until I can afford the spindles, a new set of shocks would be absolutely necessary,right? If so, what kind or brand/model of shocks do you guys recommend?

As far as the shop trying to rip me off, I took my sport track to 3 different shops, they all wanted close to a grand for the body lift with install. They say that the body lift is a 10 hour job due to having to pull out the seats, carpet, and trim on the interior, and one of the shops insisted that the bed bolts are going to have to be torched out. They all agreed that this was at least a 10 hour job.

Now granted, I have installed several bodylifts on various 88-98 Chevys, and those were easy. But they did not involve lengthening of the gas hose, transmition linkage, like the Sport Track does. If it was a straight forward install then I would do it my self. But everyone tells me that its a pain in the ass.

Oh and those links are just re-directing me back to the same site.

 

[01STrunner]

There are no extensions for the ST BL kit except a steering extension which was really easy to do. In all honesty, pocket the 750 and do the job yourself but make sure to get new body bushings and replace those at the same time. That's one mistake I made when doing mine.

To answer your tt question, yes 3" is possible on a 2wd but the ride will be really firm and wheel travel will be a lot more limited. However, I dont believe you would need new shocks after the TT. For cheaper shocks, but still good, I suggest Monroe sense-tracs. I have them on the front of mine and like them a lot. Also a lot of guys run rancho rs5000s. KYB and Bilstein are the best shocks without going with resi's or coilovers but will also cost you a fortune.

 

[swshawaii]

3" TT may be possible using longer torsion bolts. Alignment is necessary to overcome severe positive camber.
New longer front shocks and over 2 degree camber adjusters will be needed to correct the camber issues. GL

2" TT & Shackle Lift:
http://www.mysporttrac.com/mysporttrac/projects/Lift/Lift.htm
http://www.mysporttrac.com/mysporttrac/projects/MikeEgan/Torsion.html

3" Body Lift:
http://www.mysporttrac.com/mysporttrac/projects/body_lift_info.pdf

 

[OffTrac]

all the local shops want over $1,000 for the kit + install

I read that as if they were charging $1,000 for the body lift kit and then adding labor to that charge. $1,000 for the kit and install is about right. A shop shouldn't take 10 hours to do it, but I'd be surprised if anyone charges less than 10 hours shop time.

one of the shops insisted that the bed bolts are going to have to be torched out.

This shop is entirely unfamiliar with the Sport Trac or they would know the bed is a composite. Also, the bolts are in there firmly, but these were the absolute easiest to remove. Hop up in the bed and put some muscle into it. Not bad at all and nothing special. Just a ratchet and breaker bar is all I used.

lengthening of the gas hose, transmition linkage

Neither of those are necessary. You do need a steering linkage that is included with the kit. If you have a manual transmission, you'd need an extension for that which is not included.

A new set of shocks are necessary but not really because of the lift. The stock shocks are awful. Opinions on shocks will be all over the place. I like my Rancho RS5000s. You don't need extended shocks, stock length is fine. (Edit: lengthened shocks may be necessary for 3" as swshawaii stated, I'm not familiar with a 3" TT)

The first and most important piece of information is what size tire you want to run. If you don't need to go up 3" on the torsion twist, I would recommend twisting it less. For reference, I'm running 35x12.5 tires with about 4.5" of lift.

I think you'll want to search out Lono's thread and see his setup if you haven't already.

 

[shooterdude199]

i just got the bed bolts out with an impact. we don't live in the 1800's anymore where we need to "torch" them out..... lol. Also when i had torsion bars, i was up about 3". Thats a rough estimate but pretty close. if you do happen to go that high expect your ball joints to go out quicker if you haven't replaced them yet. get a cam kit too. it was a little tougher for goodyear to align my truck without them and almost didn't touch it.

 

[LONO100]

I have achieved just a hair under 3" of lift on my 2wd sport trac with the stock torsion bolts. Search for TT/shackle lift 2wd how to. I did a write up with pics. I am running 33" x 12.50" duratracs without a body lift. Just shackles and a TT.

 

[LONO100]

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=329062