- Joined
- July 5, 2003
- Messages
- 6,669
- Reaction score
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- City, State
- Brockton, MA
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- '93 XLT 4x4
Body mount replacement and custom Heavy duty 3/4" body lift.
Several of my body mounts had deteriorated such that the lower flanged washer and rubber mount were falling off. In the picture below I have loosened the bolt but not removed it completely.
I had ordered the DayStar Body mount (KF04009) replacement kit to replace all mounts. Unfortunately the kit only includes the Poly Bushings and no hardware. As such I had purchased the following additional hardware.
Qty - Grade 8 Bolts
2 @ 1/2" x 4.5" (Mount #1)
6 @ 1/2" x 5†(Mounts #2 and #4)
2 @ 1/2" x 7†(Mount #5)
10 @ 1/2" Grade 8 washers and nuts.
30 @ 1/2" ID x 3" OD x 1/4" thick (dock washers)
The process is similar to that of a body lift but requires more work. A body lift and mount replacement both require you to remove all 10 body mount bolts, but a replacement requires the complete removal/disassembly of the old mounts. Normally a body lift includes a spacer block, but I used 2 dock washers together. The washers and new Poly bushings lifted the body 3/4"+. Obviously this is a small lift, but the purpose was to help any clearance issue when I install my skyjacker 4" suspension lift.
The washers are 1/4" thick each. The new bushings add 1/4"+ for a 3/4"+ total body lift increase.
The front mounts (#1)
These mounts are different from the other mounts in that their bolts mount from the bottom instead of the top and more importantly the upper flanged washer is also threaded. I soaked the threads with PB Blaster and used an impact gun to work the bolt loose (1st pic). The bolt would only come out a few threads before getting stuck. I would soak all exposed threads tighten the bolt and then loosen it. After a few minutes This back and forth motion eventually exposed the lower threads. I soaked them and repeated the process until the bolt was extracted (total time 10 min). In the 2nd pic the lower bushing is removed. I then used a 1/2" Cobalt drill bit to drill through the center of the mount (using WD-40 as a lubricant) to clear the way for the replacement 1/2" bolt.
Mounts #2 & #4
These gave me the most trouble. I removed the bolts but the upper and lower flanged parts were fused together. I was unable to separate them with heavy duty impact hammer. I used a cut off wheel in my grinder to remove the center square nut (see pic). Once you have removed the nut you can pry the rubber bushing off and cut off the remains of the flanged washer.
The upper part of mounts #2 & #4 contains a large bushing sandwiched between the upper flange and lower shell. This lower shell contains a small 1" diameter rubber bushing (see pics below) which is bonded to the shell. I used a torch to heat the inner part of the metal flange to help break it's bond with this small bushing. I then used several large screwdrivers and pried the lower shell off. Once Off I used a new razor (box cutter type) to cut out this bushing. Note: If you directly heat the bushing it will become messy to work with.
In the final picture you can see part of the lower flange still fused into the upper flange. I ran the 1/2" cobalt drill bit through the center to ensure the new hardware would fit. You can also see in this picture the new 1" Red poly bushings pressed into the shell.
In these last pictures you can see the completed lift install from the rear. Also note the hole in the body for the spare tire winch no longer aligns with the winch.
Several of my body mounts had deteriorated such that the lower flanged washer and rubber mount were falling off. In the picture below I have loosened the bolt but not removed it completely.
I had ordered the DayStar Body mount (KF04009) replacement kit to replace all mounts. Unfortunately the kit only includes the Poly Bushings and no hardware. As such I had purchased the following additional hardware.
Qty - Grade 8 Bolts
2 @ 1/2" x 4.5" (Mount #1)
6 @ 1/2" x 5†(Mounts #2 and #4)
2 @ 1/2" x 7†(Mount #5)
10 @ 1/2" Grade 8 washers and nuts.
30 @ 1/2" ID x 3" OD x 1/4" thick (dock washers)
The process is similar to that of a body lift but requires more work. A body lift and mount replacement both require you to remove all 10 body mount bolts, but a replacement requires the complete removal/disassembly of the old mounts. Normally a body lift includes a spacer block, but I used 2 dock washers together. The washers and new Poly bushings lifted the body 3/4"+. Obviously this is a small lift, but the purpose was to help any clearance issue when I install my skyjacker 4" suspension lift.
The washers are 1/4" thick each. The new bushings add 1/4"+ for a 3/4"+ total body lift increase.
The front mounts (#1)
These mounts are different from the other mounts in that their bolts mount from the bottom instead of the top and more importantly the upper flanged washer is also threaded. I soaked the threads with PB Blaster and used an impact gun to work the bolt loose (1st pic). The bolt would only come out a few threads before getting stuck. I would soak all exposed threads tighten the bolt and then loosen it. After a few minutes This back and forth motion eventually exposed the lower threads. I soaked them and repeated the process until the bolt was extracted (total time 10 min). In the 2nd pic the lower bushing is removed. I then used a 1/2" Cobalt drill bit to drill through the center of the mount (using WD-40 as a lubricant) to clear the way for the replacement 1/2" bolt.
Mounts #2 & #4
These gave me the most trouble. I removed the bolts but the upper and lower flanged parts were fused together. I was unable to separate them with heavy duty impact hammer. I used a cut off wheel in my grinder to remove the center square nut (see pic). Once you have removed the nut you can pry the rubber bushing off and cut off the remains of the flanged washer.
The upper part of mounts #2 & #4 contains a large bushing sandwiched between the upper flange and lower shell. This lower shell contains a small 1" diameter rubber bushing (see pics below) which is bonded to the shell. I used a torch to heat the inner part of the metal flange to help break it's bond with this small bushing. I then used several large screwdrivers and pried the lower shell off. Once Off I used a new razor (box cutter type) to cut out this bushing. Note: If you directly heat the bushing it will become messy to work with.
In the final picture you can see part of the lower flange still fused into the upper flange. I ran the 1/2" cobalt drill bit through the center to ensure the new hardware would fit. You can also see in this picture the new 1" Red poly bushings pressed into the shell.
In these last pictures you can see the completed lift install from the rear. Also note the hole in the body for the spare tire winch no longer aligns with the winch.
