frame help and lift questions

[mrbrinks]

Just wondering how easy it would be to get the body off the frame as it has some surface rust I would like to get rid of before it starts rotting. And I was looking at lift kits, there's a 4" tough country lift kit for $700, just wondering if it's any good or if you guys have any that are on the cheaper but good side. Thanks!

 

[jmdirk]

Depending on why you want to lift it and how agressively you intend on offroading it, you could consider a body lift. That kind of kills two birds with one stone for you.

you lift the body off the frame so you can clean it and install the lift blocks at the same time. Plus the body lift tends to be cheaper than a suspension lift.

I'm not really a huge fan of body lifts but it depends on what you're looking for. If you just want clearance for bigger tires etc for appearance and some casual offroading it may be a good option for you.

 

[jd4242]

Depending on why you want to lift it and how agressively you intend on offroading it, you could consider a body lift. That kind of kills two birds with one stone for you.

you lift the body off the frame so you can clean it and install the lift blocks at the same time. Plus the body lift tends to be cheaper than a suspension lift.

I'm not really a huge fan of body lifts but it depends on what you're looking for. If you just want clearance for bigger tires etc for appearance and some casual offroading it may be a good option for you.

I agree with this but on a explorer I am a fan of body lifts.you cant really tell they are on there and gives you a little more room to work on tight items between the frame and body.or in my case to mount air tanks or any of the other crap I got under my truck.

 

[mrbrinks]

How big of a lift do you guys think I should go?

 

[Anime]

The hardest part of getting the body off the frame is getting the bolts out of the body mounts. This can be a pretty daunting task on an older vehicle that has seen use in winter climates, as the bolts and even the body mounts are often rusted together.

While not impossible, it can sometimes be necessary to cut the bolts or the mounts themselves, and you'll need new bushings (Daystar makes a polyurethane body mount kit) and probably will have to replace whatever hardware was damaged or rusted away.

This can be a good thing to do if some of the body mounts are rotting, or if some of the hardware is rusted away, but otherwise you may just want to sand and wire brush the frame without lifting the body up, and just using some spray paint to make it look a little better.

Lift kits, whether a suspension lift or body lift, is really only good if you want to add larger tires, and for that you usually need to add lower gears.

You can do a small body lift or a small suspension lift and just use 31" tires if the vehicle already has 3.73 gears, but going with bigger tires than that, without lower gears, puts a lot of strain on the transmission and drivetrain, and you start spending money having to fix things. Better to spend the money up front and have it all work together, or keep the tire size/lift on the stockish side if the gearing is going to stay stock.

 

[mrbrinks]

I would just leave the body on the frame to clean it but there are some parts I can't get to with the wire brush because of other stuff blocking it. I MIGHT go with a small 3" body lift just to get able to clean a lot more. I don't want to leave the frame and then have it start to rot. Wanted to get it while its early. But I was going to use it for a little off roading. Nothing too major. So maybe a 2-4" suspenion?

 

[Anime]

A 3 inch body lift is about the tallest they sell kits for.

I'd suggest a 2" body lift at the most, or even just getting some washers or cutting some used lift spacers if you can get them cheap and making a 1" lift instead.

Keep in mind you can lift up the body and use something like cut and stacked 2x4 wood squares, with a hole drilled in them for the bolts, to hold up the body while you clean up the frame, then lower it back down and put it back together.

A body lift might seem like it's not a big deal, but it changes the handling of the vehicle, making it even more top-heavy, and also affects things like bumper spacing, the location of the parking brake cable brackets, even the location of the radiator fan shround around the fan.

Here's an example thread showing how to do a small 3/4" lift with new body mounts and washers:

DayStar Body mount replacement & Custom 3/4" lift (1st Gen)


I'd say something like that and a 1-2" suspension lift with shackles in the rear and spacers in the front would be a good starting point, and let you get the max lift on a small budget.

A 4" or 5.5" suspension lift and perhaps a 2" body lift is for when you really want to spend money, as in the $$$ for 4.56/4.88 gears and larger 33/35 inch tires.

 

[mrbrinks]

What do you mean by the wood holding up the body? Like I wouldn't have to disconnect anything? or would I have to if I went any higher just to clean the frame?