Homemade 5.5" Lift?

[SigmaPi4x4]

Hey guys. First off I am from St. Louis, MO. so if anyone is in the area let me know.
Ok so I am kinda crazy and cheap...more like broke...but anyway. So I was thinking of making a lift for the front. I am in the process of doing an SOA in the rear and have been trying to buy a front lift for a few weeks from guys on here but nothing has ever ended up happening.

Ok so the "idea" was to use 2X6 1/4"walled tube and cut and weld some brackets for attaching to the frame and some internal supports and some other bs. the driverside i was planning on using a plate to drop it.
I was just curious if any of you have heard of anyone doing this or if you all think I am crazy for thinking this.
Idea number 2 was to modify the stock parts and beaf them up cut and weld a lot.

I know both are rough ideas but I just wanted to throw it out.

well let me know and if anyone has a 5.5" front for sale cheap let me know.

 

[section525]

I think you're crazy!

But seriously, you'd be putting yourself, everyone in your ride, and everyone else on the road in danger if you attempted this. Unless of course you know a lot about weld and metal integrity and whatnot.

But I was thinking about making a custom 6" lift for a 2nd gen a while back. So I'm just as whack!

 

[SigmaPi4x4]

yeah that is my only concern as well. If for some reason I endup doing this I am going to have a lot of help from some of my professors. I go to school at an engineering college so I will have a Metalurgy Prof help me with failure and fatigue design. He does failure analysis on the side for the courts so he knows his stuff. and I was definitly planning on over engineering it. well we'll see. It probably won't ever happen but I was just curious if there was anyone crazier than I out there. Thanks.

 

[410Fortune]

CUT AND TURNED BEAMS, buy some 5.5 coils, extend the radius arms yourself...but dont mess around, it must be done RIGHT

Search for this stuff......
That way you dont need to fabricate axle pivot drop brackets..........

 

[Joey P]

I was going to do something similar to what you are thinking but decided not to because of safety issues. I have decided now to just keep running what I have. It looks good to me plus I do not go off-road too much. Anyway I was searching one day and came across 2 inch axle pivot drop brackets from jc-whitney.(I think that's where it was.) A thought I had was to install the brackets then get some 2 inch lift springs and then use some coil spring spacers to get about 4 inches of lift. Combined with a spring over in the rear it would be just about right. The only things you would have to deal with then would be the raduis arms, brake lines, and some camber bushings. I think that would be all you would have to worry about. Like I said though this was just a thought. I don't even know the quality of the drop brackets. Here is the link for them,Brackets I think the price seems pretty cheap. I always thought drop brackets were pretty expensive. Anywho, somebody more knowledable than myself should be able to tell you if this will or will not work.

 

[410Fortune]

with 4" on the TTB you will still need to extend the radius arms or drop them down, basically thats a lift kit.

 

[Joey P]

Originally posted by 410Fortune
basically thats a lift kit.

Yeah I agree. It probably would cost just about the same amount of dollars to do after it was all said and done too. I guess if money was tight you could purchase parts as you needed them this way. I don't know. I am not too familier with lifting the TTB. Anyway, SigmaPi4x4, 410fortune knows his stuff. You can't go wrong with what he says IMO.

 

[94billybad***]

hey, i have been tossin' the same basic idea around for a while now. i thought about either fabricating new stonger and larger pivot brackets and/or using a drop plate for the back one. i have numerous illistrations of my ideas, i just need to purchase the steel, make them, then test them out... causiously . fortune 410, i have noticed you have recomended the zimmerman mod for the ttb (cutting the beam...) , i have also heard that you are a very knowledgeable member, so could you please go into more detail about this modification of the front ttb dana 35, i would be very interested in it if i could find more information, and plans on how to perform the mod, i would perform it to another ford ttb front axle, then just swap it in for my origional. thanx
"if you build it, they will come"

 

[410Fortune]

Been there, done that!
Actually last weekend I installed my cut and turned beams, it is at the alignment shop right now!


Now I got a spare set of beams, just like you are thinking and we built them. First we built jigs to locate the pivot point then moved the hole up for lift, cut the beam, cut plates for bracing and welded it all back together. Of course its not just that easy. My truck is also not the first we have done.

This process took me months and months of planning and without the help of my good friend Brett it never would have happened.


Very careful planning, research, and a good understanding of the TTB setup is a must for this mod.
The Zimmerman article is the polace to start, by the time you are done, you will be able to write that article.

Now we built two sets of beams for my truck, because the first ones were wrong, we didnt know this until we tried to bolt it all up, and found our error, so dont think this is a cut and dry mod, there is geometry to deal with, the parts must all work together, and of course the amount of time involved.

Camburg sells D35 4x4 TTB beams for only $350 with core, this is not a bad way to go, personally I would rather do it myself........

Keep in mind with the 4x4 beams a 4" cut and turn is about the max due to the axle shafts, u joints, etc.

Also my setup requires some $$$$ for parts, I got Skyjacker 6" coils, Skyjacker extended radius arms, extended brake lines, new ball joints, and a custom outer axle shaft for the passenger side is being made for me right now.........



I will do a full write up on my suspension when I get some time with pictures, etc.........

 

[Josh S.]

I guess I could just sell you my 5.5" lift bracketry...

 

[94billybad***]

well, if you could get me the plans, such as the geometric figures and that measurements, i would be much abliged. thanx oh, would the dana 44 TTB be a possible trade for the dana 35 TTB?
thanx,
Royce

 

[410Fortune]

THERE are no plans, you have to build JIG's and we are not about to sell our JIGS

The D44 TTB is much wider then the D35, but yes it can be done, talk about a custom setup!

You can see some people have done it....

There is an article here:

therangerstation.com

 

[SigmaPi4x4]

Josh s

Josh S.

hey if you want to sell me that bracketry and what ever else let me know. I would be very interested. give me a price and I will see what we can do. Thanks. Mike

 

[SigmaPi4x4]

my email by the way is manderso@umr.edu

 

[94billybad***]

410, you don't have the measurements or the angle degrees...or ne thing to make it a little bit easier to build the jigs, ....this is my daily driver that i would perform it on, and would like to do it correctly the first time... thanx

 

[AlaskanJack]

Aww! Come on 410. Your an engineer it would be nothing for you to measure the jig and then draw up a quick CAD plan for these guys. If not send me the info and I will draw up some CAD plans for these guys.

More than anything I am really interested in the whole process of the cut and turned beams. When will your pictures be ready and will they include the process of cutting and the jigs used?

 

[Josh S.]

Originally posted by SigmaPi4x4
my email by the way is manderso@umr.edu

Whatup SigmaPi? The thread with all the info in it is located at:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=78568&goto=newpost

If that dont work, just check in the for sale forum under 5.5" superlift bracketry or something. Thanks

 

[davey2451]

i made my own 6'' drop axle pivot brackets and i think there going to work great but ill post picks soon

 

[Dora The 4x4'a]

still nothin 410?.. i'd love to be able to do this in the mean time for a i got a full axle and do leafs up front!.. pleease!

 

[sparkyXplorer]

Only 5 years later, but lets see if any info surfaces...: