I'm just tossing around some potential time wasting thoughts.

[Blue coyote]

I will probably not get much of these ideas into motion, but I love contemplating what I might get up to...

Specs: 89 Aeroscar XL shorty, 3.0/A4LD, towing package with 4.10 Trak/Lok and no rocker panels

Anyone know if the front suspension/engine cradle from the AWD models is a viable swap?

I'm assuming that the newer 4.0 mounts will accept a 2.8 just as easily. I have a rather snarky little 2.8 (~225 hp and 8k redline) that should be considerably more suitable than the current tired old 3.slow.

Any particular pitfalls to avoid if I swap to a TK5 in place of the A4LD during a 2.8 swap?

I'm also considering what to do about the missing rocker panels, possibly some 2x8 rectangular tubing for rigidity and quasi-running boards...

How much effort to raise the truck a few inches? I think the rear axle should be fairly straightforward, although I haven't done much in the past with lifting the 4-link style rears. Can the front suspension be modified by simply spacering it away from the main chassis a bit, or is that going to be problematic?

 

[BrooklynBay]

I think that most of the parts should swap over. There's a thread about rocker panel replacement in this section. I saw coil spacers in the auto parts store. Gabriel makes air shocks called Hi-Jackers for the rear. You could adjust the height by varying the amount of air in the shocks. Some people add special bags which fill with air inside or next to the coil springs. Cargo coil springs might raise it a little too.

 

[Blue coyote]

I saw the rocker panel thread, but I'm a cheap f***er, so its most likely I'll end up just cutting up some old stovepipe unless I run across something more suitable (I suspect that shipping to Canada would make pre-bent rockers a non-starter).

Never been a big fan of coil spacers, though. I'd be looking at adding a bit of fender clearance without sacrificing flex (a bit of a holdover from my BII days). If I can do the equivalent of a "body lift" to the entire front suspension/engine cradle, it wouldn't do as much to stiffen the springs, at least from what I can tell so far.

How much can I raise the rear with fresh coils before the trailing arms start to bind up?

 

[BrooklynBay]

Be creative & use gutters for rocker panels. They come in PVC, and don't have to be painted. Take a look in Lowe's. They have two different types. Post pictures as you do this. You could either use double sided tape, an adhesive tube with a caulk gun or truss head sheet metal screws.

As for the height, place a jack under the rear, then check how far up it could go until the wheel is about to leave the ground.