Lift Complete!! (3" Body w/ 32's)

[Isles4evr]

Yeah!!! I finished my body lift yesterday afternoon. I got everything on Wednesday, and while my friends and I were looking at it we couldn't wait to Saturday. So me and 3 of my 16 year old friends put it on... I guess we got real lucky that we didn't break anything or the it hasn't fallen apart yet. It took way longer than expected because one of the bront bushings on the body mount would not come out. We tried everything, but eventually just cut it out with a hacksw, and then went to a ford dealership and got 2 new ones (new one for each side).

Has anyone has problems with the staering shaft extender? Mine wouldn't fit... none of us could do it, and then I let my dad have a shot at it and he couldn't do it eaither. All I did was fidle with it a bit and the staering shaft moved up to thhe top part, I didn't even need the extender! We riged up the parking break, but it's not a permanent thing. Can anyone tell me exactly how to do it, and, or anyone have some pics of what it looks like? And one last thing, and tips on moving the bumpers up? I tried to move the front one up, but the brackets wouldn't let the bumper all the way on. We wound up cutting the fan shroud out because it became stuck on the coolant lines, so we are going to have to rig up a way to get that on there.

But over all it went pretty smoothly, and I am so extreamly happy! I have a big a$$ rig now :exp: !! Well, not that big, but big enough for me! I only have slight rubbing on the drivers side tire when I cut the wheel all the way to the left, just incase anyone wanted to know. I'll get some pics on here, and a nice little story about my truck as soon as I get the bumpers fixed, take pictures, and develop them.

Got my big rig now!
Chris

 

[-=DaemoN=-]

CONGRATULATIONS

That's good to hear Chris. I can't wait to get mine done. Desert Rat's going to install mine for me, I know it's going to cost me but I just don't have the time to do it. Also my friend don't have that much tools .

Show us a before and after pics.

 

[rock883]

Hey Daemon, how much is it costing you to have someone else install it?? I have about 2 shops around herethat I think could do it, I just kind of want an estimate of what it will cost. I would like to do it just to say that I did it, but I don't want to go through with having to put it on, ya know? Thanks

 

[-=DaemoN=-]

rock883-Desert Rat said they'd do it for $300, I personally don't know if that's reasonable or not but I'm going for it.

 

[Isles4evr]

$300 isn't too bad for someone else to install it. I had 2 people quote me around here (VA) for $350-$450. I wasn't about to wait 2 more weeks so I could make that extra money. My friends and I didn't have many odd tools, all you really need is a good socket and wrench set, breaker bar, vice grips, needle nose plyers, a set of screw drivers, and maybe a hack saw (if you don't get lucky, like me)... oh yeah, a lot of drinks, food, soap, water, and hand cleaner. It does take a long time though, expecially if you get into trouble... we spent 3 1/2 hours trying to get out the front, passenger side bushing. I didn't want to break it, but I wound up cutting it out (that is where the hack saw comes in handy). I had to call 6 ford dealerships to find someone who had that part in stock; it cost about $15. So yeah, if you can wait, I would probaby have someone else do it too.

My father and I are working on the bumpers today, so when we finish them, I'll take some pics and then post the before and after.

Chris

 

[rock883]

Why did you have to cut the bushing?

 

[riffman]

Hey....I'm probably a little late in joining this conversation, but about the steering extention....as long as your steering isn't binding with out the extension, it will be fine. I didn't even mess with the steering shaft when i put mine on. I think that they just send you the part as a precaution.....

Just my 2.34 cents...

later,
scott

 

[Isles4evr]

We had to cut the bushing because it wouldn't move. We got the first one out ok, all we did was unscrew it from the top. The second one woulnd't budge, and it wound up getting stripped on the inside (there is a hexagon shaped bolt that fits in a hexagon shape hole on the frame), so the only alternative we had was to cut it.

That steering shaft really worried me. I wasn't sure if it was ok to do, but now that I have some reassurance, I feel much better.

Just finished with the bumpers a little bit ago. We got the front one up fine (just need to adjust the pitch of it, the side is leaning towards the ground), but the rear was a pain. We had to notch the brackets, and then make the holes bigger for the stock bolts, and the we realized we would have to notch the bumper, but by that time we were so tired that I'll live with it and fix it another day.

Chris

 

[Tommy2000]

DUDE...

Get those pictures developed and posted so we can see how it looks!!!

 

[Dre]

need those pictures man

It would really help to make good pictures during the entire instalation. Instructions that come with the kit don't say much. I guess it all should be figured out when you get to work on it. Now, I'll be at it this Saturday and already devoted the entire day to do it so I hope it'll be enough time. I also want to take as many pix as possible and post them with instructions somewhere for everybody else to use. It'll be so much easier.

Good luck with your rig man,

Oh, yeah, and get your truck dirty once in a while....

Later,

 

[Dignan]

Originally posted by Andre Hryn
It would really help to make good pictures during the entire instalation. Instructions that come with the kit don't say much. I guess it all should be figured out when you get to work on it. Now, I'll be at it this Saturday and already devoted the entire day to do it so I hope it'll be enough time. I also want to take as many pix as possible and post them with instructions somewhere for everybody else to use. It'll be so much easier.

Good luck with your rig man,

Oh, yeah, and get your truck dirty once in a while....

Later,

David Meisner took pictures and has a good explaination of how to do it. http://www.4x4central.com/bodylift.html

 

[Isles4evr]

Yeah, I'm gona take some pics tomorrow or thursday. Then I'll ge them on here as soon as I can get them developed and scanned. I was goning to take pictures of doing the instaliation, but when I started, I just forgot to take them. But as Dignan said before, you can see pics of the instaliation in the explorer tips under the body lift instaliation.

Don't worry though, i'm gona get it plenty dirty. I'm just riding it around now to get used to it and work out any bugs. I'll probably go sometime next week to a trail we found. Well, it's not really a trail, just a long path that leads to a piece of property that is for sale. The path is just a huge mud pit. I'll take some pics of it dirty too.

Good luck with your lift
Chris

 

[rockylaurence]

Do it yourselves. I did mine by myself (I had done it once before on a Sami) in about 4 hrs. Half of the time was spent cutting out the two front mounts ( they're Lock-tited from the factory). Be prepare and have a Saws-all (my arms almost fell off with the hacksaw-not to mention I lost the skin on all my knuckles)! You'll need a tall floor jack and a couple blocks of wood to raise each side of the truck individually.

 

[rock883]

Hey Chris, read in another post of yours, that your truck is 2wd, so is mine,a nd I am planning on putting a 3" body on mine also, I just have 31's, but still pretty much the saem, oh and I have a 4dr. But, anyways, tel me how you do in the mud, I don't really want to go into any mud with 2wd, but tlel me how you do to raise my confidence level. But, waiting for those pics. Oh, yeah, if you have aol, you can get the pics sent to you for free, they have a coupon for the free service. Well, e-mail me, and I will try to find the link I saved for the coupon. Or, you could always have them send them to me, and I could send them to you.

Oh, yeah, forgot to ask, how in the hell did you get that mount by the gas tank?? I went to spray some penetrating oil on all the bolts,(probably do it every week till I get the lift so it makes it easier), and I couldn't even find the mount to spray it????? How did you do that one? Is it accesible with the tire off? Thanks

[Edited by rock883 on 07-16-2000 at 08:42 PM]

 

[Isles4evr]

I have taken a bunch of pics, but i still have a bunch to waist. I took it through some mad mud the other day. I think I am going to go back there to take some pics of the trail. I hated cleaing the damn thing though. So far I have put over 5 hours into cleaning it... i got mud in places you didn't even think were there. But there was a long strip of dirt.. a dirt path, with like 4 HUGE puddles. In the center they were probably atleast 1-1.5 feet of standing water, not to mention the huge ruts that I could not work my way out of. I never got stuck, even though it got very scary a couple of times. I would up running it through 3 of the puddle in reverse with the pedal to the floor to get out of there.... I really need 4wd then so I would get out of the ruts. I got to a dry place and truned around then though.

As for the body mounts.... they are really easy to get to as soon as it is jacked up. The only one I had trouble gettinf in was the rear ones. You need to get the jack in the right place so the rear goes up high enough. It didn't take me 4 hours.... maybe 4 hours getting out the front bushing, but it was well worth it.

A few tips are, expect to be tired from the lift and wanting to to the bumpers another day. You'll need to notch ut the rear bumper, so a drill my be handy to sofen up the metal. The bumper brackets arents as bad as everyone says, I'm gone leave them the way they are... but I also don't do a lot of towing. I will take some pics of the various parts of the lift to wast some more pics. Make sure you have a couple of block of wood, so you can get the jack way up there. Get a good breaker bar.... it helps a lot when taking out a couple of the body bolts. The stering shaft extender may not fit (didn't on mine), and if it doesn't just tug on it a bit and you can bring it up to the upper part. The parking break extender may be confusing... I still havn't gotten mine on there yet. When I do I'll get some pics of it. Oh yeah, make sure to pull all of the lines free that my tigten... it scared the hell out of me when I hear a couple clips popping.

Well I guess I have a long enough post, if you have any more questions, let me know. I'll get those pics on here, and over to you as soon as possible.

Chris

 

[-=DaemoN=-]

Chris-I got my PA bodylift saturday and when I opened the box it seemed like I'm missing some parts, like the bumper brackets. Does the bumper bracket look exactly like it is pictured in the installation guide? If it is I think I don't have it or they may have given me the wrong one.

[Edited by -=DaemoN=- on 07-16-2000 at 09:18 PM]

 

[Isles4evr]

Yeah, they should be just like the instructions. Did you chcek the whole box? Mine were hidden underneith all of the packing crap... I got nervious when I took a quick glance. There should be 4 pieces with 4 holes. the holes are lined up diagonaly.

Hope this helps
Chris

 

[Dre]

bumper brackets

and these pieces are pretty heavy so it's kind of hard to miss them if you hold the box in your hands.


Later,

 

[-=DaemoN=-]

They sure did leave out the bumper brackets. I went back today at DESERT RAT and the guy called someone. My brackets will be here in 2 days or so.

 

[Isles4evr]

Well that's good that they are sending them to you, and that you don't have to send the lift back and get another. I would of been really pissed off, but then again, I didn't get to the bumpers until 2 days afterwards. Oh well

Good luck with your lift
Chris