Custom body lift

[Surrey]

Hey, I got a beater bronco II with a blown clutch, and the bell housing bolts are a bitch to get at so I figured I would do a body lift now, before fixing the clutch...
And was wondering if anyone has done a custom job?
I've heard of hockey pucks, cut up pieces of boat rollers, or stacked washers, welded together?
Has anyone used any of these methods?

My other concern is most body lift kits seem to come with an extension for the steering column. This seems to pose a problem with going custom to save a few bucks...

Obviously the best option would be name-brand body lift kit and new body mount bushings at the same time, but Im a broke-ass.
Input???

 

[ThatGuy]

Save your money and buy a kit or a couple swivels to get the bolts out.

 

[Surrey]

steering column

I have done some sleuthing online, and am liking the sounds of the hockey puck lift...
Does anyone know if the 1" lift would **** up my steering column connection? I know larger kits come with extensions???
Or if anyone knows of a place you can order just an extension??

Thanks :icon_cheers:

 

[ThatGuy]

If you dont care that your wanting to use hockey pucks for a body lift then why worry about a steering extension?

I have a serious problem with using stuff that was never intended to take the loads associated with holding a vehicle body that I'm riding in.


It's a simple mod that deserves to be done correctly. If you cant do it the right way then dont do it at all.

 

[4.0B2]

alright, the b2 has a telescopic steering rod.. or something like that.. i did a 2.5 inch body lift on mine and i didn't have a steering extension... my father actually did it b/c i was 14 at the time. i'll talk to him tomorrow

 

[Shran]

What's the problem with the bellhousing bolts? There's plenty of room with no lift. I have removed and replaced all of them on multiple trucks with just a basic set of wrenches and sockets. A cheap 3/8 flex head ratchet makes it real easy though. You have to get some of them from the top and some from the bottom - fighting the top ones from the bottom is a stupid battle that you will end up losing.

Hockey pucks are extremely ghetto but they DO work. You could also cut up sections of steel pipe and weld thick washers or flat steel plates on the ends... seen that done many times and it works fine.

 

[4.0B2]

the body lift is nice for other things tho.. for bellhousing bolts.. idk why it's needed. i was confused on that to. but i pick my battles lol

 

[Shran]

the body lift is nice for other things tho.. for bellhousing bolts.. idk why it's needed. i was confused on that to. but i pick my battles lol

Haha, I have to know. To me, body lifts are good for one thing... which is tire clearance, or engine clearance in extreme cases. Everyone told me that I *had* to run a body lift with my V8 swap to get the bellhousing bolts in... turns out that the upper intake on a 302 is the ONLY thing that gets in the way (of your hand/arm.) I've got miles and miles of space and the intake would have to come off anyway. Lots of misinformation gets spread around, I guess.

 

[4.0B2]

LOTS of misinfo... a lot of it is not fact. just what people think... but it's all good. that's why i search around and ask. people sometimes get mad at me for not using the search button, but in all reality i do.. i just like a lot of opinions from a lot of people.

and i know i did a homemade body lift before, but i can promise i will never do it again... b/c body lifts are to cheap to deal with all the factors involved.

 

[88BII got it for $250]

alright, the b2 has a telescopic steering rod.. or something like that.. i did a 2.5 inch body lift on mine and i didn't have a steering extension... my father actually did it b/c i was 14 at the time. i'll talk to him tomorrow

Dude thats collapsable steering colum, thats every car and truck after the late 50s. And you shouldnt mess with it. the idea is that when you hit a solid object I.E. a tree it collapses instead of impailing you.

Edit: Use the steering extension.

 

[4.0B2]

Dude thats collapsable steering colum, thats every car and truck after the late 50s. And you shouldnt mess with it. the idea is that when you hit a solid object I.E. a tree it collapses instead of impailing you.

Edit: Use the steering extension.

well they did it all the time back in dad's day... and luckly i never hit anything. i'll never do it again.. like i just said- i'll buy a kit from now on. i mean all that was done is extending it out an inch.. it would still collapse.. (?)

 

[88BII got it for $250]

Just saying, Its a shaft in a sleve. wouldnt temp pulling it out. what if your riding on a 1/4" of splines. ever see a rag joint go at 45-50mph? same thing.(NOT GOOD! )

 

[4.0B2]

Just saying, Its a shaft in a sleve. wouldnt temp pulling it out. what if your riding on a 1/4" of splines. ever see a rag joint go at 45-50mph? same thing.(NOT GOOD! )

point made.. don't do it.. its not safe.. got it lol.
i understand what you are saying. but i drove it for 3 years like that..

like i've already said, i wont do it again b/c if i ever do a body lift again, i'll buy the kit.. but next time i'm cutting fenders.. not lifting the body.

 

[88BII got it for $250]

point made.. don't do it.. its not safe.. got it lol.
i understand what you are saying. but i drove it for 3 years like that..

like i've already said, i wont do it again b/c if i ever do a body lift again, i'll buy the kit.. but next time i'm cutting fenders.. not lifting the body.

Lol Cut um with bushwacker +2s would be nice. fit 32s at stock hight.

And back at ya!

 

[4.0B2]

Lol Cut um with bushwacker +2s would be nice. fit 32s at stock hight.

i'm not a fan of the bushwacker flares honestly.. to each their own.. i like a clean cut, nice smooth lip

 

[Surrey]

The clutch needs to get done, and so does some form of body lift as my 31" tires are too big in the back, they rub on full drop of the suspension...

It seems the body lift is the better option to do first/next. I know in the world of mechanics, the bellhousing bolts are not particularly difficult to access, it still seems the body lift will make my life a bunch easier.

Hockey pucks seem like a better choice than steel tubing due to a pucks ability to flex a bit, and not have metal-on-metal rubbing.
Sure its ghetto, but a bought lift kit is just plastic cylinders and grade 5 bolts, and honestly I think I'd trust a hockey puck over a grade 5 bolt...
$100 seems like way too much money for what you get for a body lift, but it also seems to be the only way to get the extension.

 

[Boggin]

just throw in some hockey pucks, you dont need a steering extension ive ran 2 trucks with a 3" body and no steering extension