Bigkahuna808

I've been trying to track down all the info I can about the lift. I found Brian's write up to be helpfull. but want to check if anyone has any extra tips or has come across any other instructions for the 2 inch. Thank full roger included a 1 inch instruction set. but Im gonna need to know how to lower the radiatior using his brackets.

User 051420

You won't need to lower the radiator with his 2" kit. You'll need the steering spacer, and you'll need to adjust your transmission linkage. All really easy.

Bigkahuna808

Really, I paid for the braket for nothing. Did you manage to keep the lower radiator shroud?

keisur

no, you remove the lower radiator shroud and store it incase you need it sometime. you can also get a flexalite electric fan and toss the whole shroud and fan clutch.

User 051420

If you have it, then install it. I forgot to remove the lower shroud and it FLEW off the first time I started up.

Bigkahuna808

Isn't the purpose of the shroud to direct airflow to keep tempatures down? Wouldn't dumping it allow the motor to heat up quicker in stop and go traffic? Hey Keisur, I really want that flexalite dual fan setup. I wished it was cheaper though. I have spent so much money on this truck in the last 6 months, that my girl is gonna cut me off soon. Besides Im gonna buy another yota or somthing to build for off road. That will piss here off even more, and pissing her off makes me happy. Espcially when I do stuff to my rides.

keisur

My engine doesn't get any hotter without the lower shroud, plus by not lowering the radiator there's less chance it will hit anything while wheeling, oops I mean posing offroad. in otherwords, the radiator is higher and more protected, which is why I elected not to make a drop bracket when I made my lift.

somebody else on this board also runs it the way I do, but I can't remember who.

Swede

Lowering the rad is possibly the easiest part of doing the 2" BL, as there is allready mounting holes there for that. As for the lower shroud, the part that you remove is only a small semi-circular piece or collar that easily pops off.

PoBoy

That would be me - at least in my old '96 4Runner. It's been that way for like 3 years now...Jason Demello (current owner) hasnt mentioned any problems with the way it is.

Install is a cake walk...highlift, 2x4, and a couple sockets. Just make sure you dont spin the steering wheel around and around like I did - but I just had to pop the steering out again and recenter the wheel. No biggy and it's kind of fun to see how fast you can spin it

superjoe83

i hope you didnt have an airbag

Bigkahuna808

So I wont need the shroud. Thats news to me. Oh well, Im might as well used the parts I bought

keisur

must be a "Mobile" thing cause I did the steering fubar too. had to recenter it also.

Kahuna, don't worry about it with the shroud, since you have the parts to lower it then use them like you say, might as well. I just didn't feel like going back to work and fabbing up the drop brackets and tested it for about a month now and no temp probs from it being gone so I'm cool. the only prob I see is that the lower radiator hose is kinked a little, but that will be fixed when I drain and fill me coolant in Houston next week.

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

Just take the lower fan shroud off. Never affected my ride.

While it works, use something besides a Hi-Lift to jack up the rig and work under it PLEASE. :pat: A floor jack and some 2x4s are fine and much more stable. Use jack stands as well and some spare hands makes things easier.

Everything else I pretty much cover in my write-up.

Good luck!

jacksonpt

The kit I bought came with radiator drop brackets. I had inteded on dropping the rad, but ran out of time during the BL install, so I just removed the lower shroud and planned on going back to "do it right" when I had more time. I never got around to it, and things are find. I did a fair amount of towing (3200lb boat) during the summer and never had any cooling issues. FWIW... I do have an aux tranny cooler to help though.

Anyways...
Dropping the rad is one of those personal preference type things. If you want to do it and have the brackets, go for it... it's pretty easy. If not, toss out the lower fan shroud and your good to go.

Depending on where you live, you may want to soak the stock bolts/nuts in PB Blaster a day or 2 ahead of time... getting the old hardware off is the hardest part (or at least it was for me). If you have air tools, this is much less of an issue. I used the stock bottle jack and some scrap MDF to lift the body off the frame - worked well for me.

All in all, it's pretty simple. This is what I did on my 96 (my rig is an auto... not sure how this might change if yours in a manual):
1 - loosen steering linkage and tranny linkage
2 - loosen all stock body mount bolts
3 - remove lower fan shroud
4 - jack up body
5 - install BL blocks and hardware
6 - drop body back down
7 - install steering extension (I had to remove the lower steering shaft in order to install the extension)
8 - drop radiator, reinstall lower fan shroud (this step is optional)
9 - adjust tranny linkage
10 - make sure all nuts/bolts are tight

Birdman

Worked for me!

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

Radiator bracket installation notes are on the page I sent you the link to last night:

http://www.4Crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/...ToyotaRadiator

I don't have them on the 3rd gen page, since most folks don't get that kit. All you do is bolt the drop bracket to each of the 4 radiator flange mounting holes with the supplied nuts and studs. Then use the original radiator mounting bolts to attach the bracket to the front of the vehicle. I give you holes 1" and 2" offset, so you can choose how far you want to drop it.

And techically, it is a 4Crawler Offroad body lift kit.

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

Technically. I changed my website to reflect as such, but it sure is hard not to call it a "RB 2" body lift"!

Bigkahuna808

thanks for the info guys. Like I said, I paid for it, might as well use the radiator drop. IM actually not doing my the install of the lift. My mechanice is doing it. He's installing everything for me the 4crawler body lift, Sorran Steel Pan Hard Bracket, and the B&M trans cooler. For a fairly cheap price, espcially since I live in Hawaii.

keisur

Well, technically if you think about it, hehe, since he bought it, it is now a "Bigkahuna808" body lift kit.

Bigkahuna808

last time I looked in the mirror, I need more than just a body lift. I could use a motor swap to impress the ladies when I go to the beach.