88yotakid

i put in my 3" preformance accessories body lift and i was really wondering why they wouldnt include the shifter extension kit for my 5speed
i had to cut some ofthe floor out on the drivers side beside the shifter so i could hit first and second, i had to cut up the shift boots so i couldnt stay in 4low and in any gear other than first.
so i took a shirt and taped it around the shifters, a quick fix but not for the long run.
so tonight i started to make my own boot plate cover out of an inertube, has anyone done this aswell?
what have any of you done with your shifter clearance problems?

AxleIke

drivetrain lift?

Tacoclimber

Check out 4crawler.com. Roger makes shifter extensions for such a problem.

07sbock

Main I feel your pain. I bought my 88 pickup with a 3inch body lift on it. I hate it. Also my shifterboot is all shades of Effed up. I just put a new one on and the bolts dont line up, so I had to jerry rig it on there. I want to take it back to stock bushings but my 33's wont fit. Also I have a arb bumper and it makes it look like crap. I had to put a piece of lawn edging inbetween the bumper and the body, so it covers up the gap.

My Junk:

CJM

This is why 2" is the most I would ever lift the body, 1"is more likely.

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

Lots of options for the manual transmission and t-case shifters with a body lift:
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/....shtml#Shifter
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/...wShifter.shtml
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/MotorMount.shtml

Note that a simple extension for the shift lever will not really help with shifter clearance through the floor. You might be able to bend the shifter or relocate the shifter boot/base if the shifter is hitting on one side only.

drew303

good god

just dont do a 3" body lift

besides you are pushing every hydrualic line to its limit with a 3" besides looking hideous

I would never lift the body further than 2" .. its uneccesary and impractical! 2 inches leaves enough room for everything and provides enough body clearance to fit sliders nicely and other armor not to mention reaching the top 2 tranny bolts conveniently!

body lifts should be viewed more as a mechanical advantage than a "lift" for performance. they provide NO performance gain.. fit bigger tires, rework your suspension... like to be able to access bolts and other hardware easier and fit armor better while protecting the body better, then focus on a small body lift

Jay351

I had to bend my shifter a little but I can hit every gear perfect..

I love my body lift!

ovrrdrive

Some of you guys must be smoking crack or something...

I have a 3" bl on my truck and it is the most solid modification I ever made to it. It has never given me trouble, or even reminded me it was even there. Except for when I do mechanical work on the truck that's so much easier now than it was before... Mine's been on for 12 years now and its been great.

I had my shifters cut and welded in extensions between the two bends in them down towards the bottom and they've always cleared the floor and shifted great. I have the stock boots on them and it's screwed to the floor like it's supposed to be.

And as for the old argument " a bl will do nothing but allow you to run bigger tires," I have a newsflash for you, a suspension lift does nothing for you either but allow you to run bigger tires either. As a matter of fact, a bracket lift weakens the front suspension to the point that you have to modify your driving style to avoid bending it back. I am constantly reminded that I have a bracket lift on my truck now.

If you're looking for a substantial amount of lift the only option that actually improves the performance of the truck the only option is a SAS and not everyone has the skills, needs, money, and know how to do that.

If you're only looking for 1.5" you can go the bj spacer and shackle route, but if you want lift above that a bl really is the best option...

bballchrism

my 3" preformance accessories body lift came with shirter extensions

Jay351

Well said!

Slednutjetskier

I have a 3 inch and have never noticed anything but the advantages of it. I dont have a shifter extensions or floor modification, I also have the stock boot.

I think body lifts do have disadvantages aesthetically as my bumbers also show that gap above them. But as stated by many others I think its advantages out weigh the disadvantages. I have a 6" suspension lift also and without my body lift I would never fit anything but 33"s without rubbing and destroying my fenders/bed under my truck because of flex, were as with it, I can safely run 35"s which is a HUGE improvement in tire size when it comes to mudding and getting threw the mucky stuff (what I mainly do)..

I dont have the rocks to climb or the amazing trails I have seen in pictures on this forum, but for my style of offroading (Mud, trails, sand) and the driving I do, my body lift is essential to my trucks performance and ability. I dont think they are for everyone, especially if your doing nothing but making a street queen, I would stick to purely suspension in order to cover frame rails and those ugly gaps off the frame and bumbers. But that is also just an opinion.

If you have shifter clearance problems, I would modify the shifter NOT the floor of your truck. Your just temporarily solving a problem that needs real fabbing to fix. Why does mine and others not require it? I dont know. That is research you would to have to have done before the lift.

Good luck, hope it works out.

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

Bumpers can be raised to match the body lift. Doing so does have an offroad "performance" advantage, that being increased approach and departure angles. Plus a body lift can allow a taller tire to fit without having a taller suspension lift. Taller suspension lifts can (not always) have stiffer springs that may not flex as well as a lower, softer spring. And if you want to really take advantage of a body lift, you can raise the drivetrain, exhaust and gas tank up inside the frame rails to greatly improve the breakover angle of the rig, which is really a factor on the '95 and earlier trucks and 4Runners:

Stock:


Raised 3":


The extra room underneath comes in handy when you get into rocks like this:


I've run both a 1" and 3" body lift on my truck and have had no major issues related to either lift. I did have to do some clearancing for the shifters at 1" lift, but that was about it.

tc

Don't let a bad body lift kit and/or bad installation influence your opinion that the idea is bad.

I really wish I had done a body lift before doing all the armor. A drivetrain lift/flat belly would really help on the trails I run (more than a suspension lift would)

SkyDriver180

body lifts dont suck

94Runner4x4

3" seemed like too much of a hassle to me so i just went with a 1" from 4crawler. And I think that's as far as I'll go. The rest will be suspension. Once I get enough to fit 33's I'm done raising it.

Jay351

I just wanted to point somthing out - when I ordered my kit the idiot ordered one for a 2nd gen pickup. When I opened it up it didnt include bumper brackets, shifter extensions or bed spacers. Not sure why, both kits came from performance accessories.

4runnerchevy

I run a 2" body lift for motor clearance. My drivetrain also has the benifit of the lift cause it also gains the the 2" lift. I also run flat springs for travel, so other benifits apply. Other wise go for a suspension lift ( 4" here ), its all around worth it.

ovrrdrive

old thread.

-MUDSLINGER-

I love my body lift, when I put the smallblock 350 I had to run a three inch body so the h.e.i. distributor would have enough fire wall clearance, not only that but it helps alot more air run under the hood to keep it cool. On the floor board I cut about two inches or so out of the hump and rolled the sharp edges and the stock shift boot and everything works fine. To each his own.