Hey, I'm planning on getting a 2 or 3" body lift for my 1982 toyota 4x4 pickup and wanted to know what kind of trouble I would have to go through to instal this. The previous owner of the truck said I would have to remount the radiator and do a lot of other mods to get it to work properly. Can anyone that has actually done this themselves tell me, in detail, what all I would have to do to complete this project?
Also, the only brand of lift that I am familiar with for 1st gen pickups are made by performance accessories and the cheapest price I've found them for are around $75 for the 2" and $85 for the 3", before shipping charges. Does anyone else know of any body lift brands that are high quality? I would really appreicate anyones input! Thanks


John

 

Read here, lots of info on body lifts

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/BodyLiftKit.shtml

 

read rogers sites tons of good info
4crawler.com

 

The only place to get a body lift is from Roger... Period.

You will need to relocate the radiator - brackets should be included in the kit.
You will need to lengthen the steering shaft - easy cheesy.
You will need to be careful of hard brake and clutch lines
You will have to get used to a lower shifter and possibly clearance the tranny tunnel.

 

Apprecaite it guys! I'm checking out his site now. Thanks

John

 

Which would be recommended first, a 3" body lift installed, or a suspension lift? I found most of the info I was looking for at Rogers website. And I planned to place an order for one after Christmas, but was wondering if the lift would effect the way it rides. And if I were to install the body lift first and then the suspension lift would I run into more problems that I would if I installed the suspension lift first?
Also, does anyone know of some good suspension lifts for 1st gen pickups? I've been considering Downey suspension lifts and getting Bilstein 5200's but hear Downeys prices are high. And would the Bilstein shocks be worth the money since these pickups suspension systems are so stiff anyways? With me being a full time student I need something afordable but dependable. ANY IDEAS? Feel free to throw them out there! Thanks

John

 

A body lift will not affect the ride at all, outside a little more body roll, but that would be true of any type of lift. If you are considering a suspension lift, I would vote for that first. Then if you find you need more lift, then add a body lift to make up the difference. One reason being that it can be hard to predict the height of a suspension lift. You may get 1" more or even 1" - 2" less than what is advertised. It is also alright to combine lifts, stick with a mild suspension lift to minimize modifications on the suspension (like longer driveshafts) and then a mild body lift. One good lift kit for the early pickups is the OME (Old Man Emu - http://www.arbusa.com/) spring+shock kit. Gives 2" - 3" of lift and has a decent ride. I have a buddy with an '83 with the OME + 3" body lift and he is quite happy with the setup.

 

You could run chevies in the rear and then rears up front. Thats pretty cheap and from what I hear is great offroad.

Search for the info on this stuff!

 

Check out my website and my Project Wabbit truck for ideas.

4crawler for sure on the body lift.

 

Appreciate the info guys! anyone else... feel free to throw in your two cents.

4Crawler - Do you know any distributors that sell OME springs and shocks for a decent price?

John