body lift 2" vs 3"

[LittleHorse]

for the purposes of a 5.0 swap, does it make any difference in tunnel clearance or anywhere else whether a 2" or 3" body lift is used?

I'm planning on using a late version AOD or an AOD-E (with appropriate computer of course) with an AA adapter for my BW1350. I haven't started acquiring parts yet but I'd like to do a body lift soon in preparation and want to make sure I use the right one. I'd rather just do 2" if it makes no difference, but will do 3" if I have to.

 

[Downey]

just do the 3 inch, if your luck is like mine you will do the 2 inch and need an extra inch and wish you did the 3 inch so i would say just do the 3 inch

 

[wade]

If you search and read the annals of threads and posts on body lifts you'll read that no body lift is required to do the conversion. I, however, decided to do the 2" lift, anyway. I'm glad I did. It gave me just a little extra room for the exhaust to clear the cab on the passenger side and the tunnel clearance for my AOD is great. The only thing you need to remember is that with a body lift, your center of gravity is slightly higher -- you're not building a slalom machine. I chose to do a 2" (over the 3") because I really didn't want the small truck to look like I was setting it up to look like an offroad vehicle. I intend to install a set of 15 X 8 tires/rims, wihich should offset the apppearance of the 2" lift. I'm all about a stock-looking sleeper. After all, as far as Allstate knows, its still got a 2.3L in it.
I do have one other suggestion for you, since you plan on going with the AOD. Remove the "hot-rivets" from the Radius Arm Crossmember and replace them with Grade 8 bolts. It'll make it possible to drop the AOD out the bottom, rather than pulling the engine/tranny out the "big-hole", should the need arise to remove the transmission. Even with a 2" or 3" body lift, its a tight fit tor the bell housing through that narrow tunnel.
You might even decide to do the same thing to the transmission crossmember.

Read both of these threads. (Even got pictures!)

http://www.rangerpowersports.com/forum/showthread.php?t=159247&page=1

http://www.rangerpowersports.com/forum/showthread.php?t=254557

Be prepared for some drilling, grinding, chiseling, beating, (cussing). It'll take the best part of a good day to do it. But, its worth the time.

 

[LittleHorse]

I'd just like to know that there's not some place my hand or wrench will need all 3 inches and 2 won't gain me anything, or that it won't make the difference between cutting/grinding/welding something and not needing to.

I've read that it makes it easier, and the references to small bell housings and 157 tooth flexplates made it sound like an AOD instead of a C4 might be impossible without a body lift, but I didn't see anything conclusive. There's that center of gravity thing so if 90% of the difference in the engine swap difficulty is made in the first 2" then I'd rather do that. Even before I decided on the 5.0 swap though I wanted to do a 2" just for tire clearance.

I also have plans for a 4" suspension lift on down the road, including extended radius arms so I'll have to pull out the RA crossmember anyway...no skin off my back. I almost did it last winter when I was replacing the clutch, but I managed to get the M5OD-R1 out over the y-pipe and hammered the firewall seam flat while I had the transmission out.

Was the transmission crossmember originally riveted in? Mine had bolts when I bought it.

The body lift will probably happen this fall, and start acquiring parts and preparing for the swap over the spring and do it during the summer. That way the weather will be nice enough that I can ride the motorcycle while the BII is inoperable.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Well, with the stock A/C heater box it would have been impossible to get a valve spring compressor on #3 cylinder valves to change the valve seals without my 3" BL. 2" would have been a drop in the bucket, need more room than that. The compressor just barely wedged back in there... and that was on my 2.8. I couldn't imagine trying to do any work on a V-8 in there with too much less space.

The transmission crossmember should be bolted in from the factory, I suppose that way they figured you can easily change the typical RBV transmission like you do batteries in your TV remote.

 

[Psychopete]

FWIW, I got my AOD in from the bottom with no body lift or having to remove the radius cross member (had to remove the 2 bolts faceing up). But it would have been impossible with out a decent transmission jack. I maybe had 1/16" of clearance once I found a way to sneak it in there. Only mods to my firewall were hammering in the lip with a 5 pounder. Definitely removing the cross member would have made things 100x easier. But like what wade said, those rivets are a PITFA.

My factory transmission cross member for my A4LD/2.9L setup bolted right up to the AOD, just needed to move the cross member mounts forward to the next set of holes - when I measued how far the trans mounting base was from the stock trans mount, it equalled the distance between the next set of holes (by luck). That's about the only thing that just worked out.

Pete

 

[wade]

Make sure you check out the Body Lift articles in the Tech Library. Good info - will give you some things to consider while you're planning. You can over-engineer, but never over-plan. However, I've been known to do both.

 

[Iron Ranger]

Well, it sounds like it'll be an off-road 4x4, so go with the 3". I did on my 2wd street ranger, but it looks off, so I'm going to chop 2" off the lift just so I still have some clearance all around, but not so high in the air.

Plus, isn't the 2" lift more expensive than the 3" lift for some odd reason?

 

[LittleHorse]

Well, it sounds like it'll be an off-road 4x4, so go with the 3". I did on my 2wd street ranger, but it looks off, so I'm going to chop 2" off the lift just so I still have some clearance all around, but not so high in the air.

Plus, isn't the 2" lift more expensive than the 3" lift for some odd reason?

Yeah it'll be a daily driver and weekend offroad warrior.

I never figured that pricing thing out, but the 2" from James Duff is pretty close to the 3" at TRS. If I go with 2" I'll get it there since I'm also buying their polyurethane body mount bushings. I'm changing those out during the lift too because mine are totally shot.

 

[Iron Ranger]

Yeah it'll be a daily driver and weekend offroad warrior.

I never figured that pricing thing out, but the 2" from James Duff is pretty close to the 3" at TRS. If I go with 2" I'll get it there since I'm also buying their polyurethane body mount bushings. I'm changing those out during the lift too because mine are totally shot.

You should really go with a total performance kit that includes urathane bushings for every moveable part of the truck.

I re-did the cab mounts, i-beam joints, stabilizer bars, tie rod ends, leaf springs, everthing!

It costs a little more, but the overall ride comfort and quietness is totally worth every penny.

She now floats like a caddy on balloon tires.................................

 

[LittleHorse]

You should really go with a total performance kit that includes urathane bushings for every moveable part of the truck.

I re-did the cab mounts, i-beam joints, stabilizer bars, tie rod ends, leaf springs, everthing!

It costs a little more, but the overall ride comfort and quietness is totally worth every penny.

She now floats like a caddy on balloon tires.................................

the intention is to do it all...just not all at once. I don't have the funds to do engine swap, body lift, suspension lift, etc at the same time, so I'll just be replacing bushings as I get stuff apart, and plans exist to get to every point where a bushing resides. There is a particularly rough road I drive on my way to work that highlights my need for body mounts, shocks, springs, bushings, etc. About the only vehicle I can take on it without cringing is my Suzuki DRZ400 supermoto - the motocross suspension soaks it all up beautifully, as I imagine a trophy truck would.

I had a Datsun 280Z that I replaced every bushing in the suspension with an Energy Suspension polyurethane kit...it was hell getting some of those outer sleeves out but by the end it was worth every penny, and every four letter word uttered. Definitely made me a believer.

 

[Iron Ranger]

The ones that are a real bugger are the leaf springs. The bolts on mine were rusted shut so that no amount of penetrating lube would help. Had to cut it out with a 4 1/2" cutoff wheel on a die grinder since it's all a tight spot.

After I got the ends of the bolts cut, I struggled for 3 hours to get the rubber bushings out, since they have a metal sleeve that was also rusted solid to the spring. But in the end, it was all worth it because the annoying squeaks and creaks were gone.

 

[wade]

Plus, isn't the 2" lift more expensive than the 3" lift for some odd reason?

I haven't priced the 3" BL Kits because I was looking for 2". So, you guys can tell me.

http://www.summitracing.com/search/?keyword=pra-pa-832&dds=1

This is the 2" BL kit that I used. I paid $97.95 for it, back in 2005 when I did the job. Now, in 2009, I see that they're asking $161.95 for it. $64's more! Wow! I'm impressed!
Go, Obama! Go! (I know its not his fault, but I didn't vote for the Nobel Peace Prize winner! - And he accepted it!!!)

 

[LittleHorse]

2" is like $110 from James Duff.

 

[wade]

2" is like $110 from James Duff.

Well !! There ya' go.