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Homemade body lift???


Hey Bullit,
I'll give ya a couple (ok that's an understatement) other hints since now you are tracking on doing it right. My truck is a '94, didn't notice where ya live and I've already started pecking on this keyboard so I'm not going back to look and start over!
1. Did notice you have a '90, in a few years that's 20 years! Start soaking them mounting bolts in penetrating lubricant now, every couple days, flood them with the stuff. Might even want to pull back the carpet or mat and soak them from the top and bottom.
2. I'd also suggest getting new cab mounts because I'm sure your old ones (if original) are screaming for replacement.
3. You may end up replacing all hardware. The BL kits come with bolts however Ford has some weird washers and fasteners under there. I used some fender washers not only to rebuild my body mount perches that were rusted but also to replace what was dust when it came apart. Also used grade 5 nuts. Yeah everyone going to say why not grade 8, use an engineers handbook and look up bolt tension and work load for grade 5, it will hold a body to the frame and slightly cheaper.
4. I had to use a 1/2 drive impact with 65 gal air compressor, a torch kit to heat bolts, and a sawzall to even cut out some of the body mount bolts! They had been in there 13 years and my truck was originally from Missouri! A lot of heat and cold and salt and sand, blah blah... stuff that fastens bolts, nuts and washers together like welding unless it eats it!
5. If you got arms that are less than adequate to facilitate postioning your ass in one spot, your feet against a pressure point, throwing your back out pulling on a breaker bar, and also holding the other end of whatever your trying to loosen (in the same awkward position as for the other side) that has been welded together from age and who knows what else! Have a competent friend or gorilla on standby with a basket of bananas or cold ones to assist you with said rusted heep!
6. Have alternate mode of transportation, cab fair, or a good pair of LPC (leather personnel carriers, ie shoes) to get yourself back to the hardware/parts store for replacement part of rusted, broken whatever that wanted to screw up your entire installation.
7. Allow yourself one more day than planned or maybe do bed and body on different weekends (even though it will look insane) to accomplish this metally and physically grueling project!
8. Keep your head and spirits up! It will be worth it, your truck will ride better, smoother and without the body shifting around going around the corner! And you'll love peering and drueling down into those little euro cars at those short skirts and less than grandmas table cloth blouses, as they pass you or vice versa or at every red light!!!! Yes there are other purposes for lifting than looking cool or putting on bigger tires to travese less than cooperative terrain! And all of you that already have your stuff up there, don't get all self righteous and say you ain't looking down too! Because everyone knows YOU ARE LYING!!!
Jay
Well I think the bolts are pretty rusty, but I hope they aren't that bad, as far as rust goes the rest of the truck doesn't seem to bad, especially for its age, I think the worst rust is on the frame and even it is still pretty solid. As for where my truck is from, all I know is that it was built in Kentucky, my grandpa bought it(took care of it pretty well), then my parents bought it from him, the body took quite a beating, the n they just didn't use it any more, then gave it to me on my 15th bday, and I have had it since. I took a look at a Performance Accessoreys kit on jegs.com and I also saw they do sell individual blocks, maybe I could buy a couple of those, some bolts form the hardware store and do it that way
 
Maybe, I've done 2 and they were both easy. Strangely enough alaskan trucks that launch boats and drive on the deiced winter roads year round, not that rusty... But they were both older trucks so I also didn't have to mess with AC lines and other stuff... I'm sure I will some day...

not that rusty! How is that even possible? whats the humidity like over there? :shok: I didn't end up having to mess with the ac lines or anything when i did my BL.
 
Majority trucks around here are piles of rust. And removing anything usually involves a torch.
 
i did a 4" BL in my tracker back in the day with hockey pucks but i used all grade 8 bolts, lock nuts and thread locker...it worked great for me never had a problem except i guess they rode a little rougher than stock but what the hell it was a GEO tracker on 33s. lol and really nobody makes shit for lifting/upgrading trackers.

x2 on the hockey pucks. did the same for my tracker (running on 32's) 3 years ago and it is fine. no collapse, splits, deforming, etc. and it's been through many freeze/thaw cycles as well as the daily driving. a lot of guys slam them, maybe from preconceived notions, but they work. i didn't notice any difference in the ride from before. and do upgrade to stronger bolts and nuts.
 
x2 on the hockey pucks. did the same for my tracker (running on 32's) 3 years ago and it is fine. no collapse, splits, deforming, etc. and it's been through many freeze/thaw cycles as well as the daily driving. a lot of guys slam them, maybe from preconceived notions, but they work. i didn't notice any difference in the ride from before. and do upgrade to stronger bolts and nuts.

i disagree i had a 92ranger used hockey pucks and they failed within a week...you both had geos which is much lighter....it also depends on how much wheeling you actually do
 
My take on this is if you can't afford to do it right, in this case only $150 to $200 dollars, then don't do it at all. It's not worth the risk to cheap out on this.
 

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