looking for a body lift

[copeman95]

I have a 88 ford ranger 4x4 std cab and I'm looking to lift it 3in and ever lift kit I find doesnt have the bumper brackets and I want to know were to get one from this will be my first lift for my truck and I would like to get a good one. If anyone can help please and thank you

 

[Surrey]

If you want a good lift, dont get a body lift. spend the money on a 4" suspension lift.
Or figure out a budget lift, the tech library can help you come up with ideas... body lifts dont do anything to increase the performance of your truck other than allow larger tires...

There is not a lot of options for body lifts... I assume you've browsed ebay, google, and the parts store here, so I can't help you there.

 

[straycat]

If you want a good lift, dont get a body lift. spend the money on a 4" suspension lift.
Or figure out a budget lift, the tech library can help you come up with ideas... body lifts dont do anything to increase the performance of your truck other than allow larger tires...

There is not a lot of options for body lifts... I assume you've browsed ebay, google, and the parts store here, so I can't help you there.

^^what he said, Bro. If you really need a bl and want to raise the bumpers you will need to make your own brackets or take it to a welder and have them do it for you. The early bl kits did not come with a rear bumper bracket. I have used PA bl kits only on all my early and present rides. My newer kits came with front and rear bumper brackets. Some of my early ones comes with just the front bumper bracket. I had to fab the rear of leave it alone. I would Google body lift kits with front and rear bumper relocation brackets for your year truck and see what you come up with. My 4x4 shop will install somebody's bl and if the kit does not have the bumper brackets they will make it for them for a bit more but it is worth it if the customer really wants it.

 

[Schnot]

What they said.

And also use punctuation please.


Sent from my iPhone.

 

[PanamaExpat]

Body lift? I only need look as far as my workshop and the nut and bolt store. But for you if you really want to BL over SL then buy a kit and fab up your bumper brackets. Not that hard if you have the proper tools. No tools.... Sorry for your wallet.

 

[fyre82]

They just don't come for Gen 1. You have to fab for the rear or flip the existing one, some bumpers can be lifted that way.
The front is another story if you want to put a stock bumper on it. They bolt to the frame horn and are difficult to relocate without fabbing something to hold the bumper up and out from the frame horn.
The other option is to fab yourself a nice custom one.

Rich

 

[straycat]

Here is my ‘83 Ranger I bought when it was 1 year old in Coronado, CA . I did a suspension lift and then added the BL later. The PA BL came with the front bumper relocation brackets but not the rear. I had to do that a few weeks later when I had the time…when I was not underway on a sub or a ship…lol. The 83 was a great truck with the 2.8 L motor and I had it for around 14 years. My wife did not like driving it since it was a standard trans…she hated to drive it in stop and go traffic!!! I sold it back in ’98 to a pretty girl who kept leaving me notes on the truck when she saw it around the Tampa/Lithia area.
These are the only two photos I can find of my little buddy. One great truck and it never broke down on me. I drove it back and forth from Tampa to Coronado and Alameda, CA. a bunch of times towing one of my flats boats or my dirt bikes and a few times I topped to wheel with buddies along the way. It went to Moab a few times as well.

Rear bumper with no relocation bracket. It did not look too bad but a few weeks later I raised it up.

 

[a31ford]

Made my BL (3"), even made the front and back bumper brackets also.

One thing to remember, IF you live where it gets cold (like me), the fuel filler will NOT, I repeat, NOT, reach the panel behind the door.... IT might in summer, BUT, will NOT in a cold winter (OR expect to be replacing the fuel tank, because the neck of the tank got ripped off.........

I carefully cut the original hoses (both the inner and outer) in such a way that I had a short stub to insert a couple lengths (again BOTH inner and outer hose) of pipe and used stainless hose clamps to clamp it all up. I went 2" in extension to get to the panel behind the fuel door.

As well I did a chunk of 1" x 1/4" flat bar about 3" long to raise the P-Brake mount on the frame, so everything worked nicely.

Steering column was a PITA, but a 2-3/4" welded in section between the back of the box flange and the lower set of splines (removed and welded in the vise). worked well.

the front , middle and rear (cab) are three different length bolts (BUT, the 3" lifts are all the same) the bolts go through different sections of body/floor and some have thicker areas, as well as the rubber mounts themselves are different heights.

Check the steel mounts on the frame when the cab is off, you might find the DR rear with missing or badly rusted rivets......

The box, I used some 3" "C channel" going across the frame rails in 4 positions (even though there are only 3 sets of bolts on each side), (there's a blind support just in front of the rear axle), drilled both webs of the c-channel at each end, bolted them to the frame, and used the original frame clips on the top web of the c-channel and original box bolts.

Bumpers, front is a chunk of L shapped 1/4" plate, rear has an over the frame (instead of under slung) class 4 receiver for towing (this way it's tight to the bottom of the bumper, instead of hanging in "space" (looked real weird that way......)

Greg