Skyjacker Lift and Dana 35 Swap Questions!

[neggen32]

Hey guys, I've finally saved up enough to pull the trigger on a 4" Skyjacker lift kit! I also want to swap in a Dana 35 while I'm at it. I've found a lot of helpful info in the tech articles and forums about these kits but still need a few things clarified.

Here's what I learned so far, let me know if any of this is wrong:
-I should order 6" springs instead of 4" because the extended cab and 4.0 is heavier.
-I should get the extreme drop pitman bar instead of the one skyjacker recommends for a 4" lift because the recommended one does not have enough drop.

Here is what I'm still wondering:
If I order the lift kit for a 88' Ranger will it be compatible with the Dana 35? I want to get the extended radius arms but it looks like they go around the axle beams. So that means I would need the extended radius arms meant for a ranger with the Dana 35? But then would the other brackets and stuff work with my frame and steering? It also looks like the radius arms mount to the transmission crossmember. Right now I have the FM146 but I want to swap to M50D. Will differences in these transmissions and their crossmembers mess with my radius arms?

I get pretty confused when it comes to compatibility between different years. Do I need to order a custom kit with pieces from different years? This truck is about 80% road and 20% light off-roading, so maybe I don't even need the radius arms right away and should hold off until I have everything else how I want it. If anyone more knowledgable than me on this topic (which shouldn't be hard) has any ideas, suggestions, or changes to make to my plan let me know! Also if anybody has found the cheapest place to buy Skyjacker kits or any other deals going on that would also be helpful. Thank you!

 

[Curious Hound]

Don't take my word alone because I'm not an authority on compatibility of the different years.

I think if I was in your place, I would order the kit based on the year of the truck that your D35 is coming out of. That way everything should fit your new axle.

On my 6" kit, a new transmission crossmember was included. It mounted in a different place. But lined up perfectly with my transmission.

Regarding ordering a custom configured kit, good luck with that. I couldn't figure out how to do it and all I needed was different ubolts because of my upgraded rear axle. The problem is that you don't order from Skyjacker. You have to go through other sellers. So they can't really change the kit for you.

I am happy with the quality of the kit. It all worked out pretty good for me.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[4x4junkie]

You should be fine. The D28 & D35 are the same dimensions as far as where the radius arms mount. The FM146 and M5OD also are the same dimensions.

What I would suggest is make it easy and just order the Skyjacker 6" kit w/FA600 drop pitman arm, since everything else aside from the springs is the same on both the 4" and 6" kits. You would then just set up the front axle in the upper (4") bracket holes on your Supercab, and if the rear ends up being too tall, remove the factory 2" lift block (which removing that by itself has several benefits).

 

[BLOODBANE]

Everything IS the same. On my 84 I originally had the D28 in with a SuperLift 4" lift. I added a 91 D35 and it was bolt in. You may or may not have to shorten your driveshaft about an inch though (high pinion (d35)from low pinion (d28) pumpkins takes up this space).

 

[neggen32]

Awesome thanks guys, so it seems like the whole radius arm thing shouldn't be a problem which is what I was hoping to hear. And I like that idea about just getting a 6" kit and using the 4" bracket holes. It look like the only difference between the 4" and 6" kit other than the drop pitman and coil springs is the front shocks. The front shocks in the 4" lift kit are longer (18.66 in. Extended; 11.52 in. Collapsed) than the front shocks in the 6" lift kit (22.75 in. Extended; 13.54 in. Collapsed) What would be the effects of using the longer shocks be if I'm using the upper mounting holes meant for the 4" lift? Maybe I should just see if I can order the whole 6" kit minus the shocks and buy the ones meant for a 4" separately.

Also, the rear leaf springs and the rear shocks are the exact same between the 4" and 6" kit. How does the 6" kit provide the additional 2" of lift in the rear? Does it use extra lift blocks or something?

 

[Curious Hound]

My 6" kit came with the FA 400 Pittman arm. So that is probably the same for both kits. I think the difference in lift height for the rear comes from either using the OEM blocks between axle and leaf spring for 6" lift or discarding them when doing a 4"lift.

Regarding the shocks, it may be safer to order those separately so you get the right ones for your 4" lift.

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[4x4junkie]

I would suggest go with the 6" lift shocks. Since you'd be getting 6" coil springs, you should be able to take advantage of the extra downtravel they would offer (the bumpstop extensions are also the same in both kits, so no worries there either).
Only thing I would suggest with the longer shocks is to secure your coil springs to your coil buckets as the longer shock could possibly allow the coil to come out otherwise.

Like so:


There's a possibility you may also need to slightly widen the 'window' for the axle shaft on your passenger side beam to keep it from binding under articulation, but anything that improves wheel travel is generally a desirable thing. This can be assessed after the kit is installed and you've wheeled it a little bit (look for rub marks on the axle shaft).