1" body lift help or hurt

[Mud crawler]

I know this subject has been beat to death but I couldn't find the a thread to answer what I'm wondering. I've got a 96 fzj80 with a 2.5" I think, OME lift with front heavy springs and 863j' in the rear I've also got 30mm spring spaces up front to rid of the stink bug stance. I've got 33's now and I'm soon upgrading to 35's and 4.88's. Will a 1" body lift hurt or help with a better fit of the 35's.

 

[RiFF RaFF]

I'm in the same boat. 96 - stock. Going to keep an eye on this one for (I hope) good advice. I'm looking at a 2.5" lift myself. This will be a mild off road rig. My 93 4Runner is my serious off road vehicle.

 

[Mud crawler]

I'm in the same boat. 96 - stock. Going to keep an eye on this one for (I hope) good advice. I'm looking at a 2.5" lift myself. This will be a mild off road rig. My 93 4Runner is my serious off road vehicle.

I can personally say you'll love the OME lift if you get one I love mine. It's stuff but rides smooth at the same time.

 

[RiFF RaFF]

I can personally say you'll love the OME lift if you get one I love mine. It's stuff but rides smooth at the same time.

Who did you go through for the OME Lift? Slee? Or one of our other dealers here? Thanks!

 

[Mud crawler]

Who did you go through for the OME Lift? Slee? Or one of our other dealers here? Thanks!

It was a year ago so I can't really remember. It was the best deal I could find but I think I ordered from OME

 

[RiFF RaFF]

It was a year ago so I can't really remember. It was the best deal I could find but I think I ordered from OME

Roger that. I'll hit up the guys here on the board, and shop around. Right now we're in the middle of new skins for the fronts, and new carpet. Taking our time - don't want to cut more than we need to. My wife is getting anxious to have The Wart Hog back on the road.

 

[Mud crawler]

Roger that. I'll hit up the guys here on the board, and shop around. Right now we're in the middle of new skins for the fronts, and new carpet. Taking our time - don't want to cut more than we need to. My wife is getting anxious to have The Wart Hog back on the road.

Good luck on your build, hopefully everything goes good for you.

 

[bryanb]

I would definitely recommend a 1" body lift if you are considering any of the following:

• Clearing 35s and larger
• Allowing you to get your sliders up an inch
• Raising the fuel tank and inch
• Making it even easier to run your exhaust over the frame rail and/or raise the entire exhaust an inch (requires new custom exhaust, but helps get a notorious low point raised up out of the way)

Otherwise, it's probably just a headache and can look a bit goofy if you do not also raise your bumpers.

1" is easy and offers the above benefits, but anything more than 1" body lift starts to require a bit more work like:

• messing with the steering, transmission and transfer case linkages
• extensive modification to the radiator brackets
  
• see 2" body lift install

 

[Mud crawler]

I would definitely recommend a 1" body lift if you are considering any of the following:

• Clearing 35s and larger.
• Allowing you to get your sliders up an inch.
• Making it even easier to run your exhaust over the frame rail and/or raise the entire exhaust an inch (requires new custom exhaust, but helps get a notorious low point raised up out of the way)

Otherwise, it's probably just a headache and can look a bit goofy if you do not also raise your bumpers.

1" is easy and offers the above benefits, but anything more than 1" body lift starts to require a bit more work like:

• messing with the steering, transmission and transfer case linkages
• extensive modification to the radiator brackets

I have no intentions of putting any bigger than a 1" body lift. I plan on putting 37's some day but no time soon, I'm fixing the low exhaust now and running it between the frame and body and dumping it before the rear tire. I don't have sliders because I don't need then, and is there a certain brand body lift you'd recommend?

 

[bryanb]

I have no intentions of putting any bigger than a 1" body lift. I plan on putting 37's some day but no time soon, I'm fixing the low exhaust now and running it between the frame and body and dumping it before the rear tire. I don't have sliders because I don't need then, and is there a certain brand body lift you'd recommend?

There's very few companies offering the kits. 4crawler (Roger Brown) probably being the most notable.

I simply purchased some UHMW off amazon (Amazon.com: UHMW (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) Round Rod, Opaque Black, Meets ASTM D4020, 2 1/2" Diameter, 1' Length: Industrial & Scientific) and cut my own pucks. Then picked up some extended bolts from the local metric hardware store. Total was about $45

 

[cjmoon]

hockey pucks? i built my 1 3/8" body lift our of some material i bought from grainger. not sure how i ended up with that number but i did, just where the stop ended up i guess. i have hated body lifts for many years but the fj80 frame is tucked so far up into the body i don't feel like its ever noticeable with lots of benefits as mentioned above. well at least after you build your bumpers and sliders to match. i feel like for an all around rig you gain many benefits over larger lifts. my actual lift is only 1-1.5" but still did castor correction because i prefer a little harder steering wheel feel and good tracking at speed. i still have material left over i could cut 1" pucks out of

 

[Mud crawler]

There's very few companies offering the kits. 4crawler (Roger Brown) probably being the most notable.

I simply purchased some UHMW off amazon (Amazon.com: UHMW (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) Round Rod, Opaque Black, Meets ASTM D4020, 2 1/2" Diameter, 1' Length: Industrial & Scientific) and cut my own pucks. Then picked up some extended bolts from the local metric hardware store. Total was about $45

I might just make them like you did. How many would I need to make? Also how long would the longer bolts need to be?

 

[Mud crawler]

hockey pucks? i built my 1 3/8" body lift our of some material i bought from grainger. not sure how i ended up with that number but i did, just where the stop ended up i guess. i have hated body lifts for many years but the fj80 frame is tucked so far up into the body i don't feel like its ever noticeable with lots of benefits as mentioned above. well at least after you build your bumpers and sliders to match. i feel like for an all around rig you gain many benefits over larger lifts. my actual lift is only 1-1.5" but still did castor correction because i prefer a little harder steering wheel feel and good tracking at speed. i still have material left over i could cut 1" pucks out of

I've felt the same about body lifts until I saw one on an 80. I problably do the castor correction but I'm very happy with how it handles now.

 

[GW Nugget]

I would definitely recommend a 1" body lift if you are considering any of the following:

• Clearing 35s and larger.
• Allowing you to get your sliders up an inch.
• Making it even easier to run your exhaust over the frame rail and/or raise the entire exhaust an inch (requires new custom exhaust, but helps get a notorious low point raised up out of the way)

Otherwise, it's probably just a headache and can look a bit goofy if you do not also raise your bumpers.

1" is easy and offers the above benefits, but anything more than 1" body lift starts to require a bit more work like:

• messing with the steering, transmission and transfer case linkages
• extensive modification to the radiator brackets

I will agree with all this plus add...
I don't know how to start or how much time I have but let's start with what I have & go from there. I runs 37s with a 850/862 +30mm coil spacer, this is a true 2.5" suspension lift & I also have a 1" body lift.
When I had 315s, I found with my rig a 1" body lift allowed my to remove my 1.5" front bumpstops & go from 2.5" rear bumps to 1.5" bumps. Meaning it allowed more up travel of the tires in fenders. What I just wrote is well documented in page 10 of my build thread. It's in my signature below.

It's a Love Hate with body lifts... but on an 80 it is a must if you don't want restricted up travel.

I ran out of time... but I made a copy of another post.

After having the body lift for a while I can now give a honest opinion. The main objective of the body lift was to give more fender room so I could remove my bumpstops to allow more up travel of the tires.

I will go with Con's first since there are'nt that many.

Con's:
Body lifts cost money.
You have to install them.
My shifter is shorter.
You might need to adjust bumpers.

Pro's:
It gives more room for up travel of the suspension.
It allowed me to remove my bumpstop pucks up front.
It's a cheaper way to lift.
Lifting just the body keeps the COG down lower.
It helps with air flow across the engine.
It helps with added space from the hot exhaust on passenger side floorboard.
One could also run exhaust over top of frame.
It pulls the engine wiring harness up & away from the hot EGR pipe.

 

[bryanb]

I might just make them like you did. How many would I need to make? Also how long would the longer bolts need to be?

10 pucks that are 1" each. That 12" stick I linked to on amazon was just enough. I used a chop saw with a fresh blade (make sure it cuts it and doesn't melt it) and be SUPER CAREFUL of you hands. Cutting the last few gets progressively more difficult as the stick gets smaller. Best to use clamps on the last few pieces.

Bolt lengths: [URL="https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/anyone-have-1-body-lift.20488/#post-390084"]anyone have 1" body lift?[/URL]

 

[GW Nugget]

Here are the bolt size & length.
Very easy to resource.
I found proper lift pucks for $4 each.
The bolts are 3/8" by 5", 5.5" & 7". The 7" are for the front & 5.5" for rear. Don't get them mixed up like I did.

Here on mud there is a very detailed thread that was very informative with good pictures.

Definitive 1" Body Lift How To

It is said in there the rear bolts can be a bear to get in. I just made sure it was lifted high enough to get the bolt in at an angle before it went in strait.

 

[Mud crawler]

I will agree with all this plus add...
I don't know how to start or how much time I have but let's start with what I have & go from there. I runs 37s with a 850/862 +30mm coil spacer, this is a true 2.5" suspension lift & I also have a 1" body lift.
When I had 315s, I found with my rig a 1" body lift allowed my to remove my 1.5" front bumpstops & go from 2.5" rear bumps to 1.5" bumps. Meaning it allowed more up travel of the tires in fenders. What I just wrote is well documented in page 10 of my build thread. It's in my signature below.

It's a Love Hate with body lifts... but on an 80 it is a must if you don't want restricted up travel.

I ran out of time... but I made a copy of another post.

After having the body lift for a while I can now give a honest opinion. The main objective of the body lift was to give more fender room so I could remove my bumpstops to allow more up travel of the tires.

I will go with Con's first since there are'nt that many.

Con's:
Body lifts cost money.
You have to install them.
My shifter is shorter.
You might need to adjust bumpers.

Pro's:
It gives more room for up travel of the suspension.
It allowed me to remove my bumpstop pucks up front.
It's a cheaper way to lift.
Lifting just the body keeps the COG down lower.
It helps with air flow across the engine.
It helps with added space from the hot exhaust on passenger side floorboard.
One could also run exhaust over top of frame.
It pulls the engine wiring harness up & away from the hot EGR pipe.

Seems like those aren't real cons to me. I'll take a look at the thread in your other comment. Thanks for all the help.

 

[Mud crawler]

10 pucks that are 1" each. That 12" stick I linked to on amazon was just enough. I used a chop saw with a fresh blade (make sure it cuts it and doesn't melt it) and be SUPER CAREFUL of you hands. Cutting the last few gets progressively more difficult as the stick gets smaller. Best to use clamps on the last few pieces.

Bolt lengths: anyone have 1" body lift?

I'll just use a hacksaw and cut it while it's in a vice.

 

[Mud crawler]

Will I need to lift the whole body at the same time to install the pucks or can I do the front then do the back?

 

[dirtyboots]

@GW Nugget are there any pics of 1" with Slee / 4x4 labs bumpers? Or, how does one adjust a bumper to fit a 1" BL?