cheapo lift kit (1 Viewer)

[e9999]

test drove another 80 today. I imagine what most of you hardcores wheelers would consider the stereotypical bad lift job for looks:
2.5" lift kit. Some generic looking gray coils (he thought this might be a Downey kit) with Bilstein shocks (aren't these OK IIRC). Apparently, they welded an extension bracket to the triangular part on the frame that holds the rear of the whatchamacallit control arms (?) that go fore and aft under the front axle tubes and back to the chassis (the annoying things that catch your head each time you try to creep under - no such thing on a 100, eh...). Nothing else that I saw done. Apparently the guy paid about $850 for it all installed). Then he added 35" Mud Terrains on. I must say it looked good on the outside. Didn't change gears of course, and no indication of any other alignment measure. Perhaps predictably, the thing was wallowing all over the place and did not feel particularly stable when driving around.
Oh well.
Btw, are these weld-on things enough to fix everything or is he missing half of a good job. (And yes, I know, it should be OME all the way...)
Eric

 

[Photo_Cruiser]

Dude you're hilarious!!!

Ya gonna buy one of these things already? You win the most posts/padding award without even owning one...maybe a 100, maybe an 80....all the time ya spent you could have repaired everything wrong with even the crappiest purchase decision.......You got cold feet????

Get an F ing cruiser already and start tinkering with it

I'm just Poking Eric.....but stay away from the Cheapo lift...you'll end up re-doing it anyhow!

 

[e9999]

see the problem is that I know too much now thanks to yall good advice.
I can even recognize a bad lift job now.
Surely, you don't want me to buy the overpriced bad lift for looks-one just to get done, right?
No Sir, to have the blessing of this crowd, I will find myself a mall cruiser with lockers that I will fully outfit with OME toys at all corners and then watch out Moab!
Eric

 

[Photo_Cruiser]

Good answer good answer....Big Beer to the guy on the right!!!!!

 

[landtank]

that triangle piece is to correct for caster. Probably better that the OME bushings as they retain the original bushings which are less prone to damaging the gusset welds on the axle. They are not as popular because they need to be welded in verses bolted in. It might not look as pretty to you but a good option.

 

[e9999]

Rick, I was looking at this. Seems to me that it should be feasible if not easy to put together an extension that would bolt on and achieve the same result without the welding. Something you would bolt to the original bracket and that would rest against the frame so it does not move. Not that the welding should be too hard, it's reachable, and could also be sawed off easily enough later if needed anyway. This particular one sure looked like it was welded by a dozen drunk monkeys, though.
E

 

[alia176]

Eric,

You gotta snap some digital pics so that the rest of us can have some fun. Hey, even might be educational for the other blokes who're in the lurking status!

Ali

 

[montocr]

It is indeed the downey kit. There is nothing wrong with this setup, if you don't mind the decrease in clearance under the arms. Most 80 series owners are afraid of welding, yet other 4wd's require welding on many of there kits.

 

[cruiserdan]

I don't know that I would consider it a decrease in clearance, more of a push maybe as the arm-to-ground distance remains about the same. EG 2 1/2 inches spring lift and drop rear mount 2 1/2 inches, it's no closer to the ground than it was to begin with.

Of course it's lower than it would otherwise be if left in the stock location.


D-

 

[e9999]

am I correct then in assuming (as per previous threads) that if the caster as been corrected with this bracket welding, and if there is only 2.5" lift, that there should not be any problem with the unmodified front driveshaft?
(unfortunately, he also put 35" tires on with original gears, sheesh...)
Eric

 

[shocker]

Caster really has nothing to do with the front driveshaft. Caster is a 'return to center' for steering, nothing really to do with driveshaft angles. The best way you can determine if the front driveshaft is going bad is to test drive the truck and listen/feel for vibrations.

But, having said that, with a 2.5" lift there's a very good chance that the front drive shaft will be fine. When you get into 3" or more is when the chances start really decreasing.

 

[landtank]

[quote author=e9999 link=board=2;threadid=8524;start=msg75029#msg75029 date=1071260912]
am I correct then in assuming (as per previous threads) that if the caster as been corrected with this bracket welding, and if there is only 2.5" lift, that there should not be any problem with the unmodified front driveshaft?
(unfortunately, he also put 35" tires on with original gears, sheesh...)
Eric
[/quote]

That bracket corrects for caster and with 2.5" of lift the driveshaft would be fine. BTW I ran 35" tires with 4.11s for a couple of years while towing a 3500 lb trailer in the White mountains. No rocket but still ok. Nothing wrong with that setup, and now your first mod would be regearing instead of springs and things.

 

[GXO]

I have that "cheapo" lift...

I personally like the spring rates and the height of my lift.

Not to mention I don't have the front to rear offset that you get without mixing OME springs to account for front load.

edit...oh yeah...the bilsteins also seem to outperform the OMEs for daily driving and are wonderful offroad as well.

 

[e9999]

Ooops Dan.
Sorry. I was less than circumspect in my characterizing the lift. I was still under the impression that the whole rig had been built for looks as inexpensively as possible. The guy put a lot of bling on it and clearly did it just to get an impressive looking rig without any idea of what wheelin' is about. (None of the 3 lockers were working...) There was much more to it than the lift, e.g. brush guards and much more.
And I didn't realize that the bracket setup was actually a good design. My ignorance.

Btw, do you know the manufacturer of the springs?

Now, with all the disclaimers out of the way, the ride was terrible. Very wallowy, very mushy feel. Did not feel tight at all. perhaps the tires?

Eric

 

[GXO]

I don't have that correction method that truck has on it...I have a bushing correction.

That is probably the difference.

Not sure on the springs manufacture...but they work!

 

[landtank]

That wallowy feeling would either be shocks or as simple as tire pressure. I run my 315s at 45psi others run them at 40psi. Truck handles like crap at 32psi. If the body was in good shape and you found these problems, this might be a bargain for someone who could put it back together. Besides you could export that bling crap to Thailand and get back most of your investment.

 

[Asiarider]

Besides you could export that bling crap to Thailand and get back most of your investment.

Rick,

I heard that

For crap we pay only 10 Baht (= 0.25 $)

Mike

 

[GXO]

FWIW I bought my 80 with this lift installed and it came with 285/75R16 BFG AT KOs that were worn down, never rotated, and scalloped to high heaven...wrong pressure too.

I drove it to the tire store and swapped on new rubber and it was like a caddy from then on.

 

[e9999]

but ... but...
I don't want my truck to feel like a Caddy!
Eric

 

[Beowulf]

>> Besides you could export that bling crap to Thailand and get back most of your investment. <<



Relax Mike.... Rick's just jealous the nifty wheel cover you have won't fit his 35" spare tyre.

-B-