Body lift going in....looking for insight.

[airbur]

I'm getting ready to install a 2" body lift including bushings and new hardware. I've read the great writeup WH has but am looking to the Bronco Gurus here for any advice or "good-to-knows" as I move forward with it. Thanks!

 

[mango]

Heres a couple of things I can think of right away.

Get at least a 10 pack of Sawzall blades.

Have a fan ready to blow the burning rubber smoke out of your working area.

 

[Revelation]

Spray all body bolts with PB Blaster and let them sit for a while to loosen up and rusted nuts.

 

[acmefl]

Did the one inch very recently.
All the above + keep the old bolts or at least a long one. On the back two sets inside the cab set it back in the hole and beat the crap out of it. That helps separate the two metal bushings and deform the frame dohickies down to help get them out.
A good friend and a few beers helps also.
A

 

[Chief Master Sergeant]

People think I'm nuts, but I used a sharp chisel to cut the old rubber ones out. Made quick work of them. Once you have them cut, grab the old rubber with vice grips and pull them out. If the metal sleeves downt come apart, use the chisel and a hammer to cut through that too. I've done two lifts that way and it was pretty easy. REDNECK ENGINEERING! I don't own a sawzall, so...

 

[barronj]

Air chisel

I think an air chisel is the fastest, easiest way to bust apart the stuck, stubborn, rusted together pieces. You can use a sawzall if you don't have an air compressor, but if you have an air compressor & no air chisel, you can pick one up from Harbor Freight for $14 & you'll never look back.

For the back half that sit in frame risers, I found it was easier for me to get my new nuts/washers in AFTER I ground off the little ears inside the riser. Just hit them w/ a cut off wheel & get them out, makes the delicate finger dance of holding nut/washer together much, much easier.

On my floorpans, the heads of the bolts were rusted/eroded away, and I just drilled down in to the bolt enough to get the head off the bolt. Put the air chisel (the pointy ended chisel) on that & hit it. Drove it right out the bottom, just like that.

Mind what's attached to the frame as your lifting it up to get the new bushings in there. Brake lines, your fan hitting the bottom of your fan shroud, steering linkage, shifter parts, clutch rod alignment, etc.

 

[airbur]

Thanks guys...great info. I do have an air-chisel so that might be the way to go.

 

[Viperwolf1]

Skip the chisels and the sawsall. Get a hole saw to cut the center out of the front four bushings. Takes about 30 sec to do each. The rear four can be beaten out with a hammer once the bolt is half way out.

 

[dkoril]

duct tape is a life saver

make sure you put a piece of duct tape over the hole in the frame that is directly below below the third body mount. i lost a bushing in the frame and had to cut it out because i skipped this step. you can also use the tape on the bottom of an open ended wrench to hold the nut in place.

 

[barronj]

make sure you put a piece of duct tape over the hole in the frame that is directly below below the third body mount. i lost a bushing in the frame and had to cut it out because i skipped this step. you can also use the tape on the bottom of an open ended wrench to hold the nut in place.

I must say, it never occured to me that there was a hole in the frame. I'm more lucky than I realize!

 

[schmidty1913]

When i did mine, the place where the body mounts connect to the body were crushed in. might be a good idea to have some big washers or some 1/4 metal or so to weld in and reinforce this section of the body. i guess you don't actually have to weld them in but it would be a good idea to reinforce this area.

 

[captbo]

seeing as we are talking body lifts here when installing the ones with the bl;ack plastic fiberglass impregnated things should you also use a rubber pad

 

[airbur]

seeing as we are talking body lifts here when installing the ones with the bl;ack plastic fiberglass impregnated things should you also use a rubber pad

A rubber pad? Where and what type?

 

[MattW]

Did WH's 1" a couple of weekends ago. I found it best to just take a sharp knife, cut all the way through the old rubber mounts and then grab a hold of them with some large channel locks and pull them out.

As for the bolts themselves, all of mine but 2 on the front broke. Try and work them slowly and back them out as far as possible before they break. The more threads you get out the easier it will be to remove the metal sleeve that's left after you take out the rubber bushing.

As said before, tape over that hole in the frame or tape the nut to the wrench so it doesn't drop down in there. And an extra set of hands really helps.

 

[lonesouth]

Skip the chisels and the sawsall. Get a hole saw to cut the center out of the front four bushings. Takes about 30 sec to do each. The rear four can be beaten out with a hammer once the bolt is half way out.

THIS!!! I used an angle grinder with a cutoff wheel for the last one, but think I'm going to go this route on the next one. Hopefully this weekend.

 

[captbo]

A rubber pad? Where and what type?

I guess what I should ask is when installing a body lift what is the order of installation from the frame to the body? Thanks

 

[airbur]

I guess what I should ask is when installing a body lift what is the order of installation from the frame to the body? Thanks

WH has a good diagram here: http://www.wildhorses4x4.com/downloads/1910-1924 01-18-08.pdf

 

[stock1970]

basics.. loosen all, jack up one side of bronco and remove, replace, then jack up the other side, remove, replace.. do not remove all because body will get out of position. also after, check fuel lines, fuel filler hose and linkage as jacking the body up could pull and even tear lines, and you may need a linkage extender for auto matic trans....

 

[captbo]

Thanks

WH has a good diagram here: http://www.wildhorses4x4.com/downloads/1910-1924 01-18-08.pdf

That is what I was needing!