Need some help!!!!

To remove the body lift or not to remove the body lift, that is the question!

  • Keep the body lift

    Votes: 9 56.3%

  • REMOVE THE BODY LIFT!!!

    Votes: 7 43.8%
  • Total voters
    16
S

SV_Dude

Moderator
So, FootofGod is telling me that I should NOT remove the body lift. He thinks that I should do nothing more than throw the 37's on the 4runner and wheel it the way it is. There are some good sides to his line of thinking. 1) All I gotta do is put some tires on and go wheeling. 2) All I gotta do is throw some tires on and go wheeling. My line of thinking is to drop the drive train and remove the body lift. Good points to my idea is: 1) lower the CG 2) take off body lift to lower the CG 3) it will look cooler. Down sides to me removing the body lift is the work required and the down time, I figure it would take me about a month or so of work during my free time to get everything done. Fog's method takes a weekend if that to install some tires.

Fog is being quite selfish here too. He wants me to keep my runner the way it is so there is no down time and we can wheel the way it is... keep that in mind when you vote.

So... What say ye guys... Keep the body lift or remove the body lift.
 
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My personal opinion is that I am not a fan of body lifts.

A good suspension lift, and maybe some wheel spacers should do the trick.

Also depends - is this a daily driver, or a trail queen? If it's just a trail buggy - it doesn't matter. If a daily driver - a body lift will make it feel top heavy.

I lifted mine with just a suspension lift (4-5" Rough Country), and she's doing great! I had an 89 Blazer (full size) with a 4" body lift, and I hated how it felt both on and off road. At the time it was all I could afford.

But in the end - it's your rig - run it any way you want.

:hiding:
 
The body lift is there to fit the 350. Take that in to consideration. In order to remove the BL he has to rebuild half the runner.

If it were mine, I'd install full width axles with bigger tires to solve the stability issue. He has the tires already.
 
I guess it all depends on what you want for the finished product. A lower vehicle is definitely more stable, but that one has proven to be fairly stable, too. How much room do you think you can create under the engine if you jack it up slightly and support it, then remove the current engine mounts and torch out the factory mounts, too? Would that be enough to get in there and do all the welding you need to? That way, you could save time and effort by not undoing the whole drivetrain. You might even gain a smidge more room for the distributor, since the drivetrain would be pivoting on the rear driveshaft, while the body would go straight down (probably not much, but a little). Just remember, your tires are adding another inch to the height already. I'd probably put the tires on and go wheeling and see how it feels first. Maybe some wheel spacers can produce the same results as lowering, saving you a lot of work?
 
Good point bob. It is very stable the way it is. But it can be better with very little cost other than time. If I can improve it with little money and a bit of labor, why not? Besides, have you ever seen a 4runner with the Chevy 350 swap and No body lift?
 
not a fan

most body blocks are "poly" like a plastic , so over time they whear . they also whear the body mounts ..

question is ...


do you want longevety or not ?
I did use 1" body mounts on my trekker for the engine swap , but machiened them from alum.


.
 
Last edited:
I'm generally against body lifts on principle. Not that they can't work, but I think there's better ways to do what they do. On the other hand, "wheel it now" is an extremely good argument.

Pull the body lift this winter. :)
 
KidVermicious said:
I'm generally against body lifts on principle. Not that they can't work, but I think there's better ways to do what they do. On the other hand, "wheel it now" is an extremely good argument.

Pull the body lift this winter. :)
Click to expand...

You make some good points. But, if I pull the body lift this winter I have to work in the cold when I can do some good snow wheeling that I missed this last winter.
 
OK there are many problems you are going to run into if you drop the engine down and remove the body lift.

1. Exhaust: to do this you will have to find some sort of manifold or header that will fit between the frame rails since you are dropping it down. Keep in mind under engine load you engine wants to hug the passenger side frame rail. The actual pipes will have to be redone since the angles will be all wrong.

2. Radiator: Not sure how its set up now but you might not have the clearance to remove the body lift. I know i always went with a taller radiator to get as much cooling capacity as possible. I literally had less than a 1/2" between my front crossmember and radiator.

3. Without the body lift you will trap more heat in the engine compartment the gap between the frame rail and the inner fenders actually works very well for removing heat.

4. Would there be enough clearance between the frame rails for the accessories on the front of the engine?

If you do decide to go through with it. Look at all the choke points. It could end up being a lot more work in the long run. I've done it 2 ways. 1st time I lowered all the mounts 1" and used a 2" BL. The second time I cut a section of the firewall out and pushed it back and split open the tunnel to clear the transmission. As you already know on my last one I said F-that.

I say get some shorter springs and throw the 37's on.
 
Dammit!! I started yesterday with the solid idea of doing some cool work and now I cannot make up my mind.

Bill, you're the devil!

As far as the challenges of lowering the engine, I really don't think that space is an issue. I have enough room between the frame rails and the exhaust headers and re-working the pipes isn't that big of an issue. However, the simplicity of throwing some wheels on it and taking it wheeling is a very very good idea too!
 
Well, for now I'll keep the body lift. I'll go get the tires mounted, throw some cool lighting on it and wheel it the way it is. It may or may not stay as is, time will tell.
 
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