I'm looking to install a 4" suspension lift and put on 35" tires. With this size of lift will i need to extend or install a custom length drive shaft? What about drop links? Im assuming thats a for sure deal when putting on a lift? Any pointers will help. Thanks guys.
Suspension Lift
- Thread starter fatjoe36
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78Jimmy
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Your drive shafts should work fine, depending on the shape they where in prior to the installation of the lift. As for the drop links, you can buy longer if you need.
General rule of thumb is 0-4 in lift you don't need to modify the driveshaft, 4-up you have to modify.
Don't forget to look at your brake lines as well.
tjf
New member
with the 4" lift, will you need to do anything to the front end?? And what brand would you guys recommend to use?
Broncobill78
New member
Right now Rough Country seems to have the best deal as far as price goes. Their 4" lift runs $459 w/rear blocks & $749 w/rear springs. http://www.roughcountry.com/ford_4wd_80-96_fullsize_4.html There are certainly other kits out there but they get progressively more expensive until you hit the Rancho kit at something like $1200. Everyone has their preference but for a lot of guys it comes down to price which is why I mentioned the Rough Country kit. You'll also need new shocks and will be wanting to extend your brake lines as well.
As far as the front end, you'll need to have it aligned after you install the kit. As the others have mentioned, the driveshafts will be fine w/a 4" lift.
While you have the front end apart it's an excellent opportunity to go in and replace all the bushings. A set of poly bushings will make a big difference in the way it feels afterwards, especially if you're still running the original rubber ones. Not only are they probably pretty worn by now but the larger tires are going to exert a greater force on them and magnify any "squishyness" in them so regardless of what type of bushing you choose I'd replace them (some kits include a new set of bushings which is part of the price difference between them. Rancho likes to bundle all their products into one kit while others let you shop around for what you want or can afford)
As far as the front end, you'll need to have it aligned after you install the kit. As the others have mentioned, the driveshafts will be fine w/a 4" lift.
While you have the front end apart it's an excellent opportunity to go in and replace all the bushings. A set of poly bushings will make a big difference in the way it feels afterwards, especially if you're still running the original rubber ones. Not only are they probably pretty worn by now but the larger tires are going to exert a greater force on them and magnify any "squishyness" in them so regardless of what type of bushing you choose I'd replace them (some kits include a new set of bushings which is part of the price difference between them. Rancho likes to bundle all their products into one kit while others let you shop around for what you want or can afford)
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mongo
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I thought a 4 inch lift wouldn't give enough clearance for 35 's ????? I thought he would need 6 inch ?????
cowboydan
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i ran 33/12.5 on stock suspention. my friend trimmed his wheelwells to fit his 35/12.5. i think the real issue lies with the off set on the wheels, because they do rub the radius arms.
Broncobill78
New member
That's one of those answers that starts of with "Well, Kinda"
If you read the literature from the Lift kit mfgs what they advise is to run a 4" lift for 33's but practical experience tells us that you can run 33's with stock suspension. However, if you do any 4wheeling that involves a lot of axle articulation they're gonna rub & maybe wrinkle some sheetmetal. Same sorta thing with the 4" lift & 35's just not quite as bad. A 4" lift will provide good clearance for 35's and will allow a fair degree of articulation but under some conditions it may still rub. A 6" lift will give you enough clearance for *any* condition and that's what the mfg's push. None of them wants people badmouthing them & saying "yeah, I ran their lift with X-size tires and it wrinkled my quarter so now my truck is f*cked up" so they go the safe route & recommend a lift that will give you clearance regardless of how high you jump the thing. An easy solution is to run the 4" lift, 35"/36" tires and then an extended bumpstop so that you never hit sheetmetal even at maximum compression.
****, I worked on a friends truck that had such badly rotted wheelwells that we trimed a good 6" off it, ran bushwacker cutout flares and he was able to run 38's with bone stock suspension & Rancho extended bumpstops. There are really very few hard & fast rules and if you're willing to make compromises then there's almost no limit to what you can run.
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mongo
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89eddie89
New member
i just put on a 4" superlift and im running 35s on my 89 bronco. no rub at all when i turn, but i am limited to my flex, so i am lokking to trim the fenders... or add on a few inches
96GreenMonster
New member
i didnt extend my shaft at all(no pun intended)
if you went over 6" then you would have to extend.
i run 35s with a 4" and it spins fine
if you went over 6" then you would have to extend.
i run 35s with a 4" and it spins fine
jsomedaysoon
New member
i'm just starting to learn about all the lift kit ins and outs as i didnt expect to need one after i put my 33's on my truck. well i really dont "need" a lift as we've all read in this post but it just doesent have the look with out the lift. it just looks like a kid with shoes that are way to big for its feet if that makes sense. so anyway my question is what should i look for in a package. i read somewhere in this post that i'll also need to buy shocks even after i buy the kit. did i misunderstand that or was that right? also would i need any special tools to do the lift myself and about how long would it take me with limited knowledge and a bad ass q&a forum to fall back on?
Broncobill78
New member
Look in your local phonebook under "D". If you're *anywhere* near a major highway you'll have medium & hvy truck shops in the area and I'm for *sure* there will be a driveshaft shop among them. You CAN get something mail ordered if there's nothing near you but generally speaking it isn't the cheapest route.
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