Body Lifts

[4X4]

Body Lifts
50mm body lifts will require some modifications for a successful installation. Gear levers will need to be bent and in some cases lengthened. Gear lever boots may also need modification to reduce the possibility of gear drop out from extra boot load. After fitting a body lift kit, the front and rear bar mounting points will need to be raised for best appearance. Clutch hydraulic hose, mounting points can also require shifting.

 

[V8 4runner]

front bumper / bull bar will need to be raised the 50mm, otherwise the top of the bull bar will cover part of the headlight which looks crap and is also not legal.
the fuel filler lines, brake lines etc will need to have attention paid to when lifting ( do 1 side at a time )
as in some vehicles may kink / break or simply come off.
Legalities in VIC...
2' body lift = legal
2' suspension lift = legal
2 + 2 = legal
any other combination is usually not legal ( however that does depend on the vehicle and your engineer)
In any case, check the law... and get someone who has done it before, to come over and do it with you (the body lift that is )

cheers

 

[dudelux]

When I fitted the 2inch BL to my lux, Id already fitted extended brakelines, so all i had to do was trim around the gearsticks as it was a fight to get into 2nd, and reverse, and sticky to get into 4H too. I also had to trim some off the fan shroud. And for the steel lines in the engine bay(brake and clutch), they were coiled up in a circle so all I had to do was carefully unwind until I had enough length. I also changed the way my front bumper is mounted too, instead of 4 bolts holding it on, there is now 2, which has lifted the bumper up to the bottom of the grille. I didnt need to extend my fuel filler hose either.
Ive heard that you cant use the hard plastic lift blocks for body lifts, just the steel blocks, and make sure you use hi-tensile bolts for bodylifts.

 

[rodw]

Ive heard that you cant use the hard plastic lift blocks for body lifts, just the steel blocks, and make sure you use hi-tensile bolts for bodylifts.

Those that say you can't use HDPE plastic blocks are not up with current developments. They are legal in QLD on application to Queensland Transport, engineerable in NSW and WA. The regulations in SA say if you use aluminium blocks, you can fit a body lift without any engineering approval. Ask me for more info.

Also, there is a widely held mistaken belief that it it illegal to fit body lifts to cars fitted with airbags. This is not true but you need to consult the DOT and possibly an engineer in your state.

I thought this thread needed a photo of some of the body lift components needed to do the job properly

Vehicle Modifications Network

Photo is for the current model Hilux and includes HDPE blocks, steering shaft extension, radiator Drop brackets (with countersunk mounting bolts) and other required bolts.

On the diesel engine Hilux, you will also need to extend the air inlet hose and extend the vacuum hose below the power steering reservoir from the vacuum pump on the engine.

You may also need to:
1. Extend or make skirts in the wheel arches to prevent mud entering the engine bay depending on the vehicle.
2. Block the gap above the radiator with some foam or sheet rubber to force airflow from through the radiator and modify air intake around the intercooler (if fitted).

An experienced mechanic with a hoist on hand can fit the kit above in 3 hours.

 

[OGJON]

Hyundai terracan
2" body lift
for automatics only front & rear bumpers need to be raised to suit the body, the instructions that came with my body lift kit also said to mod the radiator fan shroud & the engine cover this is NOT TRUE you can leave the fan shroud off as it makes no difference as to whether it's on or off & the engine cover doesn't need to be touched all you need to do is turn the radiator hose 1/4 of a turn towards the drivers side & it all fits fine.
for the manual the levers, boots & trans tunnel need a small amount of adjustment in addition to the above info
also if you feel it necessary to mod the brake lines to be longer there are 3 ways to do this
1. get longer brake lines
or
2. cut the mount off the rear turn them upside down & put them back on
or
3. extend the brake line mounts

I haven't done anything to my brake lines & even with the wheels @ full droop there is plenty of slack in the standard brake lines

& one more thing also a good idea like most 4wds to extend the rear diff breather up into the engine bay
front one already sits up nice & high near the top of radiator

 

[aarond]

Question about body lifts.. i can run 31 inch tyres on my hilux with standard setup, im very very clsoe to rubbing tho. if i want 32 inch tyres, do you think i could get away with 1 inch body lift?

im trying to avoid lifting the body too much. so do you think a general rule could be 1 inch of body lift would make for 1 inch bigger tyres?

Cheers

 

[tommy222220_0]

Question about body lifts.. i can run 31 inch tyres on my hilux with standard setup, im very very close to rubbing tho. if i want 32 inch tyres, do you think i could get away with 1 inch body lift?

Yep. May also require less mods to make it work (gear sticks etc)

im trying to avoid lifting the body too much. so do you think a general rule could be 1 inch of body lift would make for 1 inch bigger tyres?

Depends on where its rubbing. Utes usually rub on the fire wall.

Just borrow someones tyres in the size your after and wind the torsions right down. Raise the chassis up off the bumpstops until there is no rubbing. This will be the amount of bodylift you need.

This replicates the maximum upward suspension travel you can get, where it is most likely to rub. Then by lifting the vehicle (hence body) up you can judge what tyre/bodylift combo(s) will stop scrubbing. Ie 32's might need 1.5" bodylift, but if you went a std 2"BL, you could fit 33's

 

[1 red gu]

Question about body lifts.. i can run 31 inch tyres on my hilux with standard setup, im very very clsoe to rubbing tho. if i want 32 inch tyres, do you think i could get away with 1 inch body lift?

im trying to avoid lifting the body too much. so do you think a general rule could be 1 inch of body lift would make for 1 inch bigger tyres?

Cheers

you should be able to i had a 2" boady lift on my old lux and i was running 33s

 

[aarond]

Yep. May also require less mods to make it work (gear sticks etc)


Depends on where its rubbing. Utes usually rub on the fire wall.

Just borrow someones tyres in the size your after and wind the torsions right down. Raise the chassis up off the bumpstops until there is no rubbing. This will be the amount of bodylift you need.

That was the plan, hopefully the less mods the better. but ill def do that, and check how much i will actually need, when i get around to the bigger tires i think ill just buy them and then do the lift accordingly.
i have a set of cheese cutters for the road so can keep them on until i can make the 32s fit!!!

 

[02SR5LUX]

That was the plan, hopefully the less mods the better. but ill def do that, and check how much i will actually need, when i get around to the bigger tires i think ill just buy them and then do the lift accordingly.
i have a set of cheese cutters for the road so can keep them on until i can make the 32s fit!!!

Im running 32in bighorns with 2in extended shackles and wound up front torsion bars. They do catch every now and again when offroad so I have been looking at a 1 inch body lift too.

 

[ZORDO]

Body lift are generally quite easy to fit.
every fourby is different in what is required.
Such as .
Lowering radiator or cutting the shroud.
bending or adjusting gearlevers
Repositioning barwork.
Body Lift Kits
Cheers

 

[vitti]

im just about to do a lift on a 2000 hilux dual cab do you know if you have to cutt around the fire wall where the steering rod goes?

 

[ZORDO]

im just about to do a lift on a 2000 hilux dual cab do you know if you have to cutt around the fire wall where the steering rod goes?

No cutting is required anywhere on a 2000 hilux
Cheers

 

[aussinav]

Navara D40 lifted by 40mm body & 50mm suspension.

No mods required when only lifted by 40mm, if 50mm was fitted the gear shift requires lengthening and reports by others of 2nd 4th & 6th gear drop outs. Also the front brake lines require extending. lose 10mm and save a bundle!!

Must have; A bull bar with the body lift, really give's the chassis the support & stiffness. Without the bar the truck was "gangley". Very noticable once the bar was fitted. Fitted the bar after lift so they could cut the front bumper at the correct height so there was no unsightly gap.

 

[blackout]

Body lift done to the 04 Challenger.

Why: Torsion bar front suspension.
Winding up a torsion bar is a simple way to increase lift but you are ineffect pushing the wheel down and closer to the bump stops and thus losing the down travel. What do we need on the ground as much as possible when 4x4ing? Wheels. Yes you may be clearing obstacles with a torsion bar wind, but lift a wheel or two and see how much that will help you then.
Going for a body lift only approach I have maintained suspension geometry, maintained equal up and down torsion bar travel, raised the belly and approach and departure angles.

Fitting: For the Challenger the fit was easy.
Removed lower radiator shroud. Unclipped front brake lines from wheel arch bracket. Losened various wiring harness clips from chassis to body points. The low range transfer lever fouls on a metal shroud on the tunnel. This over time became easier.
Cons. Rear hitch bar sort of hangs away from back bar, a bit unsightly, could tidy it up.

 

[dales33]

re rodw

Those that say you can't use HDPE plastic blocks are not up with current developments. They are legal in QLD on application to Queensland Transport, engineerable in NSW and WA. The regulations in SA say if you use aluminium blocks, you can fit a body lift without any engineering approval. Ask me for more info.

Also, there is a widely held mistaken belief that it it illegal to fit body lifts to cars fitted with airbags. This is not true but you need to consult the DOT and possibly an engineer in your state.

I thought this thread needed a photo of some of the body lift components needed to do the job properly

Vehicle Modifications Network

Photo is for the current model Hilux and includes HDPE blocks, steering shaft extension, radiator Drop brackets (with countersunk mounting bolts) and other required bolts.

On the diesel engine Hilux, you will also need to extend the air inlet hose and extend the vacuum hose below the power steering reservoir from the vacuum pump on the engine.

You may also need to:
1. Extend or make skirts in the wheel arches to prevent mud entering the engine bay depending on the vehicle.
2. Block the gap above the radiator with some foam or sheet rubber to force airflow from through the radiator and modify air intake around the intercooler (if fitted).

An experienced mechanic with a hoist on hand can fit the kit above in 3 hours.

Those that say you can't use HDPE plastic blocks are not up with current developments. They are legal in QLD on application to Queensland Transport, engineerable in NSW and WA. The regulations in SA say if you use aluminium blocks, you can fit a body lift without any engineering approval. Ask me for more info.


hey rod i noticed you didnt mention regs for victoria, do you know the current status here, myself and a mechanic mate lifted my 80 series i never realy went any further with getting it certified or anything though

regards dale

 

[ZORDO]

if 50mm was fitted the gear shift requires lengthening and reports by others of 2nd 4th & 6th gear drop outs. Also the front brake lines require extending. lose 10mm and save a bundle

WRONG WRONG WRONG
Have done numerous 50mm lifts on D40 & no gearlever problems.
Cheers

 

[Torrie 72]

I recently made and installed a 2" alloy block body lift for my 2001 Toyota Prado. Installation was fairly straightforward. I did a few extra mods whilst I was at it.
- Bullbar and rear bumper mounts need modifying to raise up to match body
- Auto shifter and stubby lever ok- no mods
- 2" steering spacer fitted
- Brakelines and fuel filler ok- no mods
- Radiator fan shroud- removed small lower half shroud extension- unclips
- Unclip rubber strips from chassis to body under wheel arches

I also modified my LPG tank brackets to raise the tank up under the body for 2" more clearance under the tank.
All made and fitted by myself in the shed, with the hardest part being manouvering a full LPG tank-DOH!
I love the extra clearance now and with a 2" suspension lift I can easily fit 33" muddies.

 

[GQ Troll]

body lift

i have a 92 GQ patrol which i was looking at fitting a 2 " body lift in is there an modification that have to be done for this to work my truck has bull bar is a manual and is on LPG Does the steering rode need extending cheers help is appreciated

 

[ZORDO]

i have a 92 GQ patrol which i was looking at fitting a 2 " body lift in is there an modification that have to be done for this to work my truck has bull bar is a manual and is on LPG Does the steering rode need extending cheers help is appreciated

The only mods which are not covered by the bodylift kit is the front & rear bars
Cheers