EZ, my experience....
EZ, couple year ago I did a homemade 2" body lift on mine.....tried it & liked it. Last year I added 2" more, total of 4" body lift. & I like it....lots of working room. Lots more underhood room, & heat seems to blow on out instead of up thru floorboard. & I keep adding too many other goodies under hood & under cab& bed.
But I had to get used to the big, open wheelwell look. Had to relearn how to step outa this thing too!!!
When I did the first 2" my shift stick bottomed out on the back side of the Boot hole & I messed up the boot. When I went to the 4" I had to trim the backof the hole & add some cover plate over the front. My stick was lower & closer to the seat. I also bought a later model boot....'94-96 I think, that was bigger both ways.
Finally I just fab'ed a 3" extension to bolt into my stick with a different, more likable angle....bolts in where the 2 piece split in the shifter is. I wish I had done this part before I trimmed the shifter hole. I also had found a boot from a, I think, '02-'04 International semi that was big enough to cover my new hole & had the left lower angle where the stick comes thru the boot, but decided not to use.
I chopped & added a 3" extension in the slide part of the steering shaft tube.....but I missed 1 little mess-up.
Apparently, unbeknowing to me, when I had the cab & front all jacked up on my floor jacks & rolling round, tweeking, looking, thinking, & trying out, I musta got the steering shaft leather joint....the one closest to the steering box, in a real bind & tore it some or something. Also, the 4"lift puts this joint in a near, maxed out bind.....which I fixed later....after I d***near bought the farm.
After I got this thing back on the road I noticed a bit more road walk, or rather a bit more steering play, but thought I'd check out later & get realigned....
Couple months later, after getting used to this new look my truck had, I decided to do a 2 1/2" frame lift & see what "happened" & if I'd like it. (I happened to have 2 1/2" rear leaf blocks already) I fabed the front blocks under the coils.
Now this threw my camber out bigtime. I looked & looked for brackets to lower the I-beam ends, found some, but they too spendy for me, everybody wanted to sell big complete kits etc. I just wanted the brackets, so I fabed my own....dropped them 3". Had to put in new eccentric max deg radius arm bushings to get the caster right too.
But I drove this thing round for couple of months
BEFORE I built the I-beam brackets.....steering was a bit looser & she seemed to wonder a little. But all was A-OK for timebeing till I could build the lowering brackets to correct the camber....going into curves was slightly squirrley, but
just don't daydream. (I live on the edge anyway)
Well, during this couple of really busy months the steering got progressively looser & looser....got to sorta "grab the wheel & give'r a fling, then fling it the other way....drive right down the middle of the flings & you can learn to keep it in the road...."
Finally, while servicing this thing one night, I decided to check the steering box slack. The
'ol DEVIL HISSELF had been chaseing me round & I musta had an angel
on my shoulder......I was,
maybe, one bump from buying the farm!!!!
The leather joint on the steering shaft was completely torn into, sitting about 1/2 itself to 1 side, & looked really ragged.....a chill went thru me!!!!!
In summary, I like this truck lifted like this. It handles very well now, tows good, rides good. I do notice more body flex than before when crossing curbs & stuff. Incidently, I moved the cab, front clip, & bed back about 3/4" for more engine/firewall room when I had it all jacked up and adjusting things. I also keep an eye on my body mt. bolts....had to tighten only once, so far.
For all the time I've played round with this thing in the last 3-4 years I could have bought a new one.....even at 50 cents/hour.....
Kept me off the streets & outa the bars though:Sly :Sly :Sly