cheap 4" lift?

[zacky6661]

so today whelst working at my ridiculously high paying gas station (sarcasm) i came across a customer who was driving a 75' f-250. the truck appeared to be a highboy or lifted at least, i asked and he replied no to both. so i asked him how he got so much ground clearance if it wasnt a highboy, and he told me that he had swapped the leaf springs off an 04' f350 superduty diesel that he found at a scrapyard, which was what gave him about 4" more clearance according to him. he said they bolted right in where his factory leafs went, and he didnt have to change driveline lengths or anything.

point being, would the leafs off the same year truck he got them from match up on my 84 for a cheap lift? im hoping the front end of the one ton axles im getting would be a solid axle so i could do a s.a.s which im guessing would work out better if i were to do attempt this.

 

[SparkandFire]

Your truck will most likely have a Dana 44HD IFS front end, doing anything to lift it will involve not only getting some different springs (or adding springs) but you will also have to get different drop brackets, otherwise you will end up with a really jacked up front end (check out the pic)

Thats one of the many unfortunate side effects of having the IFS front end, you really cant do much to it without changing out the drop brackets.

Keeping your eyes peeled for a Dana 60 solid front end would be a good idea, but those things are hard to find for cheap...

I know someone down here was selling a complete kit on craigslist a while back, used price - $300 (whole kit with drop brackets) but I have no idea if it's still listed or not.

 

[bike-maker]

If the 1 ton axles you speak of do include a Dana 60, V code springs can be used with a shackle reversal kit from Sky Manufacturing (fellow Oregonian), supposedly rides better and IIRC gives some where around 5" of lift over your stock height. A couple guys on the forum run this setup - dieselbrad being one of 'em.

 

[Diesel_brad]

in order to run superduty front springs you need to move the front hanger ahead approx 3 3/8". The rear springs are the same length but the "I" of the spring uses a larger bolt than your truck, so you need to drill out the hanger. But if you get a D60 you can lift the front 5" buy using Sky manufacturing 5" RSK. They make a 3" and the 5"

You really cant do a cheap lift w the ttb

My 86 has SD lift springs in the front. The previous owner(from oregon) made new shackles and moved them forward the 3 3/8". But i am pulling it all out to do the RSK, "V" code front springs And ICON 5" lift springs for a SD in the rear

 

[MUDKICKR]

if your looking for a cheap lift it can be done, 2" add a leafs and a 2" body lift. instant 4" lift. you will have to change the camber bushings with 2 1/2 degree ones but it will work.
i run a 2" add a leaf on my truck with a 3" body lift, and cut out fender flares and i fit 37s without any rubbing.

 

[bigrandy]

What are "V" code springs?

 

[82F100SWB]

With the S/D springs on a 91 and older truck, a RSK setup ends you up having the bracket at the very front of the frame, the 92+ trucks which the swap was pioneered on lave a longer section of frame at the front.
To keep the shackle angle decent with a rsk, you will have to move the rear bracket ahead to suit.

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Where I have the spring eyes on the big truck isn't far enough ahead for the S/D springs, I welded in the bracket intending on using stockers, and it is still forward of stock. I got the springs for free, it's off road only and I plan on linking it this winter, so I just re-drilled the main leaf 4½" ahead of stock on the S/D springs, bringing the axle a bit forward of stock.
This was before I moved the center pin ahead:

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Swapping to a D60 and stock 1 ton springs will garner you around 3-3.5" if the springs you use are in good shape.

This is 3" BL, D60 swap and stock TTB springs:

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Those are 38.5x11 Boggers... No rubbing, but, the TTB spring rate is way too high, they barely moved at all.

 

[crashnzuk]

I typically laugh when someone uses "cheap" and "lift" in the same sentence. Yes, it can be done cheap, but will it be right? It is possible to do a cheap lift right, but you must have some experience with lifts and have extra parts, tools, and resources at your disposal. If you don't have any of this, leave your truck alone. Good tires will take you further than a lift kit most of the time anyway.
Travis..

 

[zacky6661]

I typically laugh when someone uses "cheap" and "lift" in the same sentence. Yes, it can be done cheap, but will it be right? It is possible to do a cheap lift right, but you must have some experience with lifts and have extra parts, tools, and resources at your disposal. If you don't have any of this, leave your truck alone. Good tires will take you further than a lift kit most of the time anyway.
Travis..

im not mainly lifting it for off road use, i actually plan to restore the truck in the long run, im 18 so its a good time to start planning and having something to work for, and its a ways before its done, i plan to keep the truck for a long time anyways, its never let me down ever since i got it. im just mainly wanting to lift and level it simply cause i dont really like the way it sits now, plus i want to clear 35s comfortably. les schwab quoted me 950 for 2.5 inches in the front and 2 in the rear, and thats including labor and alignment, im shopping around to see if there are any cheaper deals, which im sure there is.

 

[Diesel_brad]

What are "V" code springs?

They are the code FORD used for a specific type of front spring . IIRC the SD used 8 differnt front springs

 

[gonecrazyi]

You could 4 inch springs for 700 to your door, then you would just have to get it alighned.

 

[White Trash]

If ya had a solid axle it's very easy. Ya just need to get a set of leafs off of a F-superduty or F450 2 wheel drive and bolt them in.


Sky makes some nice stuff and he's a real nice guy but the shackle reversal he puts out is a bad design IMO. Not his fault, it's the way it has to be in order to be simple to the end user so it is what it is. The vertical shackle you end up with is the issue to me. When I do a shackle reversal I'll just use a good old fashioned piece of 2" tube with YJ urethane bushings set up into the frame with offset shackles. No it doesn't lift the rig doing it that way but it allows me to have a shackle that has more than a 90* angle to it and is about 6" long for a nice ride and smooth operation.

Ive ridden in a truck with the standard shackle reversal and yea it's better than stock but not by much. Mine will ride way better.

 

[Diesel_brad]

If ya had a solid axle it's very easy. Ya just need to get a set of leafs off of a F-superduty or F450 2 wheel drive and bolt them in.


Sky makes some nice stuff and he's a real nice guy but the shackle reversal he puts out is a bad design IMO. Not his fault, it's the way it has to be in order to be simple to the end user so it is what it is. The vertical shackle you end up with is the issue to me. When I do a shackle reversal I'll just use a good old fashioned piece of 2" tube with YJ urethane bushings set up into the frame with offset shackles. No it doesn't lift the rig doing it that way but it allows me to have a shackle that has more than a 90* angle to it and is about 6" long for a nice ride and smooth operation.

Ive ridden in a truck with the standard shackle reversal and yea it's better than stock but not by much. Mine will ride way better.

Do you have any pics? I am VERY interested. I would rather make one than buy one from SKY and have to modify it to work in my application

 

[freebird01]

brad i can cut out any brackets you may need to make it nice and clean too

 

[Clydesdale]

talk to me white trash, I am too tall as it sits, and I want a RSK set up.

I AM gonna crawl this beast, and I put a tall boy (24 oz beer can for the LDS, Modern Amish and teetotalers here) and THEN a pack of Marlboro's sideways on top of the tall boy, and.... I coulda stacked a book of matches on top of that, and FINALLY hit the fender opening. (IDI sat, no core support radiator, etc. with 39.5 Iroks on it)

I need more height like I need a hole in my head, already gonna start trimming springs to get it down.