Lift kits?

pelky350

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@tbrumm its got poly bushings in it now, probably the only thing the previous owners ever replaced on the whole truck before I got it, literally! still had factory paint on my return lines even at 120xxx. So if I don’t get the drop bracket my axle is gonna be out of center it sounds like. I’ll make a trip to sky’s and see if they have one in stock there later today then. Picking up lift tomorrow morning. I paid 80$ and they are pulling it for me, it was 50$ if I pulled it all but I figured it was worth 30$ to not lay in the mudd at the yard in the rain lol
 

tbrumm

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@tbrumm So if I don’t get the drop bracket my axle is gonna be out of center it sounds like. I’ll make a trip to sky’s and see if they have one in stock there later today then. Picking up lift tomorrow morning.

That is right-the track bar will end up a bit "short" since there will now be more distance between the axle and frame due to the 4" lift. The drop bracket will bring the frame end of the track back down to where it was before the lift. Without the drop bracket, the track bar will tend to "pull" the axle toward the driver's side of the truck a bit.
 

franklin2

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Think about why you are putting a dropped pitman arm on the steering box for the lift. It's the same reason you have to use the dropped track bar bracket. Anything stationary mounted to the frame will have to drop when the suspension is lowered down from the frame, or the geometry angles get too severe and you get bumpsteer.

Think about what the other poster said about the front axle not being centered if the trackbar mounting is not lowered. That tells you as the trackbar moves up and down through it's range of motion, the front axle is moving side to side too. As the angle of the trackbar increases, this side to side movement increases. As you are holding the steering wheel steady going straight down the road, and the suspension hits a bump, the whole frontend will move side to side, and since you are holding the steering tight, the tie rod ends will move and turn the wheels. This is bumpsteer. Keeping the track bar fairly level or at stock angles will minimize this.
 

pelky350

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Okay so going to order drop bracket. Other question being is it drivable in town till the weekend if I installed the springs tomorrow? Shop has a opening for me and I can use the lift for free usually I don’t get to use the lift but it’s cleared out and happens to be on my day off
 

Rossroams

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Just to add some insight, you can pull the bottom leaf (not the pad) from springs like those and it’ll improve ride quality so much. Did that on my Tuff Country 2” lift springs. Sagged a little, but it made the ride quality better and the TTB flexed well... for a TTB off-road. Now I’m finishing up a D60 swap so I’ll probably go through with a RSK. I just don’t have a welder lol!
 

WarNose

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The steering linkage that comes off your pitman arm should sit at close to the same angle as your track bar. So if you get a drop track bar bracket, you need to get the corresponding drop pitman arm. I put a 2 1/2" lift on my truck and before putting the drop track bar bracket and drop pitman arm there was too much bump steer. I also needed the adjustable track bar to make it fit.
 

pelky350

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So what if I leave it diconnected till sky’s has my drop track bar mount ready? Didn’t older trucks run straight axles without the track bars? I’m probably just gonna have to wait till next week to lift it I feel like lol
 

Thewespaul

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No you can drive it without the track bar. With a coil spring setup I wouldn’t, but leaf springs that don’t have wiped out bushings will hold the axle aligned fairly well without the track bar.
 

pelky350

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@Thewespaul only reason I’m wanting to do that is because I have a shop with a lift available to me+ air tools in a little bit otherwise I’d be using a jack and some 4x4s and breaker bar to lift one side at a time lol and bushings appear to be almost new like I mentioned the lift kit still have the barcode stickers on it from being brand new and bushings are bright red still not even dirty no mud/ road dirt on anything
 

pelky350

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Maybe was more lifts there was several superduty trucks with lift springs out there but I have a brick so that’s not much of an option, not that it can’t be done but not wanting to get that far into it. hopefully it rides and drives better after, idk about a shackle reverse kit after the lift though because I don’t want it to be ridiculously high! I’m not looking for perfect but I bet progressive springs with good bushings ride better than a steel bar with basically 0 bushing left lol it’s too bad my ranchos won’t fit after though I’m gonna use the skyjacker shocks though, at least I think they are skyjacker but nobody installed the stickers or boots
 

franklin2

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My lift springs are not progressive. A leaf spring setup can be touchy, the leaf spring is supporting the weight of the truck AND locating and holding the axle in position at the same time. Just as you can have axle wrap in the back from springs that are too soft, you can have problems up front also with springs that are too soft. I guess that is why they went back to coil springs and a control arm for the front of the newer trucks.
 

pelky350

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My next venture with this is going to be lifting the rear to match the front, probably gonna run around with “stance” for a bit but would like it to sit level at some point later on. There is a super duty that has a massive lift on it at the junk yard close to me looks like lift springs and something like 6 inch blocks on the rear of it, will those springs bolt up with just drilling out my current mounting points I have now? Idk the lift size on that truck yet have to get part numbers off the springs and then size a block accordingly after? Basically asking if rear super duty springs will bolt in other than the bolts being slightly larger diameter
 

pelky350

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Update: lift is on, well sorta anyway. Track bar isn’t installed payday is tomorrow morning and gonna hopefully have the drop bracket from sky’s by Friday. Pitman arm is gonna be this weekend, my commute to work is less than a mile with no highway or bumpy roads so I’m hopefully gonna ride it out till the weekend then I can be completely finished. Maybe couple pictures tomorrow morning or before and after lift! I also would recommend to anyone to remove track bar/ steering before lifting because once it’s up everything get into a bind and stops the springs from being installed easily, I’m sure there is directions stating to to that and remove pitman arm at same time because I got in one hell of a fight with it until I realized the tack bar made the axle uncentered when your off the ground with everything, amature mistake made there and now I know lol
 

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