I am looking at installing a 2" body lift soon. Any suggestions or advice? Bobby, two questions; do you remember which lift Eric used on his X and are you going to do a BL also?

Mitch yeah check with SLR, think he has a 1.5" one with solid aluminum machine spacers.

The one 4x4parts.com and others sells is from performance accessories I recall.

About a half day job with some help, to make it look like stock you're going to need to match raise the sliders with some custom brackets and both bumpers, think the 4x4parts one comes with something for the stock bumpers?

If you're doing the body lift to clear tires than you have other options if there < 33/12.50/15's. I have some stock 15x7 wheels if you need them with the backspacing to clear up to 33x10.50 inch tires like I use to run. You can always trim/cut the fenders that I did but you won't need to with that combo or even 32x11.5x15.

Body lifts are ok with me and I may end up with one, but there kind of a last resort thing to me..in other words I'll try everthing else first.

I'll help you out on a mod day if you go that route.

Mitch,

Yes, Eric got his body lift from 4X4 parts (AC).

We used the installation instructions found on XOC, they helped tremendously. It's a very straightforward process, tho. Air tools are pretty key to make things easier, as are a good floor jack with a solid chunk of 4x4 or the like to lift the body from the frame. We did it on base in just a few hours then drove it home.

Just curious, why the body lift? are you hitting something? As Brian mentioned, there's a bunch of follow up work to be done. Relocating the sliders is one thing, there's a post up above showing how some nice relocation brackets can be made from 1/4 steel square plates.

Relocating the bumpers -- especially aftermarket ones -- takes some work. Eric had his rewelded upwards. Rachael, when she does her BL, will have to have some more substantial welding to add material and bracing as she is running a winch. If you are ordering a bumper, tho, you can just get one made for a BL.

For Eric's rear bumper, we didn't use the relocation brackets. We simply measured and drilled the mounting holes (three per side) higher in the stock bumper and voila.

I'll help out if you need it.

I was considering it, but probably won't go that route. I was thinking that by putting in the BL, I'd then add revolver shackles to the rear, which are much shorter and would lower the truck. I'd then lower the front end to match, increasing front and rear travel yet keeping the height good to clear 32's or 33's. The main reason I'm not doing it now is I've got that bumper and winch on there now and had I done it before I ordered the bumper, then maybe.

Search dude, there is a great write up Tony (ATHOXA?) did that we all added to somewhere on XOC.

Install is pretty straight forward. AC 2" BL went on my X really easy and has been solid for the last year. The bumpers relocated very easily as well and look fine. I only have 31's for tyres so I can't speak much ont he clearance issues of bigger tyres yet but personally it looks great! For me it came down to money, I didn't want to replace/upgrade any steering components at that time so I went for the BL as it is quick and easy and can always be useful in the future. A PML will prolly be in the works for me this year, but a full blown SL is a little pricy for me now. You can't loose with a BL if you are willign to take your time and relocate the bumpers and stuff properlly.....or just live with the gaps

Lots of us here to help if you get into any specific problems or have questions

Thanks everyone. I did a search and read a lot of what was posted but wanted some more timely feedback. Brian, I have 32x11.50s on and they rub something fierce, even with the 3" suspension lift. I'm concerned it may be due to the back spacing on the wheels. So I am now concidering the BL to clear the tires and allow for a little drop on the SL to allow a little more articulation on the suspention, get the full advantage out of the SLR UCAs. It's still in the "Hmm... I wonder...?" stage since my next step is lowering the front differential. Which style of stock rims do you have Brian?

Where are the tires rubbing? Fronts, rears, inside out? Under flex?

As far as lowering the diff, I plan on it, but haven't experienced any real issues. There was a time on the highway in Colorado when I had the front engaged and speed was at around forty and the vibration was bad, but that was the only time I noticed it. I think the steering is a more timely upgrade, at least it will be as time passes for you.

Rear, inside. I've trimmed away all the plastic and they still rub.

The outer part? Have you thought about rolling the fender lip a bit? Like the quarter-milers used to do? Might free up that last little bit.

I'd hate to see you go through the trouble of a body lift -- not to mention raising your center of gravity -- if you're not going bigger than the 32s.

Yeah its the wheels for sure, I'm with bobby about the BL just for 32's.

These are the stock painted alloy's 15x7's that came on XE's. There yours for cheap, PM me about the details. You could always paint them yellow They where fine with 32x12.5x15 and 33x10.5x15 with the same about of lift you have on my other X.

I think this would be a good idea, Samurai guys call it a virtual lift where you just increase the size of the wheel wells. This way you don't increase your center of gravity, which also means it's climb better than if you did a body lift.

Or if it's jsut rbbing against plastic just let the tires break the plastic apart, that's what I've done when ever my truck is at max articulation the rear tires start to chew up the plastic and has at this point torn it a little bit. oh well!

Speaking from having just finished my 2" lift. Having crawled and even jumped the truck, I would say that the 2" is not a big deal. Your center of grav does not change a whole hell of alot. I couldn't notice anything really.

Plus it looks cool.

Your naughty bits are showing Wolf. I'm still on the fence about the BL. The Tires are rubbing and a BL will cure it and give me a bit of extra clearance here and there. Plus, with the wheel off-set giving a wider stance (I'm guessing about 3") the additional 2" of height probably isn't going to matter. But on the other hand, its a mod I hadn't planned on. The pondering continues...

If you hadn't planned on it, and since you just lifted it why don't you wait for a little while and see if it's something you think you'd benefit from. Get used to your truck as is and then if your constantly saying "dang, I wish I had a BL," then spend the money on it. Or if you've just got some mod money burning a hole in your pocket you could sent it to me so I could get some new UCA's or if you could spend the money on another mod that would add more functionality to your truck, like lights. You could roll the fenders for more clearance then put lights on it and you've spent the same amount of money but have more functionality.

That's just my two cents...

Mitch, you've got serious problems with your truck there that cannot be fixed short of a SAS and 3" BL. Stop wasting your time and money on these temp fixes.

I'm back online! My computer went crazy and wouldn't start and I had all kinds of stuff on the HD so I had to remove it, slave it, copy stuff, reinstall it, reinstall OS, upgrade OS, blah... blah... blah... And now I'm back.

I've decide to hold off on the BL for now and instead look at the wheels being the root of my ills. I may replace them with wheels with the factory backset. Just so you know.

Just some QA/QC input -

The SL doesn't really increase the tire size room, or replace the BL...as the SL doesn't change where the tire stuffs up to on compression from terrain or on turns.

So - a 3" SL is not going to keep 33's from rubbing, it can't affect it...a 2" BL will fix that...as it raises the wells a fixed amount which effectively makes more tire room.

I understand all that, but here is more on the situation. After the SL I got new (to me) tires and wheels. The wheels have a deeper backset than factory. It is my hypothisis that the reason the outside edge of the front tires rubs on rear inside lower corner of the fender well is due to the deeper backset. That is why I am concidering different wheels with factory backset. I think they come in yellow.

FWIW Mitch, I get rubbing there sometimes too and I'm running wheels with 5" of backspacing -- only 1/4" off from stock.

Bobby, good to know. I'm still concidering my options. The BL with the SL will look pretty cool.

Go for it Mitch, it does look cool. and just think, if it still rubs, you can always take it to Basher Bobby's over in Long Beach. That's what I did...

LOL, am I ever going to hear the end of that? :rolleyes:

Alley Motors has a fine reputation...

I am starting to consider a 2 inch bl myself

I will be ordering it soon. Is there still a mod day in the works?

Good thing its not summer, sounds like we're all driving out to Indio soon.

I did it. I ordered the 2" kit. If I get it high enough I won't need skid plates, right?