[Tkrumble]

So am needing some extra space to keep my 285 75s from rubbing the wheel well.. wanting to get a 2" body lift...
So question is: do I go 2 in body lift, ball joint spacers or just cut out the room I need.. most likely the body has to be trimmed.. I've never heard or seen a ball joint spacer but if they work... hmm
1. 2 in bdy lift
2. B.j. spacers
3. Get my peanut grinder and start cutting
4. smaller tires (not my fav)

 

[beef tits]

Did you consider just getting tires that fit?

 

[xtacular]

You do not want ball joint spacers. Do a search and you'll see why. Do the body lift, it's the only way if you don't want to cut up your truck. What year is yours?

 

[ThompsonXTerra]

Did you consider just getting tires that fit?

Well thats no fun lol

And yes, what year is your X? I'm guessing 1st gen if you're having trouble fitting 285s. Aside from ball joint spacers being a bad idea, any of the other 3 methods will work. Mostly based on your personal preference and budget. Cutting is free if you have the tools to do so

 

[TJTJ]

So am needing some extra space to keep my 285 75s from rubbing the wheel well.. wanting to get a 2" body lift...
So question is: do I go 2 in body lift, ball joint spacers or just cut out the room I need.. most likely the body has to be trimmed.. I've never heard or seen a ball joint spacer but if they work... hmm
1. 2 in bdy lift
2. B.j. spacers
3. Get my peanut grinder and start cutting
4. smaller tires (not my fav)

Forget about the balljoint spacers, bad idea.

If your sig is saying you have a 2003 (1st gen) then, yeah, suspension won't help except at ride height (Mall parking lot), so you do any combination of things to remove/relocate stuff the tire would hit.

If hits are on turns, turning out the turnstops helps a lot, as in cures it.

If its the hits at the back of the front wells, a BL helps a lot, as does BFHing/trimming off where it hits, etc.

You could add a PML too...as its cheap and raises your ride height.

 

[Tkrumble]

She's an 03 xe.. 3" ac sus lift. . Sway away tbars... so body lift is what I'm liking.. so a 2 in body lift won't cause me to need extended brake lines, just the steering and drive line? I see that it's just hitting the back of the front well, like tj is saying..
Can you see "through" the truck w a body lift, kinda like a pick up? Space between frame and body? Not a fan but they have liners I seen on 4x4..
Sounds like a b.l. is in the mix.. is it still possible to make a 65$ guy?

 

[robcarync]

Ball joint spacers...space the ball joint down off the upper control arm, which ends up making the bump stop gap LARGER, allowing you to lift/adjust the torsion bars further to have the same "bump stop gap".

The problem with this is we say to stop lifting at 0.5-0.75" gap at the STOCK bump stop. The issue is not the actual gap for clearance between the control arm and the bump stop, but the ANGLE of the control arm/suspension/steering drooping down with so much lift. Measuring the gap at the bump stop is an easier way than measuring the ANGLE of the control arms.

A ball joint spacer is not much different than swapping out to low profile bump stops, or removing the bump stops completely. Yes, you have a larger gap, and you can adjust the torsion bars higher until the control arm hits, but the gap at the control arm is NOT the limiting factor. the angles are still extreme.

The limiting factor with suspension lift is that the steering components bind up when you are lifted too high (idler arms, center links, tie rods and ball joints)...the CV axles to the front differential get pretty extreme. Alignment get's difficult to dial out the positive camber and maintain some caster, tire wear, stability, etc.

You either need:

1) Smaller tires
2) Cut whatever sheet metal is in the way
3) 2" body lift

 

[TJTJ]

She's an 03 xe.. 3" ac sus lift. . Sway away tbars... so body lift is what I'm liking.. so a 2 in body lift won't cause me to need extended brake lines, just the steering and drive line? I see that it's just hitting the back of the front well, like tj is saying..
Can you see "through" the truck w a body lift, kinda like a pick up? Space between frame and body? Not a fan but they have liners I seen on 4x4..
Sounds like a b.l. is in the mix.. is it still possible to make a 65$ guy?

3" BL needs extended steering, 2" doesn't. Neither needed extended brake lines.

You do adjust the splines on the steering sector shaft...essentially, look at the steering column where the shaft comes through the firewall from the steering wheel...and notice the splined connector.

Before the BL, you back off the allen that holds that connector to the two splined shaft ends...so that they can slide.

After the BL, you re-tighten it....that's all you have to do.

You also tie the steering wheel to the oh shit grab handle next to it, so it doesn't re-clock the steering.

The 2" BL only slides the sector shaft out a fraction of an inch. Even for the 3" BL its not VITAL to add an extension...the total added length of the extension is also less than an inch...but most consider it good insurance.

The brake line's brackets etc, get loosened before the BL, and then re-tightened as well. To make slack, as you did for the 3" SL, typically, just mounting the brackets in more of a straight run makes plenty of slack in the lines.

Most brake line stuff is frame to suspension, and SL related, not body to frame/BL related...so we're only talking about a few spots.

If you have sliders, the gap doesn't really show, and for the wheel wells, Lift Lips, etc, cover the gap if you are concerned.

 

[SRStaff]

What wheels are you running?