SLR 2" body lift installed

[gothamist]

Okay, the lift is in, unfortunately the bumpers are not bracketed so my truck looks pretty sketchy right now.



http://www.4x4lo.com/mods/body_lift/body_lift.htm

All in all I'm happy with it. While I must admit I like driving down the highway sitting level with the Ford Expeditions, mainly I'm hoping this cures the SSR rub once and for all...hoping to get out, get disco'd, and know for sure in a few weeks. I'll keep everyone posted.

Once the ARB gets bracketed up I'll post the pics of that as well.

[rhombus]

Looks great!
I can't wait till I move so that I can raise up my X a bit.
(stupid under ground parking )

I think that you should just leave it like that it's a good look

[OffroadX]

Hey homie, you be jailin' right na...

Any problems with the shifter? I presume they had something to compensate. Also, the X has the same goofy steel hoop that bolts to the seat mounts and runs through a mount on a crossmember that the old Pathys have. A co-worker put a 3" body lift on his Pathy and couldn't figure out why the center of his body was tilted inwards, his seatbacks nearly touched each other. Only then did they realize that this hoop was pulling the seats and floor downwards after they raised all the perimeter body mounts. They got a torch and cut the hoop and the entire body pan "popped" back up into position quite forcefully. Did the kit have you remove this hoop?

Brent

[Philosopher]

Very cool, congrats!

Total time spent on install?
Total of times you had to call SLR back to ask a question or tell them they screwed something up?
Total beers spent on Mark?

[gothamist]

[quote]Originally posted by OffroadX
Any problems with the shifter?
No, I think w/ the autos you have to extend it but the manual shifter is so long it's fine, and the body is cut out enough that you can still hit all the gears. 4LO works as well (although it's really close to that third cupholder.) SLR told me today I should go ahead and notch the body out a bit there just for safety's sake.

Also, the X has the same goofy steel hoop that bolts to the seat mounts and runs through a mount on a crossmember that the old Pathys have.

Yup, it's a driveshaft "safety loop." I did pretty much the same thing, couldn't figure out why it took so much damn effort to jack up the body for the middle mounts, finally saw it through the side of the third skidplate (left that one on for the install), pulled it out, and all is well.

[Chris_McCracken]

...so what's the deal with the bumpers? I'm guessing you're going to fab custom brackets to mount the ARB and KMA bumpers off of, or are you going to rebuild the mounts on the bumpers themselves? Looks pretty sweet! Down the road a bit (after my MT's wear down), I'd like to put on some 33x12.50 SSR's, so I'll probably have to go this route as well as [more] suspension lift.

[gothamist]

[quote]Originally posted by Philosopher
Total time spent on install?
Once I had the parts, probably 15 hours--5 of prep (pulling carpet up, seats out, breaking loose the body mounts, pulling skidplates so I could see the steering shaft and get to the radiator easier.) 10 for the actual body jacking/pucking process.

Total of times you had to call SLR back to ask a question or tell them they screwed something up?
They were closed over the weekend...otherwise a few--the radiator drop brackets are kinda useless, not exactly sure why the sent them...
The metric bolts for the third body mount were also too short--I was able to get them in but it was a pain, had to get all the other bolts tightened down first before I could make them bite. SLR said they'd ship me out the right size ones soon, along with (hopefully/maybe) the stock rear bumper brackets.

Total beers spent on Mark?
His house, his beer. I think I ran him out of about $20 worth of soda and coffee though.

[Schludwiller]

Good luck with the bumpers. That looks F'd up with them the way they are now (which you know already).

What size AT's are you running there? If they are 32's, have you had any rubbing problems like the SSR's (pre-body lift)? They're like 1/10" larger.

[Philosopher]

Originally posted by Chris_McCracken
Down the road a bit (after my MT's wear down), I'd like to put on some 33x12.50 SSR's, so I'll probably have to go this route as well as [more] suspension lift.

To fit 12.5" wide SSR's you're going to need more than 2" of body lift - 3" and a suspension lift would probably do it.

[Chris_McCracken]

Originally posted by Philosopher



To fit 12.5" wide SSR's you're going to need more than 2" of body lift - 3" and a suspension lift would probably do it.

I was planning on 3". I haven't seen anyone do it yet, but I'm guessing 3" should be enough along with shackles/add-a-leaf in rear and AC susp/NisMo torsion bars up front. The mechanics of installing a 3" body lift should be pretty similar to 2", but perhaps with brake/misc lines needing to be extended (as far as I can tell). The *really* expensive part will be the tires/new wheels needed (Thornbirds look nice too).

[wqbang]

Originally posted by Chris_McCracken
(Thornbirds look nice too).

Too bad that's all they do....

[Matt Peckham]

[cough]33x12.5 Trxus[/cough]

[Chris_McCracken]

Originally posted by wqbang


Too bad that's all they do....

Would you care to elaborate on that? They look fairly aggressive to me.

[wqbang]

Originally posted by Chris_McCracken
Would you care to elaborate on that? They look fairly aggressive to me.

From what I understand, they are quiet on pavement. Other than that, they supposedly wear quickly, have poor wet weather traction, slick up in mud, and simply don't perform well offroad period. I have heard them refered to as "thornturds". Basically all show and no go. I would take Matt's advice and go with the new TrXus or a BFG A/T KO as they are both proven to perform well offroad and off while still being civil on road.

[Synchro]

i too have heard nothing but bad things about the thornbirds. from my reading, they are the laughing stock of the interco line. i have yet to read about someone who was impressed with them like i have read about people that were impressed with the Boggers, TSLs or SSRs. even when one of the magazines was rating offroad tires a few months ago, they didn't even bother with the thornbirds. i would go dig up that article and have a read. at the time of publishing the TruXus model was just coming out so they weren't even available for the test. if they had been, from seeing people wheel with them, they would rated fairly high.