Aight, just finished my 3" body lift last night (Monday night) and I drove it home from my brothers place. All seemed well. Few things to note that some of you may be able to help with. Battery cable. Undid all the push pin things negative cable has plenty if slack, but the positive cable is right as ****. Where can I get more slack from for this cable. Don't want it that tight. Steering, seems stiffer. Doesn't want to go back straight when you let go of the wheel after a turn. Have to actually turn it straight. Wasn't like this before. Can't see any binding issues, however it was dark so I may have missed something with the flashlight.

Other than that I love it. Feels good being up higher.

Few pointers and things I noticed in case anyone reading this is planning on doing one.

PA instruction booklet SUCKS. Download the computer one and use a laptop to view instructions. Makes it way easier.

Also their instructions and part listing kinda sucks to.

 

Im thinking you can loosen a bracket on that battery cable to get a little bit.

As for the steering try adjusting the rubber boot the shaft goes through on the firewall. That is probably the cause.

 

Will do. Thanks.

And the battery bracket thing you mentioned, is that the one that attaches to the engine block?

 

Unscrewed the bracket from the block. Gave me enough slack. But is it ok for that bracket to just hang there?

And steering thing, this look like to much of an angle that's causing the stiffness?






And will that stiffness be ok? Just something to get used to or what

 

Can't you just bend that bracket some? Hate to leave it loose

Also it doesn't take much to make the steering harder. Most always steer stiffer at first but will loosen up after some driving.

 

alright ill see how it feels afterwards.

i can try to bend the bracket, tried with it still bolted on and that sumbitch was hard to bend.

steering may seem weird to because my wheel is upside down lol. its the only way the extension would go on, so ill have to get the shop to fix that when they align it, should be able to do that where it connects at the bottom, right?

 

Did you mark you steering shaft before you took it apart? The extension should have gone on the same way you took it apart. Your steering wheel shouldn't be upside down.

 

No I didn't mark it lol. I didn't need to. But the extension would only go on one way. No matter how hard I tried to get it on with the wheel in the right spot it wouldn't go. Turn it 180* and it fit like a glove.

 

Stiffer steering is common after install of body lift. I don't notice it not "going back to center" on it's own, but that may be a feeling in your head. No offense. You'll get used to it. I as well as many others find the steering feels better in their hands. I know I do. When I drive a non-BL stock ranger and the steering is wicked fast responsive and it freaks me out.

Don't know how they're delivered now, but back in 2007 when I did mine, the PA booklet was VERY informative. The online PDF and what came in the kit was the same with the only difference being the PDF was in color. I found it very helpful.

The parts list can be confusing, but when you're doing it, it starts to make better sense.

THIS. Provided the steering wheel or the wheels themselves didn't move during the job.

Hmm....could be possible that while the shaft was disconnected, the steering wheel got unlocked and turned. That's the only reason why you would have to rotate it 180 to get it to line up. The steering extension goes on one way and one way only. Unbolt, install extension, slide up, bolt together. Just like that.

Jack the truck up with the steering straight. Fire the truck up and see if you've got the same amount of rotations left and right...if so, you're golden! If not, disconnect steering extension, unlock steering wheel, rotate steering wheel whichever way you need to go, bolt the extension back up.

 

I did a that. It's just not possible to get the extension in with the wheel straight. Only thing I can see is the previous owner had something done and something got messed up. No idea.

Shouldn't be hard for the shop to fix it though. Or how hard is it to take the steering wheel off and put it on straight? Idk. I'll get an alignment since I need one anyways and see what they say.

 

It would be easy but you should not have to have it done. Every other BL installed hasn't reported the type of issue you are. If the wheel and the steering is straight, the extension installs one way....then it's bolted back up. No moving of either steering wheel or steering rack is required. There should be no need to rotate 180 to install the shaft.

How far off is the steering wheel? In every BL install I've performed, the wheel hasn't been off any. And that's 5 BL's.

 

Which is what makes me think the PO had something done.

It's exactly 180* from where it was before. That's the only way the extension would fit.