What's the best way to lift a 96 2wd? I want to do a suspension, not a body lift, for a little more clearance. Ideal would be something like 2-3". I tried coil spacers, but it would not align, even with adjustable cams. Blocks seem easy enough for the back, though. Thanks for the help.

 

There's several companies that make lifts for our year trucks. Most will consist of drop brackets for the I-beams and radius arms, new coils and new shocks. You could use the coil spacers like you said you tried and then get 1"-2" drop down brackets for the I-beams to correct the camber. Of if you want to go a little further than that... you could go to a fab place, like me, and get bent I-beams, new radius arms, new coils and shocks...
There's plenty of kits, you just gotta spend a little while on google or 4wp or something. I know Pro-Comp makes one, I think Rough Country does, I'm pretty sure James Duff has one or something. Fabtech use to make one for our trucks, but if I remember right, it was kinda expensive and people are saying Fabtech isn't as good as it use to be...

If I were you and was just looking to get 2"-3" of lift... I would grab some I-beam drop brackets out of the JC Whitney catalog and put the coil spacers back in... and get new shocks. Blocks in the rear and new shocks there also.

 

jc whitney has a bodylift kit that i got for 165 bucks that has everything in it. radiator drop. steering extension. both front and rear bumper raising brackets. all hardware. and instructions. then i might do daystar coil spacers and jcwhitney drop brackets.

 

I'm sure they do... but he wants a SUSPENSION lift... not a body lift...

 

2" level blocks or coils and a short add a leaf pack.... will be like $150ish total and then like $120 for alignment

who ever tryed aligning your truck was a complete moron i have installed about 6 yes 6 lift blocks now even on my own and it takes a 2.25" cam to come back to factory specs all 6 trucks including my own are 100% in factory specs...

only other option you have is a complete 4" lift starting around $450 that will drop all your front i-beams and radiias arms and i beleave a block for the rear...have fun...

 

oh, sorry didnt see that. but jcwhitney also has a 3 inch suspension lift with coils, radius arm drop brackets and blocks with u bolts.

 

^^^ buy the brand name to begin with there is a reason JCwhitney brand lifts are so cheap...

 

 

Well, I have a lifetime alignment at Brake Check. Not sure what size the adjustable cams are, but I know when I put the coil spacers in they tried, but could not align it. So, I took it all back off (and it looked just like I wanted it!) . I figured that there must be a better way to do it. I do know that with the spacers in, it was tough to get it all back together. And the coil springs still did not look like they went quite perpendicular, like things were out of plane. But I can't see anywhere I made a mistake.

The cams were installed about a year ago to correct the normal sagging after so many miles. I mistakenly thought that they would go the other way as well. So at that time I also installed new coil springs. That brought the front up by itself. Now they have "worn" in and look about like it did when it was all new, with a normal rake to it.

If there is something I need to know about spacers, don't be afraid to speak up, as I can be a total moron about this. I sold off my spacers but kept the 2" lift blocks for the back. Was thinking about 3" in the front and 2" in the back would bring it to where I wanted it.

Other info: I do like cheap! I don't want to get bigger tires just yet, 235 75R15 is what's on there. When they wear out I might go to something bigger, but the tires are pretty new. But I need just a little more clearance to go over some stumps on some land I'm clearing. I almost make it but not quite. I didn't think a body lift would be of any help at all with what I need.

Thanks for the advice guys. Keep it coming. I'll understand it pretty soon.

 

OK, Sorry about the double post, but doing some more looking.

I am guessing I would need two of these:
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/P...ger+suspension

And for shocks, something like this?
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/I...18066210534536

What else should be on my shopping list?

 

You only need ONE pitman arm... if any... 2"-3" isn't that much... and as for shocks... I'd step it up some from a JCW catalog and go like pro-comp or rancho if you're lookin for cheap... you can re-shock the whole truck for under $150 with pro-comp and I'm sure less with rancho.

EDIT:
I guess Rough Country isn't bad or anything... but if I had to choose... I'd go with something else... on my truck... bilsteins...

 

the spring NEVER sits striaght up and down on our trucks and it is perfecally fine to sit at an angle mine does...

i still will say who ever tryed to align it was a MORON. think here i have installed 6 bloody 6 lifts and EVERYONE after new cams is 100% in factory specs....

also there are defferent SIZE cams you have to figure out which one the truck needs
once agian there are different size cams...
how your talking buy a total 4" lift kit...
really 235x75x16 are tiny little baby tires.... there like 26" tall i have a lift block and 32's and DO NOT RUB....unless at full crank on sway bar with DOES NOT hurt anything and really how many times you go full crank i know i dont..
you dont need ANY pitman arm drops on a simple 2" lift block at all.... and if you BUY a new lift kit it will come with pitman arm and new shocks.

for 2" leveling blocks i have longer shocks you have too i have skyjacker Hydro's there about $89 a set but thats me...i dont like cheap crap that will wear out soon...

 

my cousin has rough country shocks and a 3 inch lift that was 250 i think and god knows what he has been threw with that truck. he is looking for a new truck cause his transfercase quit and the brakes are going bad. the lift is still in working condition, and for a cheapo that is very good.

i dont know why but some people think cheap is always the first to break. ever think its cheap cause more people buy cheap things then expensive?

 

That's because the good majority of the time... it does...

 

Well, let me explain a little more. It was not flat. It was kinda bent.


Not doubting you there. Wish I was nearby. I'd let you take care of mine.



Actually it computes to 28.9" tall. You can calculate anything you want here: http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

That's good to know. Thanks.


That sounds pretty reasonable.