Another lift thread

[ben]

I have searched the forums on lift questions and it seems they go on forever and bring up more questions than they answer!
I would like to lift my 75 sii 4" and would like to do it in the simplist manner but would like to be safe on the road. The stats:
-1975 sii, 4x4, t19, 304
-suspension is completely stock with no changes or modifications

mechanical stats
-advanced mechanical skills have rebuilt and installed all parts of vehicles.
-basic welding skills, not comfortable with critical parts welding at this time but have time to practice (build to take place laste spring)

vehicle use
-light northeast trail use, more mud and snow than anything else
-less than 1000 miles yearly on highway but highway safety is important

wants
-4" lift, must be kit, lack the 4x4 and spring shops and supplies to piece together a custom lift locally
-bolt on or very minimal welding
$1500 (-) cost to purchase

questions
-is there a kit that is available that is complete:springs, bushings, nuts bolts, hoses, cables and arms? Which one?

-searches did turn up Skyjacker, Rough Country and triangle. Lots of opinions here, especially one's like "my buddies second cousins college roommate had a ******system and it was bad! Anyone actually install these units? If so what was your experience?

-what does the kits lack that I need to factor?

-do I need to get the drive shafts lengthened

-should I reverse the shackles while im at it? Does it really matter

-with a 4" lift and using 15"rims what tire size should I target, without having to modify the body?

Thanks!
Ben

 

[Scooter]

Hey ben.
Happy holidays to ya. I'll try to do my best to answer as much as I could with the limited amount of caffeinated go go juice this morning

-4" lift, must be kit, lack the 4x4 and spring shops and supplies to piece together a custom lift locally
-bolt on or very minimal welding
$1500 (-) cost to purchase

Closest to being a complete kit for a 2" or 4" lift located here
Granted, I currently do not have personal experience with Skyjacker springs or shocks. I'm more partial to the Bilstein shocks, due to my own Scout has a set of four currently installed.

-do I need to get the drive shafts lengthened

Depends. Seems as though, every build is different. When doing 4" or more of spring lift, more than likely you May need new propellers. When I do a lift like this, I check for lengths needed after the lift kit is installed. Most of the time, I like to have custom shafts made at that time

should I reverse the shackles while im at it? Does it really matter

I would. Doesn't matter if you do a lift now or not. Here's a link to a great shackle reversal kit = shackle reversal I lost count on how many of these kits that I have installed - weather being on my own scouts or a friends. Over all, this kit helps in dealing with a lot of ride qualities that tend to feel like crab walking or wondering issues when these ole iron heavies are in stock form.

with a 4" lift and using 15"rims what tire size should I target, without having to modify the body?

At least 33" shoes with out any type of body lift. Might even be able to get away with 35" donuts. With that larger size, it May get too close for comfort with a little rubbing on the front fenders. A 1" to 2" body lift will solve that. If you are in the market for new rims too, I would suggest looking into at least 16" or no bigger than 17" rims. Idear here would be future consideration of any type of brake upgrade options. Some brake up grade kits won't fit 15" rims

*edit
one thing that I'm not sure if you have considered, is doing a SOA conversion. That alone will net you roughly 5.5"(give or take) of lift without changing springs or shackles. This modification and/or the shackle reversal kits will require skilled welding

 

[ben]

This is the type of concise info I am looking for! Thanks!

 

[Scooter]

No problem. The links I posted earlier are through IH Parts America, who provide this forum for us to have these kinds of discussions. I don't work for them, but I have met most all of who work there and have purchase a lot of my own Scout parts from them.

One other thing that May help with your suspension quest, is to check out some of the build threads, include the ones that IHPA has posted. There are few build threads that go into detail of some of these components that have been discussed

 

[Erik VanRenselaar]

If you install 4" lift springs, 33" tires are about the largest you will be able to use in standard Scout II wheelwells, with no other modifications. Preferably 10.50 width max. You will need extended bumpstops to prevent the tires from 'stuffing' into the wheelwells and causing sheetmetal damage. I would also recommend installing new poly body mount bushings, if you haven't done so. This usually nets about 1/2 (one half) inch of body lift, as the stock rubber bushings will often be sacked-out.

As for brands of 4" lift springs for Scout iis, I have experience with Skyjacker and triangle. Skyjackers ride well, but May allow the rear to sit low if their add-a-leaf is not added to the rear packs. Triangles have good arch, and allow for good load capacity.

You should not need to do any driveshaft work for a 4" spring lift. Bending the stock front brake lines up and installing a longer rear line will be necessary.

You May need to perform some front-end work (shims, ball joints, wheel bearings, etc) for proper alignment, to allow the truck to steer/handle well on the pavement after the lift.