80 series 4 inch lift

[Wadezz]

hey all,

I am wanting to do a 4inch lift to my cruiser done some research and the cheapest i can find seems to be the ironman kit for around 1200 plus then brake line extensions and castor plates, is there any other suspention cheaper or better for same price. Thanks Wade

[VooDoo]

Cheaper isnt better.

I got a kit from Suspension stuff for a 3" kit for around $1600 but it included sway bar extensions, brake lines, adjustable shocks, dobinson springs. To go 4" your going to need adjustable panhard rods, caster correction bushes and maybe lower arms on the front too. I wouldnt expect change from $2500 to do 4" correctly

[bad_religion_au]

why do you want 4 inches of lift? how will it improve your offroad ability?

[midi73]

why do you want 4 inches of lift? how will it improve your offroad ability?

He didnt ask for opinions on 4", he asked for suspension price advice. If he wants 4" then, why not have 4"?
Iam tossing up weather to go 3 or 4". That is when your opnion would come in.

[bad_religion_au]

why do you want 4 inches of lift? how will it improve your offroad ability?

He didnt ask for opinions on 4", he asked for suspension price advice. If he wants 4" then, why not have 4"?
Iam tossing up weather to go 3 or 4". That is when your opnion would come in.

he's asking what the cheapest 4 inch lift is.

people on a budget can't afford to do things twice...

look halfway down the page and there's a guy who was about to adapt a steering box from another vehicle to solve his steering issues.

issue that came from lifting his rig 3 inches + extended shackles... all to achieve what he could have achieved standard, and retained a decent, SAFE 4bie on the road.

that is why i ask, to save someone over a grand if they are new to the sport, or don't know much about these things... if he has thought out his options, and is knowlegeable, then my question would be easy to answer wouldn't it?

to address your question? why not have a 4 inch lift?

1. it's illegal unless you jump through all the engineering hoops, which costs even more $$$

2. you need caster correction, sway bar modifications, brake line lengthened, longer shocks, longer panhard bar, probably other suspension geometry related fixes.

3. all that work and money gains you pretty much nothing in offroad ability.... especially considering what the money could achieve put towards a locker or 2, better tires etc. in fact, it usually makes it less capable offroad because you are more top heavy, and have worse anti-squat characteristics when climbing things.

4. the rig will be more dangerous on the road. even done right, the higher COG makes emergency manouvers more dangerous. again, for no gain offroad.

and that's "why not just have a 4 inch lift if you want it"

[stilivn]

Mate as the saying goes, you get what you pay for, going a 4" i wouldn't be taking short cuts, you will need a bigger and better steering dampner and adjustable panards plus swaybar extensions. Might be worth saving a bit longer. You need to ask yourself what your planning on achieving by the lift, do you want bigger tyres, more flex, more clearance.
If its tyres consider a 2" lift and 2" body, will cost you bout the same without running into steering/wandering issues. Slightly increase flex and clearance.

[yamaha12]

should just go a 3 inch lift it would look more legal all you would have to buy is springs shocks brakelines and caster no panhards and you could even buy 4 inch shocks so u would still get the 4 inch flex

[TheBigBoy]

If its an auto, you can just get some drop box's. And adjustable panhard rods. Will drive alot better on the road, on a budget.

[webster]

i have just put a 3' dobinson kit in my cruiser (also from 'suspension stuff'). i am fairly impressed with it so far, cost was very good, kit came with castor correction bushes, sway bar extension brackets, extended brake proportioning valve bracket, extended brake lines, shocks and springs. drivability is good, although i do need adjustable panhards. not sure if that is much help to you, but that is the recent experience ive had.

[crankycruiser]

2" spring (all u would need is springs and shocks) and 2" bodylift. would cost less than 1600. be nicer to drive and be able to fit 36's easily

[oldmate]

fact is you can just bung in some 4 inch coils and shocks for under a grand. THe extended brake lines aren't totally necessary. You can undo the brackets where the soft line joins the hard line an she'll be right.

But if you do any amount of on road driving you'll soon find the folly of a cheap 4 inch lift. To do it right you'll be spending 5 grand easy.

[Wadezz]

Thanks everyone,

I suppose i could just go 2 inch i wanna fit 35" tyres i got 33s now. i have a 2" body lift sitting here but there is a lot of hastel in doing a body lift thats why im trying to opt not to do it, i guess possibly even just a 3inch lift would be good. any other suggestions would be helpfull

[bad_religion_au]

you will need a bigger and better steering dampner.

why?

2" spring (all u would need is springs and shocks) and 2" bodylift. would cost less than 1600. be nicer to drive and be able to fit 36's easily

it still cracks me up that you came over to my way of thinking. years ago we had this argument when you had 6 inch coils (i think it was)

Thanks everyone,

I suppose i could just go 2 inch i wanna fit 35" tyres i got 33s now. i have a 2" body lift sitting here but there is a lot of hastel in doing a body lift thats why im trying to opt not to do it, i guess possibly even just a 3inch lift would be good. any other suggestions would be helpfull

spring lift won't help you fit bigger tires. when you flex, your 4 inch lift becomes 3 inch, then 2 inch, then 1 inch, then.... all the way to the same place your axle would be with NO lift. if you can't fit 35's now and wheel it, a spring lift won't help.

[midi73]

why do you want 4 inches of lift? how will it improve your offroad ability?

He didnt ask for opinions on 4", he asked for suspension price advice. If he wants 4" then, why not have 4"?
Iam tossing up weather to go 3 or 4". That is when your opnion would come in.

he's asking what the cheapest 4 inch lift is.

people on a budget can't afford to do things twice...

look halfway down the page and there's a guy who was about to adapt a steering box from another vehicle to solve his steering issues.

issue that came from lifting his rig 3 inches + extended shackles... all to achieve what he could have achieved standard, and retained a decent, SAFE 4bie on the road.

that is why i ask, to save someone over a grand if they are new to the sport, or don't know much about these things... if he has thought out his options, and is knowlegeable, then my question would be easy to answer wouldn't it?

to address your question? why not have a 4 inch lift?

1. it's illegal unless you jump through all the engineering hoops, which costs even more $$$

2. you need caster correction, sway bar modifications, brake line lengthened, longer shocks, longer panhard bar, probably other suspension geometry related fixes.

3. all that work and money gains you pretty much nothing in offroad ability.... especially considering what the money could achieve put towards a locker or 2, better tires etc. in fact, it usually makes it less capable offroad because you are more top heavy, and have worse anti-squat characteristics when climbing things.

4. the rig will be more dangerous on the road. even done right, the higher COG makes emergency manouvers more dangerous. again, for no gain offroad.

and that's "why not just have a 4 inch lift if you want it"

The guru and police has spoken, and the question I refered to was 3"to 4" not standard to 4". Most of the problems you referred to will be encountered with a 3" lift as well.
And if all that sprooking was what you REALLY meant when answering him you would have refered a little to this fact, not just made a smart comment about why he would even want it, so dont go trying to get all high and almighty with me. Like you, I have also been around a while.

[bad_religion_au]

The guru and police has spoken, and the question I refered to was 3"to 4" not standard to 4". Most of the problems you referred to will be encountered with a 3" lift as well.
And if all that sprooking was what you REALLY meant when answering him you would have refered a little to this fact, not just made a smart comment about why he would even want it, so dont go trying to get all high and almighty with me. Like you, I have also been around a while.

you said "if he wants 4 inches, why not get 4 inches"... i'm assuming his cruiser was stock... pretty sure it doesn't have a 3 inch lift in there already, so my point still stands (problems of stock compared to 4 inch lift). i wasn't answering your "3 or 4" inch question... my answer would remain the same tho... do anything you can to fit the tires you want with the smallest spring lift possible.

i asked why he wanted a 4 inch lift to save myself typing all that out, if he had in fact considered all his options, and come to a well thought out reason for having a 4 inch lift, then it was easier than typing out what he already knew...

[stilivn]

you will need a bigger and better steering dampner.

why?

2" spring (all u would need is springs and shocks) and 2" bodylift. would cost less than 1600. be nicer to drive and be able to fit 36's easily

it still cracks me up that you came over to my way of thinking. years ago we had this argument when you had 6 inch coils (i think it was)

Thanks everyone,

I suppose i could just go 2 inch i wanna fit 35" tyres i got 33s now. i have a 2" body lift sitting here but there is a lot of hastel in doing a body lift thats why im trying to opt not to do it, i guess possibly even just a 3inch lift would be good. any other suggestions would be helpfull

spring lift won't help you fit bigger tires. when you flex, your 4 inch lift becomes 3 inch, then 2 inch, then 1 inch, then.... all the way to the same place your axle would be with NO lift. if you can't fit 35's now and wheel it, a spring lift won't help.

With a 4" your car will tend to sway/wander more, a bigger steering dampner will slightly reduce this. Spring lift will help if you adjust bump stops to stop tyres scrubbing.

Body lifts really arent that much hassle if you or a mate are handy with a welder, can be done in a weekend and if you already have it its $20 for bolts, and a bit of scrap metal to extend radiator brackets.

[howsie]

biggest difference is a body lift doesnt lift gearbox or engine so youll gain say 2 inches clearance if you fit 35's. With a spring lift everything is lifted. Depends on what you want to use the car for as to what lift type to put in it.

Ive got a 5 inch spring lift in mine dobinsons springs and shocks and the rest tough dog. Including all the correction plates and what not and it drives fairly well for a car of its height and size.t

Keeping in mind if you opt for a spring lift with 35's you will need to extend the bumpstops.

There was a 5 inch kit going on outers but i think it was just shocks and springs for a grand but was toughdog / dobinsons from memory.

Id say best bang for buck would be 2 inch spring with 2 inch body. Keeping in mind that any lift over 2 inches in a 80 will need either a part time kit or the front tailshaft replaced with a double cardin as the front tailshaft is really short and tend to destroy themselves even with castor correction. Either one will set you back 500+ if you do it yourself

[bad_religion_au]

With a 4" your car will tend to sway/wander more, a bigger steering dampner will slightly reduce this. Spring lift will help if you adjust bump stops to stop tyres scrubbing.

i was seriously hoping you didn't say that.

if it sways and wanders, the problem is with steering geometry. steering dampner just masks the symptoms... scary thought on how many poorly steering 4bies are out there.

if your lifting it, then extending your bump stops, your effectively limiting travel, and compromising handling, and stability for what you could achieve with a simple body lift, or creative guard manipulation.

[bad_religion_au]

biggest difference is a body lift doesnt lift gearbox or engine so youll gain say 2 inches clearance if you fit 35's. With a spring lift everything is lifted. Depends on what you want to use the car for as to what lift type to put in it.

actually you only gain an inch (if 33's are on it now), because an inch of that tire increase is above the axle line.

as for belly clearance, increasing that is just making up for picking the wrong line. most comp buggies have a pretty low belly clearance. can't think of too many tuff trucks that rely on it either.

[oldmate]

One of the most over looked things when lifting I see alot of is the suspension bushes. When you buy a truck with 300k on it, it's likely origional bushings. That's because the original geometry design allows for significant bush wear, but still maintaining handling.

When you jack it up you loose that and you get wandering, tramlining and wobbles.

New bushes all round are one of the better things you can do when you add that much lift

[TheBigBoy]

One of the most over looked things when lifting I see alot of is the suspension bushes. When you buy a truck with 300k on it, it's likely origional bushings. That's because the original geometry design allows for significant bush wear, but still maintaining handling.

When you jack it up you loose that and you get wandering, tramlining and wobbles.

New bushes all round are one of the better things you can do when you add that much lift

Yep, and which is also why I said to just run drop box's if its an auto to keep the control arm geometry the same if you mostly want it for road use.

[oldmate]

One of the most over looked things when lifting I see alot of is the suspension bushes. When you buy a truck with 300k on it, it's likely origional bushings. That's because the original geometry design allows for significant bush wear, but still maintaining handling.

When you jack it up you loose that and you get wandering, tramlining and wobbles.

New bushes all round are one of the better things you can do when you add that much lift

Yep, and which is also why I said to just run drop box's if its an auto to keep the control arm geometry the same if you mostly want it for road use.

I'm a fan of dropboxes (some people aren't) It's just a shame they aren't as readily available for an 80 as they are for a gu/gq

[howsie]

biggest difference is a body lift doesnt lift gearbox or engine so youll gain say 2 inches clearance if you fit 35's. With a spring lift everything is lifted. Depends on what you want to use the car for as to what lift type to put in it.

actually you only gain an inch (if 33's are on it now), because an inch of that tire increase is above the axle line.

as for belly clearance, increasing that is just making up for picking the wrong line. most comp buggies have a pretty low belly clearance. can't think of too many tuff trucks that rely on it either.

yeah i just noticed that i was assuming he had 31's. must have read through too fast

[crankycruiser]

2" spring (all u would need is springs and shocks) and 2" bodylift. would cost less than 1600. be nicer to drive and be able to fit 36's easily

it still cracks me up that you came over to my way of thinking. years ago we had this argument when you had 6 inch coils (i think it was)



spring lift won't help you fit bigger tires. when you flex, your 4 inch lift becomes 3 inch, then 2 inch, then 1 inch, then.... all the way to the same place your axle would be with NO lift. if you can't fit 35's now and wheel it, a spring lift won't help.

dont get oo excited man.. i dunno if it was me, but i still loved the way my 80 was set up. sure u had to drive it accordinly, but i managed to keep it on 4 wheels for 7 years as it was..... if it wasnt for mr plod it would still be sitting as it was.. so ya can get off ya horse now

[bad_religion_au]

2" spring (all u would need is springs and shocks) and 2" bodylift. would cost less than 1600. be nicer to drive and be able to fit 36's easily

it still cracks me up that you came over to my way of thinking. years ago we had this argument when you had 6 inch coils (i think it was)



spring lift won't help you fit bigger tires. when you flex, your 4 inch lift becomes 3 inch, then 2 inch, then 1 inch, then.... all the way to the same place your axle would be with NO lift. if you can't fit 35's now and wheel it, a spring lift won't help.

dont get oo excited man.. i dunno if it was me, but i still loved the way my 80 was set up. sure u had to drive it accordinly, but i managed to keep it on 4 wheels for 7 years as it was..... if it wasnt for mr plod it would still be sitting as it was.. so ya can get off ya horse now

a technical win is still a win

[TheBigBoy]

One of the most over looked things when lifting I see alot of is the suspension bushes. When you buy a truck with 300k on it, it's likely origional bushings. That's because the original geometry design allows for significant bush wear, but still maintaining handling.

When you jack it up you loose that and you get wandering, tramlining and wobbles.

New bushes all round are one of the better things you can do when you add that much lift

Yep, and which is also why I said to just run drop box's if its an auto to keep the control arm geometry the same if you mostly want it for road use.

I'm a fan of dropboxes (some people aren't) It's just a shame they aren't as readily available for an 80 as they are for a gu/gq

http://manafreaus.cart.net.au/details/2509287.html

[fumduk3]

suspension stuff was 1700 4 a 4 inch kit with dobinsons shocks/springs with all the extras.

[mick80]

i got 2 plus 2 and 35s and it aint pretty on full flex in the rear even with half worn tires.
they scrub hard!
go for a three and body lift.
brakelines r easy.
my 2 cents
cheers mick

[dow50r]

hey all,

I am wanting to do a 4inch lift to my cruiser done some research and the cheapest i can find seems to be the ironman kit for around 1200 plus then brake line extensions and castor plates, is there any other suspention cheaper or better for same price. Thanks Wade

Wade do the 2 inch suspension and 2 inch body lift. By doing the body lift, you can add the lifted amount to the radius of your tyres (a 2 inch body lift raises the body away from the tyre at bump stop by this much, so theoretically you can run a 4 inch larger diameter tyre (36") without rubbing....which is what you were after.

[dow50r]

i got 2 plus 2 and 35s and it aint pretty on full flex in the rear even with half worn tires.
they scrub hard!
go for a three and body lift.
brakelines r easy.
my 2 cents
cheers mick

r u running std offset rims Mick? a set of +20 offset sunnies will bring the tyre away from the chassis