Body Lift Blocks

[JK]

Please add your comments and reasons for preferring a specific matierial.

[Damo]

I voted steel because the way i've done my bodylift requires a thread up the middle of the blocks. One of my blocks has stripped that thread out, i'm not sure why at this stage. Maybe if they were a better or "harder" alloy it would have worked, but i figure it'd be just as easy (and cheaper) to do em out of steel. They need to be a decent diameter too, which makes em more expensive.

Are we talking about the zook here? If I was to redo mine i'd be doing them in steel round bar at 65mm dia. Patrol might be a bit different, I've heard the body should be reinforced... (Nissan know-it-all types chime in)

[JK]

Well I can tell you that although I own a Nissan, I know stuff all...

Yeah it's for the Nissan. I might have to go a minor body lift to clear 35s as much as I want to avoid one.

I don't like bodylifts because they add nothing to the suspension and raise the CoG... but the only alternative is some wheel well mods.

[Wooders]

Come one just wedge a bito of balsawood in there
Personally I like the nylon high density blocks becuase they aren't reactive and wouldn't rust etc....

[ToNkA]

I did some research on bodylift blocks when doing my lux, ended up using

Ultra high density polyethelyne its the white stuff, when speaking to one one plastics chemist, they said they sell there stuff to some of the 4x4 companies for making body lift blocks.

It doesnt take in water, wont rust, wont create rust spots from Aluminium rubbing on steel, and will soak up some vibration.
Cost me $38 for 1 meter by 50mm rod of the stuff, more than enough for a 2inch lift on my lux.

[Ferwoaza]

I went with engineer grade nylon blocks from Big Balls Offroad. I was told engineers prefer them, they are self lubricating, won't rust or squeak.

So far so good

[ALPINE-OFF-ROAD]

well i have an alloy lift in mine and have had no probems it been in there for 2 odd yrs
i do use the poly stuff for work body lifts as tonka said the above reasons and you can get it blk or white
if you want i can tee it up for ya at this end jk ring me or pm me if you want

[JK]

Cost me $38 for 1 meter by 50mm rod of the stuff, more than enough for a 2inch lift on my lux.

Now we're talking... I might have a bit of a look out for places that sell UHDPE. What did you do for bolts etc?

Anyone have a photo of a full bodylift kit for a GQ so that I can make up my own?

[ToNkA]

Cost me $38 for 1 meter by 50mm rod of the stuff, more than enough for a 2inch lift on my lux.

Now we're talking... I might have a bit of a look out for places that sell UHDPE. What did you do for bolts etc?

Anyone have a photo of a full bodylift kit for a GQ so that I can make up my own?

For bolts, I removed all of mine, as some were diff lengths, and took em down to the bolt store and bought 50mm longer ones (grade 8) with nylock nuts.

[ALPINE-OFF-ROAD]

ferwoaza

well it depends on what sort of nylon you used where i buy my blocks pre cut from they deal with alsort of stuf and the recomened not to use nylon because some types of it can obsorb water causeing rust on your bolt

the bolt generaly rusts abit any way

[ToNkA]

ferwoaza

well it depends on what sort of nylon you used where i buy my blocks pre cut from they deal with alsort of stuf and the recomened not to use nylon because some types of it can obsorb water causeing rust on your bolt

the bolt generaly rusts abit any way

The stuff I mentioned wont adsorb water, (just making that clear)

[Ferwoaza]

Yeah, some of my bolts have rusted up heaps...shocked me!

Got some replacement ones, nyloc nuts allround, and some paint for the nuts n bolts...should work..

[ALPINE-OFF-ROAD]

mmmmmmm they will rust

i dont know about your but my std 1s had a bit of just on them anyway
as long as they a tight its all good

[mickrangie]

Go Steel!! You can then weld it to the body and or chassis to make it a little more ridgid

[bj on roids]

early gqs need to reinforce the body, nylon is illegal in queensland, anything not mild steel is illegal

[ausyota]

I started off with 50mm diam steel.
But then switched over to a wider nylon block (around 70mm I think).
The wider block suports the body better and the nylon doesnt have the same friction against the floor and wont rust.
Paul.

[hophoar]

Jk, you can buy UHMW-PE ( Ultra High Molecular weight Poly Ethelene ) from Fairlight PLastics in Manns Rd Gosford, comes in different sizes, I got a meter lenght of 70mm for @ $100 to do my lift with.
John.

[A1zook]

Jk I Have just ordered mine from trident plastics in cardiff (same as where hypo gets all his made n danstoyowagon its gunna cost me 85 bucks 8 off 70mm dia 50mm high in balck or white ( ichose black no need to paint then ).
Have i think bout might be able to order 4 ya its only down the road a bit from where i work rrrrrrr go during the day

[cattzooks]

BJ you sure about the nylon in QLD I was told by QT it was OK?

[Strange Rover]

I dont think that anything but steel should be used in a body lift. Any body lift is dodgy at best and to make it out of something that is soft and flexible doesent make sence. Most bodies are mounted using rubber bushings that are wide and flat and have a crush tube in the centre so that the bolts can be done up tight so that everything is stable and nothing rotates (or falls over) and the only movement that is allowed is a bit of vibration isolation. Stick I big piece of soft plastic in there and most of the structural integrity is lost. You carnt do the bolt up tight, the plastic is soft and wobbly and the whole thing will fall over and bend things as soon as it is loaded a bit.

Sam

[roly]

jk

i have a 3" GQ lift from pgs in melbourne, still in the box will all the stuff incl steering column extension

you have have a squiz at it if you want...

or buy it off me 3"

[A1zook]

Sam



This shite definately aint soft ( check out hypos wen he comes up your way soon )

[Strange Rover]

What?? Not soft compared to rubber or not soft compared to steel.

Any plastic is soft compared to steel which is why a chassis isnt made from plastic.

Sam

[12uke]

Yeh BJ I was told proly 2 years ago by QT and they saidnylon was fine so thats whats on th vitara.

[beebee]

I have spoken to QT on more than one occasion regarding this matter. The best advice that I recieved from them is to send in the application form and see what they say. The person on the phone is usually not the person ascessing the mod (although if you're lucky you can get through to them). I know someone who has sent in a few of these applications stating that he wanted to use "industrial nylon" and they were approved. At other times I have spoken to QT and they have said that the block must be solid "matal" and at other times "only solid steel". So basically it comes down to sending in the form so that you have the piece of paper to back your handywork up when needed. Hope that this clarifies the situation.......In queensland at least!

[Damo]

Hope that this clarifies the situation.......In queensland at least!

/rant mode on

The only thing it clarifies to me is that QT wouldnt know a set of consistant rules abou ANYTHING if it fell out of the sky at bit them on the arse. :mad:

/rant mode off

[duncan]

the first body lift kits i made were out of 11/13 chrome bar worked fine dont rust very stable but they were very heavey i then went to teflon easy to machine and drill dampened vibration and very light but i was getting a lot of body movment what im running now is steel pipe 3inch diameter by 3and 1/4 inches long plus the lenght of the original top rubber making the block about 4 1/2inches long on thhe top and bottom of this pipe ive welded 1/4 inch plate with the bolt hole just over size on top of these for dampimg ive fitted 1/4inch thick rubber mating works great its light strong spreds the weight of the body over a large diameter and the rubber damps any vibration

[JK]

Thanks for all the feedback... I have a good idea of which way I will go.

BTW, UHMW-PE has a working compressive strength of 12 MPa... more than enough for this application.

Cheers, JK

[bj on roids]

Yeh BJ I was told proly 2 years ago by QT and they saidnylon was fine so thats whats on th vitara.

i think 6 or 7 months ago the ruling came in on the plastic blocks, i had my plastic ones approved over a year and a half ago, and apparently if called for an inspection I will be requested to change them!

craig bowen from opposite lock had this problem with his patrol

approved plastic body lift, inspection station told him they need ot be solid metal

along with brake biasing and tyre approval being take off himand lots of other stuff

[Wendle]

i think 6 or 7 months ago the ruling came in on the plastic blocks, i had my plastic ones approved over a year and a half ago, and apparently if called for an inspection I will be requested to change them!

I think the lift blocks would be the least of your problems