Options for Lift & Travel on LWB MK

[coxy321]

I've been doing a fair bit of reading up on the SOA conversions - albeit a bit hard to grasp some steps as the pics aren't working. I know heaps of people have asked, and yes, I have read through the bible, but here it is.

So here lies my problem. I was going to get extended shackles (Superior Engineering- 2inches over standard), along with a 2 or 3 inch body lift. This all costing around the $700ish mark.

After reading the SOA conversions, the thought of 6-8 inches of extra clearance is quite apealing- but in kit form, the cost really hurts. Two or three years ago, I would of had a crack at it myself, but have since been working in an electrical shop, with clean hands and nails. And also, majority of my tools are now MIA.

Any suggestions, or if someone knows of a cheaper way to go about SOA, let me know.

Cheers - Coxy

[Big Red Toy]

i run 3" body lift & that fine, quite stable, my plan is to run 3/4's in the rear once i chop the back off which should flex heaps better, give it a try

[jtraf]

huges amounts of flex is over rated......

MK love driving with three wheels on the ground.

Spend the money on a locker and be done with it............

[coxy321]

I'm not chasing flex, just more clearance. Eg. my car has got what a normal person would call "4x4 height", but when i go bush, it might as well be driving my Mini Clubman, as far as clearance goes.

So 3" body lift, extended shackles, and a rear locker is the verdict??

I'm getting a set of 33's soon - i'll have to borrow some 35's for a clearance test later down the line.

Cheers guys - Coxy

[jtraf]

2in suspension I think you already have that ????
2in body lift buy off ebay or make your own personally I like metal blocks.

Remove front indicator covers and you have instant fit for 35's.

SD33T will push 35 without an issue...just have to use 1st and second more offroad but will be OK onroad.....

Don't get 33's if you want 35 I know from experience......

3in body lift will give you no further clearance as your diffs don't move higher...even springs don't move diffs higher.....only larger tyres do that

[coxy321]

One of my mates has got a set of near new BF muddies he's flogging off, and one of my other mates (Bevan Butler) said he can chase up some good second hand 35's with beadlock rims for a grand.

jtraf, i'm not raelly fussed about the diff clearance, but the middle of the underbody where the gearbox and transfer case is. But I'll take those indicator panels, and get a 3" body lift with those shackles.

Whats the best thing to make the blocks out of? My brother said he could machine some up for me cheap.

Cheers again - Coxy

[coxy321]

I've sent 2 pics to Screwy, so hopefully they actually got to him, and you guys can see them soon.

[jtraf]

Body lift in my opinion should only be done with either metal or alloy blocks but as I say only my personal opinion......

Body lift only lifts the body...hence chassi and gearbox and middle all stay at the same height even if you were to do a four in body lift......

50mm or 2in is the legal limits if you want to be same what legal or able to engineer the Patrol down the track anything over is a no go. 3in will also make the angle of your steering shaft very interesting.....

My opinion is to get the most clearance with the least lift. If 2in body and 2in suspension get 35's under the truck which is also a 2in lift over 31's why go any higher......Don't lift the centre of gravity any higher than you have to......

But at the end of the day you have to do what pleases you and not what others have to say.

cheers

James

[V8Patrol]

Body lift gives clearance for tyres only....it also means that bullbars, side steps etc wont line up as they used too as they are attached to the chassis.

Bigger tyres gives better ground clearance for the diff, body, & chassis although a body lift may be needed to clear the bigger tyres.

Extended shackles only lift the body & chassis and only by half of the amount of the "extension"...IE: a 2" extended shackle will only lift the rig 1", they will allow slightly larger tyre clearance aswell

Lifted springs will lift body and chassis by the amount of lift in the springs.... IE: a 2" lifted spring will lift the chassis & body 2", they will allow for a larger tyre clearance aswell

A SOA can lift the body & chassis up to 10 inches plus, but 6" to 8" is a more desired effect which is acheived by the reduction of leaves from the spring pak.
While this leaf reduction has its benifits such as softer and far more flexable suspension, the down side is that you are more likely to suffer from broken or bent leaves...... to date I havent bent or broken one but several others have borken more than one set of spring paks !

A combination of "lift ideas" will also help....IE: body lift & spring pak lift combined will help with clearing much larger tyres and with ground clearance...... a 2" spring pak & a 2" extended shackle will help more so with ground clearance & tyre clearance.

Its simply a question of how high you want in the end !, for me that was simple I needed heaps of clearance so I went SOA and no body lift, shackle extension or body lift has been added. I clear 35's easily but the 38's rub.
The 38's will require cutting of the front guards and rear 1/4 to allow full clearance in those areas, ....... rims may also need additional spacing for inner guard clearance issues ( 2" spacers will be enough )

Jeff ( aka Screwy ) is removing his 3" body lift because of stability issues after he flopped so that may be another issue you may need to investigate before starting the mods.

It sounds to me like you want a SOA but only for the price of a 2" spring pak and 2" extended shackle conversion.....sorry but I dont know any-one that works for peanuts...... might be time to get your hands dirty

Kingy

[coxy321]

The way I'm looking at it is:

To get more clearance of the diffs and gearbox, I need larger diameter tyres.

To fit larger diameter tyres, I need to make room for clearance by either body lift or suspension mods, as I've still got the factory fibreglass flares.

As the suspension is only a few months old, I dont want to void my warranty, or make it "less reliable". So I figure, if it clears 32's (maybe even 33's at the moment), with the shackles (1 inch lift), 2 inch body lift (to fit big tyres), and a set of 35's which it should now clear, I will have an effective total of around 2 inches for the diff centres, and 3 inches for the transfer etc.

Correct???

I'm not after a ridiculously high car, or the biggest set of tyres in town, just the ability to go where I want to go, and not have to worry about the cars capabilities.

PS. - I'm going to have to take off my flares to fit 35's aren't I?

Cheers - Coxy

[jtraf]

Yep the flares will be history....

replace them with bushranger flares which can be bought from arb in kit form for $120 bucks.....this is the one with the wire in the edge to hold shape. Don't get the one without wire as rubber with droop and looks $hit.

I removed my metal flares and the rubber one looked pretty good and flexed up when I was next to ruts and didn't dig in.

2in will clear 33's for sure without body or shackle lift.......mine did and my lift had sagged a little...

I think shackle lifts on big cars should be avoided but every man to their own..

$100 or so for metal body lift kit in ebay.....$45 to extend slave cylinder hose includes fitting at ABS Heidelberg and a few hours adjusting tranfer case lever hole and you have body lift.....

Next step where are the 35's.........

I was so happy with my 35's and the beast wasn't that effected by them. Save you dollars and do it once......wait a while and get 35's you wont regret it.

James

[Big Red Toy]

i was running the 3" body lift with 33's, now being able to run 36's easily enough, Being 3" hasn't made it any less stable, as it is done using 70mm dia nylon blocks.
As for the nylon/steel/alloy block debate each to their own really but i have nlyon & the are still perfect. I use to have alloy and there is NO difference at all, the only problem i've found with body lifting is tearing the rag joint on the steering column a couple of times

[coxy321]

So if I go with steel blocks, what diameter?

Or do you guys reckon to just buy a kit off ebay?

Cheers again- Coxy

PS. Thanks heaps for all the feedback - much appreciated!!