Re: I want room for 33 tyres, and I have an auto

["Jason and Maria Colavecchia" <jasoncolavecchia@domain.elided>]

33's are a bit of an issue on scouts.  In some circles, they are the upper
limit when considering axle capabilities, and armed with that knowledge
perhaps the following will help:
1:  First of all, the automatic is actually a benefit when doing a body
lift.  The only things you have to be careful of on the automatic are the
placement of the control cable (it will move, so tie it up so it doesn't
rub against the exhaust system or anything else suspicious...its always a
drag when this breaks) and the small ground line normally tied to one of
the main tranny bolts.  IN that case, lengthen the line so there is
sufficient slack to allow movement between the truck body and the
drivetrain.
2:  Going only with a body lift will NOT help you 100% with your '33's.  I
would'nt recommend more than 3 inches of bodylift without extensive
reworking of the bodymounts and other hardware.  Actually, performing a
spring upgrade is probably much simpler to perform, because there is less
engineering involved.  HOWEVER, any spring lift 4" or more may require some
reworking of steering linkage, brake lines, cables, etc. to keep things
safe.  A properly done suspension lift also forces you to look at the
entire suspension, which will help illuminate areas that need
replacement/repair (bushings, for example)
3:  When doing your body lift, keep in mind that you may still have to do
some fender and wheelwell trimming to ensure the needed clearance you
require.  You may want to check this by running the truck up some kind of
ramp, one wheel at a time (in case of the front axle, include turning the
wheels right and left) to help illuminate trouble spots.
4:  These are all things I DIDN'T know, until I did them and spent many
weeks and months afterwords clearing up these little issues.


----------
: From: Eric Sundman <ericbananaman@domain.elided>
: To: ihc-digest@domain.elided
: Subject: I want room for 33 tyres, and I have an auto
: Date: Monday, January 11, 1999 5:11 PM
: 
: Hello, IHers,
: 
: I would like to put 33 inch tyres on my '78 Scout II Traveler, and 
: understand that the only way to do that is to raise 3 or 4 inches??  
: Well, I would like to know the best way to do this.
: