Body Lift Materials

[Tom Mandera <tsm1@domain.elided>]

I'm looking to fabricate a one inch body lift for my Scout II, and I'm 
looking for input on material selection..

Delrin and Urethane and similar plastic derivitives seem popular and 
obviously a good choice.. though the nearest plastic supplier is 100 
miles away and wanted $50 and 4-weeks.

Available locally - 2" diameter steel and aluminum stock.  I've seen 
aluminum 1" body lifts for Jeeps available.. so is AL a suitable 
material?  Any particular type of aluminum?

Or would mild-steel be appropriate?

I've thought of the Hockey-Puck lift.. but there are doubts about how 
well the rubber holds up to exposure to oil and such, and believe it or 
not, hockey pucks are almost as difficult to acquire around here as the 
plastics are!

So.. I'm thinking of getting some 2" diameter aluminum rod, and paying a 
local machinist to slap it on his band-saw and make 8 1" high pucks, and 
then put 'em in the drill press for 7/16" center holes (what i need for 
my Scout II).. then order a set of new poly-urethane body mount bushings, 
and have at it.

If I use aluminum, it won't rust.. by thanks to galvanic properties, it 
may cause the steel Grade 8 bolts and/or the frame to rust.. any 
suggestions on prepping the body lift pucks?  Grease would work suitably 
well on the bolt, but not so on the puck-to-body-mount contact area.. 

Or is steel such a bad idea?..

Yes, 2" and 3" body lifts are available commercially.. but I'd be paying 
$90 for a 2" body lift and then paying to have it cut in half.. so what 
am I gaining?

-Tom Mandera, Helena MT
http://www.tmcom.com/~tsm1/scout
'77 Scout II - 4" lift ain't enough for 33s.. just a *little* more..
cc:ihc & off-road