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Damage from too much lift?

Discussion in 'Tips and Tricks' started by Ironraven, Jan 24, 2010.

  1. Ironraven

    Ironraven Active Member

    OK, so I've seen pretty much everyone agree that a 3" lift damages the U joints unless you put spacers underneath the tranny... but how can you tell if any damage has been done? I'm looking at a truck that had a 3" lift in the front and rear but the owner lowered the front after hearing that 3" would do damage... but I'm wondering if I could check for wear somehow? Also it won't hurt the rear to still have a 3" shackle lift will it? I'll probably be going to check it out this week...
     
  2. TRAX and HORNS

    TRAX and HORNS Well-Known Member

    If it wasnt driven a lot it could very well be ok. With a 3 " lift often the cv boot on passenger side will have a tear. You will also notice a slight to major clunk clunk when turning are hit bumps. Best way is to jack front up on the diff. let the tires hang free and spin them. Feel the tire while spinning and if you feel a rough spot it may or may not be damaged. These cv jts. are somewhere around 37 degrees play, Once you install a 3" lift you make them 45 degrees. Dont quote me on these #'s but will give you a ideal of what happens when going to a standard 3" lift. Alot of guys have been going with new afco springs up front without lifts and gaining enough lift for bigger tires. I myself will lift a Suz. 2" and use a 23/24" tire and have not had any problems. 1 3/4" lift on Daihatsu using 23" tires.
     
  3. Ironraven

    Ironraven Active Member

    Awesome, exactly the information I was looking for :). Is there a similar problem for the rear or is the front the only real problem due to them being the steering wheels?
     
  4. fupabox

    fupabox Well-Known Member

    Rears seem to be able to handle anything the fronts are goosd with...I suspect if someone did a huge lift you would want to shim the angle on the rear diff...but any lift that tall would prob killl the front first
     
  5. TRAX and HORNS

    TRAX and HORNS Well-Known Member

    Also remember the only height you gain from ground is the height of the tire. So going from a 21" standard tire to a 23" mud grip is 1" of height not 2" on the diff. from ground. So you only need enough lift for tires to clear wheel well. 2 1/2" and 3" lifts are no good in my opinion.
     
  6. redgreen

    redgreen Member

    The three inch shackle lift on the rear will eventually cause trouble on the Daihatsu because of the short drive shaft. After learning the hard way I added 6 degree wedges on the rear axle which solved the problem.
     
    Ironraven likes this.
  7. project_x

    project_x Member

    Could you post some pictures of your wedges? My rear is close to 3" and would like to nip any potential problems.

    Cheers,
    Rob
     
  8. Ironraven

    Ironraven Active Member

    Yeah, this truck has 25" tires on it... so that's about a 2" gain in ground clearance right? I'm also thinking that I would prefer an "add a leaf" lift in the rear as opposed to the shackle lift. It just seems like that'd be more functional. I think the main reason he had such a high lift on it is he used to have tracks on it.
     
  9. Ironraven

    Ironraven Active Member

    Good to know, thanks for the info. Did you notice any binding in the axle u-joints? What sort of problem did you end up having?
     
  10. redgreen

    redgreen Member

    I did have some binding of the joints but I ended up taking out the front pinion bearing. I use my truck as a daily driver at higher speeds so this probably speeded up the proccess more than if I only used it offroad at lower speeds.
     
  11. redgreen

    redgreen Member

    Rob, I will get you a picture and the part number/manufacturer of the wedges later today. I am not totally familiar with the drive shaft length on the Carry but I haven't heard of too many issues with it because the longer length doesn't create as steep of an angle as on the Daihatsu.
     
  12. Ironraven

    Ironraven Active Member

    I am also fully intending to use my truck as a daily driver. I will probably end up taking off the lift and using smaller tires or something because I don't really think I'll need much more ground clearance than stock; at least not to begin with.:pop:
     
  13. o8k

    o8k Member

    Your inventory may be limited up there in MN (i wouldnt know), but this liability (e.g. did the guy b4 me lift it incorrectly and screw it up?) is another reason i went w/ a model FOB. If it gets screwed up now, its my fault =D

    On another note, if you stick w/ the 12" stock wheels, my guess is they are a dime a dozen, as most people buy a mini and get new wheels for it right away (including dealers).

    Happy hunting...
     
  14. Ironraven

    Ironraven Active Member

    Yup, inventory up here is scarce as. This truck also has no speed limiter so I wouldn't have to hassle with that; which is a big bonus for me. I have to use "high flotation ATV" tires in order to drive on the shoulder/side of rural roads and register it as a UTV so I will have to use some sort of tire that's a bit bigger than normal... He's also not asking an outrageous price for it which is nice. It'd be sweet to be able to drive the truck and test out all of its flaws before buying it even if I could get an "unknown entity" straight off the boat from Cali for a little more than half the price... I dunno I'm still up in the air about it I guess. I've got a couple of months to figure it out though :p

    Oh this truck also has an EFI engine which would make me think it would start better in the winter? Just a guess based on my experience with carb's vs EFI.
     
  15. fupabox

    fupabox Well-Known Member

    A thought on the add-a-leaf opposed to the shackles....unless you are carrying a load most times the add a leaf is gonna be a rock hard ride,especially on the shoulder of the road..If you build them yourself, the shackles cost about $6 worth of c channel,and don't change the ride (which is still bouncy on an unladen truck)...just my 2 cents..with the exchange rates maybe 1.9 cents :p
     
  16. Ironraven

    Ironraven Active Member

    I hadn't thought of that. I suppose the extra leaf would act like an overload spring eh? And if I wanted to take the existing ones and make them shorter all I'd need to do is spend a little quality time with the drill press and a hacksaw...
     
  17. redgreen

    redgreen Member

    Rob, here is a picture of the wedges I used on my Daihatsu. These were made by Specialty Products Company, Longmont CO. Part # 81099. They should be available through auto supply stores in your area.
     

    Attached Files:

  18. greg0187

    greg0187 Moderator Staff Member

    I liked the Add-a-leaf on mine. It did stiffen up the rear but it matched the HD springs I had up front. I wouldn't even come close to thinking of it as an overload spring.
     
  19. Ironraven

    Ironraven Active Member

    Well, my current plan is to go take it for a spin this Saturday; I'll take a look at the CV boots and whatnot as well as jack the front up and check for stiffness in the front axles. It'll be at least a month before I will be seriously looking to purchase so I'm not in any big rush... if this one doesn't look like it'll work I'll find another :)
     
  20. Ironraven

    Ironraven Active Member

    Ehhh, I decided against this truck. I could feel some binding in the front despite not having the CV boots torn. I'm pretty sure the front CV joints were either damaged from the 3" lift before the truck was dropped a little bit or else still having trouble from whatever height it was lowered to. I'm going to get a stock one I think, that way I can break sh!t myself ^_^
     
  21. erixun

    erixun Member

    It is always funner to break your own stuff, than fix the last guys fun!:D

    Good luck on finding your truck, they are out there keep searching!
     
  22. leebingate

    leebingate New Member

    Also remember the only height you gain from ground is the height of the tire. So going from a 21" standard tire to a 23" mud grip is 1" of height not 2" on the diff. from ground. So you only need enough lift for tires to clear wheel well. 2 1/2" and 3" lifts are no good in my opinion.



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  23. zardoz

    zardoz Member

    Is this an answer?

     
  24. aeroshots

    aeroshots Member

    Yea, no good. ;) :D Unless you just like having fun with a fun truck project.:D

    To each his own. I've found that more than just the diff can contact mother earth in ways you don't want.

    Here is a picture of my 6 inch lift.
     

    Attached Files:

  25. Doddy

    Doddy Member

    3" Lift

    well i have a 3" lift on mine, i figured that it would be ok, because i had planned on putting a heavy bumper with a winch up front and new shocks all the way around.......and the economy crash hit me, basically i am seeing worn boots, and i hate changing them! the kit i used is adjustable so you can fix the front end geometry but it is just too much for the truck i will be reducing it down to at least a 2 1/4".
     
  26. Doddy

    Doddy Member

    wow active thread!

    Just thought i would do an update on the lift. i did remove the front lift and changed lout coils for 250# instead. took out 1" in the rear and it rides great, plus i got some serious handling back ( well u no what i mean). my rear shocks are shot and have had no luck finding any. other than that i am just glad the binding stopped!
     
  27. Acerguy

    Acerguy Moderator Staff Member

    No binding = :) Glad it's working for ya!
     
  28. o8k

    o8k Member

    monroe 31000
     
  29. Doddy

    Doddy Member

    wow

    dang i am not sure who to thank! anyways thank every1, i have been sloshing this stuff around in my brain. i just havent checked this in a while. i have heard others using the tubing for the lift, and it works great, i do have the 3" shackle in the rear, i havent made up my mind on what i am going to do.the truck is too high in the rear (i want it level with the front) i thought about drilling a new hole in the shackles or putting the old ones back on and going to the tube style. i am kinda waiting on shocks, my rear shocks are DONE, i cant seem to find any1 that has replacements. on the suzuki it is different than the others. the stud is like a m10 i think. a shock that i did find does fit off of a 92 sidekick but the shock would ride about 3" of being fully compressed. any suggestions?
     
  30. fupabox

    fupabox Well-Known Member

    If you have a good parts place near you ..they should be able to match it up if you bring in your stock ones
     

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