Taking a body lift off. Need assistance

[bradford]

I just picked up an 83 Scottsdale in beautiful shape. I've been putting the trim and stuff on it as it didnt have anything on it when I got it. No grill, tailights, windows etc. because it was just painted inside and out.

Well, it has a 3 or 4 inch body lift on it and I want to get rid of it. It looks cool but it has negative effects. One being the radiator.
They put an aluminum radiator out of something else and wired a crappy electric fan on it because the original one with the fan and shroud no longer fit due to the body being higher than the motor.

Anyways, how do I go about taking it off?
The bed is easy but the cab and front end is where it gets tricky in my mind.
Do I jack up the cab and front end and take the spacers out and have to lower all the jacks at once or will one jack work lifting and lowering one side at a time?

Im afraid Im gonna break scratch or bend something and then Im gonna have a fit and burn it to the ground in my driveway.

Here are a couple pics. Sorry I took them with my camera phone.
And here is a vid of the new exhaust and a better look at the truck.
http://youtu.be/DSrwkL2fKEQ

[thinair]

You can do one side at a time with one jack. Would help if you loosen the other side also. You will also need a stock shift rod (column to trans), and probablly the rod from the tcase shifter back to tcase also.Be careful with your fenders around the front bumper with the new paint.

[rayfinseats]

Nice truck.

[willstruck]

Reverse of installation instructions. Loosen one side up as much as you can without removing nuts. Remove nuts on other side, jack up, remove lift. Lower, start nuts on shorter bolts, don't tighten. Take nuts off of first side. Jack up, remove lift. Lower, finger tighten nuts on shorter bolts. Tighten on opposite side, then first side that was loosened. Send body lift and hardware to me, will pay for shipping.

[DetroitDan]

As above, loosen all the bolts on one side just enough so they can wiggle a little, then go to the other side and remove all of them. Then jack that side up, pull the blocks and set it down onto the stock body mounts. You will need new body bolts. Unless maybe you can cut down the long bolts. I usually put a 4x4 on the jack up to the floor board under the cab floor, may have to adjust to get it where it will lift evenly. Or use two jacks. After you carefully set it back down on that side, line it up and start the bolts, so it can't slide when you jack up the other side. Go to the other side, drop the bolts and jack it just enough to get the blocks out, then set it down. Usually everything stays lined up if you do it this way, and the cab won't shift or go anywhere. If a hole doesn't exactly line up just use one of those pointy bars to straighten it. Tighten em up, use threadlocker and doublecheck them in a few days of driving.

The bed is very simple, but if they've installed the fuel hose lengthener like they should you may have to reshorten it. Might not.

Like stated above, just be careful around the paint with the front bumper, the valance has to fit in behind it. If it looks like it will interfere you could pull the bumper, but I never have. You don't have bumper raising brackets so that's one less thing to worry about. If it's an auto you may have to re-shorten the shift linkage, but I'd try it first it might work. I've gotten away with it before. Transfer case shouldn't have been modified, unless maybe they cut the floor around it. Linkage is usually left alone. Check the steering shaft under the hood for a spacer. IIRC you can put a bodylift in one of these without a spacer, but I've had to put them in newer trucks.

[DetroitDan]

what nuts?

[bradford]

Awesome. Thanks guys. I went to Tractor Supply today and got all the bolts and nuts for 10 bucks! Grade 5 too.
I will knock that out this weekend.
The "Z" bar on my clutch has a 3 inch extension welded on it so Im gonna have to cut that off.
More to follow.

[DetroitDan]

Nice truck, that's an interesting color. I think I like it, but I'm not sure. Probably do. What color is it, cna't say as i've ever seen one that color before.

I've had body lifts in a lot of trucks and never had cooling problems, even with plowing. You can use the top half of the fan shroud and either trim or leave off the bottom half, it will be fine. Or you could get fancy and drop the bottom half down with brackets so you can keep it. My 97 kit came with brackets to extend the bottom half of the fan shroud down 3 inches. Not sure where you're at with the radiator and shroud not being original.
I like the stance it has now, if it were me I'd leave the lift in it and get brackets to lift the front bumper up and make it look right. Those tires look like around a 33-12.50, they will hit the fenders without the lift. So you'll also need smaller tires.

[bradford]

I've been trying to decide what color that is as well.
Its some kind of green metallic color. The people I got it from saw it on an old Mopar car and wanted that color. Its different. Its really shiny. Almost a candy look. It gets lots of compliments.

Anyways, I have 32/11.50/15s on 15x10 inch wheels. Im hoping for the best on that because I just bought those tires 7 days ago. I really dont think it will rub though. The tires have alot of clearance right now. Its hard to tell by the pics.
If it rubs, I will put the lift back on and trim the shroud. My main concern with the current setup is that the heater hoses cant hook up to the current radiator and the fan wiring is a fire hazard. The worst wiring job I have ever seen.

[DetroitDan]

32-11.50s should be fine, I've run them on stock height k10s before. Might be able to get it to hit the back of the front fender if you turn the wheels hard and hit a bump at the same time, like turning sharp into a parking lot with a drainage swale.

Should be able to find the right radiator and shroud parts either new or from a donor, junkyard truck. Sorry, I can't help it, I just hate to see a truck go lower, I love lifted trucks!

[Your41Plague12]

Personally with those tires I'd leave it as it sits. Fixing some wiring and trimming a fan shroud is much easier than unbolting the body of the truck from the frame and lowering it. Plus it has a nice stance.

[bradford]

I took it off with great vengeance and furious anger!
Those stupid blocks held water inside them and rusted the crap out of the bolts and body mounts. Stupidest damn thing anyone could do to a classic. I spent hours beating the bolts out of the front two bolts.
I replaced everything with 4 inch bolts but the front should have had 4.5 inch bolts but I made the 4 inchers work.

The tires dont rub but they come very close. I havent made them rub under normal driving.
Here are a few pics.

[Davidmichael]

much better. Now if you want to lift it a bit go with some 2" lift springs and call it done.

[Hubscrub]

looks good, i also hate body lifts

[bradford]

Notice under the truck, there are piles of rust that came out of those blocks!

[ont_guy_38]

Looks good , really liking that colour

[DetroitDan]

I have pulled apart several trucks that did not have body lifts, and the body mounts were rotted through, particulary the frame tabs where the mounts sit. Has nothing to do with the blocks holding water, the mounts themselves can hold water. If the blocks are installed properly water can't get inside them. Also, a body lift can make it much easier to clean the underside of the truck, you can get at places with the hose or pressure washer that otherwise you couldn't. Especially helpful in a truck that gets muddy.