Hello all, I have an 85 t/a that I'm trying to lift. Goal is 8", but even half that will do. Why? Its a mud car.
Already has 31s on now, true dual stacks..
Can't find any pre made kits that will work,
So does anyone know of truck springs that will fit?
Some of the jeep springs look like they will fit, mixed with coil spacers and raising the shock mount.
I can fab and weld fine, but don't know which springs will fit.
Not looking to drop it onto a full frame, looking to keep it as is. Not looking for a body lift either. Goal is to have 35's by end of summer.
Hell, she rips through mud pretty good as is now, for a 2wd

 

A body lift requires an actual frame for the spacers to sit on to lift the body.


An F-body is a terrible off road platform. Too flexible and if you roll it over then you're a gonner.

I don't know of any kits or parts interchanges that accomplish what you are going for.

 

Didn't think it was gonna be a trophy winner platform, just a fun mud bog car. Will have a cage and halo bar in time

 

You're barking up the wrong tree in nearly every conceivable way with this post. This isnt the place. This isnt the platform. If you're looking for pre-fabbed parts this isnt the right car to start with or the right place to ask about it. It isnt what we generally do around here. Most of the off road F-bodies are just F-bodies bolted onto a truck frame.

 

Not a chance.

"Lift" is the LEAST of your problems.

Might as well try to make some kid's Happy Meal toy Honduh into a "fun dump truck". Turn a sheet of aluminum foil into an Abrams tank. Yeah right. Ain't happenin.

 

Seems to be off to a good start. For sitting low and 2wd, she pulls alright as is. "Lift" is actually my main problem.
Looks like late model jeep springs will fit, coupled with spacers and raised mounts.

 

This site sure has gone down hill....

 

http://www.jimmorrisracing.com/videos.html

 

You would have to drop the subframe mounts in the front, it's not as easy as a gbody using some s10 spindles to "donk" it, so dropping the lower control arm mounts is your only option for front. From that, longer shocks, and the bigger springs. Longer brake lines custom made along with probably longer tie rods, and by then you will want to fab a steering stabilizer because the cars steering system was never designed for the use of that big of a wheel and tire.

From there, rear could be a little tricky, not sure on rear axle and drive shaft geometries to design something that isn't going to break constantly. The 10 bolt is weak to start and he temps ull be making that rear it's just a ticking time bomb, you will probably need an adjustable torque arm to adjust the pinion angle to something more acceptable in your application, I would also suggest getting one that removes the one end from the transmission with the added stresses of your application. Again brake lines which should be easier just getting truck brake lines, longer shocks and springs from there. It's a bit simpler with the solid rear axles, and what may work back there easily is going to be blazer parts, I would guess. You will never find a bolt on "red neck" kit to do what you want. There will be fabrication needed to maintain a unibody construction and your biggest hurdle will be dropping the front control arm mounts to drop the arms and crappy wheel well for turning radius of such large tires.

 

I didn't even consider dropping the control arms or torque arm, that just made this a little more challenging helpful though, which I appreciate

 

I'm still not sure that I can approve this, but "MERICA! It does look pretty badass....

 

Desert rally racing is a lot easier to do with a thirdgen than lifted mud truck.... whatever it is they do with lifted mud trucks.... Rally just needs a little more suspension travel and some off road tires.

 

Drag is the killer when muddin, need to have the bottom really smooth to just slide over, ride on it, not dig or drag it.

Could weld like a sprial auger blade to the drive shaft

 

Hm, I wonder if that would be helpful or just end up packing the rear suspension with mud? haha.

...I can only imagine what it would do if you ran over a squirrel in the road or something...

 

I recently saved a Firebird from becoming a "donk" mobile. The p.o. had put rear coil spacers and air shocks in the rear. He had small coil spacers in the front and some rigged up strut bolt extender. In the trunk was a pair of g-body elcamino (moog 5600) coil springs that he claimed would raise the front better/higher.

 

An auger, hahaha that's awesome. That rally f-body..that's badass. Full out rally, lol as badass as that is, I'd need something street able as a DD. MURICA!

I'll definitely have to smooth the engine bay. Cut a hole in the front end for air to the rad, smooth everything else. Mud already gets PACKED in the rear end. Same as my radiator and starter. And the air dam ive ripped off multiple times. South east Kansas is mostly clay..so clay mixed with rocks = my rear end is damn near covered in concrete like material. I wonder why no one wants to drive behind me..

How much did those elco springs raise it? I've heard of "donk" kits to lift, but I've mostly seen em using bags and what not. Great if ya like big chrome and sketchy cars.. good that it was saved from a life of horror though.

 

There is some famous mud hole [ name slips me] that nearly no one ever makes it through. its a big event of people just getting stuck fast. And seeing how the mud just grabed the trucks had me think up that crazy idea, skin the bottom like a Indy car to slide and auger the shaft [ cause a 4x4 the shaft have to stick through bottom skin, so it has to either hinder or help ya ], maybe even partial cover the auger with tube, thinking early jetski, take in water and push it out. mud is part water, just more dense.

but probably just a crazy idea...