Mikiedoo

Body Lift progress thread 01 Supercab Well,
The lift is kickin my *** .
Not so much the lift kit, but getting those damned stock rusted bolts and nuts to free up. So far I have broke the head completely off the pass front (core support) bushing while trying to get it loose.
I spent 5 hours today with only a small grinder grinding through the rubber and metal bolt to free it. I had to run to Ford parts and order a new one for $18

Then , I go back to the bed bolts and they start releasing ok.... until
I get to the two nearest the back glass. One stripped the torx bit... the other side turned fairly easily, but to my frustration I found that it was going absolutely no where when I turned it... stripped out.

So I spent the next couple hours sitting in the bed of the truck with this small air grinder grinding the heads off the bolts.

Tomorrow, I have to get under the bed and try to free whats left of the 2 bolts without their heads on them.

Then I get to move inside the cab and attempt to remove the cab bolts.
I have heard that ford loctites them good so thats going to be a fun time.

I have all of the cables, straps and linkages, filler neck and stuff loose, but am concerned about the fan shroud. I loosened it and tried to move it.
It binds up and barely moves around in there.
Does anyone know what Im supposed to do with it to get it to fit correctly?

I tell you, If anyone ever asks me to help them install one of these kits on a 9 year old truck, I will tell them they are insane, unless they go rent me a cutting torch

Anyways, thats where I am so far.
The truck is not my daily driver so Im taking my time and only spending a couple hours a day working on it.

I will post before and after pics when done.

Mikiedoo

Well, today went a little better for me.

I got those stubborn bed bolts cut out. Went to the auto parts store and got me a couple locking nuts to replace the ford factory bed nuts I cut out.

My core support bushing I ordered ( due to having cut mine out on the passenger front) came in at the local dealership today.

I went picked it up and re-installed it. ( After I drilled it and the other one out with a 1/2 inch bit for the new bolt to slide through. )

So ,
On Friday I will tackle the 6 cab bolt removals and then I will be ready for the jacks , wood and lift install.

Also, Im still concerned about the Radiator fan shroud...
Do I cut any tabs off of it or trim any on it?
Just concerned.

Thanks

spyder98

on mine I needed to cut the two top tabs and the two bottom tabs on the fan shroud.

Cain64

If you spray the bolts with PB Blaster 3 days prior every day they should come ouyt farily easy, also some of the body bolts have loctite so they need to be heated up to melt the plastic loctite

Mikiedoo

Valuable information guys.

Thanks,
Both of you.

I will report back on Sunday with progress.

07cobravenom

hey mikiedoo

I had installed a 3" bodylift on my girls 01 ranger ext cab flareside. let me tell you. the only thing that saved my *** was heating those bolts up. I had a regualr propane torch and i heated those bolts up till the loctite actually was running out of the bolts and bushings. DOnt worry about melting the bushings, they are pretty heat resistant, just try to heat the bottom of the bolts. Also when you tackle the cab, have a friend to help you. the bushings like to spin. I held the bushings while my girls brother with a rachet undid the bolts. Took me 3days or about 18 hours to complete the lift by myself escept with help for the cab bolts. Need any info let me know.