Lifting Issues with a 1008...

[danochamp]

I know another thread about lifts, but I just can't seem to find my answer yet...

I am looking at putting a 3.5" lift on a 1008. I understand you have to extend the brake lines but what else is there thats different on a military truck.

If I buy a 1986 K30 lift kit, will it go on a m1008 without a problem?

Also has anyone done a 3.5" lift on a 1008, did you have any drivetrain problems with this height?

Really anything to look out for would help a lot.

 

[Westech]

drop the T case thats about it. and how to do that is to remove the bolts and spacers and install the spacers in between the frame and the cross member. you will have to adjust the shift linkage to the transmission and the t case a little but its not hard at all.

 

[hovenga67]

I have 6.5" superlift springs in the front and an ORD shackle flip kit in the rear. BOth my driveshafts are stock. I bought the t case drop kit and haven't put it on yet because the shafts reached fine and the angle wasn't bad. I aslo bought the ORD stainless brake lines. They can make them any length you need. The lift springs have a shim that helps the angle and the flip kit moves the spring ahead and makes up for the angle.
Brent

 

[4bogginchevys]

A transfercase drop will make the front shaft angle worse.....ask me how many front shafts got ruined at the CV before I took the drop out and put it back to stock. Most lifts up to 4" dont need driveline mods, if your going bigger than that I would use hovenga's idea.

BTW: a tranfer drop only gains 1/2" at the slip yoke

 

[bsalbrig]

I have 6.5" superlift springs in the front and an ORD shackle flip kit in the rear. BOth my driveshafts are stock. I bought the t case drop kit and haven't put it on yet because the shafts reached fine and the angle wasn't bad. I aslo bought the ORD stainless brake lines. They can make them any length you need. The lift springs have a shim that helps the angle and the flip kit moves the spring ahead and makes up for the angle.
Brent

If you are talking about the angle shims for the front suspension, the shims are supposed to be placed with the larger angle to the back and make the pinion angle worse. They are there so the truck will still track straight.

 

[hovenga67]

i put the big part forward. It tracks just fine and pinion angle is better that way.
Brent

 

[akonitony]

A transfercase drop will make the front shaft angle worse.....ask me how many front shafts got ruined at the CV before I took the drop out and put it back to stock. Most lifts up to 4" dont need driveline mods, if your going bigger than that I would use hovenga's idea.

BTW: a tranfer drop only gains 1/2" at the slip yoke

I would have to agree this assertion. Keeping the T-case in it's original location will help your front CV joint live twice as long.

 

[akonitony]

If you are talking about the angle shims for the front suspension, the shims are supposed to be placed with the larger angle to the back and make the pinion angle worse. They are there so the truck will still track straight.

Have to disagree with you on this 'un. Never in all of tarnation (which is huge) have I heard of putting the thicker part of the wedge in back on the front leafs. If you look on some of them, they tell you on the wedge the thick part goes away from the truck.

 

[akonitony]

i put the big part forward. It tracks just fine and pinion angle is better that way.
Brent

Yeah... wha he said!

 

[bolognablake]

Have to disagree with you on this 'un. Never in all of tarnation (which is huge) have I heard of putting the thicker part of the wedge in back on the front leafs. If you look on some of them, they tell you on the wedge the thick part goes away from the truck.

You would put the thick part towards the back to add caster, if necessary.

But that typically only happens if you swap axles. I had my 2004 Tacoma that way for a while before I eventually cut and re welded the knuckles.

 

[POOR WHITE BOY]

You donot need to lower your transfercase with a 3.5 lift kit. I put a steering block on mine when i lifted it - goes on the top of driverside steering knuckle under the steering arm. Installed new studs with this to.

 

[bsalbrig]

On my lift kit, had I installed the shims to cheat on my front drive shaft I would have negative caster. I installed them to add to my caster so my truck will still drive good on the highway.

Figure 12-2.—Caster angle.

Using the caster to raise your pinion will let you run a lesser drive shaft but at the cost of drive ability.

 

[Garandfan]

I became pretty familiar with my buddy's 1008 that he got a couple months ago. It has a 6" lift from rough country (I believe) and hummer tires. The T case was not lowered nor did I see any extensions for the drive shafts. There are however, issues with the steering radius. There was not enough travel for the arm to steer the tires. Need to change that out. By the way, Banks turbos are cool, they definitely add more power, but suck to install and you would need the girdle kit to prevent spider cracking. DO YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE YOU DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!

 

[akfreak]

Have to disagree with you on this 'un. Never in all of tarnation (which is huge) have I heard of putting the thicker part of the wedge in back on the front leafs. If you look on some of them, they tell you on the wedge the thick part goes away from the truck.

Agreed. If you put the shim with the thick part back, you will rotate the pinion downward, making the angle worse. You can do it that way in the rear because it rotates the pinion upwards since it is on the front side of the axle.

I have had many a Chevy and right now my current is an 84 K5 with a 4" lift and 35's. The t-case was dropped 1" and I have had no problems with the front driveshaft whatsoever and the brake lines have had the bracket moved to the bottom of the frame. I dont even have shims in the front and my angles are dang near perfect. With the amount of lift you are seeking, you shouldn't have to do anything but move the brake lines if you plan to wheel it. If not, you dont even need to do that. I don't have anything done to the steering either and it turns and tracks just fine.

 

[akonitony]

Here are some pics of the front end of the M1008 I am currently working on. The 2.5-degree wedges placed the castor angle back to just about stock, and also fixed the pinion angle. In the pics it looks like the castor angle is tilted some, but the truck is actually parked on a slight incline with the e-brake engaged and the rear tires chocked so it won't go anywhere when I am torquing on stuff. When you compare it to the plane of the bottom of the frame, it is pretty much perfectly perpendicular. The 52" spring conversion I used from Virginia 4x4 along with the 6" shackles from DIY4X at the rear of the front springs places everything correctly. Total cost for the front part of the lift was about $200, excluding the springs which were left over from my M1009 I put an 8" superlift on.