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40's on 7"?

17K views 153 replies 23 participants last post by  ddgeramcharger79 
#1 ·
89 w150 reg cab sb

Plan is 4" RC lift + 3" body

Will this clear 40 ground hawgs ( which run small) on 15x10's?

I mean for street driving purposes only.  Id prefer not to trim the fenders.

 
#2 ·
would not recommend a suspension lift and a body lift just to get bigger tires to cruise with... its your truck but imho not safe and i wouldn't drive it
 
#3 ·
Theres nothing wrong with running a body and suspension lift combined.  Its not even against the law.  I run 9 + 3 and 42's on my 94 2nd gen.  No problems.  The problem with body lifts is that many of the older trucks had some home made booty fab stuff holding them together.
 
#5 ·
being legal and being safe are completely different... i can drag a 10000 lb trailer with a dodge dakota with a lil work... its legal... but it aint safe...  a setup like those is not long for the world once introduced to many off-road trips... if u dont intend to off-road it, thats up to u but if your gonna spend all that money setting it up to play in the dirt/mud/ or on the rocks and then not... perhaps i could interest you in some beach front property in arizona?  bottom line its your rig... i dont think it would fit without hackin the fenders... 35's on an 80's model truck needs at least 4"lift  on the pavement... to go 40's id say maybe 9 or 10" lift and then unless your mud bogging its just senseless to put a truck that high... imo...to build as mall crawler as the term is thrown about to me is childish and pointless
 
#6 ·
40" tires with 1/2 ton brakes and stock gears.  Wonderful.   ::)
 
#7 ·
again just cause u CAN doesnt equate to SHOULD
 
#8 ·
Forget I asked guys....    3" isnt alot of body lift... thats why they stop at 3".  I didnt say I was going to use the truck for a race car.  Why is everyone so negative?  Ive seen lots of 1/2 ton trucks on this site with 38 and 40" tires.....    with body and susp lifts.

I just wanted information on clearance on this body style truck with a 40 hawg and 7", but Ill figure it out on my own.
 
G
#9 ·
No you can't run it like that.  I have run 40s with no fender trimming with 13" of lift.  44s with 13" and major trimming.  I have run 7" of lift and 35x15.5 swamper tsl sx tires (wide) but they would rub a little bit turned and articulated. 

Dodges were cursed with small wheel well openings. 

You should keep it low, trim whatever you need.  I know a guy running 44s and 8" lift fenders whacked and his truck looks awesome.

And body lifts don't bother me. I never had a problem with one.  These guys never did either, if they did it right.  Makes more clearance to get to bell housing bolts and lets valve covers clear brake boosters. 
 
#10 ·
It's your truck man, and it's up to you. I'm not gonna knock your decision for Big Tires.

A 7" Suspension Lift would be a better way to go, because while the 3" Body Lift is legal and safe to an extent it's not something i would trust.

I can feel the floors flex (when the truck is at an extreme angle) in my dad's '75 D300 Dumptruck with stock height bushings, a 3" Body Lift is going to amplify that and lead to stressed mounts and cracked panels.  There are alternatives, but they require alot of work (custom body mounts on the Frame & Cab, aswell as a redesigned structure/support under the floor).

With 7" of Suspension Lift you don't have to worry about the issues that come with a body lift, and it should clear the 40's for a Street Rig. I can technically fit the 40's off of my diesel under my '76 Ramcharger with stock suspension.  The 40's don't have alot of room with the stock suspension though, infact i would be afraid to sit in the RC or turn the wheels  :p

4" wouldn't be enough because the tires would eat the fenders when you turn the wheel or pull over a curb/bump (like into a parking lot or gas station) 7" would get you close, just don't take it off roading or it will make it's own clearence/space for the tires to fit.

That being said, Fender Trimming/Cutting can be done and look stock/awesome (check out the build thread for BradicusX's Ramcharger). I knocked nearly 3" out of the Front & Rear of the Fenders on my Diesel and tapered the cuts (with excess to create a new lip on the inside of the fender) so that when it's done it looks stock, only with more room.
 
G
#11 ·
I disagree.  Any truck will have body flex, body lift or not.  I have a crew cab sitting in my garage right now with no body lift and the body torn in the usual places from body flex. 

Then you have to deal with driveline angles.  7" of lift you will definitely have driveline issues.  Especially with the short front driveline.  You start turning pinions up, then you have caster issues.  Not to mention the rough ride with the more arched spring.  7" you're going to want to do a crossover steering, longer driveshafts, brake lines, e brake cable issues, etc.

I'd do 4" with a suspension lift.  I won't go higher than 6" anymore with leaves.  Just my opinion. 

Up to you though.
 
#12 ·
yes they will fit a 40 hawg runs short like u say they only about 37.they may rub at full steering lock and flex but a pavement pounder will be fine if u adjust the steering locks out and extend the bump stops they will work.
 i would advise to box in the cab mounts with a 3 body lift cause they will break.i have 8 sus. and 3 body only to clear the 440 vavle covers.but my roll cage is tied into my frame so i have no body flex.
 
#13 ·
run your 4" lift and 3" body lift with those tires if you already got the lift. but if you havent got it just save yourself the head ache and get 6"lift 2"body and cruise the mall all day..... ;D

 
#14 ·
Yeah 6 and 3 would be just right for 40's hawgs. Some guys hate body lifts, me i kinda like them and have no problems with them.  Its cheap, and the best part is they are easier to work on, pullin tranny's and what not is a breeze, lots more room to work with. on my off road rig it makes its nice to pressure wash the underside, tops of trnny and case. But yes on the road, something you drive everyday, there is some body flex. so there are pros and cons
 
#15 ·
when it comes to pullin trans a 48" impact extension and a set if universal joint impact socket and bell housing bolts are out and done in 5 minutes tops...
 
#16 ·
madd_hatter_rc1979 said:
would not recommend a suspension lift and a body lift just to get bigger tires to cruise with... its your truck but imho not safe and i wouldn't drive it
its very common

especially on the street...

i dont like body lifts but i run this combo daily and never have any trouble

Rambunctious86 said:
3" is a lot of body lift. You will see a lot of flex at the mounts. They are alos a pain in the ass to install.
it doesnt flex to bad if you have a roll bar :p

im not one for huge suspension lifts my self either... to top heavy for an RC.. its best to keep it low and just trim the fenders... if you want it to look good then take a look at Brad's RC.. i love the way the fender trimming turned out on it {cool}
 
#17 ·
There is nothing wrong with body lifts. They do what they are designed to do. That is give lift by making more space between the frame and body. Most people claim that body lifts cause problems when the frame has to flex, but the problem isn't really associated with the body lift. Most truck frames are designed to flex, however the body of most trucks do not flex as much as the frame. This is why the typical pick up truck are built as a separate cab and bed. But in trucks such as SUVs which are not separated, the longer body has to flex with the frame, and this is why stress cracks can develop in body panels. The only ways to reduce or prevent body flex, is to stiffen the frame, which can be done by boxing or adding a roll cage, or install flexible body mounts, such as springs, air bags (Think tractor trailer air ride cab) or flex mounts. Once the body can be isolated from the frame, the frame can flex while the body stays in place. At that point it doesn't really matter how much space exists between the body and the frame, other than the need for all the parts which connect between the body and frame (Such as steering column, brake lines and shifter linkages, etc.)

Ed
 
#18 ·
My main complaint with body lifts is the leverage it puts on the body mount brackets on the frame and the bolts.  We had a wreck here on the highway recently where a Toyota flopped over and ripped the cab completely off the frame.  Only the wiring and steering column seemed to be holding it attached.  I've also seen a lot of broken frame brackets and mount bolts.  Couple that with the fact that you only gain clearance, not articulation and I just don't think they are worth the trouble.
 
#20 ·
Exactly, so why make it worse?
 
#22 ·
I have my truck set up with 12" of suspension lift and 40" Hawg's.  I think mine measure out to just a little over 38".  I moved my front axle forward 4" as well so I can turn and not murder my fenders.  I also used 56" Chevy springs on all 4 corners, so it'll flex pretty well, but it's mainly built to be a mud truck.  I used Chevy 3/4 ton axles, D44 front and 14b FF rear axle for now.  I'll get a D60 up front in about a year or so.
 
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#23 ·
Elwenil said:
Exactly, so why make it worse?
How does it make it worse? The puck it sits on is roughly the same size. If your bolts are torqued correctly there will be no more stress on the bolts. I personally am past putting body lifts on a truck. I'd rather cut the fenders. But if these body lifts were as dangerous as people are saying they are, they would have been outlawed long ago. I wonder how many body lifts have been made. Maybe you should be complaining about Dodge's crappy body mounts instead.
 
#24 ·
By lengthening the mount you increase the leverage the weight of the body has on the mounts.  Why else do you think they are legally limited to 2" or 3" in most, if not all states?  It's the same as using a longer wrench on a bolt.
 
#25 ·
ok that maybe true lanty but how fast in a turn would u have to be going to get the mounts to flex so much to break them  ?  in a 4x4 u will never do it before u flipped the truck over anyhow ..just physics i am not gonna explain the formula to figure it out but it's out there anyhow ...i dont much care for a body lift but if i had a semi custom rig i would run one with a tire over 38 inches for sure ...but its all good ...and dude ground hawgs suck on the street i couldnt stand the 33's i ran for awhile ..horrible in the rain and well ur gonna pay in long run for running a half ton gear eventually ...and well wont even get into gears ..thing will be a total turd taking off with stock gearing in it ...i would seriuosly reconsider ur choice in tire size ...u need to build the truck around the tire not the other way around ...running a 40 is fine if u do it right ...way ur doing it is well not right imho anyhow ...but hey its ur rig do what u want ...most people step up to a bigger tire in a few times of lifting and modifications along the way ...i dunno man ...i like keepin it simple and not uber huge looks kewl but i like to drive my rig alot on the road and have a safe rig rather than something that is not all that well built and will be dangerous on the street cuz u have it built in such a way thats not conducive to the vehicles ability to stop its own factory weight let alone big ole 40's ...i say heed the advice man
 
#26 ·
Who said anything about high speed turns?  I've seen them break on a normal wheeling run and the cab sitting all crooked on the frame which pretty much makes the vehicle undriveable.  One extreme case was a friend and his '80s F150 stepside that ran a tough truck competition at a nearby civic center.  On the 60 mile drive home they went off the road because the cab shifted locking the steering wheel with the 4 speed shifter about the only thing holding the cab on the frame.  If you want to run them, fine, but don't overlook the bad points just because a bunch of mall crawlers haven't had any problems with them.
 
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