Pickup bed strength with body lift

I drive a old chevy truck with very high
miles I got a while back for cheap, put a
differential from a '89 in it and have been
driving it since. It's got a 3 inch body
lift, not my choice just had it when I got
it.

Today while hauling some gravel, I got to
wondering about bed strength with a body
lift? On a stock truck, the bed would sit
right one the frame, correct? Or am I
wrong? Right now it's sitting on 6 or 8 3
inch spacer blocks.

Is that a structural defficiancy? Or am I
just thinking too hard and shouldn't worry
about it? Lol. Not that I normally drive
around with way too much weight in the
back, just thinking.
a261693.jpg
 
Look under your bed. IF the body lift has spacers under every bed bolt/mount that it would be as strong as OEM. IF it does not then it would be weaker.
 
Dnn't worry is a Chevy. I had a 70 chevy for 33 years. had 2.5 to 3.5 ton on it all the times.I had 4 ton on it once. never broke or bent any thing
 

Millions of Fords bodies sit on vertical pieces of 20 gauge steel that would not total one inch.
 
Normally sit on cross members. You can see them pretty good on beds that have been used to haul firewood, scrap and such. Yours will just bow the other direction.
 
(quoted from post at 23:17:14 03/17/18) Look under your bed. IF the body lift has spacers under every bed bolt/mount that it would be as strong as OEM. IF it does not then it would be weaker.

X2
 
(quoted from post at 09:28:54 03/18/18) I thought the lift kits raised the frame and and body together. What am I missing?

Bingo.... they lift at the axle mounts front and rear... not at the body... so any weakness would be the spacers/bolts, used between suspension and frame...
 
(quoted from post at 07:38:54 03/18/18)
(quoted from post at 09:28:54 03/18/18) I thought the lift kits raised the frame and and body together. What am I missing?

Bingo.... they lift at the axle mounts front and rear... not at the body... so any weakness would be the spacers/bolts, used between suspension and frame...

Body lift raises the body. Poor man's lift kit.
 
I thought the lift kits raised the frame and and body together. What am I missing?

There are different kinds of lift kits. There are body lift kits and suspension lift kits! It's that simple!
 
Bingo.... they lift at the axle mounts front and rear... not at the body... so any weakness would be the spacers/bolts, used between suspension and frame...

You obviously don't know what you're talking about! You act like body lift kits don't exist! There are different kinds of lift kits. There are body lift kits and suspension lift kits! It's that simple!
 
Like said before, as long as all of the OEM body and bed mounts have the body lift spacer in place, all is good.
There are no other points of the body or bed that rest directly on any part of the frame.
Doing so would cause noise and harsher ride and render the other OEM body mounts to be doing nothing more than keeping the body on the truck.
Body mounts are like engine mounts, they help eliminate vibrations as well.
 
(quoted from post at 10:41:09 03/18/18)
Bingo.... they lift at the axle mounts front and rear... not at the body... so any weakness would be the spacers/bolts, used between suspension and frame...

You obviously don't know what you're talking about! You act like body lift kits don't exist! There are different kinds of lift kits. There are body lift kits and suspension lift kits! It's that simple!

my bad.. I only see the old style around here. Thought he had one of those as they are on all the used trucks in my area. Sorry again...
 
There body lifts and suspension lifts, body lifts are a series of blocks separating the body from the frame.

Suspension lifts are more expensive, and in my opinion, look better. Off roaders will often do something like a 6 inch suspension lift with a 3 inch body lift. Only suspension lifts actually gain any ground clearance
 
Body lifts are better in some ways than suspension lifts. You get the bigger tires under the vehicle without changing the geometry of the driveline. Suspension kits put everything out of whack. Steering, ujoints on the driveshaft etc. Body lifts mess with the radiator hoses, steering column, shifters, brake lines. They both have good and bad points. Mostly bad!
 
(quoted from post at 22:26:39 03/18/18) Body lifts are better in some ways than suspension lifts. You get the bigger tires under the vehicle without changing the geometry of the driveline. Suspension kits put everything out of whack. Steering, ujoints on the driveshaft etc. Body lifts mess with the radiator hoses, steering column, shifters, brake lines. They both have good and bad points. Mostly bad!
es, mostly bad....at least that what the children wish to look like...'bad'. If you don't look manly enough, get both kits & a ladder. :evil:
 
(quoted from post at 10:00:37 03/19/18)
(quoted from post at 22:26:39 03/18/18) Body lifts are better in some ways than suspension lifts. You get the bigger tires under the vehicle without changing the geometry of the driveline. Suspension kits put everything out of whack. Steering, ujoints on the driveshaft etc. Body lifts mess with the radiator hoses, steering column, shifters, brake lines. They both have good and bad points. Mostly bad!
es, mostly bad....at least that what the children wish to look like...'bad'. If you don't look manly enough, get both kits & a ladder. :evil:

Yea, but todays "fad" is the "pants on the ground" looking like a hen wanting to mate.
 
(quoted from post at 09:35:28 03/20/18) 90 lbs per cubic foot. I'd guess 4ftx 7ftx1.25 or 35cu ft. multiply by 90 is 3150 lbs.

I used 1,000 lbs/ton?? and 6 ft bed instead of 7, so I was off by a factor of two+.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top