Front Unibody Lift Kit

[SynthDesign]

So I've been contemplating this for as long as I've owned a T4WD.
I know the Aussies have done it with a kit and there's still a few about.
So here's what I've kinda worked out. I guess I want to know what your guys thoughts are. I've spoken to a few people and showed them my intentions and they agreed it was sound so I throw it out for criticism.

The intention: 2" lift, Space strut tops, front crossmember, A arm mounts,transmission mounts and drive line mounts. Will it keep all the geometry the same just raising everything 2"? Like a body lift on a truck?
This is kinda the idea but obivously not for our tercels

lift kit options.jpg

Items required:
Spacer mounts for strut tops w/ mounting hardware Left & Right 2" height
Front crossmember spacers x2 w/ 2" longer than stock grade 8 bolts x4 2" height
A Arm drop links x2 w/ hardware x2 -->Minimum height est about 2.25"
Trans mount spacers x2 w/ 2" longer than stock grade 8 bolts x2 2" height
Carrier bearing Spacers x2 w/ 2" longer than stock grade 8 bolts x2 2" height or shorter depending on rear lift.
Numerous larger exhaust donuts.

I like the Jeep spring idea for the rear btw. The ideal goal for me would be a 1.5" new spring w body lift for the front= 3.5" Jeep spring rear lift 3.5"

So fully loaded for camping with the roofrack and all, Maybe 3" front and rear lift would clear 28 light truck tires on 14" rims.

I'm not not sure if the shifters will cause an issue when it's dropped. I know the 4wd shifter can be adjusted to work. The exhaust might be a bit tricky to hang right. I think the U-joint can handle the gap. There might be some hoses or wires that need rerouting or lengthening. I think the brake lines have enough length, Maybe not.

What else am I missing or is this just a bad idea?

[gatemaster]

do you have any pics of how this lift looks when done? Won't it take more power to turn the truck tires? What about added tranny strain? I generally like the idea but don't know if it is worth it.

[SynthDesign]

do you have any pics of how this lift looks when done? Won't it take more power to turn the truck tires? What about added tranny strain? I generally like the idea but don't know if it is worth it.

No I don't have any pics yet. I could photo shop one I guess?? I started prototyping the kit, but I'm curious about what others think before I commit to cutting out the strut tower spacers and begin fab'ing.
As for the light truck tires, they are a bit heavier, about 33lbs but nothing like a standard or heavy duty truck tire weight wise. More power to turn them, yes defiantly. Not a problem w/ my 4age swap. As for trans strain....probably. Again, I'm, just me personally, shooting for light truck tires. Not full sized swampers but that could be an option down the road or for other people. Really I just need about 2 inches more clearance to get to my favorite camping spots. I hate dragging Unibody. I currently carry a few 4x8x96"s for places of high centering in ruts. This works but It's a huge weight issue and a pain in the ass to do in the rain. The 27's barely clear the stock suspension and if it got flexed out, you'd be hung up on unibody or fenders. When it comes to that I'll probably have to hack and fold the fenders.
I referenced this from tirerack:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Spec.jsp? ... R4GRAT2OWL
overall diameter is about 26.8"
I run spec 175/70R13 Sumitomo HTR200 16lbs with a diameter 22.75"
So half the weight of a LT tire but about 4" in diameter difference.
Plus 14"rims mean I can run MR2 front brakes so better stopping.

[gatemaster]

I know the Aussies have done it with a kit and there's still a few about

I meant pics of the Aussie cars. The larger diameter tires will increase drive ratio which puts additional strain on the trans.
It sounds like a good idea if not too hard.

[Mattel]

These guys make Subaru body lift kits which are similar.
http://scorpionsubaru.com/product.htm

[SynthDesign]

Thx for the link Mattel.
I beleive that the company who made the lift kit for the T4WD was Aussie 4x4. I think they closed shop in the late 90's.

I'll have a tech drawing in the next few days to represent what I'm thinking.

Synth

[SynthDesign]

Instead of cutting spacers from rod stock, I found out Lowe's sell them in a few different lengths. .5", .75",1" and 2". Buying a hand full of spacers instead is way easier for a few bucks.

[atoyta]

The shifter could be cut and a length of rod could be welded in. Marlin Crawler makes a short throw shifter for Toyota trucks. Something of this design could possibly work.

[SynthDesign]

I don't think the shifter will be a problem the more I look at it.

Maybe the lift would look something like this. No engine, drivetrain or gastank. Maybe a little more.

lifted tercel2.jpg

lifted tercel1.jpg

Makes the stock wheels look tiny!

Also the plates for the struts can be made way easier if I get lazy and just pop the studs out and replace them with bolts.

strut plate.jpg

[Mac]

I think it would be pretty easy to do, but there are lots of little things to take into account which you've already thought of.

IIRC the engine mounts to the front sub frame, I would just shim the subframe down, do the same with the transmission mounts, the front control arms being moved down would be a good idea and at the same time i would incorporate a cross member to eliminate some (if not lots) of the body flex, the control arms mounting points on the tercel are a real weak spot if you ask me.

the wiring harness should have enough slack in it, the fuel lines will need to be lengthened slightly (from the firewall to the engine only), then trim the lower rad hose a little shorter and re mount the upper rad hose. I'd take the shifter to a machine shop and ask them to weld in a 2" length of metal or something.

[SynthDesign]

I have been engineering a drop link for the a-arm mounts. I completely agree that tying the mounts together would increase rigidity. It also give me a solid mount to fab a skid guard onto.

I think the sifter should be fine. Just a bit lower. Maybe a shift Know extender?

[Petros]

I would not lengthen the shifter, it is too long as it is. I have a spare shift lever and I was thinking to cut off about an inch and a half to make a short throw "speed shifter". One with less swing. it would make it easier to reach the radio controls too.

I do not think you will notice the shifter dropping an inch or two.