On my lc I have a 2.5 inch bodylift. What i have begun to do is raise the running gear up so that i can have a flat belly pan. All is turning out great so far. My question is, how will this effect my center of gravity? enough to be concerned?

well has any one ever done this or heard of anyone doing this? just trying to get some input............

hogie71 has a 2" body lift on his cruiser and i dont think anything hangs below the frame on his..his is super TALL though, so I dont know how it would affect his center of gravity...well that, and it doesnt run, so he doesnt know how it will drive/perform...get that thing done already kurt :flipoff2:

I pretty much have done what you are trying to do. I have a SOA with 2.5" body lift. I also replaced the leafs with ones from a Jeep, real flexy and tall as all hell. I have the engine, tran, and tcase all tucked up inside the frame rails. With that said, on stock axles, it was really scary, just to damn tall. So I put on a 65" front D44 and a rear 61" D44, now it felt good on the 35's. 3 weeks ago I put on 38's, and I think it feels alright, really have not had a chance to get in an off camber situation. I was able to walk through a 3-3.5 foot deep ditch with ease, and I was trying to get in a situation to really make me nervous, but could not. Part of that may be do to not being locked, will be welding up the front and rear here real soon. Been working on the hi-steer and ram assist. I would get a full cage, that's one thing that seems to get pushed backed and back. Soon though.
Later
Jim

Scott,
When I put my Atlas II on my Cruiser, I had to index the output all the way down due to body clearance problems. When I did this, my transfer case went well below the frame. In fact, I use a 3/16 Con Fer skid plate in its stock form and I have hit it maybe 2 times on the trail. I think this idea is OK, but I don't think you will get enough value out of it to warrant the extesive modifications needed.

One thing I will say about having a low CG. When I first went to 38's with the monster spring under and stock axles, I was tall and tippy as hell. I laid Kate over just about every other time I went wheeling.

When I went SOA, I had my axles made 62" wide and I use 14.40" tires. I actually went LOWER with the SOA than with my SUA.

80" tall and 79" wide. It is very, very nice now. I can ped my tiltometer at 45* + and I still stay on the rubber.

If I were you, I would be thinking wide, with as much weight low as possible.

i have a fj60 full floater on the Christmas list. this well give me 3 more inches and with the spacer i got from you nolen that well give me a total of 7 inches more width in the rear. as for the front i want 2 inch spacers for that too. with all that said i am thinking of offset wheels to give an even wider stance. i know that this may not be great on the bearings but i figured i would try it. not to many mods to do the "lift" just 2 inch spacer blocks for the bell housing and the engine. drive shafts are too short but i have moved the front axle forward and starting moving the rear to the back , so they had to me changed anyway. i guess i am trying to stay landcrusier as much as i can. i know that other axles are wider and stronger.....just no ready to go that route yet.

Scott,
If you recall, I tried to save the Cruiser axles as long as possible and they just cost me a lot of headaches and pain once I moved out of Louisiana. Stay there and wheel and you will be fine with the Birfs and stuff.

As for the width, If you get offset wheels (2" backspacing), I think you will have problems combining those with 2" aluminum wheel spacers.

I would try the spacers first and see where you are, then try the offset wheels.

I heard someone talking about a good rule of thumb for lifting...

"For every 4 inches up you need at least 2 inches out"

That can be axles, tires, whatever to get your truck wide enough to not be crazy tippy.

My 55 is now very tall with my new lift (4" over stock, still SUA). I added 12.50s from my 10.50s and I am running exactly as I was prior to the lift in the tippy department.

I took it out in Northern Georgia on a fun trail that I go on often and never felt uncomfortable.

Maybe there is something to that formula?