To lift or cut crew cab tow rig for 37's

[jimmer]

OK...been serching my ass off...but have not found what I am looking for exactly.

I have an 88 V30 Crew Cab with a 6bt cummins and nv4500 swapped in place of the anemic tbi 350. This is my tow pig for the 8 foot slide in camper and 18' car trailer with the willys rock crawler.

In order to lower my rpm's with the 4.10's and 4500...I am gonna run 37x12.50 grooved wrangler's from 406yj. Here is a pic of the tires installled with NO lift...and you can see the lack of clearance in the front, and it is tight in
the rear.









My question is...should I trim the shitout of the front and rear and run NO lift...or should I spring for some new springs in front and shackle flip the rear? I would like to keep it as low as possible...so if I do lift... it would be 4 in front and flip in the rear with a trim.

Post up ur trim only pix if you have them...

Flame suit on.

btw...
Here is a crappy side pic with shadows.

[K5runner@hotmail.com]

Cut and re-weld the fender openings bigger. If you can't do it take it to a body shop that will. I think its the only option you will be happy with in the end. Lifting it will only make it less stable. But you can keep a clean look if you take your time and make the openings bigger.

[adam5432002]

I have the same truck (minus the cummins) it has 6" springs on it with a rear shackle flip. I would run the 4" Soft ride front springs and rear 2.5" ORD shackle flip. Thats how im doing my crew cab but 64's in back.
My dodge 250 will have Deaver 52" springs in front and 1 ton 64's. Did you think about running 64's out back yet?

[b454rat]

IMO in needs a little lift. I'm not a big fan of stuff the biggest possible tire with the littest amount of trimming, but, that's just me.

But with a 32" tire, you will be turning little over 2k @70 with the 4500. 37s will be 1900.

For reference, my crew has aboot 8" total with 40" swampers.....

[adam5432002]

6" with 37s







Too big for me..... Taking the 6" out and eather running 4" like I said or 2.5 Ranchos I have.

[jimmer]

Originally Posted by adam5432002

I have the same truck (minus the cummins) it has 6" springs on it with a rear shackle flip. I would run the 4" Soft ride front springs and rear 2.5" ORD shackle flip. Thats how im doing my crew cab but 64's in back.
My dodge 250 will have Deaver 52" springs in front and 1 ton 64's. Did you think about running 64's out back yet?

I think about it everyday...but do now want ot dump the side tanks to run a 40 gal burb tank...and then move the shocks out board too.

The rpm's at 70 are good with the 33's...but at 75 which is the speed limit here.. doing 80 means still getting just about run over, hence the 37's. Plus we can get some good size snow drifts in this area of Colorado.

Yeah...looking at pics of the 6" lift...that is a bit much for me too.

love the look of this cucv and this primer crew looks to have a slight lift too.

[adam5432002]

2.5" Lift, k20 LOADED down big time..........

Ill prolly run those springs with a zero rate in front.........

[jimmer]

Originally Posted by adam5432002

2.5" Lift, k20 LOADED down big time..........

Ill prolly run those springs with a zero rate in front.........

Zero rate to get a bit more room or to push the axle forward a bit? Looks good. Those 37's?

[adam5432002]

Push the axel forward....... And get a smidge more lift. And yes those are 37's. All those nice body panals are on my crew cab. Once my dodge and crawler are done im building the crew.

Im wondering on my crew cab im using the Avalanch cross member, do I need to use a 4" lift plus or is truck have good from for the D60 under the cummins oil pan?

[mudskipper4x4]

Kinda off track here but, how much clearance do you have between the front diff and the cummins? I would think you would want a little lift for some extra clearance between the two.

If it were mine I would go with some 4" springs up front that had the added handling capacity for the extra weight of the cummins, do a shackle flip in the rear and just do some trimming where it's needed.

[jimmer]

Originally Posted by mudskipper4x4

Kinda off track here but, how much clearance do you have between the front diff and the cummins? I would think you would want a little lift for some extra clearance between the two.

If it were mine I would go with some 4" springs up front that had the added handling capacity for the extra weight of the cummins, do a shackle flip in the rear and just do some trimming where it's needed.

That is/was my plan...I have the parts order ready to go. 2.5 flip and the 4" in the front. Bilsteins and greaseable bushings. Figured that I would ask the Pirate folks about the trimming...

I have plenty of room and there is no lift with the cummins oil pan. I am using Tennessee Diesel Conversions no lift mounts and crossmember.

Here is my build thread on the 4btswaps.com website. Plenty of pics of the crossmember motormounts and clearance.

http://www.4btswaps.com/forum/showth...y-V30-4x4-Crew

[adam5432002]

4" shouldnt be that bad......

[PERFORMANCE]

What about a 4" lift in the front with a ez inch/zero rate to move the front end forward?

[78stepsideUAK10]

4" axle forwards and trim to fit

[78k20]

I actually am going through the same issue. I have a 78 k20 single cab with an 8 foot bed and the exsact same military wrangler 37's and just ordered the 4 inch shackle flip kit for the rear, and the 4 inch ez rider spring kit for the front from ORD as well as the steering box brace kit, and extended steering arm. i think it will work fine for me but if i need another inch or so to feel comfortable i will add a inch block out back and adjust a knotch on the front shackles. IMO you need atleast some lift instead of just cutting up the fenders, espicially with the cummins in it.

[D-LUX]

as far a fitment goes when i bought my longbed it had the same 37's and a saggy 4in lift...it rubbed a bit at full stuff even with the fenders trimmed but it wasnt to bad.. id say small lift and just not worry about it

[georgiaboy2500HD]

find a good 2" softride spring for the front. that should level the truck out. if the springs are worn in the rear just buy a new, stock springpack. should sit 2" higher in the rear, and with the 2" springs up front should level it out. and no way a NV4500 with 4.10's on 32's will turn 2krpm at 70mph... i have a 2001 2500HD with the NV4500 and 4.10's on 32.5" tires... at 70mph in 5th im screamin at like 2500-2600rpm. its right at 3krpm at 80mph. im about to throw some 35-37" tires on mine to brind the rpms down some, gas mileage is horrible on the interstate.

[jimmer]

Originally Posted by georgiaboy2500HD

find a good 2" softride spring for the front. that should level the truck out. if the springs are worn in the rear just buy a new, stock springpack. should sit 2" higher in the rear, and with the 2" springs up front should level it out. and no way a NV4500 with 4.10's on 32's will turn 2krpm at 70mph... i have a 2001 2500HD with the NV4500 and 4.10's on 32.5" tires... at 70mph in 5th im screamin at like 2500-2600rpm. its right at 3krpm at 80mph. im about to throw some 35-37" tires on mine to brind the rpms down some, gas mileage is horrible on the interstate.

Assuming that you are responding to b454rat on his quote..."But with a 32" tire, you will be turning little over 2k @70 with the 4500. 37s will be 1900. "

A quick check of the gear calc pages shows that
2066 with a 32.5" tire 4.10's and .75 OD NV4500 = 65 mph
2225 rpm = 70 mph
2384 rpm = 75 mph
2702 rpm = 85 mph

With 37's...which I bet run 36.5
1981 = 70 mph
2123 = 75 mph
2406 = 85 mph

The numbers you gave...seem to equal having 4.56's...if you use that axle ratio with the nv4500 .75 gear ratio.... HUMMMMMM....

[Hillbilly]

I've got a CC LWB ton 4wd on 37" tires. I went the fender trimming/massaging route. I didn't want to gain any height as I was happy where it was. Like you I went the 37" tire direction, due to needing to drop some rpms or regear.

[jimmer]

Originally Posted by Hillbilly

I've got a CC LWB ton 4wd on 37" tires. I went the fender trimming/massaging route. I didn't want to gain any height as I was happy where it was. Like you I went the 37" tire direction, due to needing to drop some rpms or regear.

Any pics?

The tough part here as well is that the 22 year old bushings all the way around are shot. They need to be replaced anyway, and I figured that if I have to do that I might as well replace the saggy ass springs too. Humm.

I guess it is like rebuilding an axle. Got it apart...might as well drop a locker in there so u don't have to do things twice.

I was planning on getting the 4" ez rides front....wonder where the 2.5's would put me....

Post up a few more pix and I'll mull this over at work today....

[svminole]

Since this is your tow rig I would trim the fenders or look into fender flares like bushwackers pocket style and see if that will give you the clearance needed. Or you could do some aftermarket fenders. A lift would be easy but you would still probably have to trim the fenders slightly. A 4" lift with some minor fender trimming would work I think. I would go with a 4" shackle flip in back and a soft ride spring up front. Or you could put in a set of 52" springs and get the lift and better articulation. But it is your tow rig so a simple spring swap would be easier.

[jimmer]

No springs on order yet...Decided to bringout the cut off wheel and do some trimming first to see what I had/needed.

This is the before.



and here is the after. I took the lip back to the inner panel. That helps some.



I have a line on some 2.5" lift springs for the front. Will try that first and see what happens.

[trkklr77]

i alway cut the front fenders off at the bottom of te core support. frees up a lot of room and looks better.

[gee whizz]

if it were me i would make it level with a 2.5" lift. as far as making stuff clear, with those sized tires you dont really need to cut to much. anything bigger and you starting to get close to the stock steering box at full pass lock.

this is with a 2.5 front lift (52"springs), and the axle moved 2" forward
the tire are metric, but the measure roughly around a 36-35" tire.
i always cut my fenders even with the inner fender and about even with the core support (the front fender cut depends on your bumper) . with yours you still might want to run a zero rate and have your axle pushed a bit forward tho.

what did you do to make the leaves you already have work with the cummins?

[jimmer]

I did not do anything special to them...same worn out stockers. Lost about an inch of height when the cumins went in.