help quick, body lift rear bumper install

[SmokeyMcBlazer]

marks pics aren't great and it seems my brackets are differnt then the ones pictured. anyone with pics or help? its all taken apart now

[Grimor]

post some pics of where you're at and I'll try to give you whatever guidance I can.

do your brackets look like the ones on the left?


there should of been a sheet of modified instructions with your kit for the new brackets. they are different than the instructions on the website.

it was remove rear bumper, cut off each arm on the bumper some amount (you will cut off one of the stock welded on nuts on each arm) Then you just notch the frame rails so the brackets and bumper arms will fit 3" higher

[SmokeyMcBlazer]

Yeah bro, those are the brackets. I didn't see any extra instructions but that doesn't mean they weren't there tho.

I didn't see your reply before the action though. We ended up trimming some metal from the bumper, basically on the part of the bumper with the captured nuts. We cut length wise under the three captured nuts and didn't cut the frame at all.

The bumper bolts to the bracket and sits on top of the frame. I think I'm gonna make up a bracket to run from the spot on the frame where the 3rd stock mounting hole is, up above the top of the frame and bolt through it into the 3rd captured nut. Maybe even weld along the seam between the bumper "tab" and the frame on each side, I haven't decided yet.

[v7guy]

What Dennis describes is how you're suppose to go about it. We had the same issues when I installed the first body lift. Sounds like you got it figured out though.

[SmokeyMcBlazer]

Cool, I think what we did should be ok. I do tow with the truck so, I probably will have it weld it a little. Everything seemed to go pretty smooth except that one of the captured nuts for the second to rear drivers side body mount spun freely. We had to pull some carpet and cut a hole into the floor above it. The hole was small and the channel runs below it so I don't think it'll cause me any grief. Its not open to the elements or anything.

[Opeth]

Look in my build thread, I've got some pics of those brackets half installed and how much of the frame needed to be notched.

[v7guy]

You should not tow with those brackets/body lift. It's not anywhere close to as strong as stock.

[SmokeyMcBlazer]

so, nobody with a body lift tows anything? wish I had known that before hand...

I'm gonna go to a welding shop and have everything back there welded into a solid chunk of metal. The truck has to tow or its useless to me...

[v7guy]

Since you didn't cut the frame it should be a lot stronger than if you did. If the only thing you cut is shown in the pic I'd say your probably good to go. Might want to add the lip back in if your able.
Guys tow with the bracket. But when you think about the thin (now unboxed) metal of the frame rail supporting the bumper I'm sure you can understand why it's a horrible idea.

After you notch the frame it's kind of equivalent to welding a piece of 1/8" thick L channel to the frame then bolting a hitch on to that and towing with it.

[Grimor]

I've towed with my lift and haven't had a problem. no deflection on the receiver, no noticeable flex either. and this is with a 12" drop pulling a 8x18 loaded trailer.

[SmokeyMcBlazer]

Yeah Jason, the only cut was the one shown. Instead of cutting the bumper support down and notching the frame up to the spare tire cross member, we cut the bottom lip from the bumper support horizontally (as it sits when installed). Now the bumper supports sit ontop of the frame but run all the way back to their original position.

I think I'll have the bumper supports welded to the frame rail along the edge that we cut off. That way the bumper is permanently attached to the truck. If I ever get a custom bumper for the rear, I'll just have the current bumper chopped back off.

Oh... and thanks for the personal experience regarding towing Dennis!

[Opeth]

I tow my 3500lb boat with them, however I will say don't tow through a tire carrier extension. There is too much slop in the holes and my brackets dipped down a few degrees and the steel bumper was actually pushing out on the bumper cover. I tried to use larger bolts but the frame holes are too small and my drill wouldn't accept the correct bit into the chock. The lower two bolts which go through the frame weren't the ones pivoting but it was the two which connect the bumper to the bracket.

If you weld both the brackets to the frame and run a weld bead on the steel bumper to the bracket you should be more than good. I think you should have mocked the brackets and bumper up first before you welded the brackets, mine don't sit level when my bumper does.

[HARDTRAILZ]

I never had any issue towing anything with my body lift and rear bumper brackets.

[v7guy]

Must be just fine then! I stand corrected.

Tow on guys!

[HARDTRAILZ]

Its worth watching, but several body lifts in use and no reported issues.

[SmokeyMcBlazer]

Cool guys, thanks for the update. I'm still gonna get some welding done back there just for piece of mind if nothing else. I paid a lot for my atv, don't want to leave it on the highway lol.

[ErikSS]

Kyle, do you have the new or old style brackets?

[HARDTRAILZ]

None now. I think I had both. I proto typed a solid dozen sets of the original when the first 3 inchers were being developed. I had a different set later down road when high voltage took over the body lifts to save them.

Regulator has my rear bumper and brackets currently. Unless he left it w Barton when they worked on his rear adaptation.

[Regulator1175]

None now. I think I had both. I proto typed a solid dozen sets of the original when the first 3 inchers were being developed. I had a different set later down road when high voltage took over the body lifts to save them.

Regulator has my rear bumper and brackets currently. Unless he left it w Barton when they worked on his rear adaptation.

Yup, they were left in Camby for you to pick up. I thought that was an easier plan, although I have been to your house twice since.

The bumper brackets pulled a 3/4 ton Chevy long bed on a flatbed trailer and had no problems at all. Overheated my trans, but that is a whole separate issue!