To Zuren.
I Am also new on this Forum,have 07 AWD and would like to lift the body 1-2 in. in order to install
skid plate under the plastic fuel tank. Please can you give me info about Your 1in. lift to help me
achiev this . Thanks John.
John -
The 1" body lift is doable; 2" may start creating more issues than you want to deal with. This mod has worked for me but please proceed at your own risk! All of this is to the best of my memory at this point.
I didn't do the best job documenting this but here is what I do know:
Parts
12 ea. - M14-2.0 x 130mm DIN 931 Class 10.9 Yellow Zinc Cap Screw (Fastenal P/N = 11114441)
http://www.fastenal.com/web/products/detail.ex?sku=11114441&ucst=t
12 ea. - Performance Accessories 1" Lift Puck (model = BB01)
http://performancelifts.com/cgi-bin/cart/PERBB01.html
Optional: 1 can of Undercoating (spray on)
Optional: 1 U-bolt with nylock nuts
Optional: Drill with bits and small hole saw
Dremel with plunge/side cutting bit
Tools
Floor jack
multiple chunks of 4x4 or 2x4s
Air tools or hand sockets with breaker bar
Torque wrench
Going greater than 1" will give you a gap that I think will look pretty ugly as well as generate problems with the steering linkage. So far I haven't had any problems with my 1" lift that gave me the clearances I wanted.
Before you do anything, decide whether you want to continue to carry the spare tire in its factory location. Remove it from the frame carrier now. If you are going to carry it elsewhere (e.g. inside, roof rack, bumper carrier) there is nothing more to worry about. If you plan to keep it underneath, read below.
I loosened the body bolts on one side until just a couple of threads were holding on and removed the bolts from the other side. Also loosen the gap guards in the front wheel wells. In the event the body tried to shift, I didn't want it going anywhere. I used the chunks of 2x4 to spread the load out as the jack lifted one side of the van (I lifted from the side at the middle to achieve equal lift front-to-rear). I only went high enough to slip the lift pucks in (be VERY careful here; I was lifting 1/2" at a time) and loosely threaded the new bolts in (coated with anti-seize). I lowered the body back down and repeated on the other side. You'll have to double check this, but I think the torque was around 60 ft.-lbs. I went around to all 12 fasteners and torqued them to spec.
Even with the 1" lift the bottom of the fan shroud needs to be trimmed. I marked what needed to be removed to give the fan clearance and cut it off with the Dremel. This wasn't easy since I decided to leave the shroud in place. It would be easier but would take MUCH longer to remove it and cut.
If you decided to carry the spare tire elsewhere, you're done. However, I wanted to carry the tire in the factory location. If you look at the back where you insert the tools to lower the tire, the tube attached to the frame no longer aligns with the hole on the body. Either you can trim the body or I elected to re-engineer the alignment on the tube. I used a hole saw to notch the frame support then used a U-bolt to hold it in place. It's pretty solid and functions well. I gave everything a shot primer and undercoating to prevent rust and rattles.
