Lifted 2wd Vans

[1sweetvan]

This should work:

http://maxx-lift.com/e250-e350-2wd-leveling-kit-2-inch.html

There is a thread and pictures here:

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1064777-2010-e350-wheels-tires-suspension-mods.html

I went with taller/ stiffer springs and gainned 1-5/8" in height but find the ride a little stiff. I'm going to try these spacers next.

 

[Eaglefreek]

Esp. with other projects in the mix ie 77' RX3SP.

Pics Please! :Mechanic:

 

[MadChad]

OK,here is the current hole getting filled.

 

[Meekerfam]

those are the spacers i used on the front of my 86. 2.5" lift run 33's

 

[Maximus Ram]

Good to know that you can use some of the truck lifts on the older E vans. MOst that are in my $$ range are the late 80's / early 90's , so unless that money tree starts to produce....:sombrero:

 

[Meekerfam]

only issue is the alingment will be out a little. with my 33's on it for 6 months i didn't notice any wear out of the norm for a ford van. look at the pics i have and you can see they are a little out of camber. I did the lift and tires and took to alingment shop. was out less than 5 degrees. am now looking to see if i change out the twin I beam set up from a newer year (junk yard parts) set up so i can have more adjustment with cast and cambler.
I did a little fender trimming to make sure that at extreme fullk turn i was not contacting the fenders. send me a email or personal message and we can talk more. I went with a later year model for 2 reasons. $$$$ and the older diesels had no electronics on therm. power doors windows stuff. but the engine is all mechanical and easy to trouble shoot.

 

[1sweetvan]

Meeker: So did you use the 2.5" spacers for the F series or the 2" for the E's? Also, does your van have king pins?

 

[Meekerfam]

yes used the f350 spacers. just make sure to size the bolt extentions before ordering. there are 2 sizes.

as for the kingpin questions, yes. thus the inability to change the camber.

 

[the boogie van]

here is my 91.

previous owner is a buddy of mine, he was building this as a tow rig for his pre-runner and to be a chase/camp vehicle. he bent the beams himself and built the shock towers. its sitting around 4" of lift, the radius arms are still stock so that is on the fix list (gonna be fully boxed, with a johnny joint at the frame). he didn't get around to lifting the rear before i got it either, plan is to use a add-a-leaf to level it out a little. it drives a little weird with ~3* negative camber and 0* of caster, but still gets down the road just fine. much better road manners than a stock van (better suspension dampers, more up travel). when i get the new arms finished, it should cycle around 12" of wheel travel.

to be perfectly honest, i'm not sold on a 4wd conversion but if i lived somewhere that snowed i would probably think differently. its a pretty big ride and mileage tradeoff to me. i previously built a 1 ton fullsize bronco and while the D60 solid axle was nice for strength and crawling, the ride and performance in the rough was no where near what it was with the I-beam setup. this van continues to surprise me off the pavement, great traction (good weight balance compared to a pickup/suv) and absorbs everything at a very reasonable speed (for a near 4 ton vehicle). i think with a good limited slip it would get me everywhere i could possibly want to take it. the ford i beam setup is a stout setup that gets very good suspension travel with a little bit of tweaking (longer shocks, better springs). vans actually use the longest beams and arms which results in great manners.

thats my lengthy take, i wouldn't hesitate to throw some longer coils in there and get it out of the weeds. its actually kinda funny how much clearance vans actually have when lifted.

 

[1sweetvan]

Hey boogie van, that looks great!

 

[Maximus Ram]

Nice van , Boogie Van....I'll have to keep an eye for it the next time 'm in SC.
My thought is, if/when I find one I can afford, I'll lift it 2-4" , put an air locker in the rear, a winch up front, some nice AT's and live with it for a bit and see if I 4x conversion is what I really need/want. Meanwhile building the interior.

 

[Ozarker]

Nice work! How do they work out for ya? Solid!

 

[AUTO360]

Great thread! This is exactly what I need. I have an 03 E350 with the 7.3 and want to do a lift. I put 265's on it with black wheels and while it does look good it really does need a bit of lift. But, 4wd conversion is just too hard to justify and even the camburg lift which is awesome looking is a touch over 3 grand. So, I think a 2 in leveling lift will be perfect. Add a smittybuilt winch and some type of rear locker and I should be golden for where I would take the Van. In Az a locker and a little ground clearance goes a long ways....and a winch for those sticky times. Sure is great having a forum like this one!

 

[simonliew]

tHAT IS A NICE rx-3
SIMON

 

[Sick N Twisted Designs]

kool thread and thanks for the pics....

i just purchased a 92 E250

its lifted already using eibach springs and i think rancho shocks on the front....

running 16" rims with 295/75/16 BFG tires

its a cargo and we will doing some updates , front and rear custom bumpers, custom roof rack etc

already updated the inside door panels to a early 2000's i think what a difference..... we are a little lucky that we have a junk yard next to our shop so i can walf through dailey and see if theres anything good to get.....

ill try to post pics tomorrow....

Randy