Lift Kit bolt Length - 2" vs 3"

Smokey · Post by **Smokey** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 10:18 pm

Anyone know if there is a length difference between a 2 and 3 inch's bolts where the three (L Series, manual) gearbox cross members go?

Relating to this thread. I think I reused the old 3 inch bolts. Though I really cant remember.

My lift blocks are tight and appear solid, yet there seems to be movement when driving. Yet to test by looking under moving car (camera etc). But have a hunch my bolts may be slightly long, touching under side of floorpan?

So the questions is, can anyone quote me their bolt lengths? Who makes kits these days that I can email etc? Surely they will have a hard and fast answer for me!

Post by **Alex** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 11:23 pm

Make sure the captive nuts aren't pulling out and that plate above is still intact.

It's common first that area to crack after a while. Very common

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YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 8:27 pm

Alex wrote:Make sure the captive nuts aren't pulling out and that plate above is still intact.

It's common first that area to crack after a while. Very common

Yeah I'll attest to that too!

It might be a good time to remove those blocks and inspect the captive nuts to see if they're still holding in good. If not, you'll have to work out what to do from there - weld them up and brace/weld and leave/re-body or move all the goodies over to another Subi.

If the bolt length is longer you will be touching the underside of the floor pan - especially on the inner bolt that holds the gearbox crossmember! This will also be trying to force that whole mounting plate off the firewall, it's not pretty when this happens!! It will also make for a smaller mounting area for the lift block to sit against as the captive nut will be trying to push itself out which in turn flexes the mounting area into a smaller point. Clear as mud?

Did you go from a three inch lift all round to a two inch all round? I only ask as my lift kit is three inch with two inch on the radius rod/gearbox mounts...

Cheers

Bennie

Edit: after reading Steptoe's thread about the radius rod differences between the L and MYs it had me thinking that you should also check these bushes and make sure that the radius rod bolt is done up nice and tight. If there's slop in the bushes or the bolt renew the parts - the front wheels should not be able to move back or forth freely!

Smokey · Post by **Smokey** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 12:05 pm

El_Freddo wrote:...move all the goodies over to another Subi.

Thats exactly where I have just come from. My old L wagon was nutted hard in a big hit. There is a thread or two back in 2009 about that saga. I attempted to fix but it gave up in the end anyway.

El_Freddo wrote:...If the bolt length is longer you will be touching the underside of the floor pan - especially on the inner bolt that holds the gearbox crossmember! This will also be trying to force that whole mounting plate off the firewall, it's not pretty when this happens!! It will also make for a smaller mounting area for the lift block to sit against as the captive nut will be trying to push itself out which in turn flexes the mounting area into a smaller point...

That's exactly how it feels and how I came to the idea that it might be bolt length. I'll pull out my bolts and move them around. I might have the long on e in the wrong place or something silly. Would be nice if that's all it is.

El_Freddo wrote:Did you go from a three inch lift all round to a two inch all round? I only ask as my lift kit is three inch with two inch on the radius rod/gearbox mounts...

YES! How dumb am I ahaha. I so didn't see this until you mentioned it. Only diff is I now have solid aluminium vs crush tube steel. Wanted to get the better option after my last captive nut issue. Bennie I have seen the effort you went to and think your on the money. I also think these three blocks "NEED" to be connected to spread the load. There was a thread on here somewhere a while back with someone welding them together. I would happily pay to get my hands on a set of these three in a one solid unit. Also tak of welding to the original plate itself, would achieve the same result if the other side too was welded together.

El_Freddo wrote:Edit: after reading Steptoe's thread about the radius rod differences between the L and MYs it had me thinking that you should also check these bushes and make sure that the radius rod bolt is done up nice and tight. If there's slop in the bushes or the bolt renew the parts - the front wheels should not be able to move back or forth freely!

I just read that thread too, very well explained Steptoe! I will check my bushes (nolthane) as I think I have mine in the opp way to what Steptoe said re his instructions. However the bolt is tight to the end of the thread, ie wont go any tighter and it all feels tight, yet there is rocking there somewhere.

I have new (superpro) lower control arm bushes. Had to have these professionally pressed in. And I just put in some used but good nic manual Gbox mounts (Thanks Steptoe!). Both have not changed the issue.

I'll see how playing with the bolts goes. Failing that I'll swap the solid alloy 2" blocks for the crush tube steel. and failing that swap the Engine cross member blocks and front struct tops for the 3" also.

Downside of a 2" kit compared to the 3" is that the box is flat. The 3" angles the box up at the back which locates the shifter linkages closer into the cabin than even the 2" does.

Strangely I had to modify the body by about 10mm at the front of the hole where the linkages comes through. Seems the spacing was not "exactly" the same between the 3spd auto S1 and 5man S2 L's I swapped to and from respectively.

Post by **Alex** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 2:46 pm

i had the solid aluminium round blocks in the radius rod area also.

i toyed with afew ideas to connect them together. I didnt end up doing it, but my favourite idea was to sandwich the liftblocks inbetween two of the radius rod plates to add rigidity (cant remember if it was feasable or if it even worked anymore)

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 11:12 am

I reckon that would help Alex, but even then I'd want to extend the edges of the top radius rod plate to extend the "foot print" area of each block, having a 2nd radius rod plate welded in there will help for sure though.

I think half the problem here is individual blocks trying to work together as one unit and the other half is the small contact area of each individual block. Tying them all together would do wonders for the strength of that area's lift!

Cheers

Bennie