To lift, or not to lift...?

[DoddZilla]

Right, I have a couple of questions to ask (if I may?)... It's probably been covered before, so I apologise if this is a monotonous repeat...

I've got me a '94 KZN130 that I bought about 18 months ago. The bloke who I bought it off said he'd wound the torsion bars for the extra 2 inches (it's all about the extra 2 inches) but hadn't done anything with the standard brake lines - or anything else for that matter.

I'm now wanting to go a bit higher (every inch counts) and was looking at a body lift before paying out for a lift kit. My questions are...

1) I've heard that body lifts can affect the radiator hoses on the 3.0L as the radiator is attached to the chassis, so causes the pipes to stretch. Is that true? And how's best to combat this?

2) Is the 2" extended brake line kit from roughtrax enough to compensate for a 2" torsion bar lift + a 2" body lift? And if I did want to go higher (with a lift kit) is it possible to buy extended brake line kits that are longer than 2"? I can't find them anywhere!

3) And finally - what shocks? I've heard that Rancho hand out spinal injuries and Monroe are sloppy. I don't need anything hard-core as I live on Guernsey, so I don't carry any real weight, and the closest I can get to off-roading is a quick drift along the beach or a tickle down a dirt road...

Cheers for any help guys

[andyverran]

Right, I have a couple of questions to ask (if I may?)... It's probably been covered before, so I apologise if this is a monotonous repeat...

I've got me a '94 KZN130 that I bought about 18 months ago. The bloke who I bought it off said he'd wound the torsion bars for the extra 2 inches (it's all about the extra 2 inches) but hadn't done anything with the standard brake lines - or anything else for that matter.

I'm now wanting to go a bit higher (every inch counts) and was looking at a body lift before paying out for a lift kit. My questions are...

1) I've heard that body lifts can affect the radiator hoses on the 3.0L as the radiator is attached to the chassis, so causes the pipes to stretch. Is that true? And how's best to combat this?

2) Is the 2" extended brake line kit from roughtrax enough to compensate for a 2" torsion bar lift + a 2" body lift? And if I did want to go higher (with a lift kit) is it possible to buy extended brake line kits that are longer than 2"? I can't find them anywhere!

3) And finally - what shocks? I've heard that Rancho hand out spinal injuries and Monroe are sloppy. I don't need anything hard-core as I live on Guernsey, so I don't carry any real weight, and the closest I can get to off-roading is a quick drift along the beach or a tickle down a dirt road...

Cheers for any help guys

If your doing a 2" body lift there's nothing you need to do to the brake lines, except tease out the coils in the ones going to the master cylinder.

The rad can be sorted with 4 little brackets, I copied mine from a thread on here.

Unless your changing the travel you can ignore the front shocks as well...total travel will be unchanged, it's limited by the stops.

[DoddZilla]

Cheers Andy

Don't suppose you have any idea of the name of the thread?

Cheers

[andyverran]

I don't but this should tide you over:

How to guide:
http://www.toyotasurf.asn.au/techsite/bodylift.htm

Bumper:
http://www.hiluxsurf.co.uk/showthread.php?t=49626

Rad:
http://www.hiluxsurf.co.uk/showthread.php?t=81411

[BUSHWHACKER]

Not need to move the radiator on the 3.0, just remove the lower part of the plastic shroud.

[andyverran]

Not need to move the radiator on the 3.0, just remove the lower part of the plastic shroud.

While that's absolutly true, I can't help feel it does dininish fan effiency, so I dropped mine and put it back on. Each to there own.

[BUSHWHACKER]

While that's absolutly true, I can't help feel it does dininish fan effiency, so I dropped mine and put it back on. Each to there own.

The shroud does bu66er-all!

[surfenstein]

With reference to the shocks have a word with Dave at llama 4x4 he does rough country performance gas shocks in any size you want. I have the performance series shocks on my truck and i can vouch for them.

http://www.llama4x4.com/page7.htm

[andyverran]

The shroud does bu66er-all!

We'll have to agree to differ there...that's not what I learn't at college a million years ago. jet engines wouldn't exist and hover craft would have no skirts.

http://www.freeasestudyguides.com/ac...-air-flow.html

[BUSHWHACKER]

We'll have to agree to differ there...that's not what I learn't at college a million years ago. jet engines wouldn't exist and hover craft would have no skirts.

http://www.freeasestudyguides.com/ac...-air-flow.html

We're talking about a Surf though.
Don't believe me? Remove the shroud, go for a drive and monitor the coolant temps with and without it.

[andyverran]

We're talking about a Surf though.
Don't believe me? Remove the shroud, go for a drive and monitor the coolant temps with and without it.

I don't doubt it for a moment, on a vehicle with the aero of a small barn in free flowing traffic I'm sure it's fine. In a jam on a hot day with a vehicle with borderline coolant/thermal issues (as the cracked heads seem to imply) I think I'd rather not chance it.

[BUSHWHACKER]

I don't doubt it for a moment, on a vehicle with the aero of a small barn in free flowing traffic I'm sure it's fine. In a jam on a hot day with a vehicle with borderline coolant/thermal issues (as the cracked heads seems to imply) I think I'd rather not chance it.

Same results sitting in a traffic jam too.

It's the turbos that feck up the Surf's cooling abilities not the cooling system.

[DoddZilla]

I don't but this should tide you over:

How to guide:
http://www.toyotasurf.asn.au/techsite/bodylift.htm

Bumper:
http://www.hiluxsurf.co.uk/showthread.php?t=49626

Rad:
http://www.hiluxsurf.co.uk/showthread.php?t=81411

Cheers Andy! That's all the info needed

[DoddZilla]

With reference to the shocks have a word with Dave at llama 4x4 he does rough country performance gas shocks in any size you want. I have the performance series shocks on my truck and i can vouch for them.

http://www.llama4x4.com/page7.htm

That 4" - 5" lift kit looks like the muts nuts! Especially for the price. Will send him a message to inquire. Cheers for the link

[surfenstein]

That 4" - 5" lift kit looks like the muts nuts! Especially for the price. Will send him a message to inquire. Cheers for the link

I have that kit fitted also. well, on the front.The rear is a bespoke custom job. I think you might be looking at the wrong kit, there are two kits for the surf one with leaf springs and lower down one for coil springs a lot more expensive.