Hi,
I am "giving" my 99 DiscoII to my 16 year old son. He wants to lift it and get larger tires but I have some questions. How much lift can I go before I have to change the brake lines and get new shocks (new ones 1 year ago)? Also, it seems cheaper to get the "hockey puck" lift discs vs. getting new springs all around. Is there a major downside to these lifts vs. new springs? How about the "body lift kits" vs. suspension lifts. I can do all this myself, but not sure what I am getting into. Many thanks,
Jon

 

you can go 2-inch with no problem 3-inch you will have to relocate the ABS cables.

Replace the springs do not use spacers, your 16 year old is going to go off road lose a spacer and the body will crash down on the tire.

You could probably do a body lift but why? springs and shocks are fairly cheap and about as easy a job as you can get.

 

Once you get the new shocks and springs installing them is not that bad. The front is the most difficult. You have to remove the shock towers striaght up from inside the engine compartment. They are held on by 4 10mm nuts and a wratcheting speed wrench is very helpful. On the drivers side you will need to lift up and move the power steering tank out of your way. At least on mine I did. Does not look like it in the video.
Use the factory bottle jack to push down on the front axle to slip in the new springs. I rented a spring compressor to make the job easier. Wear some leather gloves for that part. There are some places where you pinch your hands while wrestling the springs. The flat machined looking part of the spring goes down on the seat.

Here is the install video from Lucky 8
He makes it look easy. Give yourself 4/5 hours If you do not work on cars often.

Lucky8 3in Terrafirma lift install - YouTube

 

Jon, send me your number and I'll call you.
You should not use spacers, they are for lifted trucks only, you will need new brake lines cause yours are shot already from heat and age and yes you may need shocks, depending on the brand that you installed last year.
Is your son responsible enough to maintain that truck, cause it is safe to say he will be destroying it as would any 16 year old.

 

I'm looking to lift my Disco as well. Just so I'm clear:

2" lift requires no further additions/mods other than shocks/springs? (I have SS brake lines).

3" lift requires repositioning ABS cable. Can someone elaborate?

Finally, my tires (stock size) have a lot of tread left, so I'm not eager to buy larger tires at this point. Will the truck look goofy once lifted, with current tires?

Thanks!

P.S. - I echo comment on 16 year old with truck. Hopefully he's more mature than my 19 year old. Just getting him to check the oil on his car is a major feat.

 

I have a 3 inch Terrafirma on my truck we unclipped the ABS line from the brake lines when I put the extended brake lines on. For the tires I have 255/70's a little bigger than the stock D2's other people think the look fine ,but I notice all the extra room to fit bigger tires. I was in the same boat I got tires a month before my lift so I'll run them till I need new ones ,or find a deal.

 

I have the 3" lift. The truck looked goofy while I waited for the new tires to come in. Extended abs& brake lines are suggested if you plan to articulate the Supension. I am still looking for extended ABS lines.

 

get yourself the terrfirma spring and shock +2 med kit from Lucky 8 Off Road. Sell the shocks you just put on there. the kit shipped is like $600~. keep the tires because he may not like the way the truck feels with bigger tires like a 265/75. it's slow as heck. and when i was 16 slow as heck was not a speed i wanted to go.

 

Your understanding is correct.
All of you need to realize that going 3"s has it's disadvantages, like not fitting in the garage, being more top heavy and prone to rolling and not being able to park in public parking garages. Consider leaning toward a 2".

 

sell it and buy a 4 cylinder wrangler.

if hes doing it just for the looks and road use, 3 inch is fine with above mentioned problems... but you can get away with not replaceing the brake lines and just disconnecting the holders for the abs........ until he goes offroad or jumps a curb and snaps either.

for a correctly done lift you are looking at springs, shocks, extended brake lines, extended abs lines, castor correcting radius arms if hes going above 40mph often, and id replace the rear rotorflex and front dshaft joint if it hasnt already, because both will be failing sooner or later.

and yes, they get silly slow with big tires, and look even sillier lifted without em so... consider also hd axles and diff's with 4.11's or so gearing to get it back upto speed and be safe in knowing the extra stress is being taken up by tougher and NEWER aftermarket parts. because if you dont, after awhile the slow accelleration becomes annoying, so to correct if you will be stepping on the gas abit harder, which is all the more wear on the motor which is already grossly underpowered and overstressed as it is, so consider having to replace the headgaskets, waterpump and oil pump in the not to distant future and spending a fortune on gas from the word go

ads up quick