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Body lift removal issue

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GlenE

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Hi all.
This is my first post, so hello! I recently purchased a 1974 Jimmy that has a suspension lift and 3” body lift. I’m currently in the process of removing the body lift (too high for my family to get in the truck). I bought what I believe is the factory body mounts. The 3” lift was removed and all the new mounts put in place, but when I went to set the body down, it is hitting the frame. The rad support mounts are contacting, approximately a 1/2” gap on the middle 2 mounts and 3” gap on the rear mounts.
Has anyone seen or heard of this before? As far I as I can tell the frame and body are both from 1974.
Any help is appreciated!
 
Welcome aboard and Merry Christmas

A lot of those positions touch the frame originally. The issue sometimes being a body lift kit causes the unsupported sections to sag a bit. She may not be 100% straight anymore
 
Ahh very interesting. Would there be any specific measurements I could do to see if the body is bent?
 
GlenE said:
Ahh very interesting. Would there be any specific measurements I could do to see if the body is bent?
Click to expand...
Yes.
Measure on the frame between the mounts how much is the height difference and then check it on the body and compare.
Also on the straight sections between mounts check the height from mounting surface to the body next to the mount, then put a string or straight edge between mounts and see if the middle is the same or it's sagging and reducing the distance
 
It's possible somebody previously swapped the frame. A lot can happen to a truck in 50 years. A tall body lift is one way to work around the differences. If the body is a 74, the floor will step up right behind the front seats, and be a full-top convertible. If it's a later body, the floor doesn't step up until right at the front of the back seat and it has the half-cab removable top. Between the changes, some body mounts are the same and some are different. I think there's some intermediate stage that has one but not the other, but it's not coming to mind right now.
 
No offense but are you sure the body isn’t hung up on something that’s keeping it from sitting on the frame? Sounds crazy but I wouldn’t be surprised if the tcase shifter hadn’t grabbed the hole.
 
The body is hitting the frame right at the front leaf spring mount for the rear axle. I’ve been going around the top of the passenger frame rail looking for a VIN #, nothing yet, but I will keep looking. The body is definetly a 74, confirmed by the full convertible and the body VIN #
 
GlenE said:
The body is hitting the frame right at the front leaf spring mount for the rear axle. I’ve been going around the top of the passenger frame rail looking for a VIN #, nothing yet, but I will keep looking. The body is definetly a 74, confirmed by the full convertible and the body VIN #
Click to expand...
I can tell you if the frame is a 74 or not.
Is the frame straight from to back at that spring hanger or is it tapered in?
The 81 and up is tapered in
 
imiceman44 said:
I can tell you if the frame is a 74 or not.
Is the frame straight from to back at that spring hanger or is it tapered in?
The 81 and up is tapered in
Click to expand...
The frame is slightly tapered in. That would very much explain my issue. Thanks for your help! BTW I spent a good hour+ sanding and acetoning the top of the passenger frame and I still can’t find the frame VIN#.
Sounds like I’m stuck with the body lift, unless I’m going to swap frames. I haven’t found any 1974 frames in my area (southern Ontario canada)
 
GlenE said:
The body is hitting the frame right at the front leaf spring mount for the rear axle. I’ve been going around the top of the passenger frame rail looking for a VIN #, nothing yet, but I will keep looking. The body is definetly a 74, confirmed by the full convertible and the body VIN #
Click to expand...
I think those posts said it could be on either passenger or driver side frame rail. I’d check both sides.
 
My ‘87 frame has the VIN directly under the passenger front floorboard.
 
imiceman44 said:
I can tell you if the frame is a 74 or not.
Is the frame straight from to back at that spring hanger or is it tapered in?
The 81 and up is tapered in
Click to expand...
Actually I’m fairly certain that the K5 frames started tapering in 1978 when they made improvements to the rear floor area legroom dimensions and needed the frame rails to spread to achieve this.
 
tarussell said:
Actually I’m fairly certain that the K5 frames started tapering in 1978 when they made improvements to the rear floor area legroom dimensions and needed the frame rails to spread to achieve this.
Click to expand...
I only said 81 because it was the new generation of the body style but it would make sense if they started in 78.
If anyone has a 78 or 79,even 80 please chime in.
The telltale sign is the front mount on the rear spring is not flat, it can't be used on a straight frame like a truck frame.
That is how I noticed because I was trying to use it for a 3/4 ton truck.
Even the crossmember in that spot is also tapered on the ends and cannot be used on a straight frame
 
imiceman44 said:
I only said 81 because it was the new generation of the body style but it would make sense if they started in 78.
If anyone has a 78 or 79,even 80 please chime in.
The telltale sign is the front mount on the rear spring is not flat, it can't be used on a straight frame like a truck frame.
That is how I noticed because I was trying to use it for a 3/4 ton truck.
Even the crossmember in that spot is also tapered on the ends and cannot be used on a straight frame
Click to expand...
Those angled front/rear spring hanger eyelet brackets are what made me aware of the change in ‘78 on the K5’s - it messed me up for a while but then I started really paying attention to different models and years of production changes.
Good info !
 
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