2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Need help de-lifting my truck

[jojosdad]

I have a '96 4X with a 4" lift - there's a 4 1/2" blocks on the back axle and a spacer in the front coil. I need to remove it due to my wife's hip surgery making it too hard for her to get in. I know I'll need to replace the pitman arm. Will I need to replace the drive shaft as well? I want to do this asap because I need new tires and shocks and don't want to have to get it aligned twice.
I will be putting the take off parts on the for sale forum if they're worth it.
thanks

 

[AEdelheit]

Could you post a few pics of the suspension? At that height it may or may not have drop track bar bracket and pitman, carrier bearing drop, sway bar drop and all that jazz.

 

[jojosdad]

Here are a couple (I hope - never posted pic to this site)

 

[Bob V]

From the looks you might just have a level kit. The factory rear block is about 4". Do you have a pic of the front spacer?

 

[AEdelheit]

It looks like you have a drop pitman arm as you mentioned, that means you should also have a drop track bar bracket and both would need to be put back to stock, I dont see any changes on the sway bar and the drive line carrier bearing looks stock.

 

[jojosdad]

Thanks - any idea of how I can tell how much lift it has?

 

[JMcCoy]

Hope your wife heals quickly. That appears to be a stock pitman arm. Most drop pitman arms are actually just a reverse taper arm, since they already have so much drop. Your carrier also appears to be in the stock location. The rear came stock with 4.5" + or- blocks. Do you have spacers on top of your springs, or just springs? Did you have the lift installed? If you have spacers on top of your front springs, measure their thickness. Are your control arms aftermarket?

 

[jojosdad]

Thanks for the kind words about my wife. There are spacers on the top of the coils. They are about 2". I guess. The truck came already lifted. The rear is higher than my other '96, by about 2". Would just a leveling kit do that?

 

[Bob V]

Is the 2" difference because of the larger tires? I really think you have the leveling kit. A lot of the time they just used the stock shocks when they where installed. What size tires does it have? If they are 35" and don't look small its probably the level kit

 

[jojosdad]

Here's a picture of the front spacer. I just got new tires and don't recall what the old ones were, the new ones are 265/75 16s. The truck still seems like it's the same height.

 

[Bob V]

It really looks like a level kit. But the shocks might be longer, usually they are rated for 0 to 2" of lift so they might be ok. Removing them is not too hard but you will need a good jack and some blocking or jack stands. sending you a PM