Lift and tyres??

i've got my sticky mits on a 1989 3.5 EFI, and i want to lift it, the question is by how much, what shocks and springs to use, and then what boots she should be wearing. she mostly gets muddy and is then used for heavy loads and towing. so tryes that catch occasionaly are out of the question really. i was thinking of a 2" lift with BF Goodrich mud terrain's. do i need to re do the brake lines and what size tyes xan i then put on her? and value for money really, are there any cheaper tyres that last long and will get me where i want to go??

cheers stu

Hi Stu,
I own a RR 86 3.5efi that im currently restoring. It is getting a 1inch bodylift, 2inch suspension lift and running 275x85x16 grizzly claws. My rangie is for playing and towing and spends 90% of its time off road, and 10% towing my caravan. Ive found the grizzly claws excellent off road as they have a very aggressive tyre pattern, but not very grippy on wet tarmac and noisy. For more info on my rangie project please check my website.

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/rangie427/index.htm

If you lift your rangie then YES you will need to install longer brake hoses, which are normally supplied in a kit of 5 hoses (4 at the front and 1 at the rear).
If you install a 2inch suspension lift then you will be o.k. to run a 275x80x16 BFG mud tyre with no problems of rubbing. Just be carefull if you purchase new wheels that they do not have a larger offset as this can cause rubbing problems as well.
As for shocks and springs it is all down to personal preference and the amount of weight in your rangie. ie: boot full of recovery gear, winch and winch bumper fitted, towing etc. The spring rate must be able to cope with the weight otherwise the rangie will sag and bottom out, but if you fit a higher spring rate than needed then the suspension will be too stiff. You would be better off talking to a supplier and discussing your needs for your rangie so that they can advise you which spring rates to go for.
Again shop about when replacing your tyres as some companys do very cheap wheel and tyre packages.

The best advice i can give you is, first talk to as many people as possible with rangies to see what and how they've done it. Then once you've made up your mind on "how much lift", "what type and size of tyre" e.t.c then work out the cost to make sure its within budget, then GO FOR IT!

Good luck
Rangie 427