Body Lift issues

[EastTXYukon]

The wife shot down my plan on getting the 6" RCX kit at this time, but I am still gonna lift my Yukon, using a body lift and rear blocks. Not exactly what I want to do, but I can also understand her not wanting me to spend 1000+ on a good suspension lift and install. The body lift will work for now; I'm only going to run 33's anyway.

Think I've got most of the stuff figured out in regards to making the body lift look good. Only 2 things I haven't figured yet:

1) Front Tow Hooks. I definitely want to use my front valence, and would really like to use my tow hooks if possible. What options do I have after the body lift is on.

2) OEM rear trailer hitch. I will raise my bumper up with my body by notching the frame, but what can I do with the trailer hitch (besides remove it, which I have thought about) to get rid of the gap between the rear bumper and hitch?

Thanks. I think it'll turn out ok with the gap guards and nerf bars and painted frame. Just a little more work on my part, but I think I'll save a lot of money in the long run.

 

[bowtiefreak]

Not sure on the tow hooks. Are you going to use a 3" lift? That may set the hooks below the cutouts if no cut part of the valance...I cut mine to fit around the brushguard

I saw somewhere a hitch or at least mounts for a hitch for body lifted trucks. The thread was either FSC or GMFS and I think it linked to a seller on Ebay.

I don;t have much more info than that sorry.

 

[EastTXYukon]

Yeah I saw a thread over on GMT400 about a hitch with a body lift, but I wonder if it will work with a 2 door since the gas tank is in the back between the frame rails.

I also read about using a hidden hitch that the guys with rollpans use, but was once again unsure if it would work due to the gas tank.

What have some of you guys who have body lifts done?

 

[96ProCompTahoe]

could always just have the hitch sides rewelded to move the hitch up, 3" should put the hooks right under the valance, and you could either mount lights in the empty holes or find a valance without the holes.

 

[the big blue bus]

well i just left mine hanging... but i just last weeknded raised the bumper finnaly. ive got 4dr though.

as for hooks u could maybe mount them inside frame instead of bottom and it might fit or you could get a valance without holes and trim the bottom part above hooks till they fit. i just took mine off so it wasnt a problem with me. might raise the hooks but i use them as steps. im also thinking of adding some out back below bumer in the small part of fram you can see hanging below back bumper as another recovery/step

 

[the big blue bus]

i had an idea... dunno if it work but use one of these in the back. and flip it so the hitch comes up behind plate and have a flip up plate or something. idk if id work but it looks like the holes are in the top so it woud bolt on upside down? anyone know?

 

[wicked2000]

You can mount the hooks inside the frame. Thats what I did. Now the hitch doesnt look bad if you leave it stock. The rear bumper for sure has to go up

 

[the big blue bus]

the hitch bugged me but i only use it for bike rack so its off for now but my friends going to raise it for me

 

[BigDaddy13440]

My Tahoe didn't come with a hitch, so I made my own.
I've got a roll pan on mine, didn't want a huge chunk of steel hanging down way below it.
Went to a local steel shop, got a piece of 3x8 rectangle stock (1/4" wall), bolted it to the bottom of the framerails - I used the factory rivets in the frame as alignment aids, made sure it was square.
Went to HarborFreight, got a heavy-duty receiver mount, bolted it to the 3x8 steel, set it up so that the opening of the receiver is tucked back about 4" from the roll pan. Makes it much harder to notice w/o the 6" drop hitch in place.

Have towed a 3000lb load with it BEFORE welding it, no problems. However, I had a full load of decking materials in the back of my '**, tried to back into a steep driveway.... the drop hitch dug into the blacktop, and bent the whole mess. Took it to a friend's house, jacked up the truck by the hitch (with an extra 1200lbs of concrete bags in the back, the truck wasn't heavy enough by itself), bent everything back to where it was supposed to be, and welded everything but good.

Now, I make sure I have the hitch out before I back into a driveway that isn't level.....



Previously, I had an S-10 blazer, also with a roll pan. I put a body lift in that, but didn't use the two blocks for the back - instead, I had a shop fab up a 2" receiver mount, welded to a 2x6 piece of rectangle stock. Instead of the 3" lift blocks, I bolted the 2x6 piece of stock across the frame rails, and added 1" hockey pucks to get the full 3", used the lift block bolts through everything.
I used a flip-down license plate mount from an '80's Cutlass Supreme, flipped it over so that the plate would flip up in the rollpan, and cut an access hole for the receiver through the pan. Worked great, hauled a 18' SeaRay back and forth to the lake with no issues.

 

[the big blue bus]

thats kinda what i wanted to do is get a cuztom hitch made that is hidden behind the bumper and flip the plate up to use it or mount my plate over the dent i have on my bumper and just cut the hole out for the hitch to come out.