LUVTruck.com

im trying to figure out where i can get a suspension lift for a 79 chevy luv that i just bought. if anybody knows of where i can get one please let me know. and i want a suspension not a body lift.

thank you

You can turn the torsion bars to raise the front (one full turn = about 1/4") and add longer shackles or leaves with more arch at the back (or both). There may have once been kits to do essentially the same thing but if so they are no longer available.

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'78 Chevy LUV,1.9,4sp,headers,31's,SAS Dana 30,Dana 20,SOA rear w/Aussie Locker, rough body, bought new 12/4/78.
'87 Trooper,2.3,5sp,headers,31's,ball joint flip & spacer,Aussie Locker rear,Superwinch hubs,brush guard w/5.5K winch,more to come.

You can buy a the shackles and leaf springs for the rear that should fit from www.independent4x.com but I'd recommend you call them to get the right parts. Much of the 84-86 Isuzu Trooper parts are compatible. In short though, the LUV doesn't have a lot of off the shelf kits to just lift it.

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95 Isuzu Trooper Daily Driver
86 Isuzu Trooper reliable backup
77 LUV 2wd stock beltway blaster (resting)
79 4x4 LUV project: 2.6L, 5spd, 31s (eventually)

MEPR: Man, my 4x4 makes all other LUVs look good

Back in the 80's rancho use to make lift kits for the luv. You want to get on line and check there web site to see if they can get you one.

The best lift kit

check some of my post and you will see my 4x4 lifted the max you can do and still drive it after that it will be a straight axle to get more lift.

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1978 pro street step/side 455Buick, 4sp,4.11s, 31/18.5s

I don't know if this is legit or not but I found this one using an A-arm kit and torsion bar spacers i think.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/slf-k ... /model/luv

anyone know if this looks right?

I suspect this kit has long since been discontinued & just hasn't been purged from the for sale files, I couldn't find it directly from Superlift's site.
It only offers 2.5 inches of lift, you can get that by cranking the stock TBs & a add-a-leaf or shackles in the rear. Then add new shocks & a shorter front bump stop & you have everything the kit offers but the new control arms for about half the cost.

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'78 Chevy LUV,1.9,4sp,headers,31's,SAS Dana 30,Dana 20,SOA rear w/Aussie Locker, rough body, bought new 12/4/78.
'87 Trooper,2.3,5sp,headers,31's,ball joint flip & spacer,Aussie Locker rear,Superwinch hubs,brush guard w/5.5K winch,more to come.

Ya i think i'm going to swap the UCA's for trooper ones, flip the ball joints (maybe spacer), crank and reindex the torsion bars (better ride quality), and throw on new front shocks. Any idea how much lift that will get me? im looking for 2.5-3 inches suspension lift (no body lift). will this basic lift be alright on the cv's without having to lower the front diff.?

About 3" is all you can get & the more you lift the less downtravel you will have, a shorter bump stop will regain a bit.
It will shorten the CV life but only when in 4wd.
When you get new shocks they don't need to be longer than stock, a T-bar lift does not increase the suspension travel, it only shifts the start & stop points of that travel. Stock length shocks have enough overtravel built in for any minor gain in downtravel from the different UCAs, the BJ flip/spacer & shorter bump stop & are still short enough to allow the uptravel to bottom. A shock so long it compresses fully before the suspension bottoms on the bump stop can punch the top right out of the shock tower, I've done it.

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'78 Chevy LUV,1.9,4sp,headers,31's,SAS Dana 30,Dana 20,SOA rear w/Aussie Locker, rough body, bought new 12/4/78.
'87 Trooper,2.3,5sp,headers,31's,ball joint flip & spacer,Aussie Locker rear,Superwinch hubs,brush guard w/5.5K winch,more to come.

daaamn, thanks for the heads up! stock shocks it is

Just to be clear it won't hurt to use longer shocks as long as the compressed length is at least short enough for the LCA to contact the bump stop before the shock is fully compressed- which a stock shock would be. The extra length would then be in the extended length and increased travel.

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'78 Chevy LUV,1.9,4sp,headers,31's,SAS Dana 30,Dana 20,SOA rear w/Aussie Locker, rough body, bought new 12/4/78.
'87 Trooper,2.3,5sp,headers,31's,ball joint flip & spacer,Aussie Locker rear,Superwinch hubs,brush guard w/5.5K winch,more to come.

Just a little tidbit of info I recently discovered. Stock Isuzu Rodeo shackles are longer by a couple inches but the same width. I have not checked the eye to eye measurement between the Rodeo springs and a LUV but they are likely similar. Based on the weight difference and a wild guess, swapping springs and shackles from a 1995 or so Rodeo to a LUV should yield something like 3 inches to the rear. I was looking at a 1995.5 Rodeo so earlier might be a little different, and 98+ will have coil springs in the rear.

If the eye to eye measurement is too long, then one might combine the spring packs and come up with a lift as well.

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95 Isuzu Trooper Daily Driver
86 Isuzu Trooper reliable backup
77 LUV 2wd stock beltway blaster (resting)
79 4x4 LUV project: 2.6L, 5spd, 31s (eventually)

MEPR: Man, my 4x4 makes all other LUVs look good

i actually really like that rodeo shackle idea. I was debating between a spring over axle or a helper spring, but this would work very well also.

A rear spring over axle gives more lift than you can match with a torsion bar crank: 3" in the axle tube diameter alone plus the new spring perch atop the axle tube plus existing spring perch below the axle tube plus the thickness of the spring pack, maybe as much as 5" & that's with the existing springs & shackles. 4" is the max you can get out of the T-bars & that's with no downtravel left so it bounces like crazy.
Longer shackles only add lift, they do not change the spring rate. Remember you only get half as much lift as the increase in shackle length. Shackles that are too long will cause excessive side sway.
A helper spring adds lift and stiffens the rear suspension. Cranking the T-bars also stiffens the front suspension, so a stiffer rear may better balance front & rear. If the helper doesn't give enough lift longer shackles can also be used.

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'78 Chevy LUV,1.9,4sp,headers,31's,SAS Dana 30,Dana 20,SOA rear w/Aussie Locker, rough body, bought new 12/4/78.
'87 Trooper,2.3,5sp,headers,31's,ball joint flip & spacer,Aussie Locker rear,Superwinch hubs,brush guard w/5.5K winch,more to come.

i think you just nailed my concerns. sounds like adding a leaf is the way to go at the moment.