advice of engine swap

[givegodachance]

I just picked up my first vx and after 1400 miles I'm home. I am about to start the engine swap and I am asking if anyone has any advice before I start tearing this beast down. And tricks or things I must do before I start and if maybe I should put the body lift on before I put the new motor in. Thanks guys for reading this and for your advice.

[circmand]

Bad idea. Even the good ones look cheesy and they don't make one for a VX so you can expect ill-fitting panels and a design that won't match the VX

[vt_maverick]

Remind me what engine you're planning to swap into the VX?

Circ - Are you talking about a body KIT rather than a lift? Springs or coil spacers lift the body.

[tom4bren]

Circ - Are you talking about a body KIT rather than a lift? Springs or coil spacers lift the body.

Technically speaking, springs or coil spacers lift the frame & the body is mounted to the frame. So you're kinda right but Circ's talking about a body lift which goes between the frame & the body. AFAIK only 2 have had measurable success with it & there's a write up in the how2.

BTW, one of the body lifted ones no longer exists (T-bone accident).

[Scott Larson]

Body lifts were always the cheapo way to get extra tire clearance, never the preferred method. Oftentimes they were used in conjunction with a suspension lift to get additional clearance. Hockey pucks were a common body lift spacer used back in the day, obviously polyurethane spacers are the recommended material these days. Body lifts are still considered a last-resort to gain tire clearance.

[circmand]

Remind me what engine you're planning to swap into the VX?

Circ - Are you talking about a body KIT rather than a lift? Springs or coil spacers lift the body.

typo

[pbkid]

body lifts are used on the VX if you dont wanna drop 10k on a Solid axle swap and want some real meats under the fenders. (ie: 35's or bigger)

[JoFotoz]

Au contraire, mon ami.....

Bad idea. Even the good ones look cheesy and they don't make one for a VX so you can expect ill-fitting panels and a design that won't match the VX

They do make one for the VX...as seen in Moab this year on Vxorado's ride...

....and there was NOTHING "cheesy" about it ..IMO.

jo

[Triathlete]

If you are swapping your engine for something other than stock (v8?)Shouldn't there could possibly be a valid reason for a body lift...gains an inch or two of under hood clearance. In that case you might want to do it prior.
As far as body lifts being cheesey...if done right and limited to an inch or two they are okay. When you go higher than that...yea then can start to look a bit cheesey.

[givegodachance]

I should have said clearly what i was doing. I didn't think when I said engine swap it does mean putting in a different engine but I'm putting in a 3.2 in place of the 3.5. And I already have a 3 inch suspension lift on the vx and wanted to know what I should do before or during doing the swap. Sorry for the poorly worded thread.