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How To: Bodydrop
Last Updated: Feb 24, 2015View Photos
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blue crush
+1y
Here is a hole write up i got off ssm.. this should work awesome with the pics Twisted Minis posted...
Below is what is needed to do a 2 ½-inch body drop on an 86 through 93 Mazda B Series truck.
First off remove your wheel and tire combination from all 4 corners and take the tension off the suspension by removing the shocks, torsion bars, airbags or whatever you have for a front and rear suspension. Place two 2x4’s the width of your truck, one under the front portion of the cab and the other under the rear portion of the cab (in front and behind the doors) and lay the truck on top of these. This will give you a flat platform with which to set your truck on and assure you that when the cab drops after the cutting, that the rockers will be level with the frame rails and also explains why the suspension had to be taken apart.
Now the truck needs to be stripped down of all interior pieces, including the dashboard.
Next the front clip needs to be removed. Before removing the hood you will need to get a general idea of where the air cleaner will be hitting the underside of your hood once the body drop is complete. You will need to remove some of the inner structure of the hood to allow for this clearance, which is easier done when the body drop is completed. Once this has been determined to some degree it is time to remove the front clip of your Mazda. This involves removing the hood, windshield wipers, cowl, grill, antenna, fenders, bumper, radiator and all the electrical harnesses and emissions components that are attached to the inner fender wells, all of which can be placed on top of the engine for the time being. Before removing the radiator mark where the radiator hose comes across the lower frame cross member as this section you will need to notch to allow for clearance at a later time. Once everything has been removed and marked the entire front clip is ready to be cut off the truck. This involves cutting the inner fender wells and inner sidewalls right at the point where they meet up with the firewall. After the cutting you will need to remove the core support mounting bolts, which are located near both sides of the radiator. This entire front clip needs to be cut off and set aside so that you have access to the front core support/bumper mounts, which will also be explained later.
Once the front clip is cut off and removed from the truck it is time to cut the cab. Start by cutting the floor where it meets right along with the doorsills. While you are in this area you will come across the front and rear cab mounts, which are a bit of a chore to deal with, and you will probably go through a couple Sawz-all blades if you are lucky, but like the rest off this job they need to be dealt with. Cut a straight continuous line from the front of the cab to the back of the cab and go through the cab mounts not around them. The inner firewall is then cut where the floor is seam sealed to the firewall. This seam sealed section will have been seen when you removed the carpet. Be careful when cutting the floor as on the passenger side under the floor resides all your rear brake lines, which are about a ¼ inch below the floor. Use a die grinder in this particular area. The back wall is then cut from the floor and up the back wall about 4 inches or so to the back brace that is attached to the outside and runs along the width of the cab. This brace is 3 inches wide and you will cut along the top and the bottom of this brace. Remove the brace and attaching metal and what you are left with is a 3-inch gap that runs from the driver’s side to the passenger side of the cab. Although this is a 3-inch gap you are only going to do a 2 1/2 –inch body drop as anymore and you will need to cut the hood for the engine to stick through and this is a big “no-noâ€
Below is what is needed to do a 2 ½-inch body drop on an 86 through 93 Mazda B Series truck.
First off remove your wheel and tire combination from all 4 corners and take the tension off the suspension by removing the shocks, torsion bars, airbags or whatever you have for a front and rear suspension. Place two 2x4’s the width of your truck, one under the front portion of the cab and the other under the rear portion of the cab (in front and behind the doors) and lay the truck on top of these. This will give you a flat platform with which to set your truck on and assure you that when the cab drops after the cutting, that the rockers will be level with the frame rails and also explains why the suspension had to be taken apart.
Now the truck needs to be stripped down of all interior pieces, including the dashboard.
Next the front clip needs to be removed. Before removing the hood you will need to get a general idea of where the air cleaner will be hitting the underside of your hood once the body drop is complete. You will need to remove some of the inner structure of the hood to allow for this clearance, which is easier done when the body drop is completed. Once this has been determined to some degree it is time to remove the front clip of your Mazda. This involves removing the hood, windshield wipers, cowl, grill, antenna, fenders, bumper, radiator and all the electrical harnesses and emissions components that are attached to the inner fender wells, all of which can be placed on top of the engine for the time being. Before removing the radiator mark where the radiator hose comes across the lower frame cross member as this section you will need to notch to allow for clearance at a later time. Once everything has been removed and marked the entire front clip is ready to be cut off the truck. This involves cutting the inner fender wells and inner sidewalls right at the point where they meet up with the firewall. After the cutting you will need to remove the core support mounting bolts, which are located near both sides of the radiator. This entire front clip needs to be cut off and set aside so that you have access to the front core support/bumper mounts, which will also be explained later.
Once the front clip is cut off and removed from the truck it is time to cut the cab. Start by cutting the floor where it meets right along with the doorsills. While you are in this area you will come across the front and rear cab mounts, which are a bit of a chore to deal with, and you will probably go through a couple Sawz-all blades if you are lucky, but like the rest off this job they need to be dealt with. Cut a straight continuous line from the front of the cab to the back of the cab and go through the cab mounts not around them. The inner firewall is then cut where the floor is seam sealed to the firewall. This seam sealed section will have been seen when you removed the carpet. Be careful when cutting the floor as on the passenger side under the floor resides all your rear brake lines, which are about a ¼ inch below the floor. Use a die grinder in this particular area. The back wall is then cut from the floor and up the back wall about 4 inches or so to the back brace that is attached to the outside and runs along the width of the cab. This brace is 3 inches wide and you will cut along the top and the bottom of this brace. Remove the brace and attaching metal and what you are left with is a 3-inch gap that runs from the driver’s side to the passenger side of the cab. Although this is a 3-inch gap you are only going to do a 2 1/2 –inch body drop as anymore and you will need to cut the hood for the engine to stick through and this is a big “no-noâ€
sudkrap
+1y
Im a little confused with the cab mounts... Do you cut through the mount where it meets the frame, than use some like 1/4" plate to remount them to the frame?
midnightcamaro
+1y
im new at this... so what do you cut the 1.5 in out of the back of the truck for? and then where you cut the floor and the pic where you have the floor moved up and welded back in? what takes up that space do you just cut piece of sheetmetal to fit?
bodied b2600zx (josh)
+1y
Yes sheetmetal fillers are what fill the gaps. . And you cut the back of the cab out because the back wall is gonna be that much shorter. . however much your bodydrop is. . . these are the side fillers from my 3.25" bd. . .
-Josh
-Josh
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