Lift with your back, not your knees is always my motto.
(Pop this out into a bigger screen. It’s downright offensive to watch this in a window the size of your thumb.)
Nice work! I Just finished up the 4” lift on the rear of my 2002. How did you handle the steering column? Cut it and extend
It with a pipe?
Yours is so very clean. You lucky devil.
Yep. Nailed it. I found a piece of pipe from the hardware store that was the exact size outer diameter I needed, I cut my steering column just behind the knuckle leaving plenty of room to sleeve the new piece on. I then booger welded, ground and painted it all pretty.
This way worked out nice because even if my length was too long I had plenty of column that can slide inside of itself still. (That’s what I tell my wife at least.)
Ha! Thank you, but don’t look too close. I’m mainly working in my one car garage. I moved a few years ago and had to sell off most of my fabricating machines, but I am fortunate to have access to unlimited stainless and one of these…
I’ve been studying yours and Grants videos. Thank you for all the insight!
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Great vid man. I guess you’re gonna step into the Alltrax mode. LOL, nice man nice. Hope you like it.
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I have what I’m sure is a silly question, as from what I see the bracket just lowers the mount point, is that correct? If that’s true wouldn’t longer shocks do the same thing?
Curious as I need to replace my shocks anyway.
Thanks,
M@
Yep, mount points are just being moved. Longer shocks are an option but you do have to consider rebound and sag and all the usual stuff that comes from using a totally different shock. That only applies to the rear too. In the front I changed the mount points on the entire subframe. If you just swap in longer shocks in the front your camber is going to get all out of wack and it’s going to drive like absolute garbage. I say this with personal experience. 
How did you handle the front subframe to the fame mount? I made up 2 “C” shaped mounts out of 3/16" stainless and was going to run a 6" bolt through.
On second look…I think I see what you did in your video.
Matt do you have any drawings of your front or rear lift mounts? Great job on the lift and video.
Nope. I just kinda winged it. This generation of GEMs are not terribly consistent anyhow so even if I made some plans available they’d assuredly be off a tiny bit on every chassis.
I was having a hell of a time folding 3/16 stainless so I used 3 pieces of 1” bar stock aluminum and drilled them. 3 - 3/8”x5” grade 8 bolts later…better than new.
Thanks Matt. The videos do help.
Chris. Looking good. More pictures please!
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Here you go…
Front shock towers, 3/16 stainless.
Steering extended with a piece of 1/2” galvanized. Needed to slightly grind down the outside diameter to fit inside the steering shaft.
Sorry to hijack your thread @diymatt
Looks like you have been working hard. Looking good.
What shocks did you end up using
Nev Accessories…
http://www.nevaccessories.com/GEM-CAR-HEAVY-DUTY-SHOCK-ABSORBER-PAIR-OF-2/productinfo/GEM-AS-01/
True but the way I look at it is steering already sucks, ride is garbage, so time to find out if it can get any worse!
Worst outcome is wife thinks it still is hard to drive and I have a new reason to change something else 
Thanks!
M@