What Changed Between '79 And '80?

Looking at some different things for my '76, mostly suspension components. Some say they fit '76-up and others say '76-'79 or '80-'86. I know things changed from '75 to '76 but can't find anything on this.

 

Quite a few things changed. Brakes, transmission and transfer case, etc.
can you be more specific what you are looking at?

 

Body lifts and suspension lifts

 

Almost everything changed for 1976. What stayed the same - body shell mostly, engines, front axle, transfer case.

Body lifts and suspension would be totally different and incompatible between '75 and '76.

The biggest change for 1980 was the transmissions. The T-150 and the T-18 were gone, replaced by the SR-4, T-5 and T-176. There may be changes for 1980 that affect the suspension and body lifts, but I do not know of them. Likely the seller has a reason to split between 1979 and 1980. It seems unwise to second-guess the seller.

 

I guess what I'm second-guessing is why one manufacturer says one size fits all and another says it doesn't? I seem to recall someone saying the shock mounting changed in '80 which would account for certain suspension lifts but not body lifts?

 

I know some suspension manufacturers were building different springs for the 4 cylinder version vs. the I-6 version. Not sure if that is still the case. I know there was a shock mount change to a longer upper mount but I couldn't tell you what year. Many manufacturers will build a "one size fits all" and let the end user sort out the details.

 

Different transfer case. 1979 Dana 20, 1980 Dana 300.