Body Lift

Joshua200648 · June 3, 2010

Has any body delt with what I'm going through? About two months ago I got a body lift for my 06 single cab, so now I can feel every bit of the road and I think its cause of the steering extension. I can tighten the bolt up and the steering is pretty soild, then about a week later if not like two days I can go back under the hood and grab the steering and wiggle it. Buddy of mine has a 01 and he says that his does not move. Another guy told me that its one of the things to deal with in a body lift.

NWI_#73 · June 3, 2010

What brand body lift? I've heard of similar issues.

Matt_ · June 3, 2010

yeah something doesnt sound right...... a body lift wont make the ride feel any different, are you saying you have more slop in the steering wheel due to play in the steering extension?

ill bet its the zone offroad kit. their engineer that designed their steering extension must have nearly flunked out because its poorly designed. a quick fix is to put some silicone caulk in the bore and attach the extension, then give it a few hours to dry. the caulk takes up the clearance from the designer screwing up the tolerance.

Joshua200648 · June 3, 2010

Damn your good. It was zone offroad Matt. Yeah thats what got me was every body say there was no difference in the ride with going the body lift route. But yeah like I said you can reach down and wiggle the steering shaft side to side its not a lot but some thing i'm sure is not to damn common. Yes there is about i'm guessing like 3/8 to 7/16 gap between the bolt that holds the extension and stock piece, thought about filling it in but didnt know what to do it with. But like this morning I left out and my tires usually shake me to death but just this morning after tighting it up yesterday afternoon it never shook...until came the railroad tracks. Then tires started to shake and one guy told me that the piece may be causing it to mess with that steering so much making the tires do that. I mean I have no dang clue what to do...

Matt_ · June 3, 2010

Call Zone and complain.

They're going to send you a steering extension with a "set screw" drilled into the back of it... but the same engineer that screwed up the bore tolerance must have also determined the set screw size/thread because it loosens up over time and is too small for loctite to work well.

Tightening up the bolt on the extension also won't help because their extension isn't design to flex and "clamp" onto the steering gear output shaft like the stock connection does.

I've been meaning to take mine out again and drill/tap a bigger hole for a properly sized set-screw... but the silicone caulk worked so well I haven't had the issue... so its been "out of site, out of mind".

FYI, i bet this is exactly what you're doing:

Another idea/option is to call Performance Accessories and see if you can buy just one of their steering extensions from their kit.

Joshua200648 · June 3, 2010

Yeah I wasnt to happy with there kit. Wish I had gone with Performance, they sent me a email like a week after installing it asking what I thought of the kit and other things, I hope they read it but probably seen the first couple of sentences and hit delete. I did think about calling them and asking them what they think to do, but it will have to be tomorrow since there already gone out of the office. I may try the silicone for now and try to fix it later. Another thing have you ever heard of taking the sway bar off after tighting the torsion bars and alignment? Like to maybe help it ride better?

Matt_ · June 3, 2010

Yeah I wasnt to happy with there kit. Wish I had gone with Performance, they sent me a email like a week after installing it asking what I thought of the kit and other things, I hope they read it but probably seen the first couple of sentences and hit delete. I did think about calling them and asking them what they think to do, but it will have to be tomorrow since there already gone out of the office. I may try the silicone for now and try to fix it later. Another thing have you ever heard of taking the sway bar off after tighting the torsion bars and alignment? Like to maybe help it ride better?

The crappy ride isn't from the body lift... its from cranking the torsion bars!!! Edit: and DONT take the sway bar off. DE-crank the torsion bars if you don't like the ride.. that's just how it is.

With that said, the steering extension is still a mark against Zone... but their bumper brackets are worth it over the PA kit IMO.

Joshua200648 · June 3, 2010

I have rode 3 years with them cranked but a guy was telling me to take it off that it would help. I just cant see it afftecting it in that way, to make it any better of a ride either. Just thought I would ask if you heard of any body doing that.

Matt_ · June 3, 2010

Taking the sway bar off is a bad idea.

Cranking the torsion bars makes the ride stiff and makes you feel every bump in the road. The steering extension slop only makes you feel a light "thud" when turning from left to right or right to left.

Another idea would be to check your front end for wear... how high have you had the torsion bars cranked? Your idler or pitman arm may have developed some play (they're usually the first parts to go due to cranking).

Putting the body lift on may have just made you hyper sensitive to your steering. I can guarantee it's not the cause for any major ride/steering issues though.

Joshua200648 · June 3, 2010

Yeah I can feel both...kinda got use to feeling the road but I guess feeling the "thud" like you said in the steering just makes every thing come back into my head about like when I first cranked them. I dont remeber how far the guy tighten the bolts up but I know I still sit about an inch off from being level, or thats what he said but I remeber my front sat way down in the front than other silverado's. Tomorrow I will check them piece's out and see if there is any play in them I dont have my truck right now. Buddy of mine that works in alignment told me a name of a company that he says was good on them parts started with a M and he said he hasnt seen one to break yet.

Matt_ · June 3, 2010

If you're front end parts are worn.. replace them with Moog parts, toss some silicone in that extension to take up the clearance, and it'll ride like a whole different truck.

Depending on what your angles look like, might be worth decranking about 1/2"...

Joshua200648 · June 3, 2010

Ok, Thanks Man for the help.

Matt_ · June 3, 2010

anytime.

report back

chakis24 · June 4, 2010

Taking the sway bar off is a bad idea.

Cranking the torsion bars makes the ride stiff and makes you feel every bump in the road. The steering extension slop only makes you feel a light "thud" when turning from left to right or right to left.

Another idea would be to check your front end for wear... how high have you had the torsion bars cranked? Your idler or pitman arm may have developed some play (they're usually the first parts to go due to cranking).

Putting the body lift on may have just made you hyper sensitive to your steering. I can guarantee it's not the cause for any major ride/steering issues though.

took me over 70k miles before they needed to be replaced- dealer warned me last week. just my experience- havent done it yet but its on the list. moog parts? are they heavier duty than the stock parts? they got a site?

Joshua200648 · June 4, 2010

Tired to check and see if Moog did have a site but I didnt look but at three and quit but didnt find any thing. But like my buddy said with that part he hasnt seen one to fail yet that they put it in. I live in a decent size town and mostly every body goes there and drive silverado's around here.

I checked today and the pit and idler dont move or so sign of messing up...yet. Hopefully tomorrow I can get that piece off to lay the silicone to it.