Cheap suspension lift??

Chris97K1500 · December 2, 2003

After hitting a deer last week and bending the upper control arm on the passenger side wheel, I figure I can just get a small lift while I'm getting it fixed. I am on a VERY tight budget, so this is what I've found http://www.jcwhitney.com/webapp/wcs/stores...ZX&appId=480775 It's a 3" lift, but torsion bars could be cranked to 4" of lift. It comes with new torsion bars, upper control arms, differential lowering brackets, and an rear add a leaf. This will not be used for heavy offroad use, more for lifting due to bigger tires, 36x14.50's. I think I could put this on myself, I'm not putting on the rear add a leaf, I just added a Hellwig adjustable add a leaf. Is there any special tools for this? I've done a ton of Body lifts, but never any suspension lifts. How do the two compare in toughness to install? For $500 I think this would be best for what I need right now. Any help appreciated!! Chris

DORKNOZZLE79 · December 3, 2003

IT REALLY ISN'T A BAD LIFT, HOWEVER YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO FIT 36'S. I HAD THE SAME LIFT ON MY 90 GMC XCAB WITH A THREE INCH BODY LIFT AND I HAD TO HAMMER IN THE BACK BOTTOM CORNER OF THE FRONT FENDERS AND YOU WOULD ALSO HAVE TO CUT OFF A MEDIUM SIZE RADIUS OUT OF THE FRONT AIR DAM THAT IS MOUNTED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE FRONT BUMPER. BECAUSE TRUST ME THEY WILL HIT. AND F.Y.I. I WAS ONLY RUNNING 35X12.50 MUD TERRAINS FROM BFG.

ALSO THAT NEW LIFT WILL PROABABLY COME WITH NEW TORSION BARS AND NEW UPPER A -ARMS. BUT WHAT I JUST LEARNED THE HARD WAY IS THAT I TOOK MY 3 INCH LIFT OFF SO I COULD GO WITH A 6 INCH LIFT AND THE 6 INCH LIFT DIRECTIONS ARE BASED ON STOCK TORSION BARS, UPPER A ARMS, AND FRONT DIFF BRACKET, WHICH I DID NOT HAVE ANY LONGER AND HAD TO REPLACE THEM ALL IN ORDER TO MAKE THE 6 INCH LIFT MOUNT UP PROPERLY. SO IN CASE YOU MAY GO EVEN HIGHER IN THE FUTURE SAVE ALL OF YOU STOCK PARTS!!

Chris97K1500 · December 3, 2003

Thanks for the advice. I've already pounded in the fender and cut the front bumper as well as the air dam. This will be as high as this truck will ever be, my next truck, will be around '06, which my current truck will become more of a strict farm truck and not a DD. If I can only go with 35's, that's still fine with me. I fit a set of 35 BFG's on 15x10 rims on my truck a while back, no problems. I was just thinking another 3" would allow a bigger tire. This mod bug has bit me and I hate that I can't do things as I would like. I guess I need to find out if doing this lift is something I can do. I have absolutely NO idea how hard a suspension lift is to install. Thanks again, Chris

chvythndr · December 5, 2003

Not to burst your bubble, but I doubt you're fitting 36x14.50s w/ only a 4" lift. What year is your truck? It's gotta be an OBS if you're even considering this. I'm running 9" of lift and my 36 rub when i wheel hard...

Chris97K1500 · December 6, 2003

I'll have almost 7" of lift after the suspension and bodylift. I'll probably just go with 35x12.50 PC X-terrains. I like the looks, plus I've gotten almost 45K miles out of my PC Mud Terrains and they still have another 10K at least left on them. The thing that got me thinking 36x14.50 is that I can already fit 35x12.50's with the lift I have now, adding 3-4" more I figured it would work? Thanks though, Chris