Anyone have experience with belltech lift kits?

[Digger87]

I'm considering a belltech 4 inch lift kit for my 2021 sierra 1500 elevation. I can't really find any reviews online so not sure about the ride quality and durability. I regularly go off road but nothing extreme. Just fire roads and decommissioned logging roads. The price seems too good to be true for a full kit with UCA's and skid plate (although very cheap) included. My other option is spending $400 more for a superlift 3 inch kit with bilstein 5100 although I would prefer the 4 inch lift.

 

[GETGONE]

I've been looking at the Belltech stuff myself. They've been around since the 80's in the lowered truck scene and have been the go-to brand for quality parts.

[Ronjon]

Yep, the coilovers themselves ride extremely well. Haven't hit the beaches or trails yet though. Have about 200 miles between city and highway. The holes I use to hit aren't even felt anymore lol. I was in the exact same boat, didn't want to spend the extra 400-800 when I plan on doing long travel later and replacing them with $2200 coilovers. I had a terrible install experience though. Did the prescribed preload at 225mm(one mm of max) and was sitting at like 6.5 inches of lift. Had to back them off THIRTEEN turns and remove both black packers (3 hours turned into 3 days of trial and error) that sit on the bump stop. The spring perch is pretty much on the last set of threads, might be one or two turns left. Now I'm sitting at 41.25" on my front fenders with 265/65/r18 at 35 psi, which is like 3.75" lift. No other spring compressor will work except for the Branick 7600 which I bought (again I'm doing LT and rear trailing arms eventually so I'd be buying this eventually). That machine has paid for itself multiple times over from these coilovers, shops charge $120-200 to build struts and coilovers. The main spring is a narrow diameter and not a ton of space between coils for compression fingers to fit in. Also it's 850lbs and you have to compress the helper spring with a strong arm (at the time my ruck palsy made it impossible) or a well placed floor jack so you can torque the strut mount nut to 37ft/lbs. The nut is also short so I threw a second lock nut on top for safety.

 

Quality is amazing, got them on sale like $650, nothing else has the same features for the price.

The R and D need to revise either the instructions or something, idk. I'm not the brightest, but I can follow instructions to a t.

 

Next week I'll have 35's, for now I'll attach some recent photos with the stock 31.5's (265/65/r18). My rear end sits .75" lower for some reason. The blocks I put in are 3" so idk.

2020 Silverado 1500 Z71 LM2 

[Pwiz]

I am currently going through the same problems. I just had these installed and am sitting at around 6” of lift in the front and the ride is terrible and bounces all over. Can you share some additional photos of the top of the assembly installed?

[Ronjon]

Sure thing, here's a picture with the black packers I'm referring to. They both had to come out. Along with putting the perch to the last threads.

This is how it looks with 35*12.50r17 comso muds. I'll attach one more image, I exceeded the file size.

[Ronjon]

[lapoolboy]

Dang your frame looks like crap.  What state are you in?

[GETGONE]

Got a picture of the "black packer" not on the coilover? I'm curious what it actually is.

[Ronjon]

It was from ohio unfortunately. Previous owner did not clean it as often as I do.

 

I don't have the packets anymore. I through them away before moving. It's the two black things from the Google images picture.

[Pwiz]

So you were able toremove these packers after 13 turns while the coilover was installed? Then turned it back up after removing and it corrected the lift height?

 

How are the tires so far? Any rubbing? Changing wheels and tires as soon as I get the coilovers corrected. 

[Ronjon]

Oh no, I had to remove the coilovers, put them into the Branick compressor, and disassemble them to remove the packers. You can probably get away with adjusting it by simply compressing the springs. The spring perch not does not spin freely under load. However, I turned it 13 times and left it down there, otherwise it was lifted way too high.

 

The tires were difficult to balance, not the smoothest 35 MT I've had on the road. Does really well in the sand aired down though. I did a full trim in the wheel well and only get minor rubbing on the inside part of the mud flap. A delete kit could probably solve that. Nothing stops me from going full lock. 17*8.5 0° offset on the wheels with 2" spacers in case you were wondering.

 

Honestly if it's feasible, just get the Bilstein 8112s RHA (TB/AT4) on the highest perch. That's what I'd do in hindsight. Can always throw a 0.25" spacer on top for ~.5" of additional lift. That's what LTW Motorsports does.