Lift kit questions

[Desert_Eagle02]

Hey guys I'm looking into putting a 6" lift on my truck. I was wondering what would be the best brand. Tuff Country, Skyjacker, or BDS. BDS is my favorite for modern trucks, but I don't know if they are worth the extra money on older trucks. I would like a decent ride quality which is why I'm not looking at Rough Country, I heard they ride rough. But I also don't want the springs to sag over time, especially since my truck has a big block in it.

Also any reasons I should go with a 4" instead of a 6"? I've had a few square bodies with 4" lifts and as much as I liked them, I really think I want to go with a 6" on this one.

Any advice will be appreciated, thanks.

[abig84]

I had skyjacker on a few old k5 blazers. There's no give in that front suspension so unless they changed design in the past 10 years it's very stiff. I always thought half the fun of driving it was bouncing all around in the cab

[sweetk30]

i would go tuff country if budget minded .

but bds for the best ride off the shelf lift kit springs .

dont forget tho 6" lift if short bed or blazer will prob require a c/v drive shaft rear . and possible front shaft rework .

do NOT drop the t-case crossmeber thats a bandaid that is not the best . helps the rear a bit but kills the front more for yoke angles on drive shafts .

also look up www.offroaddesign.com for there kits / info / custom stuff if you wana spend the big bucks on custom built springs for ultimate ride .

and bilstien shocks are the hot ticket these days for best ride with good lift kit springs over the basic crappy shocks they sell you .

[Desert_Eagle02]

Thanks for the info guys. I should have mentioned that my truck is a long bed. Also I plan on going through the front end at the same time, new tie rods ect. Not planning on doing a crossover steering on it. So hopefully the steering arm in whichever kit I go with works good.

[sweetk30]

forgot to mention ZONE brand lift kits . there bds budget based kits . same parent company .

i have yet to try there leafs springs for ride and flex . but just a idea for you .

http://zoneoffroad.com/display?ma=9&...8&mo=274&ca=78

and if keeping sway bar get a pair of these . http://zoneoffroad.com/display?search=c5401 . helps keep the front from being bound up with stock sway bar and drop brackets . lets the leaf packs move like they should.

[Desert_Eagle02]

Originally Posted by sweetk30

forgot to mention ZONE brand lift kits . there bds budget based kits . same parent company .

i have yet to try there leafs springs for ride and flex . but just a idea for you .

http://zoneoffroad.com/display?ma=9&...8&mo=274&ca=78

and if keeping sway bar get a pair of these . http://zoneoffroad.com/display?search=c5401 . helps keep the front from being bound up with stock sway bar and drop brackets . lets the leaf packs move like they should.

Dang if only Zone offered rear springs not just blocks. I looked them up and see they get good reviews. I think I'm going to call them on Monday and see if they have 6 inch rear springs.

Ok I'll get the sway bar drop brackets also. I'm going to get extended brake lines too

[daddyjeep]

ORD shackle flip in the rear is always a great option. Really, ORD all the way. Square Body suspension is what they do.

[Desert_Eagle02]

I checked out ORD. Thinking about going that route as you can really customize your kit. Not just an off the shelf one. I have a local shop that going to give me a quote on a BDS kit, so I'll wait to see what they can get me one for.

Also would you guys recommend a steering box brace? If so the bolt on one from ORD or a weld in one like from BDS. Obviously I assume that the weld in one would be the best.

My first vehicle was an old CJ7 that I lifted and drove everyday, so I'm all too familiar with frames cracking from stress and rust ect. So I would really like to avoid all that

[74CustomK20]

I had a daily driven k20 on 40's for 3 years. I wheeled it but never got stupid with it and never had a frame problem. The steering brace to me is bogus.

[Desert_Eagle02]

Originally Posted by 74CustomK20

I had a daily driven k20 on 40's for 3 years. I wheeled it but never got stupid with it and never had a frame problem. The steering brace to me is bogus.

Alright cool. I was hoping this was the case. I've had a few squares with 4 inch suspension lifts and never braced the steering box and didn't have any problems. I've never had a 6" lift on one so I'm new to what's needed and what's not for them lol.

[sweetk30]

unless you have driven one with and with out and put it on your self dont diss it the bolt on brace WORKS . . . all my trucks have one. 1st one i ever put on was a k10 frame with 60/14 combo axles and 38x12.50 swampers test drove it / pulled in shop and installed it / redrove it same road same way and WOW much better feel and less spongy .

and before you say its hard core off road use i have 2 2wd trucks with broken frames at the box location . c10 trucks . 1 got weld on kit fix and other frame was so bad from other stuff it got parted out .

the weld on if you ask me is for repair more than anything .

and bds web site will get you a price .

as said tho ord for the best kit you can let them peice together in your price range .

[Hoods69BadBowTie]

I really like Skyjacker lift kits I have owned a few trucks and K5 Blazers with them on them all had the 6" lift kits. I have personally never ran a brace around my steering box but have heard lots of good stuff about them. Plus yes as stated above I have seen a few rigs in my day that weren't beat on to bad that had their frames crack on them just from wear and tear.

[WyattTX]

I would reccomend a dropped pitman arm too (if the lift kit does not already have one.) Otherwise your steering will be much more sensitive.

[Desert_Eagle02]

Alright sounds like I should put the bolt on brace on just incase. My frame isn't cracked there and I'd like to keep it that way.

Also the local shop quoted me for a BDS 6" all spring lift kit with the cheap BDS shocks at $1,198 out the door. Extra $74.99 for the sway bar shackle kit which I would want as well. Plus extended brake lines and the bolt on brace.

I added up what I would need on ORD website and I got a total around $1,550. That's with the lift springs tuff country shocks, extended brake lines, sway bar shackle kit, steering box brace.

So all said and done they will be pretty similar prices. Which one should I go with? Also I plan on installing it my self with the help of a few buddies. The shop wants an extra $1,000 for install. Which I think is a bit much lol

[wilkin250r]

I think the steering box brace is a good idea. I've certainly never heard of anybody REGRETTING it, like it caused problems or anything. Not too terribly expensive, and good insurance. It's much cheaper to prevent cracking in your frame, than it would be to repair it.

[sweetk30]

Originally Posted by Desert_Eagle02

Alright sounds like I should put the bolt on brace on just incase. My frame isn't cracked there and I'd like to keep it that way.

Also the local shop quoted me for a BDS 6" all spring lift kit with the cheap BDS shocks at $1,198 out the door. Extra $74.99 for the sway bar shackle kit which I would want as well. Plus extended brake lines and the bolt on brace.

I added up what I would need on ORD website and I got a total around $1,550. That's with the lift springs tuff country shocks, extended brake lines, sway bar shackle kit, steering box brace.

So all said and done they will be pretty similar prices. Which one should I go with? Also I plan on installing it my self with the help of a few buddies. The shop wants an extra $1,000 for install. Which I think is a bit much lol

1k to install the lift kit

i have done them for years at shops and only do 500 for 8hr-9hr flat price . if rear springs its extra 100 bucks for the labor . also any extra wear items found is book time.

and i live in the rust belt.

fyi buy a big can of pb-blaster or fav brand and start soaking stuff a week or more ahead of time.

and realy soak the 3 nuts on the steering arm to knuckle . they can be a PITA sometimes.

[Desert_Eagle02]

I have plenty of PB blaster. I was a Jeep guy in the rust belt for a long time lol

Well after doing some more research and talking to a few local guys with lifted squares, I narrowed it down to Tuff Country from ORD or SkyJacker. Nobody liked BDS for these trucks. Seems like SkyJacker is a little bit better ride quality while still offering flex and strength. Kinda leaning toward SkyJacker.

Next question if anybody can help me with this one. Am I going to have to get a custom front drive shaft of have any problems with it? I have an SM465 and NP205, and I heard I might run into problems with a 6" lift. I'm just trying to figure out everything that I'd need or may need.

Thanks again for everyone's help

[wilkin250r]

Worst case scenario, since neither of the joints are a slip-yoke, you could just remove the front driveshaft completely until you have a solution.

[sweetk30]

thats a short trans combo . so the front will prob need somthing in the way of drive shaft rework or custom .

why not go 4" lift kit and 1"body. this will get you 5" but also save on possible drive line rework and 1" extra room under the hood for engine bay work later on . lots of guys doing this combo . and toss in some new poly body mount bushings and she be good to go .

[MTCK]

I've done the skyjacker route, the tuff country springs front and rear route with Bilstein shocks and now the ORD shackle flip and ORD custom front springs with Bilstein 5100's route. I can conclude that you get what you pay for. The custom springs are amazing, the tuff country ez rides are pretty smooth, and the skyjacker hd springs would make you piss blood. Expect to do driveline work at 6". That's why I always try to stay at or below 4". Also I'm not sure how those ez ride fronts will do with a big block. My very light K10 rode great with a small block.

[TurboLS]

Nobody has mentioned this so I will...... whatever lift brand you get, go Full springs, No Blocks! I had a 6" SuperLift on my 76 Chevy, wheeled the hell out of it. Hollister Hills - Mud in Ur Eye events, Ribicon......The flex was insane and it drove like stock on the street. Great ride quality. Definitely do the Pitman arm drop, longer shocks, brake lines, usually comes with the kit. Steering box brace is a good idea. I welded mine on, my opinion - bolts come loose, welds don't. You will need to have the rear driveline extended as well as the front. I did a full spline yoke on my front, never had a problem. Just food for thought!!!

[Desert_Eagle02]

Originally Posted by MTCK

I've done the skyjacker route, the tuff country springs front and rear route with Bilstein shocks and now the ORD shackle flip and ORD custom front springs with Bilstein 5100's route. I can conclude that you get what you pay for. The custom springs are amazing, the tuff country ez rides are pretty smooth, and the skyjacker hd springs would make you piss blood. Expect to do driveline work at 6". That's why I always try to stay at or below 4". Also I'm not sure how those ez ride fronts will do with a big block. My very light K10 rode great with a small block.

Do you know roughly how much the pricing would be on custom ORD springs, and are they worth it? I'm not going to be mudding this truck or rock climbing, just off-road trails and some of the local forest trails and stuff for fun. Also other than those custom ORD what would you recommend the SkyJackers or the Tuff Country? The big block is gonna add roughly 100lbs or so I'd guess. So I'd like to avoid HD springs unless the weight will result in a sagging issue. As for driveline work I'm thinking I'll just go with custom Tom Woods driveshafts to avoid headaches. Might as well pay to have it done right the first time.

[Desert_Eagle02]

Originally Posted by TurboLS

Nobody has mentioned this so I will...... whatever lift brand you get, go Full springs, No Blocks! I had a 6" SuperLift on my 76 Chevy, wheeled the hell out of it. Hollister Hills - Mud in Ur Eye events, Ribicon......The flex was insane and it drove like stock on the street. Great ride quality. Definitely do the Pitman arm drop, longer shocks, brake lines, usually comes with the kit. Steering box brace is a good idea. I welded mine on, my opinion - bolts come loose, welds don't. You will need to have the rear driveline extended as well as the front. I did a full spline yoke on my front, never had a problem. Just food for thought!!!

Oh absolutely all springs. I haven't looked into SuperLift but will do so. Quick question I'm kinda unclear on. Do you do both a raised steering arm and a drop pitman arm or one or the other? I plan on adding a steering box brace, better to have one and not need it than to need one and not have it. As for the drive shafts I think I'm going to go custom Tom Woods shafts. I'm not positive and will have to talk to them first, but I think they can help solve my front drive shaft issue. I know it's going to be quite short, but I want to make sure it can be lengthened and the angles will still be ok.

[MTCK]

I recall it was the lower price they charged me. I gave them weight on the front axle and lift height and they made the springs. Alcan actually manufactures them. $680 for the fronts rings a bell. Definitely worth it. Our roads up here are terrible and the smooth travel is incredible. Frost heaves are no problem. I was also very happy with the Tuff country ez rides or whatever they call the softer spring. Had those on my 77 short bed with a small block. ORD springs are on the 91 crew cab with a big block.

[Desert_Eagle02]

Originally Posted by MTCK

I recall it was the lower price they charged me. I gave them weight on the front axle and lift height and they made the springs. Alcan actually manufactures them. $680 for the fronts rings a bell. Definitely worth it. Our roads up here are terrible and the smooth travel is incredible. Frost heaves are no problem. I was also very happy with the Tuff country ez rides or whatever they call the softer spring. Had those on my 77 short bed with a small block. ORD springs are on the 91 crew cab with a big block.

Thanks for the info. I'm going to get a hold of them and get a quote for custom front springs.