Need some lift/leveling advice

[bufmatmuslepants]

First off, here is my truck.



It is a 95 with the GU6 option with a 14 bolt, locker, and 3.42s. It has 144,000 miles on the 350 auto, and sits on 305/70/R16s on stock rims. I have ZERO rubbing issues, and it rides nice as it is, but I want it to look more stock and less like it has huge tires crammed on it, without changing wheels or tires, so I was thinking about a 1.5 - 2.5 inch lift. I like the stance of my brothers truck,



but dont need it quite that high and dont want to spend that much, and that is the Rough Country 3 inch lift with the add a leaf in the rear, a 1.5 inch block, and 305/70R16s on mickey thompson wheels.

My brother only got about 1.5 inches out of his add a leaf, so he had to add the block, and in the tahoe where there is more weight over the rear bouncing isnt that much of an issue.

Anybody here have any experience with their add a leaf? How much lift did you get? How is the ride with an unloaded bed, and how much more weight do you think it can take before it sits on the bump stops? Ive had 1600lbs in mine with about an inch before the bump stops, but 2000lbs had me sitting on them and that was a painful ride home.

What about blocks? Anybody have any horror stories about wheelhop and axle wrap with blocks?

[benoit454]

no use in a rough country 3 inch or smaller kit, all it is, is a front torsion key crank, then they have new uppers to help the upper balljoint angle, but nothing to help cv's or tie rod angles. it's just not worth it. if you have cranked up some already I doubt you get more then another 1.5 or so out of the front, and I would doubt you get anything else from the rough country because it's the same thing, just a crank, and would make it very stiff, IF you could get anymore from it. Cranking them up is gonna make it stiffer anyways, but if you were able to gain any over stock with their kit(which I've heard over and over that you cannot go higher then the stock keys) it would make it even stiffer.

As for blocks never had a problem with them. add a leafs are only for 1-2 inches of lift anyways so he got about the right amount.

if he has the rough country kit on his, crank yours up stock and put the stuff in the back to match his and see how close it is, then you can determine what you wanna do from there.

IMO save your $400-500 bucks and add that much to it, buy a full drop kit from rough country which is their 6 inch kit, don't waste time on the 4 inch kit, it's the same kit minus the add aleaf, and only $50 difference, decrank it so it has nice soft ride up front, use the back stuff and you'll have anywhere from 3-6 inches maybe more of lift. it depends on how much you crank and what you run out back. I hear both kits are 5 inch drop and you crank the rest of the way.

Ifg not then maybe do a 2 or 3 inch body lift, get some gap gaurds or make some, raise the front and rear bumpers to match, fronts come with the kit, rears you can buy for cheap, then you can run some side step or something to hide the sides if you don't like showing frame.

[speedygonzales]

The fan and the shroud do NOT line up. Cutting the shrouds is a lousy way to deal with it. I got rid of my problem with that by putting in an electric fan unit. Then you get rid of the mechanical fan, clutch and shroud. HOWEVER that only adds to your money problems since fan units run over $500.

[benoit454]

ok??

if you are talking about body lifts and what happens afterwards, well the kit comes with spacers to help fix the problem, and even if you do have to cut the fan shroud I heard plenty of guys NOT have ANY issues with overheating afterwards.

As for expensive fans, that's when you hit the junkyards and find pretty much any v8 electric fan and use it.

[89chevsj]

i found a 2" susp for like 275 i think. ill see if i can find the link.

[loudnlifted88]

i have 3 inch blocks in my truck with my t-bars cranked doesnt ride to bad at all heres a befor and after pic hard to tell the difference but there is one and there on 265's on it

[89chevsj]

man what i would give to even have my truck a stock height. i miss lifts, but man they got expensive. i was reading i think on FSC that a guy had a block snap and total his truck. but i believe it was from repeated over loading. anyone else read that?

[benoit454]

any lifts under the 4 inch lift are useless they are nothing but a t bar crank period, don't waste time or money. if you can't get 2-3 inches from it stock the bars are sagging and need replaced.