Rough Country lift kit - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

LowLifeS10 · 05-01-2016, 05:12 PM

Hey!

Anyone here who are/have used their lift kits? (67-91) I've been googling and searching on the forum but all threads are old. Most reviews I've read aren't very good, rough ride etc.. but maybe they do better stuff now? I rather wanna buy a Tuff country kit but there are no sellers for their kits here in Sweden :/

Im not gonna go mudding with the truck.

b454rat · 05-01-2016, 05:49 PM

There is a reason its called "rough" country. I'd look for a place that can get Tough Country, or do the 52" swap.

**Stocker** · 05-01-2016, 06:46 PM

Can you get Skyjacker Softrides in Sweden? As their name suggests, they are supposed to have a better ride than some of their competitors. I have 2 1/2" Softrides up front and they're not bad, and the quality is excellent.

AntiGov · 05-01-2016, 07:49 PM

I think I read somewhere that after all these years of teeth chattering front springs , rough country decided to make something softer. Could be wrong though

**special-K** · 05-02-2016, 07:11 AM

I think the Rough Country springs aren't as bad as people exaggerate them to be. They are just pieces of steel that flex. Some flex better than others, but for decades springs made just like what Rough Country sells today were all you could get an none of the guys whined about the ride, just took it in stride as the way a tough 4wd truck rode when you lifted and put tires on big enough to hurt any good ride. The differences are minimal and yes some later companies with later designs have designs that are more flexible. I have been using Tuff Country EZ-ride springs for as long as they have been made. That's what I recommend all the time. But, last year I bought Rough Country front leafs for my truck and did an Add-A-leaf/2" block on the rear to retain hauling capacity and spend as little as possible. Tuff Country also sells HD front leafs. Has anyone run those to compare to Ez-Rides? Steak is better than hamburger but I still enjoy hamburgers

LowLifeS10 · 05-02-2016, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stocker

Can you get Skyjacker Softrides in Sweden? As their name suggests, they are supposed to have a better ride than some of their competitors. I have 2 1/2" Softrides up front and they're not bad, and the quality is excellent.

No, need to order them from the US. The cheapest way to get em would be to ship by boat (done that many times) but it take so damn long to get it :/

I've emailed a guy and ask how much they would take to import tuff country springs. They fly stuff from US every week.

Thanks for the replies ya'll

LowLifeS10 · 05-04-2016, 09:03 AM

Dang. I'll have to pay 2x more if I ship by air with all taxes and crap. I think I have to ship by boat (just 30% more) or go with Rough country springs... It sucks to live in Sweden when you like American pickups :/

**special-K** · 05-04-2016, 09:50 AM

I can really appreciate all it takes for you and others over there to keep old American iron going. It isn't always easy here. Most of what I see out of Sweden is also high on the attention to detail scale, which not just shows a level of love but also shows even greater effort in a place where nothing is easy with these things. One good thing. Once they are right they will go go and go.

**Zoomad75** · 05-05-2016, 12:44 AM

Like Special-k said, Rough country springs really get a bad rap but a lot of what you read on the web are clowns that want to brag about what they bought and talk bad about other brands they never even used. So do they ride like a set of skyjacker softrides or tuff country ez rides? No. This is coming from somebody that has used the same set of rough country springs on the front of 2 different K5's now. Is the ride objectionable? Not really. We are talking about a full size solid axle truck right?

Mine are stiff. But on the street it's firm, solid and not a lot of sway. On the trail, I air down to at least 15 psi in the tires. That makes a BIG difference in the ride on the rough stuff. So the springs really don't bother me much. I think getting better shocks would actually improve my ride over just getting softer springs. Are there better springs out there? Sure. Is it worth the extra cost to go better? Depends on the budget. Money no object I'd get a set of custom springs by ORD and get away from the mass produced stuff. But my reality is I don't have an unlimited budget and had to scrimp to save to get the rough countrys. They felt good enough to pull off my old 75 k5 and reuse on my 91. One of the few things that carried over.

Keep in mind the biggest difference between the brands of springs is the actual spring rate. The soft springs have light spring rates so they should ride better. Problem is with soft springs is the load rating is less. Add a winch and second battery and that 4" lift might sag an inch. That soft rate will add to the sway going around corners on pavement. The higher spring rate keeps the load rating, will sag less with added weight of accessories and be more stable on road.

It all really depends on what your plans are for your truck. Me, personally I'm ok with them. I'll save up for the ORD stuff later, but for now they work and I already have them.

LowLifeS10 · 05-05-2016, 05:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoomad75

Like Special-k said, Rough country springs really get a bad rap but a lot of what you read on the web are clowns that want to brag about what they bought and talk bad about other brands they never even used. So do they ride like a set of skyjacker softrides or tuff country ez rides? No. This is coming from somebody that has used the same set of rough country springs on the front of 2 different K5's now. Is the ride objectionable? Not really. We are talking about a full size solid axle truck right?

Mine are stiff. But on the street it's firm, solid and not a lot of sway. On the trail, I air down to at least 15 psi in the tires. That makes a BIG difference in the ride on the rough stuff. So the springs really don't bother me much. I think getting better shocks would actually improve my ride over just getting softer springs. Are there better springs out there? Sure. Is it worth the extra cost to go better? Depends on the budget. Money no object I'd get a set of custom springs by ORD and get away from the mass produced stuff. But my reality is I don't have an unlimited budget and had to scrimp to save to get the rough countrys. They felt good enough to pull off my old 75 k5 and reuse on my 91. One of the few things that carried over.

Keep in mind the biggest difference between the brands of springs is the actual spring rate. The soft springs have light spring rates so they should ride better. Problem is with soft springs is the load rating is less. Add a winch and second battery and that 4" lift might sag an inch. That soft rate will add to the sway going around corners on pavement. The higher spring rate keeps the load rating, will sag less with added weight of accessories and be more stable on road.

It all really depends on what your plans are for your truck. Me, personally I'm ok with them. I'll save up for the ORD stuff later, but for now they work and I already have them.

Thanks for your input. This truck will only be a pavement cruiser cause I don't really wanna mess it up because it's not easy getting spare parts cheap here.

I'm probably gonna use it for towing and stuff like that so maybe the Rough country springs are the way to go if they are a bit stiffer and wont sag as much.

swamp rat · 05-06-2016, 12:34 AM

I put BDS springs on my3/4T truck, i like them ok they have slipper blocks between the ends of the springs i think it helps with the ride a little, and have tapered shims to help with drive line angle, they are plusher than the old Rancho springs i had. http://bds-suspension.com/

infinite-foamies · 05-06-2016, 08:21 AM

I am running rough country four inch lift(no blocks) and it rides pretty awesome for a lifted 40+ year old truck. Better than my buddies stock 2001 Ranger Edge.

coopdog · 05-06-2016, 08:49 AM

These are some early pics of the restoration , I really don't no why the rough country kit gets a bad rap, I personally think it rides smooth and looks elegant

RANDY COX · 05-06-2016, 03:13 PM

My 70 Suburban, My 90 Suburban, My 72 Blazer all received 4" Rough Country suspension... If I decide to lift my 64 then that's the one I'll use...

LowLifeS10 · 05-06-2016, 03:51 PM

I think Im gonna go with Tuff country though, can't find a 6" lift from Rough. Could anyone of you guys go out and measure how wide the rear springs are at the eyes?
I'm converting my c20 to k20 but im not sure if the spring hangers have the same width between the 2x4 and 4x4.

**special-K** · 05-07-2016, 09:36 AM

2 1/2". I bought some C/20 shackles for my 4wd when I couldn't find original replacements. I never used them but I think the only difference was the C/20s are a bit longer.

The 6" Ez-Rides will be a good choice. As lift goes up springs get stiffer and their design deals with that. I ran those all the way around on my old K/20 Highlander. It road really nicely. I like to run the hydraulic shocks. I feel nitro shocks were designed for Baja and I don't drive like that off road, slow and easy. Not concerned with cavitation or bottoming out on landings from being airborne.

LowLifeS10 · 05-07-2016, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by special-K

2 1/2". I bought some C/20 shackles for my 4wd when I couldn't find original replacements. I never used them but I think the only difference was the C/20s are a bit longer.

The 6" Ez-Rides will be a good choice. As lift goes up springs get stiffer and their design deals with that. I ran those all the way around on my old K/20 Highlander. It road really nicely. I like to run the hydraulic shocks. I feel nitro shocks were designed for Baja and I don't drive like that off road, slow and easy. Not concerned with cavitation or bottoming out on landings from being airborne.

THanks. Yeah, that's what I thought. Rough has the same spring rate as original, so it gotta be pretty stiff with a 6" lift.

74CustomK20 · 05-09-2016, 09:10 AM

Your k20 could have either 52" or 56" rear springs. If you order one and have the other, it's not hard to move the rear preches.

LowLifeS10 · 05-09-2016, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 74CustomK20

Your k20 could have either 52" or 56" rear springs. If you order one and have the other, it's not hard to move the rear preches.

Yeah, I'm goin with 52"

**special-K** · 05-10-2016, 08:32 AM

These trucks had 52"

cdub2010 · 05-10-2016, 07:50 PM

I had rough country 4" all spring lift on my '87 Jimmy. It rode firm both on and off the trail (more of a hunting fishing rig then mudder) . I even removed the sway bar, no need on road with the lift. I thought it was a great value for the money. I will tell you that my K5 with the 4" spring lift and ORD front shackles sat higher than a friends K5 on tuff countrys 6" all spring lift on the same set of 35" BFG muds.

05-01-2016, 05:12 PM	#1
LowLifeS10 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sweden Posts: 165	Rough Country lift kit Hey! Anyone here who are/have used their lift kits? (67-91) I've been googling and searching on the forum but all threads are old. Most reviews I've read aren't very good, rough ride etc.. but maybe they do better stuff now? I rather wanna buy a Tuff country kit but there are no sellers for their kits here in Sweden :/ Im not gonna go mudding with the truck. __________________ GMC C15 -68 project: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=526059 Front/back Porterbuilt dropmember, Accuair, LS1/4L60e Chevrolet C20 -72 C20 to K10/20 conversion, LS power.

05-01-2016, 05:49 PM	#2
b454rat Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Binghamton, NY Posts: 3,454	Re: Rough Country lift kit There is a reason its called "rough" country. I'd look for a place that can get Tough Country, or do the 52" swap. __________________ 2000 GMC CCSB 454/4L80 6” lift SAS 1999 Chevy CCSB 454/NV4500 6” lift 1999 GMC Yukon 350/4L60 4" SAS

05-01-2016, 06:46 PM	#3
Stocker 20' Daredevil (Ret) Join Date: May 2003 Location: Jefferson State Posts: 13,568	Re: Rough Country lift kit Can you get Skyjacker Softrides in Sweden? As their name suggests, they are supposed to have a better ride than some of their competitors. I have 2 1/2" Softrides up front and they're not bad, and the quality is excellent. __________________ - Mike - 1972 K20 LWB 350/350/205 RIP El Jay

05-01-2016, 07:49 PM	#4
AntiGov Registered User Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: central Oregon Posts: 1,220	Re: Rough Country lift kit I think I read somewhere that after all these years of teeth chattering front springs , rough country decided to make something softer. Could be wrong though __________________ 88 3+3 454 400 205 410 drw to srw still in pieces 90 3+3 350 400 205 410 srw 84 1/2 ton lb 6.2 4x4 parts truck

05-02-2016, 07:11 AM	#5
special-K Special Order Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mt Airy, MD Posts: 85,862	Re: Rough Country lift kit I think the Rough Country springs aren't as bad as people exaggerate them to be. They are just pieces of steel that flex. Some flex better than others, but for decades springs made just like what Rough Country sells today were all you could get an none of the guys whined about the ride, just took it in stride as the way a tough 4wd truck rode when you lifted and put tires on big enough to hurt any good ride. The differences are minimal and yes some later companies with later designs have designs that are more flexible. I have been using Tuff Country EZ-ride springs for as long as they have been made. That's what I recommend all the time. But, last year I bought Rough Country front leafs for my truck and did an Add-A-leaf/2" block on the rear to retain hauling capacity and spend as little as possible. Tuff Country also sells HD front leafs. Has anyone run those to compare to Ez-Rides? Steak is better than hamburger but I still enjoy hamburgers __________________ "BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~

05-04-2016, 09:03 AM	#7
LowLifeS10 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sweden Posts: 165	Re: Rough Country lift kit Dang. I'll have to pay 2x more if I ship by air with all taxes and crap. I think I have to ship by boat (just 30% more) or go with Rough country springs... It sucks to live in Sweden when you like American pickups :/ __________________ GMC C15 -68 project: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=526059 Front/back Porterbuilt dropmember, Accuair, LS1/4L60e Chevrolet C20 -72 C20 to K10/20 conversion, LS power.

05-04-2016, 09:50 AM	#8
special-K Special Order Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mt Airy, MD Posts: 85,862	Re: Rough Country lift kit I can really appreciate all it takes for you and others over there to keep old American iron going. It isn't always easy here. Most of what I see out of Sweden is also high on the attention to detail scale, which not just shows a level of love but also shows even greater effort in a place where nothing is easy with these things. One good thing. Once they are right they will go go and go. __________________ "BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~

05-05-2016, 12:44 AM	#9
Zoomad75 K5Camper Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Pueblo, CO Posts: 1,513	Re: Rough Country lift kit Like Special-k said, Rough country springs really get a bad rap but a lot of what you read on the web are clowns that want to brag about what they bought and talk bad about other brands they never even used. So do they ride like a set of skyjacker softrides or tuff country ez rides? No. This is coming from somebody that has used the same set of rough country springs on the front of 2 different K5's now. Is the ride objectionable? Not really. We are talking about a full size solid axle truck right? Mine are stiff. But on the street it's firm, solid and not a lot of sway. On the trail, I air down to at least 15 psi in the tires. That makes a BIG difference in the ride on the rough stuff. So the springs really don't bother me much. I think getting better shocks would actually improve my ride over just getting softer springs. Are there better springs out there? Sure. Is it worth the extra cost to go better? Depends on the budget. Money no object I'd get a set of custom springs by ORD and get away from the mass produced stuff. But my reality is I don't have an unlimited budget and had to scrimp to save to get the rough countrys. They felt good enough to pull off my old 75 k5 and reuse on my 91. One of the few things that carried over. Keep in mind the biggest difference between the brands of springs is the actual spring rate. The soft springs have light spring rates so they should ride better. Problem is with soft springs is the load rating is less. Add a winch and second battery and that 4" lift might sag an inch. That soft rate will add to the sway going around corners on pavement. The higher spring rate keeps the load rating, will sag less with added weight of accessories and be more stable on road. It all really depends on what your plans are for your truck. Me, personally I'm ok with them. I'll save up for the ORD stuff later, but for now they work and I already have them. __________________ Rob Z. 1975 K5 350/465/205/D44/12b 4" lift on 35's- RIP 1991 K5 8.1L/NV4500/241/D44/14b FWC Camper

05-06-2016, 12:34 AM	#11
swamp rat Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Spanaway Posts: 8,451	Re: Rough Country lift kit I put BDS springs on my3/4T truck, i like them ok they have slipper blocks between the ends of the springs i think it helps with the ride a little, and have tapered shims to help with drive line angle, they are plusher than the old Rancho springs i had. http://bds-suspension.com/ __________________ Mike. Swamp Rat build thread : http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=595019 72 3/4T 4X4 4" BDS Lift 33" BFG's

05-06-2016, 08:21 AM	#12
infinite-foamies Registered User Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Northport, NY Posts: 161	Re: Rough Country lift kit I am running rough country four inch lift(no blocks) and it rides pretty awesome for a lifted 40+ year old truck. Better than my buddies stock 2001 Ranger Edge.

05-06-2016, 08:49 AM	#13
coopdog Registered User Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NYC Posts: 429	Re: Rough Country lift kit These are some early pics of the restoration , I really don't no why the rough country kit gets a bad rap, I personally think it rides smooth and looks elegant Attached Images __________________ .................._____ __________//___{\____ /__---____//____/__---/ .....(O). ..................(O). BUILD THREAD K20 http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=651601 pages 2-4

05-06-2016, 03:13 PM	#14
RANDY COX Registered User Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: RADFORD, VA Posts: 2,651	Re: Rough Country lift kit My 70 Suburban, My 90 Suburban, My 72 Blazer all received 4" Rough Country suspension... If I decide to lift my 64 then that's the one I'll use... __________________ 1964 BBC 402 4x4

05-06-2016, 03:51 PM	#15
LowLifeS10 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sweden Posts: 165	Re: Rough Country lift kit I think Im gonna go with Tuff country though, can't find a 6" lift from Rough. Could anyone of you guys go out and measure how wide the rear springs are at the eyes? I'm converting my c20 to k20 but im not sure if the spring hangers have the same width between the 2x4 and 4x4. __________________ GMC C15 -68 project: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=526059 Front/back Porterbuilt dropmember, Accuair, LS1/4L60e Chevrolet C20 -72 C20 to K10/20 conversion, LS power.

05-07-2016, 09:36 AM	#16
special-K Special Order Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mt Airy, MD Posts: 85,862	Re: Rough Country lift kit 2 1/2". I bought some C/20 shackles for my 4wd when I couldn't find original replacements. I never used them but I think the only difference was the C/20s are a bit longer. The 6" Ez-Rides will be a good choice. As lift goes up springs get stiffer and their design deals with that. I ran those all the way around on my old K/20 Highlander. It road really nicely. I like to run the hydraulic shocks. I feel nitro shocks were designed for Baja and I don't drive like that off road, slow and easy. Not concerned with cavitation or bottoming out on landings from being airborne. __________________ "BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~

05-09-2016, 09:10 AM	#18
74CustomK20 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Tell City, IN Posts: 637	Re: Rough Country lift kit Your k20 could have either 52" or 56" rear springs. If you order one and have the other, it's not hard to move the rear preches. __________________ Big Nate Carp. Local 224. Buy made in the USA! 03 F350 6.0 Daily Race Truck. 79 C70 366 Project Dump.



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05-10-2016, 08:32 AM	#20
special-K Special Order Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mt Airy, MD Posts: 85,862	Re: Rough Country lift kit These trucks had 52" __________________ "BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~

05-10-2016, 07:50 PM	#21
cdub2010 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: detroit mi Posts: 208	Re: Rough Country lift kit I had rough country 4" all spring lift on my '87 Jimmy. It rode firm both on and off the trail (more of a hunting fishing rig then mudder) . I even removed the sway bar, no need on road with the lift. I thought it was a great value for the money. I will tell you that my K5 with the 4" spring lift and ORD front shackles sat higher than a friends K5 on tuff countrys 6" all spring lift on the same set of 35" BFG muds.

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