Lift kit advice

[3x2GTO]

I'm finally ready to order a 4" suspension lift for my 1985 K30 454 pickup and need to know if the wheels and tires I want are going to clear everything. The wheels are 17x10 US Indy with 4.5 BS, the tires are going to BFG's 33 x12.50 x 17. It'll be a street driven truck with some light off roading. I called ORD design and they thought 33's would clear, but I want o be sure. I'm also looking at a Skyjacker C14OCK kit. My truck is a big block with AC, so I'm guessing I'll have to add the F1c140 HD spring?

[sweetk30]

i prefer tuff country and with bbc 454 go HD springs .

and yes 33" will clear with 4" lift and the k30 is just over 1" taller than 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks .

i run 255/85/16 ( skinny 33" ) on 3" lift on stock rims . i have a sbc 350 but run a fisher 8ft snow plow in the winter thats over 800lbs total on the front .

[3x2GTO]

That's a good looking truck with a seldom seen color combo. ( around here anyways) Thanks for the advice, I THINK ORD sells Tuff Country lifts, I'll call them again.

[b454rat]

IIRC, that truck started life as a 2wd lol. But ORD doesn't sell BS, anything they sell is top notch stuff. As already mentioned, 1 tons sit higher than the 1/2 and 3/4 tons, and can clear 33s on a 1/2 ton, so really would only need a 2 1/2" to clear....

[3x2GTO]

I read where the K30 frame is different in the rear, , but where is the extra 1" lift coming from in the front? I work out of town M -F, so I usually order stuff on Saturdays thru Summit. I did just set up an account with ORD and will try to call them next week.

[sweetk30]

dana 60 is a BIG front axle . years ago i swapped one under a k10 and took out the 3/4 ton 10bolt and i got almost a 1inch more height .

and b454rat yes this was a 2wd body swapped on a k30 frame . . . but not the one you know of . she had to be retired after 13 years and the last 3 were limped alone barly .

[3x2GTO]

This is the 1st k30 that I've owned, until now I've always had k 20's, thanks for answering that, now I know. I've also converted 2wd cabs over to 4x4 frames, EZ to do and as good as factory. It was a lot easier to find 2wd cabs as opposed to finding a 4wd.

[sweetk30]

all my current trucks have 2wd 1/2 ton bodys on them . 3 k30 trucks . and a c-10 short bed truck but thats a given . . .

[sweetk30]

and since its your first k30 and lifting it a bit watch the 1 rear shock to axle tube for fitment . on the k30 the rear shocks mount different and the rear getting lifted and rotated just a few degrees can make the 1 shock body contact the axle tube . easy to fix tho . cut the mount off and rotate it a few degree back and re-weld it back on .

[3x2GTO]

Good to know, another difference between the k20 and K30 trucks. Since the K30's are 1" taller, my plan NOW is to go with a 3" lift, Tuff Country HD springs, and 3" blocks in the rear. I see ORD offers a shackle flip, but I'm old school and that's all new to me, and blocks will be fine. I'm trying to keep the lift as low as possible, run real 33 x 12.50's and still have the right amount of space between the top of the tire and fenders for the right look. Guessing I'll need a drop pitman and steering block?

[86454k30]

Here is my K20 with 3" Tuff Country ez rides and 16x10 wheels on 33x12.50's no rubbing

[4u2nv]

Originally Posted by 86454k30

Here is my K20 with 3" Tuff Country ez rides and 16x10 wheels on 33x12.50's no rubbing

Really liking that blue on your truck , I'm sure it would look even better in real

[3x2GTO]

Originally Posted by 86454k30

Here is my K20 with 3" Tuff Country ez rides and 16x10 wheels on 33x12.50's no rubbing

Very nice! Looks like a 3" will work fine. If I ever decide to paint my pieced together rig, it'll be some shade of blue or green. I'm also looking at BFG or Cepeks, haven't decided yet.

[sweetk30]

do a drop pitman arm first . thats what i have on mine . the steering block spacer is not the best .

and dont forget cooper tires . there a real good brand and i never had any problems with them when i did tires for 15+ years . bfg is still good but there getting real pricey and some quality problems i just read up on . the bfg radial t/a tires for older hotrod stuff there is a massive problem with the white letters not being white and staining fast and wont come clean .

i just got 4 cooper cobra tires for my 2wd and it was just over 1/2 price of the bfg tires and the letters are solid white and look great .

and my k30 has the bfg mud tires and they wear out FAST . i have under 10k miles and there half tread now . 1 more winter and there done . next set will be cooper tires .

[57taskforce]

Originally Posted by sweetk30

do a drop pitman arm first . thats what i have on mine . the steering block spacer is not the best .

and dont forget cooper tires . there a real good brand and i never had any problems with them when i did tires for 15+ years . bfg is still good but there getting real pricey and some quality problems i just read up on . the bfg radial t/a tires for older hotrod stuff there is a massive problem with the white letters not being white and staining fast and wont come clean .

i just got 4 cooper cobra tires for my 2wd and it was just over 1/2 price of the bfg tires and the letters are solid white and look great .

and my k30 has the bfg mud tires and they wear out FAST . i have under 10k miles and there half tread now . 1 more winter and there done . next set will be cooper tires .

I used to run the bfg muds on my company truck and the most I ever got out of a set was 26,000. This was over 5-6 sets on two different trucks. They wear out crazy fast but out in the slop of the oil field they never once failed me. They do really well for there intended purpose and highway miles are not that intended purpose. actually they remind me a lot of super swampers in that regard. I’ve got toyo muds on it now and they are on par to get about 35-40,000.

[3x2GTO]

I have Coopers on 2 of my daily driver cars, they seem to last and were cheaper than BFG's, also looking at General tires. The longest lasting passenger car tire I've ever owned was Uniroyal tiger paws, 60,000 miles and 3 were still good enough to sell to the dealer. If I go with BFG, they'd be the all terrain, but have to get the rims here first. I'm trying to keep the complete lift, wheels and tires under $3,500. Don't know if that'll happen though.

[gmc684x4]

I will say Sykjacker
Lift kits that are half its price will be much rougher ride
Do not be cheap and use the kits with rear blocks front end usually always sit higher then the back doing it this way

I run Duratracs mining they last over a year in that extreme rough environment

I used to like bfgs i found on anything other then a halfton they had a very short liftime on a 3/4 and 1 ton and burned up very quickly towing

[b454rat]

I have Falken Wild Peak AT2 as I think they are called, on my tundra. 35x12.5x20, had em 2 years now and looks like I put em on yesterday. They are pretty good in the snow, not so great in the mud, but they aren't a mud tire either. I had a tough time in my yard last spring lol. Don't think they are white letter, but anymore I prefer black wall. General Grabber is another good one I've had. Great in snow, just don't do mud anymore so can't say how they do there.

[3x2GTO]

It's a bummer, going from 3" wide springs to 2".5, but that's what I can find in a 3" lift.

[3x2GTO]

I took SweetK30's advice and went with 285 x 75 x16 and I'm really pleased with the fit. The wheels are a made in USA 16 x 8 chrome spoke form US Wheel,(waiting on lug nuts and center caps) the tires are BFG, Tuff country 2" HD spring, ORD HD shackles and dana 60 stud kit. The total front lift ended up being 2 3/4". I still have to :raise the stock rear springs about a 1/2" , have steering box rebuilt, longer front shocks and new sway bar bushings.

[57taskforce]

Looks great, I really like it. It’s nice when they sit up a bit but are still perfectly usable as a truck. I’ve had a few that were up high enough that they look great but aren’t practical at all.

[sweetk30]

Nice