# Thinking about a lift kit...



## Slamtime86 (Oct 7, 2011)

So i just bought a newer GMC 1500 Z71 and i want to lift it. Im dont know what size, brand, or what size tires and wheels i should go with. Anyone have any pictures or advice on what looks best on the newer model GMs. Thanks


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## BigBay420 (Jun 20, 2005)

I put a 3" body lift keys and spacer on my tahoe cost me about 1,000 bucks. If you go full suspension it's going to be a lot more.


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## Ducatibilt (Jul 8, 2010)

Give my buddy Max a call at MAXXED Wheel and Suspension he can hook you up with suspenion/lift and wheels/tires and give you the in's and out's of what you would need. He also has lots of pics of trucks he's done for you to look at for ideas as well.

Max 832-725-6198


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## C.Hern5972 (Jul 17, 2009)

Does he have a shop???

I just leveled mine out.. Thinking about a 4 inch on 35's


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## Ducatibilt (Jul 8, 2010)

He was in League City but he's just getting into a new shop in Baytown. I don't even have the address yet but call him at that number and he can give you the location.


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## outlaw38 (Aug 28, 2006)

C.Hern5972 said:


> Does he have a shop???
> 
> I just leveled mine out.. Thinking about a 4 inch on 35's


It won't fit.


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## outlaw38 (Aug 28, 2006)

8 inch CST suspension lift to keep the 35" tires from rubbing.

And alot of horsepower to turn all that weight.


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## Profish00 (May 21, 2004)

Nice cheby


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## snatchinlips (Jan 15, 2010)

outlaw38 said:


> 8 inch CST suspension lift to keep the 35" tires from rubbing.
> 
> And alot of horsepower to turn all that weight.


A few questions:
What kind of bumper/grill is that?
What kind of supercharger is that? and how much did it run you?
Have you ever had a hard time in reverse? 
My Z has a 6in suspension lift and I fish the beach quite a bit and for some reason while backing in or out of soft sand, it doesn't seem to want to turn the tires at times, even in 4 low. Spoke with a few buddies at the chevy dealership and they said it was probably due to my 373 gears. Planning to swap them out with 410's or 456's. I've got 35in BFG AT's and it only seems to rub when I'm making a tight turn over 10-15mph.
Thanks


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## outlaw38 (Aug 28, 2006)

Frontier gear bumper
Magnusen supercharger- $7000.00
No problem in reverse 640 HP
456 gears
Never rub at any speed


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## Navi (Jun 2, 2009)

What else have you done besides the SC for performance?


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## outlaw38 (Aug 28, 2006)

Navi said:


> What else have you done besides the SC for performance?


What else is there to do??


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## TexasBoy79 (Jan 5, 2009)

here's my Chevy. I leveled her out but still kept a little of the original rake. 3" keys in the front and added 2 additional leefs in the back. 265, 305s a little fatter 33". Still get 15 - 16 mph on the highway.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk


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## hookdup04 (Nov 12, 2009)

C.Hern5972 said:


> Does he have a shop???
> 
> I just leveled mine out.. Thinking about a 4 inch on 35's


It'll fit, depending on the truck just could take a little trimming. 35's will fit leveled on some trucks, which is what I'll be getting on my next set. To the OP, I would avoid body lifts as they just don't look as good as suspension. And be mindful of CV angles with IFS, it'll have detrimental effects on your front end parts. It is just nothing something that you want to take a cheap way out, as the cost down the road will be higher.

On Edit, look into:
~6" suspension lift from fabtech/cognito
35x12.50x20 Toyos or Nittos, the first being the better more expensive and each have similar tread types
20x9 rims, XD is a very popular and also good quality.

It really depends on how high you are looking to go and how much you want to spend.


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## Navi (Jun 2, 2009)

outlaw38 said:


> What else is there to do??


Quite a bit actually, and to get the HP you have takes more than the SC is why I ask. Mags advertise a ~40% gain over stock, gotta have something more giving ya that 100+ more. Im not busting your balls, I like the truck, just curious if you had done more than the SC.


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## C.Hern5972 (Jul 17, 2009)

well im definately going to be looking now. I dont like the stock height of the chevy trucks. Mine has the leveling kit and i would like to go up to a 305/315 tire..


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## outlaw38 (Aug 28, 2006)

Navi said:


> Quite a bit actually, and to get the HP you have takes more than the SC is why I ask. Mags advertise a ~40% gain over stock, gotta have something more giving ya that 100+ more. Im not busting your balls, I like the truck, just curious if you had done more than the SC.


Sorry I should of explained. The engine is a LS9 6.2L


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## hogracer1 (Mar 7, 2005)

And change front wheel bearings yearly


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## Navi (Jun 2, 2009)

outlaw38 said:


> Sorry I should of explained. The engine is a LS9 6.2L


Yeah that makes a HUGE difference, forgive me if I drool over your motor now :spineyes:


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## outlaw38 (Aug 28, 2006)

hogracer1 said:


> And change front wheel bearings yearly


For sure if you use a pos lift


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## rippin lips (Jan 8, 2005)

*The Shop Offroad in League city*

Call Bob or Brenda at The Shop offroad or Critter Gitters.
281-332-7911
www.offroadshop.com
www.crittergitters.net

Tell them John Woodcock gave you the #


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## justinsfa (Mar 28, 2009)

3" Front, 1.5" Back (levelling kit) and rolling on 35s in my Tundra.... 20x9 with 25mm backspacing was the ticket (pictured on the left). You can only do a 34 with a 35mm backspacing on my truck (thats what I ran on my 08 on the right). Not much difference, but a half inch is a half inch.










When seeing what fits, backspacing is going to be your friend. Different wheels will allow for better/worse fitment on tire size. Dont forget, just because a BFG is a 305/55 and a Nitto is a 305/55, doesnt mean they are the same size. You need to go to each manufacturers spec sheets and get the actual tire sizes. Some brands vary up to an 3/4" difference from their competitors.

BDS suspension has a lifetime warranty, and would be my choice if I was in the market right now.

For most onroad use, a spacer kit (not a loaded spacer) will be sufficient. If IFS, get a differential drop kit to keep your CVs at a more acceptable angle. If you are going offroad alot, you need to get ready to drop some $$.

I would highly suggest you get on a truck-specific web forum and do some research. Dont just jump into it without knowing the good and bad side of lifting a vehicle. There are both.

Ground clearance is a big deal for me since the stock 4x4 trucks on the market today seem to be lacking in that department. Even though its just a few inches, I have better luck on sloppy roads.


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## captnickm (Feb 16, 2011)

Don't do it. Only high school kids lift there trucks! A leveling kit with 33''s would look great! But, it is a good way to pick up high school girls, if thats what you go for..... Haha


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## captnickm (Feb 16, 2011)

Sorry Davey, I couldnt resist!


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## CaptPb (Jan 26, 2005)

My friends in the used/wholesale car business won't touch a truck with a lift. All have said there is to many shoddy jobs and they have been hammered with repairs. You don't get to drive them at auction. Ones with simple leveling kits, no problem. Something to consider since you'll probably be wanting another new truck next year.


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## BATWING (May 9, 2008)

I just did mine. Fantastic ride over stock and performace to boot.

2.5" Ready Lift w/ 4" Rear Block Level Kit
Toyo 35" MT on Monster XD's
5" Diamond Down Pipe Exhaust
DPF/Cat Del
S&B Cold AI
H&S Tuner w/ Hot **** loaded
FloPro EGR Kit


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## C.Hern5972 (Jul 17, 2009)

what truck batwing


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## justinsfa (Mar 28, 2009)

BATWING said:


> I just did mine. Fantastic ride over stock and performace to boot.
> 
> 2.5" Ready Lift w/ 4" Rear Block Level Kit
> Toyo 35" MT on Monster XD's
> ...


Truck looks great!!! 2.5 to 4? The factory ride is that nose high?


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## BATWING (May 9, 2008)

justinsfa said:


> Truck looks great!!! 2.5 to 4? The factory ride is that nose high?


No. The front raised 2.5" and I believe the 4" block replaced a 3" block. So over all the 2.5 in front and about 1" in rear. Got another inch from the tires.

It feels like more I should have put a tape on it. I am very glad I did not go with a 4" suspension or higher. This is the perfect lift and still ride like stock plus no problems at carwash etc.


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## C.Hern5972 (Jul 17, 2009)

cant see on work computer...dang


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## justinsfa (Mar 28, 2009)

BATWING said:


> No. The front raised 2.5" and I believe the 4" block replaced a 3" block. So over all the 2.5 in front and about 1" in rear. Got another inch from the tires.
> 
> It feels like more I should have put a tape on it. I am very glad I did not go with a 4" suspension or higher. This is the perfect lift and still ride like stock plus no problems at carwash etc.


Oh, thats right... I forgot there was already a block in there... A guy I work with has the 4" spacer with 35s and 20s on his KR F250 and it looks about the same as yours...


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## bigstix66 (Jan 27, 2012)

If your going to do it do it right. Body lifts look cheap and show a big portion of your frame and i wouldn't even consider looking at a leveling kit. 6' lift on 35's on 20'' fuel hostage will be upgrading to 22" xd diesels on a 37" M16 with a Spartan programmer


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## justinsfa (Mar 28, 2009)

bigstix66 said:


> If your going to do it do it right. Body lifts look cheap and show a big portion of your frame and i wouldn't even consider looking at a leveling kit. 6' lift on 35's on 20'' fuel hostage will be upgrading to 22" xd diesels on a 37" M16 with a Spartan programmer


Just a quick question, whats the reasoning behind not considering a leveling kit?


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## bigstix66 (Jan 27, 2012)

They are known to put wear on ball joints and also cause a elongated shock stroke so if you do potentially overstroke your piston on your shock it could cause damage to a seal or tear the shock to pieces just my .02


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## justinsfa (Mar 28, 2009)

bigstix66 said:


> They are known to put wear on ball joints and also cause a elongated shock stroke so if you do potentially overstroke your piston on your shock it could cause damage to a seal or tear the shock to pieces just my .02


All lift kits are known to cause those problems, not just leveling kits. Thats part of the game...


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## bigstix66 (Jan 27, 2012)

Not going to argue, you get what you pay for..


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## justinsfa (Mar 28, 2009)

bigstix66 said:


> Not going to argue, you get what you pay for..


Agreed, but an out of the box 6" lift isn't necessarily the answer either.

If you want to do it right, you need to spend way more than $2K and do more than cut the frame, put on some blocks and longer shocks....

Spending a few thousand on a kit doesn't necessarily mean it is "done right"... you still have high stress on all your front end components, drive shaft, transmission, steering rack, rear leaf packs, etc....


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## bigstix66 (Jan 27, 2012)

Ive never cut a frame on any suspension lift kit ive installed and this is about my fourth truck lifting.


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## justinsfa (Mar 28, 2009)

bigstix66 said:


> Ive never cut a frame on any suspension lift kit ive installed and this is about my fourth truck lifting.


My apologies, the front crossmember.... unless you are installing a drop down bracket lift or have a SFA.

Nice rig you have there, none the less.... what kit is on it?


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## INTOTHEBLUE (Jun 21, 2011)

justinsfa said:


> Agreed, but an out of the box 6" lift isn't necessarily the answer either.
> 
> If you want to do it right, you need to spend way more than $2K and do more than cut the frame, put on some blocks and longer shocks....
> 
> Spending a few thousand on a kit doesn't necessarily mean it is "done right"... you still have high stress on all your front end components, drive shaft, transmission, steering rack, rear leaf packs, etc....


When you lift a truck it changes the geometry of everything which places more stress on u-joints. The bigger tires have more surface area and are typically spaced out further so ball joints receive more stress. Steering takes a hit again from bigger tires. A body lift doesn't do anything but leave a gap between the body and frame which looks bad.

Out of the box 6" Superlift for $1200. No cut frame and no worry about elongated shock stroke.


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## GreyGoose (Jul 26, 2008)

what about the Bilstein 5100 series ride height adjustable Shocks???? Any body useing them?


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