Lift kits

[kingk0ng]

Anyone on here familiar with lift kits? I.e. you've had one, know someone that has, have one, installed one, etc.

I'm thinking about putting a lift kit on my Silverado, but I've heard mixed reviews on it. I've recently removed the front valance (for more ground clearance) but after getting used to a Ford F150 that sits up a bit higher I feel like my Chevy could definitely use a lift.

I was thinking 3.5 inches on 33's or maybe just going all out and installing the 6 inch suspension lift with 35's. Money isn't an issue, but I could imagine a 6 inch lift would force a lot of air underneath the truck on interstates and make it way easier to tip over at high speeds or even on bad roads.

Winters can get pretty bad here in Tennessee, so I'm wondering maybe which would would be the "safest" bet?

Thanks for any input.

 

[mpd556]

I've had several lifted trucks. I currently have an f150 with just a leveling kit on the front (makes truck sit level instead of nose dived) and it's on 33's. It fine on the interstate. Only crappy part is tires are 10 ply and gas mileage goes to crap!

Really depends on what your after, 6 inch suspension lift will be expensive and you'll be able to run 35's I'd say. But if you go tall you'll get wider tires and won't really need to worry much about flipping. It just won't be a vette in the turns lol.

 

[kingk0ng]

I've had several lifted trucks. I currently have an f150 with just a leveling kit on the front (makes truck sit level instead of nose dived) and it's on 33's. It fine on the interstate. Only crappy part is tires are 10 ply and gas mileage goes to crap!

Really depends on what your after, 6 inch suspension lift will be expensive and you'll be able to run 35's I'd say. But if you go tall you'll get wider tires and won't really need to worry much about flipping. It just won't be a vette in the turns lol.

I never thought about the wider tires thing. That's a great point.

I had a Dodge Ram a while back with a leveling kit, which actually made it appear to be lifted.

Gas mileage really doesn't bother me as I only drive 7 minutes to work one way and that's taking my time.

I'm thinking about just going with the 3.5 inch lift and if I ever decide to go higher just adding on.

Does your tires make a lot of noise?

 

[Swanson52]

Tire noise will depend upon the tire. All terrain tread patterns will be less noisy, but still louder than what comes on most trucks. Mud tires are louder, Interco Boggers are stupid loud.

At even 6" you're not raising the center of gravity enough to make it unstable, 3.5" will barely be noticeable from a handling standpoint. I've (unfortunately) had trucks lifted as much as 10", and I didn't feel it was unstable. However, as posted, it won't corner like a Corvette.

Don't skimp on shocks. I'm a huge fan of Bilstein shocks, but adjustables like Rancho RS9000 or Pro Comp MX-6 are good as well.

My last lifted truck had BFG KM2 tires, and I freakin loved em. I'm a BFG fanboy though, so...

 

[superbeast668]

35" tires on a Chevy requires cutting...

 

[Swanson52]

35" tires on a Chevy requires cutting...

Depends on the year & lift.

 

[kingk0ng]

Depends on the year & lift.

The year is a 2012. I think I'm just going to do a 3.5 inch lift on 33's at the moment, because I want to keep my factory rims.

I'll probably be adding fender flares.

 

[Phantom Z]

The year is a 2012. I think I'm just going to do a 3.5 inch lift on 33's at the moment, because I want to keep my factory rims.

I'll probably be adding fender flares.

I had that on my old Z71 and loved it. I'm actually planning on doing something similar to my tahoe come spring

I'm another fan of Bilstein and BFG's!!

 

[kisaj]

I have a 3/1 on my 2012 Tundra to give a little lift and get rid of the rake. I went with new shocks instead of a block leveling kit because I wanted better performance. I love the look because it isn't bro'd out and looks 1000x better than stock. I put some bfg AT on the stock rims 285/75/18 and I like the look and with the lift and bigger tires I can still go into most parking garages and the road ride is good. I plan to go aftermarket as soon as these wear out.

 

[kingk0ng]

Does anyone have pics of their lifts? I saw a 2014 Silverado quad cab, all touch screen on a Chevy lot with fender flairs, 6 inch suspension lift, 20 inch rims on 35's. The sticker price was $59,000. I might just do a trade in and start all over. The color of the one I was looking at was blue and I've personally owned black trucks in the past. Nissan Titan, Ford F150, Silverado, back to a Ford F150, now in a Silverado again lol.

 

[pete8407]

I don't have a lifted truck but that's my jeep. It has a nice suspension lift. A lot of my buddies have lifted trucks.

 

[kingk0ng]

That's a nice looking ride man! I've always wanting to live in Indiana. How big is your suspension lift? Have you noticed in difference in the way it drives, does in bad road conditions, handles curves, etc?

 

[pete8407]

That's a nice looking ride man! I've always wanting to live in Indiana. How big is your suspension lift? Have you noticed in difference in the way it drives, does in bad road conditions, handles curves, etc?

Thanks! I'm in northern Indiana. My suspension system consists of a 2 1/2in springs, 2in body lift(hidden by bumpers and front frame cover, you can't even tell it has one on it. Not a big fan of body lifts) and some badass shackles that are 1/2 in. So all together it's 5 total in. It actually drives a little rougher than the stock suspension that it had on it originally. I sold both tops so it's just a summer cruiser so there's no bad weather for it.

 

[kingk0ng]

That's one of the major things I'm worried about. I don't want to put 3k in a lift kit and tires and then turn around and have it either not even look lifted or have it ride so rough I wish I would have left it stock.

I've had a Nissan Titan, Dodge Ram and Ford F150 before this Silverado and as much as I love Chevy, they really need to step it up with making these trucks so low to the ground. I mean I understand that being lower to the ground has its benefits too, but for the most part people that drive trucks do a little off roading and could use a little ground clearance.

The Ford F150 and Dodge Ram in particular had massive ground clearance even though I do like the looks and reliability of the Chevy much better. I test drove a 2013 Dodge Ram the other day and it was really low to the ground as well. I don't know what these truck manufacturers are thinking lowering trucks so far to the ground that it's pretty much mandatory to lift them once you get them.

 

[pete8407]

What year is your Chevy? My jeep is an 84, so the kits they have for them are not that great when it comes to a soft ride. If your Chevy is newer than the ride shouldn't be an issue. The kits they make now are so far advanced and everything I've seen is soft ride suspension. What I would do is find the lift that you want, call the manufacturer or the place you are buying it and ask them some questions or do a google search of that lift and see if there are any reviews on it.