hey all. I haven't posted in a while. Can you all give me some sound advice on what you all think I should do as far as lifting a stock 4x4. I have a brand new set of Michelin Load range d radials sitting off to the side. The sizes are 33 x 12.50 R16.5 LT. I do not have them on because at turns and some road humps I hear/feel the tires rubbing on the wheel wells. I would want to lift the truck one day when funds allow. My truck is a daily driver and sees hunting trips often, so raising the truck should be a good thing for the hunts. I am currently looking at Summits skyjacker kit part #D692CDKS, which is a 6" lift. Also, Summits brake lines which are Earls Stainless braided part #28H110ERL.

Does it sound like I am on track, or am I missing something? I am very ignorant when it comes to suspension lifts and what is required. Price for the 6" lift thru Summit is $1051.00. Is there a better price elsewhere for the kit? Should I go higher, or lower? Any pitfalls with raising the truck? I did a search and read about erratic shaking at certain speeds. I don't believe I will place any huge tires like some of you have on this site, just the ones listed above that are sitting in my garage. Better ground clearance when trampling around deer country would be nice, also. Please assist me in my lack of knowledge.

 

you want a 6 inch with 33's i would do a leveling kit if that with those tires

 

If you look in my profile pics the 42' GN has some custom built SS vinyl coated brake lines on it, they can be made in several colors, configurations and length.
They will give you a firmer brake pedal.. check around for the best pricing. I use DOT 4 fluid as well since it gives you another 100 degrees or so before it boils..

 

I'm running 34" tires with 3" total lift, no rubbing anywhere. Only brake line mod necessary was relocating the front line bracket a couple inches lower on the frame. Some points to consider:

The higher the lift, the more steering, driveline, handling, wind resistance, lower MPG, etc. issues you have to deal with. I would not recommend going one inch higher than absolutely necessary for the tire size you desire.

The front driveshaft must be lengthened if you don't want to compromise the slip joint spline. Possibly the rear DS as well, depending on how high you go.

A steering stabilizer is highly desireable for handling big tires.

4" is probably the max lift you can effectively steer without crossover steering. I'd recommend bracing the frame behind the steering box, no matter what, if you haven't already done it.

Go with a higher lift spring in the back, no blocks. Rear lift with blocks on these trucks especially with the torque they make, is just a horrible idea if you need to use the truck for anything more than riding around town trying to look cool.

 

who carries the 4" kit? My truck has blocks on the rear, which I assumed is the stock design since I have not another 4x4 stocker to compare to. I appreciate all the advice, Ace and you others. This is like going to kindergarden for me, when it comes to suspension mods. Does anyone have a pic of the power steering brace bracket installed?

 

Sup Augie...

This what you're looking for?

Travis lives in West Sac and those wheels are the Ford Alcoa 16X7 with 265/75R16 tires on there... With that lift he was running 35s at one point. No blocks and other than that I think you need to get in touch with him... He just drove that truck to the arctic circle and back with his wife in the middle going 3 wide so I know it must be a good setup.

 

That's about what mine looked like when I got it with the Skyjacker 2 1/2" front and 6" rear springs with no blocks. I don't know what kit he has, but mine now has an additional 1" in front for leveling / clearance with lengthened shackles and front frame spring mount spacers:



I did a writeup on 1stGen.org for the front lift. "Need An Extra Inch?" in the projects forum. I've seen people say you can clear 35s with 2" lift, but as far as I can tell that would only be for driving straight down the road. My measurements and testing show these 34s just clear lock-to-lock under full spring compression with 1.25" adapters behind the wheels. 35s would rub, and 33s don't need the adapters.

I'm not exactly a Skyjacker fan because I think the rear springs are too weak, but that is probably just a compromise you have to make to get rear lift without blocks. Not a big deal if you aren't hauling heavy. There's Timbrens under there for that purpose and the combo works well for heavy loads. I eventually had to add a leaf on the left front to keep the truck level after it continued to sag. I think if you went around with a measuring tape though, you would probably find they all sit low on the left front because of the added weight on that side with the fuel, steering, battery, driver, etc. Dodge even had a shim kit to raise the 2WDs on the driver side for that reason, IIRC. YMMV.

There's an outfit on the Western slope here called Alcan Spring I've heard good things about. I'm going to try them when it needs springs next time. Not sure if they sell kits, tho. You might have to put together the parts from different sources, shocks, pitman, etc. BTW, the Skyjacker "Nitro" shocks are just Rancho 5000s without the logo and they suck. The ones I took off when I finished the lift work last spring were only about two years old, and two of them had lost pressure. The 9000s are expensive, but have a limited lifetime warranty. Don't forget to set the rear pinion angle brokeback (middle):

http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billav...t/Geometry.jpg