[623]

Ive been thinking alot about lifts, which one to get, wich one to recommend to people that ask, etc. I have gathered a little information about these lifts (for '88 to'98 trucks) to give me a better perspective on wich ones are good for what(show/durability/angles/accual lift height). I would like for you to add to this if you can. I also fully welcome any contradictions if you think any of this is wrong, or if you have had good luck with yours. Keep in mind that most of this is the opinions of installers and owners and not my own.


Rancho....
PROS: 1 piece subframe, great finish, good springrates with optional springs, Keeps angles fairly stock for durability. Overall a good lift for the money.
CONS: steering and balljoints wear abnormally (they probably used 36" tires and 10" rims though), lift is accually 5", skidplate??.

Superlift......
Pros: Good finish, lift height is very close to advertised,
Cons: Ride is harsh, steering wears fast, no 1 piece subframe.

Trailmaster......
Same responses as Superlift but it is cheaper and the parts seem weaker.

BDS......
Pros: Best darn warranty around, Good durability
Cons: Expensive
I couldn't get much info here, would appriciate more.

Full throttle suspension.....
Most common answer: Never heard of 'em

Rough country......
Pros: Cheap
Cons: Metal looks flimsy, hard to install, steering angles all goofy.

EZ-Ride
Most common response: Good kit, not too hard to install, seems and so far is durable, "youll definately want to order the springs"

Pro Comp.......
pros: close to advertised height, good finish, great skidplate, seems strong.
Cons: quite a few people mentioned thumping noises that lasted throughout the lift's life starting at install, lots of bad balljoints.

If you have anything to add please do so.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>4x4
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[Shorts]

if i were to lift my truck, i'd go with Rancho....just for the one-piece subframe...period.

i think that knockin' with the Pro-Comp lift is the bracket for the upper A-arms. i think somehow or another the bracket allows for some kinda movement because a hole(not sure which one) is slotted, rather than round. a tack weld is supposer to remedy that problem.

Shorts <-- its not what you think...and don't ask what it is /wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif

 

[Guest]

i too would go with rancho if i were to get a lift of 4" or more. i was checking out this guys rancho lift after a movie and the bracketry looks more stout than the pro-comp. maybe they spray the paint on thick i don't know. the ez-ride seems pretty cool cuz it's a 1-piecer AND it's painted black already (my truck is black). i'd like to see in person what that lift looks like. i might go with the ez-ride if it looked durable and what not and also if i could find someone around here who sales it much less installs it. i guess, personally, i would buy the kit(4"rancho), paint it black myself, and then have it installed. full throttle and whiplash suspensions are overkill (8" on up) and would strain the IFS even more. you'd have to put large tires on there cuz 33" tires would look funny on a 8" lift. he he! if 35" tires are the max you can ideally put on an IFS, what's the point of a higher lift?

You only live once, but if you live it right, once is enough.

 

[Guest]

O.K y'all I'm paying close attention to this cause Im about to do this.What about TrailMaster?Their kit looks good on paper.Anyone heard anythig?Good post by the way Im sure alot of us have this on their minds.

 

[330]

"Trailmaster" lifts, well....um.....kinda.....sorta....SUCK
Very cheesy, thin cheap looking, not stout, about 100 bolts that come loose over time.

"Rancho" is very stout, Probably the strongest. But you are pushing it to get a 5" lift out of it. You are really pushing it to get 35"s on with no cutting or rubbing, or overcranking the T-bars.

"SUPERLIFT" you can easily get 6"-7" out of it. And it does not ride harsh I had one for nearly 3 years set at about 6.5" and never had a ball joint or any other front end component go out. It even kept its alignment (This was with 35" BFG's on 16X8 wheels)

"Every" Brand of lift will ride harsh if you had to "overcrank" the torsion bars/wwwthreads_images/icons/mad.gif

First thing about comparing is "Different people drive differently" THAT is the biggest FACTOR.

Secondly, most front end wear and tear can be attributed to the wheels and tires.
You compare two trucks with the same lift,
Truck 1 has 33X12.5"s BFG AT's on 8" wheels with a normal offset.
Truck 2 has 36"x14.5"s Boggers on 12" wheels with a hellashis offset.
Truck 1 may never have a single repair, Truck 2 will be in the front end shop more than it is on the road.

So was this a good "lift kit" or not ????

Scooby Dooby Doo !!!

 

[Guest]

mY PLAN TO GO UP 4" AND PUT 36X14"TIRES ON MY 15X10 HELLCATS.sHOULD I RECONSIDER THIS PLAN?

 

[330]

First off 36X14's on a 4" lift, will rub like hell just getting out of your driveway.

Secondly, 36x14 is really pushing the limit on a 1/2 ton IFS.

Thirdly, ????? I cant think of anything, I just wanted to type "Thirdly" /wwwthreads_images/icons/blush.gif

Scooby Dooby Doo !!!

 

[Guest]

yeah but ball joints, t-bar cranking, wheel/tire size and the like aside, as far as durabilty, ease of install, keeping an alignment, not having to constantly re-torque bolts and overall quality.........i'm with the rancho lift. whoa, can you say run-on sentence?
anyways, someday i plan on putting 15x10" rims with 33X14.5" ssr tires and rancho would most likely make that happen for me.

You only live once, but if you live it right, once is enough.

 

[Guest]

I also have a 3" body lift and planning on doin cut out flares.

 

[330]

3" BL plus 4-5" rancho = 36 tires /wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif
the 14.5" part still may come back to bite you thats alot of stress on your front end stay with 10" wheels and you will probably be ok.

Scooby Dooby Doo !!!

 

[Guest]

Thanx man you almost busted my bubble for a sec'.I cant wait to do the lift but my ol' lady will kill me if I buy new tires already.

 

[RyanB]

Everyone seems to be forgetting SkyJacker and DickCepek(not sure if they are back yet!!!) Anyway SkyJacker is the only IFS lift I would ever have. I had one on my 92Sport and it was great and never once had a problem with it and I drove it hard. Everything is really beefy and it has a HUGE skid plate covering your diff and the whole oil pan. Also, SkyJacker is one of the few that has rear springs for our 88-98GM's. I went with there 6" SoftRide System with new springs and it was amazing and handling wise it was better than before the lift was done and I was turning 35" BFG's on 15x10 Welds.

Ryan

93 GMC Yukon
Chevy SuperStock 4x4 Truck Puller
Great Lakes Truck & Tractor Pulling Association
http://www.greatlakespull.com

 

[Guest]

Thanx Ryan Ill check them out too.I did actually forget about them.And Ive heard good things.

 

[Guest]

Damn,Ryan.I replied before your pic loaded.Thats a sweet truck.

 

[Guest]

I have only 3 words SOLID AXLE CONVERSION!!!!!!! THE ONLY WAY TO FLY N HI

 

[Guest]

I have 3 words also....TOO DAMN EXPENSIVE.I checked out offroad unlimited and just the brackets were like $800 no springs or nothing . Sucks too cause I was really thinkin about it.

 

[A1980GMC]

I am all for Dick Cepek. Best lift in my opinion. They were the first to use solid one piece construction for the cross embers. Rancho took the idea and made the whole subframe one piece. Cepek has a x member that conect the two to give it more strength. It really runs true to it's size 6.5". The drop down brackets are really well constructed. Not to offened anyone with Pro-Comp but Cepek's drop down brackets for the upper A-arms looks a lot more sturdy. I say looks cause I am not an engineer. Here is a pic of Cepek's 6.5 Stage I kit, the stage II kit adds the x member for the subframe.

and a look at some install

Here is a look at the finished product. A 92 Blazer with a Cepek 6.5" Stage I Kit and 35" BFG AT's on 15x10 rims, dog a 1998 Siberian Husky riding in style.

Sorry but everybody has their favorites. Mine is Cepek. I just lucked into a Stage II kit recently so that is what I am going with. I just bought my 3" body lift today. Let the fun begin. Good luck with whatever you choose!
Laters, Ryan

 

[Shorts]

i like skyjacker as well as rancho, but i don't like the fact that its more expensive than the 'cheapness' of the IFS lifts /wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif

Shorts <-- its not what you think...and don't ask what it is /wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif

 

[The_Kid]

What about Tuff country, I think thats the name any ways A guy I work with has a tuff country lift the only thing I dont like about it is the way it limits the suspesnion travel, has tow big plates on each botoom control arm that it bottoms out on, othjer than that its held an alignment for years and rides awseome, and he gained a full 6" with it.
Whats the deal with Rancho is it a 4" or 5" lift, I want to go with rancho, but I dont want to go any higher than 4"
Does rancho claim that youy can get 5"s out of the 4" kit by cranking the T-BARS, or are they 5" drop brackets?

Thanks
Evan

IF ITS GOT WHEELS OR A SKIRT YOU CANT AFFORD IT

 

[AJMBLAZER]

My Blazer will gain 6" of lift via a solid axle swap and 6" of leaf springs, but if I were to do a taller IFS lift I would go with either the 4" Rancho or 6" BDS.

The Rancho lift is by far the strongest, and everyone I have talked to said that when you put it together the way the instructions say to, it comes out to a little over 5" of lift. 5.25" is the solid measurement given to me. Seems to me that Rancho is just trying to get around their old "4 inches is the highest lift for a full size truck" rule. Rebel, it sounds like you are confusing their original 4" lift with this newer 4" lift. Rancho's first 4" lift sucked, and their new one is worlds better.

I like the BDS because of the previously mentioned unbeatable warranty. It also looks and seems pretty strong, at least as good as the other bolt together subframe kits. I've priced it before, and it actually seems to be a pretty good deal. I wouldn't get the rear blocks or add a leaves though. 2" springs and a http://www.OffRoadDesign.com 4" shackle flip for me.

1992 Blazer Sport, 350 TBI, 4L60, 3" Flowmaster, K&N, MSD coil & wires, Rancho 2.5" lift, 285/75R16 AT's/wwwthreads_images/icons/laugh.gif