Re: Z71 mild lift idea to fit 35\" tires

I have a 3" SKyjacker lift that includes new upper control arms and brackets to lower the front diff. All that the lift does is alleviate the
really bad cv axle angles that occur when you tighten the torsion bars. If you just install the lift it will give you 2" inches of life but if you
also crank your Torsion bars after you will get a 3" lift. I would not advise cutting your body lift and would recommend a 2".
My 1993 1/2 ton has the Skyjacker lift (that didnt come with shocks) and a 2" body lift. I am currently running 33s with plenty of room.
I love the Skyjacker system and have had absolutely no problems whatsoever. Try a company called Rocky mountain suspension. for about $300
there ads are in "Off Road" magazine. THey have the best price on the lift. You will have to buy Shocks separately. Post another reply if you have any other questions and i would be glad to help.

 

Re: Z71 mild lift idea to fit 35\" tires

How does this little 2" lift ride? Can you tell much difference from stock, is it the same as tightening the torsion bars?
I went to Rocky Mountain Suspensions website and found a Superlift 2-2.5" kit with shocks for $335. They also have a Skyjacker for $274 without shocks.
Instead of cutting the body lift, does anyone make a shorter body lift for the truck? I know that on my Jeep body lifts are available down to 1/2" in 1/2" increments. If not, I can have them built by a friend of mine who is a machinist.

_____________________
John
95.5 YJ with "stuff"
http://SonsofThunder4x4.com

 

Re: Z71 mild lift idea to fit 35\" tires

Yes all it is is a torsion bars lift except the upper a arms make it ride better it doesnt hit bump stops and the front diff is lowered to
aleviate excessive cv axle wear. It is a little stiffer because i have the "Work Truck" package that comes with the stiffest bars you
can get for a chevy. Skyjacker actually said that the truck would ride a little softer than stock and that if that bothers you then you
could get stiffer bars. I think Dick Cepek makes a 1" body lift for the chevys or it might be Black Diamond. I think the most important
thing to look for is that the lift comes with Diff. lowering brackets. THe Skyjacker does i dont know about the Superlift. If ya dont
have these then you will be buying new cv axles far to often. As for your front diff. No one has come out with a reliable locker for IFS
systems. THere are some pretty good prototypes that arent available for sale yet so i would wait.

 

Re: Z71 mild lift idea to fit 35\" tires

Check out www.offroaddesign.com They make a good 1" body lift that I'm getting for my truck

Laketex
'79 Blazer

 

Re: Z71 mild lift idea to fit 35\" tires

The Skyjacker Lift is a good lift, as long as you don't crank the torsion bars all the way the stiffness difference is minimal on a standard half ton truck. With this lift and a 1 inch body lift, however, you will have to cut most of the bottom of the fender off to fit 35" tires. By itself, the largest tire that will fit on an after market 15" rim is a 32's (without trimming). If you want to go with the mini lift and a body lift to fit 35's, I would recommend at least a 2" body lift and probably even a 3' body lift. You will probably have to trim with the 2" body lift but you will actually have fender left when your done.

Just my $.02

P.S. Drew K1500, do you have any pictures of your truck on the web, I am considering adding a 2" body lift to my truck that already has the Skyjacker kit on it and would like to see how it looks with 33's. Thanks

Justin

 

Re: Z71 mild lift idea to fit 35\" tires

I dont but if i would be more than happy to mail ya pictures of before and after. Leave you email and ill get you address if ya want

 

Re: Z71 mild lift idea to fit 35\" tires

Justin- Wait a minute, I'm running 265's on the truck now which are the same as 32x10.50. By adding the 2" mini-lift a 285 or 33" tire should fit just fine. By adding 1" of body lift (really don't like the look of 2" body lift and wouldn't wish a 3" on my worst enemy) I wouldn't think that there would need to be as much fender trimming as you think. Or am I just missing something obvious here?

_____________________
John
95.5 YJ with "stuff"
http://SonsofThunder4x4.com

 

Re: Z71 mild lift idea to fit 35\" tires

You may not have to trim as much as I thought. On the stock 16" rims with stock offset you can easily run 33x12.50-16's (305/70-16) with the kit. If you do change to 15" or 16" aftermarket rims be careful with the offset. A friend of mine bough aftermarket 16" rims for his 3/4 ton and had to trim the valence and crank the torsion bars a turn just to get the 265's on, and BFG's tend to run skinnier than normal. You may be able to run 35's with kits, minor trimming, and the right offset after all. I really do know as I have never seen it before. Sorry I can't help more.

Justin

 

Re: Z71 mild lift idea to fit 35\" tires

Drew K1500,
That would be great! My E-mail is mntview@concentric.net. Thanks.

Justin

 

Re: Z71 mild lift idea to fit 35\" tires

FYI, if you wheel that Z71 at all, you will bash the fenders. My buddy has an '89 Z71 with 6 inches of suspension lift and a 2 inch body lift, and he still manages to tag a fender with his 35x12.5 BFG Muds sometimes.

Marc
Contagious Racing

 

Re: Z71 mild lift idea to fit 35\" tires

Marc- The truck is not my primary 4 wheeling vehicle, but I do need it to be able to get into some more remote places than it's capable of right now. I'm sure that I'll tag the fenders occasionally, but am not too worried about that. I plan on building front and rear bumpers, add a tru trac to the rear, fit a set of 35" meats, and add an 8000 lb winch (probably a REP 8000 or the M8000 from my Jeep if I get another one for it) to the front for those times when I wish I'd put in a Detroit Locker.

_____________________
John
95.5 YJ with "stuff"
http://SonsofThunder4x4.com