lift ?

i need some info. on lifting my truck.i have an 02 Z71 i want to lift it a few inches to allow 33" rubber.what are the pros and cons of a body lift versus a suspension. other than the obvious cost.also what other modifications would i need to make using either option.will either one make my ride rough. it is my daily driver and will remain to be that way, but i like to go out and play in the mud as well occasionally.

OK thanks for the responses everybody i thankyou.seems like lifting in any fashion has draw backs.can anybody explain further this torsion bar method? what does it involve how do i do it and how would something like that raise the back end,or does it? would i need blocks in the rear for this method of lift?

i need some info. on lifting my truck.i have an 02 Z71 i want to lift it a few inches to allow 33" rubber.what are the pros and cons of a body lift versus a suspension. other than the obvious cost.also what other modifications would i need to make using either option.will either one make my ride rough. it is my daily driver and will remain to be that way, but i like to go out and play in the mud as well occasionally.
I can only help you out a little bit, my knowledge of lifted trucks is limited. Personally I prefer suspension lifts, as opposed to body lifts. I think it looks cleaner over all.

The major draw back to suspension lifts is the price. They can get very expensive for just a few inches. But if you want it done right, its gonna cost a little bit. If your going to take it to a custom shop, look around and see how their shops look and what their knowledge is like. And ask for pictures of previous jobs(even though they'll hide any that went bad). If you have a buddy who has some experience with this take him along with you or get his advice.

Problem with body lifts I've heard, is that the body starts to make creaking sounds. Thats about the only draw back I know. After the lift, you'll need to get your camber adjusted, as you will be running with positive camber afterwards. With 33's I'd suggest a a 3" lift. It will be the cheapest. The kit will probably consist of lift springs in the front and lift blocks in the back. Make sure the pinion angle is correct after its done too. Thats about all I can think of now, sorry I can't recommend a brand of lift, thats kinda out of my knowledge.

It all depends on how much money you'd like to spend. A body lift, for 3" will run you somwhere around $100 (this out of a magazine) whereas a 4" suspension lift, the cheapest I could find for my truck (99 Z) was about $1300. Also, the body lift is MUCH easier to install, you can probably do it yourself, but the suspension lift requires a professional installation b/c there could be some cutting/welding required. Also if you install a body lift, make sure you get the brackets to lift the bumpers as well b/c there will be a gap if you dont. There will also be noticible gaps between your bed and frame, you can get covers to hide these though.

There is a suspension kit on the market now that you can return your truck back to stock if you ever feel the need. As far as ride quality, the body lift will maintain the factory ride, because you are not altering any of the factory suspension components. The suspension lift could make the ride a bit rougher, but most of the trucks I've ridden in that had one were really quite close to stock if not a little better. Just be sure if you get the suspension that you need to check driveshaft lengths, pinion angle, that the tires do not scrub the body throughout the suspension cycle, and that the brake lines are not stretching to their limits at full-droop (put your truck on a mechanic's lift that takes the tires off the ground). There is one other alternative. There are some aftermarket torsion bar adjusters that are supposed to give you 2-3" of lift in the front only for $100. This, combined with a 2 or 3" body lift should be more than enough to fit 33". I have 285/75 on my truck now w/no lift at all. The last option I talked about is probably what I'm going to go for. I Hope this helps ya make your decision.

There is one other alternative. There are some aftermarket torsion bar adjusters that are supposed to give you 2-3" of lift in the front only for $100. This, combined with a 2 or 3" body lift should be more than enough to fit 33". I have 285/75 on my truck now w/no lift at all. The last option I talked about is probably what I'm going to go for. I Hope this helps ya make your decision.

where can u get these torsion bar adjusters at. i got 285/75 on my 2000 z71 and its kinda low in the front end. i wanted to see if anything would lift that up a bit.

[QUOTE=jeverett] As far as ride quality, the body lift will maintain the factory ride, because you are not altering any of the factory suspension components. The suspension lift could make the ride a bit rougher, but most of the trucks I've ridden in that had one were really quite close to stock if not a little better.

as logical as this may seem, unfortunately that isnt how it works. if you want to remain as close as the stock handling with a lift go suspension. suspension lifts are made specifically for each vehicle and optimize handling for it, body lifts on the other hand, make the vehicle less stable and winds on the highway affect handling also. body lifts are cheap but they are not the "proper" way to lift your truck. on a new truck like that your best bet is to save your money and go with the suspension lift. you will maintain most of your handlling looks and resale value also.

also... with a suspension comes the added hassle/cost of getting your truck aligned every 3 months(recomended).

I researched lifts a couple of months ago for my 00 Z71... and decided to tighten the torsion bars, go with 285 tires, and leave the rest. I measured an inch lift on the front with the torsion bars tightened... and i wish i had measured the tires before the 285... while i had the 265 s. But i bet it gave it an inch all around.

You might REALLY want to drive someones truck with a suspension lift that they have had for a year or so. I drove a friends and it was not enjoyable.

Also depending on what you have done as far as performance... any lift along with the bigger tires is going to be noticable in dragging on the engine.

as logical as this may seem, unfortunately that isnt how it works. if you want to remain as close as the stock handling with a lift go suspension. suspension lifts are made specifically for each vehicle and optimize handling for it, body lifts on the other hand, make the vehicle less stable and winds on the highway affect handling also.

I said factory ride...not handling. I know the higher the center of gravity, the less stable the truck will be unless you want to upgrade to an ungodly wide set of rims and tires. but all he asked about inthe question was ride quality. But I'm glad you added that, it might be useful in him making his decision

when you lift your truck you will have to replace your rims.the stock rims will hit the new A-arms and adjusting your torsion bars will give you a rought ride.

Now, this is just my opinion,...but I think you are best with just the torsion bars adjusted. With a lift comes a lot of extra cost, and not just up front.
If you look at an IFS lift kit, like the one you'd get for your truck, it involves removing the front diff assembly in trade for a taller one. This changes all of the driveline angles in the front alone(and can involve some grinding/removal of factory stuff). You'll never get the factory ride back and you're truck isn't going to stay together for as long as it would without the lift. Soon you'll have all kinds of noises and rattles. Both body and suspension lifts involve a lot of changing of factory equipment, and its like fixing a wrecked car,...once you take it apart and put it back together(even professionally) it never drives the same. Everyone I know who has had a lifted truck sold it and didn't lift their new trucks(including myself and my younger brother).
Basically, if I was willing to put up with a lot of work and truck that doesn't drive like a 2002 for long then I'd do it. Personally, I just want to keep my 2002 reliable and rattle free forever. I have 265s right now, but I plan to replace them with 285 when the time comes for new rubber.
One again,...this is just my opinion and experience with lifts for new IFS trucks.
Go with what you want, its your truck.
Jeb

I just wanted to add a few things. I recently put a 6" RCD lift on my 2004 Silverado Crew Cab. I've done a lot of research on many different lifts, and for many reasons I chose the RCD. I put it on in my garage, everything fit very well, surprising seeing as the lift and the truck both have tolerances but the install went very smoothly. The ride on the street and off road are as good or better than stock, with the 6" lift 35's fit perfectly. There are many different types of lifts out there that use different methods to actually achieve the lift, the RCD keeps the stock A-Arms, stock top location drops the lower location and changes out the spindle for a 6" taller one. The new RCD spindle also looks stronger then the original. Anyway from what I've learned is that you can keep an almost stock ride by keeping almost stock suspension geometry, if you crank up the torsion bars the truck will ride stiffer. I've been in trucks with other brands of lifts that ride pretty rough. Just my 2 cents on the whole thing.

where did you find your RCD kit and tell me a little more about it if you would please.What is the average cost of this kit,is there any drive line issues (differential angle),does it come with everything you need,are shocks included with this kit or are they an option for additional cost as most are?Thanks for your help.

I used to have a 95 GMC Z71 which I put 33's on. I had the fenders cut to allow space for the tires. I wouldn't recommend 33's though, put too much of a strain on my cv joints and tie rods after about two years. The front end was making a lot of noise and almost fell apart on me. I took it to the shop and they said I was close to having the right front end come apart. It was a two-day, $1500 job i had to endure. Man that hurt. My current truck has 285's which look really nice.

did you have to do any welding on the installation of your rcd kit??

If you want to run 33's all you have to do is lift the front end up a little and there will be no modifications to you fender walls, no welding, nothing. Just change out your torsion bar keys with a ford F150 up to 2003 and the angle difference between the keys will bring up your front end up 3 inches. Total cost of front end lift is usually less then $50. You will have no problem running 33's, 285/75/16 or even 295's. The only downfall of this is that the truck drives like a 3/4 ton truck, but some people like that better. Soon I will be posting pics of my truck and you can see the difference between old and new. Let me know what you think. Dave

Phix 06 So Your Saying To Put The Ford F150 Torsion Bar Keys On And They Fit No Problem? How Hard Is It To Switch Them Out?

Thanx for the feedback fellaz...But Im doin a 6 '' rcd lift on my 03 silverado, but im not runnin those typical 15',16',17' wheels..Instead, im runnin 20's with the nitto terra grapplers( LT325/60/20 or 35x13.00 r20 )...The wheels are Lexani V.P.'s offroad style 20's = DUBZ...It will be in cardomain.com in a few weeks along with my other toys...LOL....

Can You Post A Pick Or Send Me The Link So I Can See It. It Sounds Nice. Tahnks

no problemo...it's gonna be a few weeks or less...

Cool Thanks

I also installed a 6" RCD "Race Car Dynamics" Lift. And I couldn't be any happier. The ride seems better than stock. You can fit 35's with this lift although I went with 33's. Don't mess with the torsion bars. Not only will your screw up the smooth ride, you lose articulation as in suspension flex.If you go with RCD you won't be sorry

where can i get a good but inexpensive 3' lift

:banghead: I have a 2000 Z71 that I just want the front up a little to look level. I didn't think the 2000's had torsion bars for adjustment. Not real good on those things. Looking for ideas with out spending lots of $$$. Any help will be appeciated.

Thanx for the feedback fellaz...But Im doin a 6 '' rcd lift on my 03 silverado, but im not runnin those typical 15',16',17' wheels..Instead, im runnin 20's with the nitto terra grapplers( LT325/60/20 or 35x13.00 r20 )...The wheels are Lexani V.P.'s offroad style 20's = DUBZ...It will be in cardomain.com in a few weeks along with my other toys...LOL....
That shit's gonna be pretty damn tight man. There's a guy that lives in my apartment complex who has a 01 or 02 Silverado with around a 12" Lift and 20's on some fat tires. It's tight as shit. So yours is bound to look pretty tight too.