Donstar
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Everything posted by Donstar
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The first thought that came to my mind is what cjb321 suggested. I have seen a pickup with a matching pickup box trailer. It is a sharp sight!
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It is either high or low depending on what you are buying and where you are getting it installed. For $500 (cdn) I can get a 2.25" Ready Lift kit installed and aligned at my dealership. I suggest shopping around as I have found a $200 price spread on basically the same work
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Great write up! You put a great deal of thought into this project. You took some careful before and after measurements and recognized a potential problem of going 1/4 inch too high. This has been my concern as I do not like a squatted look, even when carrying cargo. To make sure my truck maintains a little bit of a rake, I plan to go with a 1.5" level. The problem I am having is that I have close to an inch difference in height at the back of my truck. The lower side is the gas tank side which I usually keep full. I am going to run it to empty to see if this is the reason. I am wondering with all the measuring you have done if you noticed a discrepancy from side to side.
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Great looking truck! I now understand the appeal. The picture is truly worth a thousand words!
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OK. I am also curious as to why you'd choose this look. I read your earlier posts and I understand that this is the way you want it to look. A truck that is lowered has a street cruiser appeal. A truck that has a rake looks ready for hauling. A level truck looks aggressive. A truck that is squatted looks compromised or that it is too heavily loaded. This is not a criticism, I am just very interested!
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I simply think there is a misunderstanding. The terminology you are using sounds like you lowered the back of your truck 2" and raised the front 2.5". Is this what you meant to say?
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I am very happy with my 4.3. I use the truck in the same manner as my previous, similarly equipped, 09 with a 5.3. I find this truck much more enjoyable to drive and my trips to the gas pump have been very noticeably reduced in frequency. -
Thank you for another informative post! I think the conclusion for me would be the same. Spacers creating less than 2" of lift will not exceed normal suspension function. The "lateral force load" does add a new caution. I am sure that this grandpa will never achieve the force necessary to upset the spacer, however, I do not want to add an option that is weaker than stock.
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This is great information! Thank you! I have read it over several times and, if I understand correctly, spacers providing two inches or less of levelling have little or no potential to cause problems. The suspension will work safely within the limits of the stock shocks.
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This makes sense and is a good explanation but there certainly is some conflicting information out there!
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Are you pushing the suspension down more or are you compressing the spring? I visualize everything remaining in position while on the hoist. I see the extra pressure on the spring pushing the body upward when off the hoist.
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Maybe the Bilstein diagram is misleading. My truck is used as a pleasure vehicle and does not need to be raked to allow for hauling heavy loads. I like the looks of a leveled truck however I will not compromise safety. Do you have information that would support why "anything past factory is over extended"? These trucks are designed to operate safely with the front moderately elevated, as this naturally happens when hauling. I don't understand how a 1 or 1.5 inch level can "over" do anything so I'm searching for information and advice from people such as you.
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Very interesting! This sounds almost too logical. I was hoping a 3/4" spacer (1.5" level) would make the safe zone!!
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The diagram on the right shows a dotted "maximum travel" line which is greater than "with Bilstein" shocks but less than "over extended down travel". It would be terrific to know what size spacer will take you to the maximum without going to the over extended zone. Does anyone know if there is a maximum figure or how we could find this out?
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Stance looks perfect. The 1" is noticeable to those who appreciate such things. My wife called my truck a tank today and belongs to the group of people who don't appreciate the finer aspects of truck ownership! That's the great thing about these forums! BTW, what size tires do you have?
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I imagine you didn't experience any changes in your mpg with such a minor change. I am guessing that if I was to go to a 285 from a 255 with my 4.3 L it would be reflected in my mpg quite significantly.
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Your truck looks great! Is this a 4.3 L and if so, what was the original tire size? Thanks.
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This afternoon I parked near a truck very similar to mine at the local mall. The key difference is that this other truck was leveled and had wheels and tires that maximized the space in the wheel wells. The truck looked fantastic! It made mine look like I was sporting four portable spare tires! My stock tires are 255/70r/17 and I plan to go to 265/70r/17 Michelin LTX/MS when I have my level kit installed. I know there isn't much of a difference but it is a much more popular size (less expensive) and they are at least a little bigger! Is if there anyone going with a larger tire on a 17" wheel with a 6cyl 4x4 Crew and not experiencing huge increases in gas consumption? Maybe 285/70r/17??
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I plan on installing a 1.5 but I was figuring on being left with an inch of rake.
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Looks great! I believe a 1.5 to 2 inch level is a perfect stance for these trucks. The wheels look great as well, however I think the size would be too much of a power drain on my 4.3!
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I remember years ago when my cable provider wouldn't service my modem because I had a wireless router. The same provider now supplies wireless routers. I think your dealer is out of date in meeting customer needs. Dealerships in my area have progressed from bad mouthing level kits to supplying and installing. "Lead, follow or get out of the way!" You should take your service elsewhere. Maybe it will help promote change!
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I remember asking at a spring shop if a 1.5 spacer kit has any negative impact on front suspension. He assured me that there is no potential for problems. GRN69CHV points out that a similar amount of lift is generated by loading the back of the truck. Again, I agree with GMC-AT that some rake is ideal from both looks and load carrying perspectives. I like to justify my modifications with some practical purpose. I never was fond of fake air-scoops on muscle cars nor do I care to make my 6cylinder people mover into something it is not. It left the factory designed to accommodate miscellaneous loads for commercial or personal uses. I do not need my truck to be always at the ready for a heavy load so, for me, looks trumps brawn!
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Top or bottom spacer or Bilstein's elevated spring mount, if I understand, all do basically the same thing. The suspension travels, drops and rebounds the same distance while the nose of the truck sits higher. Bilstein shock absorbing qualities may be superior to stock but as a method of leveling they have the same effect on suspension travel as spacers. Is it not more reasonable to look at leveling as more of a body type lift as a way of understanding? A level kit is pushing the body further off of the ground through reducing space for the spring. The increased pressure from the spring is pushing the body upward. The suspension and wheels aren't going anywhere!
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Hello from Vancouver Island, opposite end of the country!. The warranty will not be an issue unless they can prove your changes caused the problem. I plan to have my dealer install my 1.5 level and new tires to reduce the opportunity for them to play the blame game. I am hearing that this size of level is pretty harmless. However, I've chosen to stick with 265's as my climbing ability (and that of my peer group) is deteriorating!
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I have read that one of the benefits of a front level is to compensate for sagging from heavy bumpers etc. This got me to thinking if different springs are used for different engines. There must be considerably more weight to a 6.2 than a 4.3. I can't tell which motor is in the vehicle by the amount of rake. If this is the case, then could lift be generated by heavier springs? I assume that if this was the case, it would probably be an expensive method and hard to predict how high the lift will be until they are actually installed.
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