EZTundra77

Thank you On a 1/2 ton?

sorry, I cant find which lift you are running. I see the pic of your red truck (nice) but couldnt find the lift brand and specs.

Yeah, removing the lower valance (air dam) is a no brainer. I heard that guys lost some MPG. While that seemed possible in theory (aerodynamics), it did not turn out to be the case. The simplest way to improve aesthetics of these trucks and gives you better approach angle ground clearance.

I’ve heard mostly good things about fabtech and a lot of bad things about RC. If I were going to modify suspension dramatically, especially geometry, I would not get the cheapest kit out there. No offense to you Folks running RC. If it works for you, shake and bake!

I love the 17”. I think my 18” are even too big.

My stock tires were 265/70/18. I went to a 295/70/18 without a lift or level. I suspected that stock setups varied from year to year and model to model. Nice truck man!

Not tryng to be a jerk but arent those almost the exact same height and width of the stock tires?

Yeah, the geometry on those are gonna make them tear themselves apart. Premature wear on the differential should be expected too.

I think that tire might look a bit small with a lift. I’m surprised you need lift at all with 33’s. I guess they are a little wider. 34.5x11.5 fit bone stock on a 3500.

So I appreciate your guys' input. But I seriously am tempted to leave it stock. It is ALMOST the right tone. Id be happier with a little more grumble tone but I will not be happy with drone. Any muffler seems like it would flow better because it wouldnt have the stupid hinged valve thing. I cant even imagine what that's for. Increased EGT would be my guess. There has to be a muffler out there that works, but I feel like I need to hear it on an L96 or at least an older 6 liter.

Now that's good stuff right there. You are living in a safe zone. Funny thing about the "let go" part. I get the same. I think white guys in pickups are basically ghosts to LE. Obviously, if you are seriously effing around, you're gonna get nabbed. Ive been driving a pickup my whole life and pulled over a lot over 25 years. When in a pickup, I've never gotten a ticket. I've had cops not even ask for my insurance and not even go back to their cars. The CPL helps too. But the sad part is that I think me being white is a HUGE part of that. Here you have black people getting shot in their cars for nothing wheras I'm speeding a little and tell officers off the bat that there is a piece in the glovebox and I walk without a ticket. I dont mean to open a can of worms, but it's hard to rectify. The pickup is a big part. The assumption of a working class average Joe. But it helps when that Joe is white. And that ain't right in my book.

This is the best response to attempted beef thread Ive seen in a while. You go for yours man. You earned the money and you get to leave it lay in 2 big, black, stinky patches laid on your nearest municipal roadway.

I see your point. I wasn’t referring to more down the road repairs on the lift components. But the change in geometry does affect wear at some point for driveline parts. And a lift means bigger tires. Those alone are gonna burn through u joints, drive shafts, 1/2 shafts, cv joints, etc. maybe not until 150k. But sooner than if you left it stock.

A lot of guys run lifts and love them. Lift kits can consist simply of shocks and blocks. Or on the other end of the spectrum, they can consist of top shelf coilovers, bulletproof control arms and torsion bars, etc. The ride quality varies a lot from one kit to the next. Generally, if it's a really stiff ride, it was designed for towing in mind. You want that stiffness if you have a 15k lb. trailer attached. Your half ton was originally geared more for a smooth ride. My '17 3500 had a pretty smooth ride from the factory. And I did NOT want to lift it. I wanted to keep the stock Geometry. So even though I chose a bigger tire (295/70/18), I chose to try them bone stock and they fit! So I went in the opposite direction and I'm still happy with the ride quality. If your tires cleared with your previous suspension and you like the ride quality better, you could switch back to that set-up. Your suspension and drivetrain will likely last a bit longer without the lift also. Just my 2¢ Like I said, there a great lift kits out there. I'm not knocking them. But they do cost money. Upfront and in the long run too. And not much looks cooler than 37" mod boggers on a truck with a 8" lift.

I was shocked at that too. My Mickey T Baja MTZ p3 feel like they are magnetically stuck to the road. Like a buch of thick suction cups. I love it.

A lot of guys run lifts and love them. Lift kits can consist simply of shocks and blocks. Or on the other end of the spectrum, they can consist of top shelf coilovers, bulletproof control arms and torsion bars, etc. The ride quality varies a lot from one kit to the next. Generally, if it's a really stiff ride, it was designed for towing in mind. You want that stiffness if you have a 15k lb. trailer attached. Your half ton was originally geared more for a smooth ride. My '17 3500 had a pretty smooth ride from the factory. And I did NOT want to lift it. I wanted to keep the stock Geometry. So even though I chose a bigger tire (295/70/18), I chose to try them bone stock and they fit! So I went in the opposite direction and I'm still happy with the ride quality. If your tires cleared with your previous suspension and you like the ride quality better, you could switch back to that set-up. Your suspension and drivetrain will likely last a bit longer without the lift also. Just my 2¢ Like I said, there a great lift kits out there. I'm not knocking them. But they do cost money. Upfront and in the long run too. And not much looks cooler than 37" mod boggers on a truck with a 8" lift.

Do the taller rims give better towing manners? Maybe more responsiveness?

I believe rake is important if you tow. Leveled trucks look cool too. 5" is a hefty lift so it's not surprising it feels stiff. You also have tall rims. Looks like 20" or 22". not much rubber to give cushion there. Good for street cornering though.

Nice rig. I just fit that same size tire on a bone stock ‘17 3500 4x4. Hard to believe the ride height between the 1500 and the 3500 is that much different.

You take way better photos than I do. Very nice suspension.

Sorry I can only post 1 at a time due to resolution. 1 more: These are 295/70/18 (34.5" x 11.8") Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ P3 on stock 8" wide HD chromed aluminum wheels on a bone stock '17 3500 HD 4x4 CCLB 6.0. The only mod was removing the lower valence. No turned keys. No level. No shock or wheel spacers. No rub on full steering lock in wither direction., even when driving. Between the valence delete and the bigger shoes, I lost about 1MPG. Sitting at 11 MPG combined and I'm good with that. I know it doesnt make the numbers of a 6.2 but it's a cast iron block with a compression ratio that just begs for boost. I'll get some better close ups of the clearances.

Here's another. This is exactly the width I was hoping for. Flush to the outside of the fenders/quarters. Not sticking out.

Heres pics with the new shoes:

I do a lot of drifting in this truck so I need full swerving ability. KIDDING. No drifting. But any frame rub seems like a bad idea. What if I used wheel spacers? Like these: https://www.roughcountry.com/wheel-spacers-1095c.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAyMHhBRBIEiwAkGN6fBFFNGi33YL47dwYqANEF230MEU0IDnYI7YXkOXvmu3yHGGqUoH6XRoCfLwQAvD_BwE