Orderd Some Winter Tires And Some More Lift

stlavsa · November 3, 2010

Had this dilema where i finally could use new tires for winter, and wanted to upgrade to 35s AND replace my beat up rockstars. BUT the dilemna was that i would be throwing on the brand new wheels and tires just in time for winter and the salt is what chewed up my rockstars. SOOOOO i just decided to make the rockstars my winter wheels and got some new tires for them.

Went with the cheapest 35 x 12.5 x 20 there is. https://www.tiresavings.com/tireShop.php?ac...;season=Regular

The federal couragia mts. I got them for $960 shipped. They are cheap, they are m+s rated, and since they will only be on the truck for a couple months in the winter, i am not too concerned with treadwear, just snow performace. I also figured that no one really runs them and have seen a few posts that people were scared to take the plunge so i decided this would be the perfect application to be the guniea pig on them. Hell if they work good and hold up maybe ill put them a set on my new wheels. (if not im going with trail grapplers)

I also finally got around to ordering this rear-lift shackle I had mentioned a few times before. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...5&viewitem=

Supposed to do 1.5 to 2" of lift in the rear. I also orderd a 1.5" front leveling kit, an upper coil spacer.

That should bring the total lift on the silverado from 7.5" to about 9" AND the rear shackle will keep it level as it sits or maybe bring the back up that extra .5" that anyone with the fabtech knows that though it sits level it kinda looks like it sags in the back. I havent seen any kind of review on those rear shackles either so we will see how they work out too. I was gonna do a 1.5" body lift but this way is cheaper, and easier, and i still have the potential to do the BL down the road.

And regarding the old tires I am replacing, they really didnt even NEED replacing, they have 45,000 miles on them right now, and are still a good bit away from the wear bar. I have no doubt in my mind that I would be able to pass inspection with another 10,000 miles on them. Frankly I am just sick of trying to kill them dead so I just quit trying. They are the Pro-Comp Xtreme A/Ts They come with a 40,000 mile treadwear warranty and I see why, because they easily last that long.

jimmyboy8301 · November 3, 2010

very nice

blackout07 · November 4, 2010

Sounds good. Can't wait to see everything.

Ron_CA · November 4, 2010

Up up up, seems like if you hang around here the trucks get higher and higher

Very contagious, just had my pro comp level kit installed yesterday.

Which 1.5 level kit are you puting on?

stlavsa · November 5, 2010

Up up up, seems like if you hang around here the trucks get higher and higher

Very contagious, just had my pro comp level kit installed yesterday.

Which 1.5 level kit are you puting on?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevy-GM-1-...es#ht_931wt_939

Thats the spacer I bought. Went with it for one reason: its the cheapest one i could find. As far as i can tell, a spacer is spacer, All i should have to do is drop down the strut, stick that over the OEM studs and just pop it back in... Right?

Edit: and your right, its addicting and you always want it higher. Like i put in the original post, I was originally going to do the 1.5" body lift on top of the fabtech, but once I discovered that rear shackle, i realized that this is a much simpler way to achieve the 1.5" of lift. It also saved me the decision of which body lift to go with, like we know its addicting and I would hate to go with the 1.5" body lift and then wish i went 3" for 37" tires down the road.

This way I got the extra lift i wanted to clear the 35s the same way i was clearing the 305/55/20s and now later on if i want to go with 37s I still have the option of which body lift i want. Which is another question, I wonder if i could get away with just a fabtech, level kit, and 1.5" body lift and clear the 37s. I think it probably would.

Ron_CA · November 5, 2010

Up up up, seems like if you hang around here the trucks get higher and higher

Very contagious, just had my pro comp level kit installed yesterday.

Which 1.5 level kit are you puting on?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevy-GM-1-...es#ht_931wt_939

Thats the spacer I bought. Went with it for one reason: its the cheapest one i could find. As far as i can tell, a spacer is spacer, All i should have to do is drop down the strut, stick that over the OEM studs and just pop it back in... Right?

Edit: and your right, its addicting and you always want it higher. Like i put in the original post, I was originally going to do the 1.5" body lift on top of the fabtech, but once I discovered that rear shackle, i realized that this is a much simpler way to achieve the 1.5" of lift. It also saved me the decision of which body lift to go with, like we know its addicting and I would hate to go with the 1.5" body lift and then wish i went 3" for 37" tires down the road.

This way I got the extra lift i wanted to clear the 35s the same way i was clearing the 305/55/20s and now later on if i want to go with 37s I still have the option of which body lift i want. Which is another question, I wonder if i could get away with just a fabtech, level kit, and 1.5" body lift and clear the 37s. I think it probably would.

Haha ebay says Fat Bob's garage

Probably someone who bought a readylift and copied it. Pretty simple

I had my Pro Comp 2.25" installed. Spacer on top similar to yours and 3/8" spacer on bottom. Sweet looking kit and according to someone here or at GMFS I forget, it is a reboxed readylift kit. Exact.

Love it so far and even though everyone pretty much says go with the RC 2", you know what, it leveled the truck perfect, looks great, and if I have premature ball joint wear, the hell with it

J-man67 · November 5, 2010

I think you could clear them with the lift/spacer/body. Let me know how those shackles work out....

Silverado4x4 · November 6, 2010

You have to be careful when putting on shorter shackles to get the rear up as they will not let the leaf spring extend (get longer)while its being compressed but if you dont haul it may not be a problem.

stlavsa · November 6, 2010

You have to be careful when putting on shorter shackles to get the rear up as they will not let the leaf spring extend (get longer)while its being compressed but if you dont haul it may not be a problem.

Interesting. I have an AAL so the springs are stiffer and dont sag at all for what i use it as. I dont haul anything heavy. The biggest load this truck has ever seen would probably be 3 dirbikes in the bed. Or maybe some stuff when i moved into new house. Thats about it.

I always wondered what the downside of the shackles would be (i assumed there was something). If I were to start hauling something heavy enough for that to be a concern i would buy a 2500 anyway.

stlavsa · November 6, 2010

I think you could clear them with the lift/spacer/body. Let me know how those shackles work out....

I think so too. I wasnt concerned with clearing 37" tires before but now that the truck isnt my daily driver and see limited duty, the thought of doing 37s is back in my mind. I dismissed it before because I didnt want to do a 3" body lift, but i have no problems doing the 1.5" lift. From all the photos I have seen, I cant even tell its there, where as the 3" bodylift stacked on top of a 6" suspension lift is glaringly obivious. (not trying to offend the 6+3 guys at all, just not my style).

Just thinking aloud, with like 9" of suspension lift and then another 1.5" of BL, a total of 10.5" of lift SHOULD clear 37s.