Anyone Rollin 35's or Bigger?

BogeyBoy82 · October 31, 2002

Thinkin about a body lift with 32.8's..or might just shell out some coin and go for a Real Lift...Probably wont go bigger than a 6 in. RCD kit with 35 Pro Comp AT's just cus they have a 6 ply sidewall...anyone with larger than 33's have any concerns with warranty work on their truck...anything commonly break..and most importantly..what kinda of gas mileage do you get...?...Thanks...

PFarkas · October 31, 2002

I have a 6"+3" lift and BFG 35 AT/KOs.

Gas Mileage on my 6.0l is right about 11.3mpg. This is with 87 octane and a 90/10 mix of highway/city driving (74mph on the highway).

I consider the appetite for fuel that my truck has to be one of the prices of luxury and am not unhappy with it. At least it's better than the 6.5 mpg that my friend gets with his 77 3/4ton (with a 78 Impala Wagon body on top) on 38.5" GroundHawgs.

Warranty. Before lifting your truck, take it in and have any/all TSBs you may be concerned about addressed by the dealership. Have any outstanding issues that you need resolved addressed before the lift goes on. After the lift, getting warranty work done on anything that touches any of the components replaced or modified or moved as a result of the lift will be a serious pain in the ass if the service manager at the dealership is not in a good mood.

Modified truck owners as well as manufacturers and merchants of aftermarket products, including lifts, will tell you that in the event of a warranty issue it is the responsibility of the warrantor to prove that the modification (be it an aftermarket part or any change in placement or geometry of an existing component) to your vehicle from stock is the cause of the issue before they refuse you service under warranty. They may even make reference to the Magnussen-Moss act, which is the legislation that requires warrantors to honor their warranty on modified vehicles.

The reality is that if the dealership doesn't want to work on your vehicle or honor your warranty they won't and you'll be screwed. You can try to be reasonable with them ("Come on, guys, there's no way that the new tires could possibly be affecting my air conditioner"), and that may help, but if they don't want to cooperate, it may take a LOT of effort on your part to compell them to comply with a law that few dealerships are aware of and less understand.

You may have to decide what is worth more - hours (perhaps days) of your time spent on the phone or in the delaership's service manager's office and time without your vehicle while they sit on it instead of repairing it OR not paying for the repair and getting the satisfaction of holding the dealership's feet to the fire and compelling them to honor their warranty.

Having said all that, most dealerships are reasonable and willing to support vehicles with aftermarket modifications and accessories provided that there isn't obvious abuse or neglect to the vehicle.

What commonly breaks? I've had to replace the anti-sway bar end links on both sides. That cost about $8.00 for the pair.

I'm also having a problem with my transfer case now, but I'm certain that this is a result of a dealership putting "regular gear oil" in the transfer case instead of Dextron III ATF (which is what the t-case calls for) and me not noticing it until I had put over 20,000 miles on the truck with the wrong lubricant installed. Getting this resolved is turning out to be a REAL treat.

If I had it to do over again the only thing I would change is I would have switched dealerships at the first sign of trouble. The dealership that put the 90w oil in my t-case had made other less severe mistakes in previous servicings of my truck. Had I chosen a different dealership early on, I probably wouldn't have had any trouble.

Get the lift. It's worth it.

LarryE · October 31, 2002

with the great looking stereo system you have, I think ya should lower it it would be a better looking stance and easier to show off the system at shows.

(ps.. before anyone says it's a 4x4 and can't be done, belltech has a great lowering kit out for 4wd)

kbi_s1 · October 31, 2002

I just put an RCD 6" lift on my 2000 Silverado and am rolling 35's with 16x10 rims.

I'm still on my first tank of gas after the lift so I don't know the gas mileage yet. It's definately lower than before but doesn't seem too bad.

I did have some warranty work done after the lift was installed. I had the computer reflashed to take care of a hesitation TSB. My dealer was really cool and did not even say that he wouldn't do it cause of the lift. So far so good.

I'm really happy with the lift and tires. If at some point I get tired of the 35's, I'll put 33's on it which still look good with the 6" lift.

I am considering changing out my stock 3.73 gears with 4.56 gears. This should also help out considerably on the power end and also with regaining some MPG with the big tires.

Good Luck,

KB

bobc · October 31, 2002

I had a '77 straight axle 4x4 that went from real driveable to pathetic when I switched from 33's to 35's. (the 35's were Dunlop Mud Rovers IIRC and were closer to 36"). Mileage was 6-8mpg with 35's vs 10-12 with 33's. I never re-geared and that was the big mistake. That truck also had a healthy high lift RV cam that hated the effective gear ratio of approx 2.20:1. Worked good on the freeway when I left it in 2nd gear, (3sp auto).

Plan on regearing if you really want the combo to work good. If you're worried about cash flow, realize that you're going from an extra $150 total for bigger rubber that could cost you in the long run closer to $2k (assuming you have someone else regear... and end up with that Locker/Auburn diff that you *know* you want to install... )

I replaced that truck with a 2001 2wd and I'm lovin drivin 380+ miles on 20-22gals compared to 120-150 miles for 18gals.

later!

bobc

fishinfreak · October 31, 2002

Pfarkas hit the nail on the head. Dealerships try to blame everything on mods. If you have a good dealer...you might not need to worry too much, but most of the time it's like pulling teeth to get warranty work done....even if you have NO mods. I guess the guys out here in California are lucky...you can buy a Chevy already done up with a lift, wheels, tires, exhaust etc... and it's all covered under the regular warranty. I'm not sure if they do that in other areas. They charge an arm and a leg for them, but they look awesome. I drive by a dealer with about 5 of them right in front....I can't help but admire them.

BogeyBoy82 · October 31, 2002

35's with 4.56 gears would be my ideal choice...the question remains..is will the 1200 bucks spent on having gears installed ever pay itself off at the gas station...i mean..thats like...400 fill ups..also coinage is an issue...ive already dropped ungodly amounts of cash...and credit hehe...into the stereo..but i want my Hoe a little more showy...lowering... ehh..if anything...You Can't Lose with 22's...AFX Inclines...#### they are a sweet wheel...

PFarkas · November 1, 2002

will the 1200 bucks spent on having gears installed ever pay itself off at the gas station

Functionally, No.

I actually saw my miles/gallon go down a little when I switched from the factory 3.73 to 4.56 gears.

What re-gearing WILL do for you is help keep the transmission shift points pretty much the same as stock and allow the engine to deliver its power to the pavement quicker.

Your truck WILL feel faster with the 4.56 gears.

Even though the new gears will allow the engine to operate at the RPMs it was intended to for a given vehicle speed, you will NOT recover the fuel efficiency you had because:

- Your lifted truck has a lot more frontal area: More wind resistance for the engine to overcome - more fuel required to maintain a given speed

- Your larger tires will also be wider and have a greater rolling resistance - again more fuel required to maintain a given speed

You can look into other bolt on accessories to improve your fuel efficiency. Long tube headers (such as those offered by Arizona Speed and Marine) may help (if you can keep your foot off the gas). A less restrictive intake may also help, although other people here have conducted somewhat informal expirements that indicate otherwise.

For anything to deliver enough increased fuel efficiency to eventually pay for itself, you would have to install it when the vehicle was new and keep the vehicle for a REALLY long time - likely beyond its rated service life.

I know this is a non-sequitur, but re-gearing wasn't mentioned in the original post and only commented upon later. There are a lot of hidden costs in a lift. Here's a reasonably complete list of what you need to take care of when getting a lift:

- lift kit and installation

If installing it yourself, be prepared to handle all of your own support issues.

- new rims and tires

It is important to get rims that are appropriate for the tires you want. Your life and the lives of those around you are at stake. Don't choose a rim size that is not endorsed by the tire manufacturer. If you MUST have a particular rim, then consider how it will limit your tire choice.

- New front drive shaft or chance of reduced CV joint life

RCD, Rancho, and ProComp don't require a new front drive shaft, however they do run your CV joints at a pretty steep angle to get their 6" of lift. Superlift and California Super Trucks require a replacement drive shaft but leave the CV angles at their stock position.

- New Gears

If you're going to a 35" or larger tire, get new gears.

- Locking rear differential

Get this with the new gears. Even with "off road" tires, you will get stuck without a locker.

- What to do about your spare tire.

If you go with larger tires on the truck, you WILL need to do something about the spare. If you choose not to keep a spare, you're all set (not recommended). If you want the safety of a spare tire, you will need to put it somewhere.

- Speedometer Callibration

Some dealerships will do this for you. Some dealerships will tell you it can't be done. You can get a Superlift TrueSpeed thingy or a programmer such as the Hypertech. You will probably need to re-program the computer for your tire/gear change to allow the truck to figure out how to shift properly and to allow the ABS to work.

- Alignment

Not all shops can properly align a lifted truck.

- Safe entry/exit of the truck

I didn't get my step bars until after the lift. It became quite a pain in the rear to get in and out without supporting pulling myself in by the steering wheel and door handle, which is hard on both assemblies. I'm REALLY glad I got my steps. Now that my wife can get in and out easily, she likes to drive it, which is a tacit endorsement of future "enhancements" to the truck.

- longer drop for your hitch

6" suspension lift plus 35" tires will make your hitch about 8" higher off the ground. If you tow, you'll need something. I suggest a 12" drop bracket and pintle hookup with the quick-change hitch-ball thingy.

BogeyBoy82 · November 1, 2002

Hey P...what kinda of Gas mileage do you get...city/highway (and highway speed on avg)...need some numbers to convince my stingy brain...

PFarkas · November 1, 2002

From my first response to your post.

Gas Mileage on my 6.0l is right about 11.3mpg. This is with 87 octane and a 90/10 mix of highway/city driving (74mph on the highway).

Prior to the lift, tires, headers & cat-back, and new gears, I was getting between 14 and 15 mpg on the factory 245s and 3.73 gears.

I only see a significant deviation from 11.3 if I'm towing or driving for extended periods with the tonneau rolled up.

Get the lift and tires. You'll change your truck into something that will take you almost anywhere. It's absolutely worth it.

kbi_s1 · November 1, 2002

Hi PFarkas,

I noticed from your profile that you have a 35" spare under the bed. What size rim did you buy for this? 16x8 or 16x10?

Does it match your rims that you are running?

I need a spare and am running 35's but wasn't sure if it would fit under the bed.

Excellent advice about the cost breakdown of a lift. I'm only now realizing that the lift is only the begining! I agree with you though, that it is worth it.

Thanks,

KB

PFarkas · November 2, 2002

I have a set of 5 16.5x10 rims and tires.

I use my spare when I rotate my tires.

In order to fit the fifth full size tire in the stock location I had to relocate the winch towards the back of the truck about 3.5 inches.

If you drop your spare and look at how the winch is attached to the plate under the bed, you'll see that moving the winch involves cutting a new slot, drilling a new hole, and trimming a bit off the "winch-crank-guide-tube" (or whatever it is called).

I think it took me about a half hour.

I did have to buy a nut because the one that is provided by the factory is tacked to the plate that the winch attaches to.

I can put pictures up somewhere if you need them.

Lots of people get the lift and tires but neglect the spare or they'll hobble their otherwise very usefull truck by putting it in the bed on one of those 45 degree mounts. Crazy.

kbi_s1 · November 3, 2002

Thanks PFarkas,

I'll take a look at the winch and see what it looks like.

Glad to hear that it can be done 'cause like you, I don't want to put the spare in the bed but really don't feel good about driving around without one.

Do you have any pics posted of your truck?

KB

PFarkas · November 5, 2002

Here's one of the truck at my brother-in-law's house.

http://geocities.com/spam_slot/Pics/Truck/Trucks.jpg

I had Gary stand in the picture for scale. He's about 6'1".

I don't have any on-line that show the mounting of the spare tire winch.

kaspar139 · November 6, 2002

PFarkas, I would like to see the way you mounted your tire under the truck. I bought one of those flat bed mounts. So, when full use of the bed was needed, I could just pull out the spare (but what happens if I get a flat then!). So, I have yet to install it! Anyway, if you can take some pictures of that, I would GREATLY appreciate it. I am assuming that the winch and lock all still work after the modification.

Thanks in advance.