2014+ Suspension Lifts

zoomiejr2 · September 19, 2017

He wasn't really saying the lift was the issue, more along the 35" tires being larger and changing the gear ratio essentially. Said I should regear to 373's at least if running 35s and towing my 8k boat..

Sorry misread thought he asked about lift to

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Iceman22 · September 19, 2017

Question for the guys with the zone 4.5/6.5 lift kits....

As near as I can tell the kit reuses the stock front struts and comes with new rear shocks and you can choose between regular, nitro or fox adventure series.

My question is: how many guys run they factory fronts vs replacing them with something aftermarket? Just wondering if the truck rides weird with rancho's in the front and say fox adventures in the rear?

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G-tech · September 19, 2017

Edited September 19, 2017 by G-tech

G-tech · September 19, 2017

Well after reading 200+ pages of this thread. I didn't notice one thing, anybody towing heavy with 35s? I planned on a 6.5" on 35s but I tow 8klb every weekend in the summer. I'm being told 35s with a 5.3/3.42 gears is extremely bad. A local truck shop advised me to go smaller lift and keep my 33s.. any input?

ive found the same issues when i researched lifts. i have 2017 with 5.3 and 3.42's and i stayed with a 4in bds lift and 33's. yes, a 6in lift and 35's look a lil better but i heard alot about regearing if you tow alot and fuel milage drops.im very happy with my 4in and 33's. i dont regret it at all. my truck has a lifted look and is still very functional, no HP loss and i can step in the bed easy enuff and my big thing is in the winter i dont have to stretch way out to clean the windsheild. and please dont do a 6in lift with 33"s

Irby1757 · September 19, 2017

Question for the guys with the zone 4.5/6.5 lift kits....

As near as I can tell the kit reuses the stock front struts and comes with new rear shocks and you can choose between regular, nitro or fox adventure series.

My question is: how many guys run they factory fronts vs replacing them with something aftermarket? Just wondering if the truck rides weird with rancho's in the front and say fox adventures in the rear?

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I didn't replace anything on the front with my 6.5" Zone lift. I did do the Fox shocks in the rear. I wont say that my truck rides better than it did, as some have, but it doesn't ride any worse to be honest. To go further, my power and acceleration seems just as good as before the lift as well. My MPG did take a hit with city driving, but on the highway for long stretches it stays at or above 20 mpg going 60. As a side note, I do not drive my truck hard.

Csjumper2003 · September 19, 2017

I have a 6.5 zone kit and stayed with the regular replacement shocks that zone includes. The stock ranchos suck period. To keep is ask no for trouble. If your gonna swap to get a lift might as well change them while it's apart. I changed to 5100s and what a diff but at 20000 miles I had a blown shock as well. I figured if I want to add 5100 or get king all around I will change later. Do a full size coilovers and get rid of the massive spacers.

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Edited September 19, 2017 by Csjumper2003

jimmyboy8301 · September 19, 2017

Question for the guys with the zone 4.5/6.5 lift kits....

As near as I can tell the kit reuses the stock front struts and comes with new rear shocks and you can choose between regular, nitro or fox adventure series.

My question is: how many guys run they factory fronts vs replacing them with something aftermarket? Just wondering if the truck rides weird with rancho's in the front and say fox adventures in the rear?

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i have stock struts and Nitros. This is my 7th lifted truck and this one rides the best of all of them.

The different shocks (as long as they're the correct ones) won't make a difference in ride quality

2017 Chevy Silverado LTZ Z71 6.2L

4.5" Zone

22x10 AF Grips

33x12.5 Nitto Ridge Grapplers

Instagram @wildchevys

Edited September 19, 2017 by wildchevys

Iceman22 · September 20, 2017

Thanks for the responses guys.

Next question: what are people paying for the zone 4.5/6.5 lift kit? I realize it changes a little bit based on options you choose so I guess i'm looking for a percentage off MSRP?

[backstory] I'm coming from a modified Subaru background where the price advertised at any of the big online parts stores for any given part was never the price you actually paid unless you were dumb enough to purchase without contacting a sales rep first.... Once you contacted them via phone or website chat, the price would often come down a substantial amount of money. Is that the same case in the GM world with the forum vendors/online stores? Or is the price you see, the price you pay?

jimmyboy8301 · September 20, 2017

Thanks for the responses guys.

Next question: what are people paying for the zone 4.5/6.5 lift kit? I realize it changes a little bit based on options you choose so I guess i'm looking for a percentage off MSRP?

[backstory] I'm coming from a modified Subaru background where the price advertised at any of the big online parts stores for any given part was never the price you actually paid unless you were dumb enough to purchase without contacting a sales rep first.... Once you contacted them via phone or website chat, the price would often come down a substantial amount of money. Is that the same case in the GM world with the forum vendors/online stores? Or is the price you see, the price you pay?

i got 10% off the kit and paid $600 for install

2017 Chevy Silverado LTZ Z71 6.2L

4.5" Zone

22x10 AF Grips

33x12.5 Nitto Ridge Grapplers

Instagram @wildchevys

Csjumper2003 · September 20, 2017

I got the 6.5 with install in socal for 1950

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zoomiejr2 · September 23, 2017

Added the zone add a leaf to my 6.5" lift. Was 45" front 44.5" rear. Now its 45" front 46.5" rear. No pics yet gonna wait till it settles. Im expecting it to settle about half an inch. Love the way it looks.

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doozer78 · September 24, 2017

This. Also do some reading. Magnuson moss act. some of these dealerships need to get a life. They can't void your entire warranty due to some suspension components

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My local dealer put a total warranty block on my complete power terrain warranty due to my truck being lifted, aftermarket wheels and a K&N oil filter. My 5.3 blew on my 14 Silverado. Gm would not cover it. I had to pay $5300 our of pocket to get engine replaced. Finally got an attorney involved and she recouped my costs plus her costs as well from gm. It was a total nightmare. Best part of this was the lift was put on by another Chevy dealership when truck was sold brand new. I was second owner so that excluded me apparently from getting that dealer to cover it.

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jd173706 · September 27, 2017

Hey guys, forgive me for not reading 256 pages of entries to try and find the specific answer I'm looking for, I read about 35 pages before giving up, if there is a way to search a thread please enlighten me as I have not yet found it. In fact, I need to play around with this website some more anyways, because it is kinda difficult to navigate for a newbie like me.

Anyway, here is my question. I have a 2014 Silverado LT 2wd with a 2" level kit I installed myself 25,000 miles ago. No issues or anything but I just really want to give it a little more height. I have my eye on a 3.5" or 4" lift kit either from Rough Country or someone else, I'm not brand loyal (just want to get something relatively cheap). I am going to put it on myself so I don't want cheap parts, but I also don't want to get gouged which is what it looks like happens with most kits in this lift range that cost around $600-$700 for parts only (from a shop. Online I can find the parts for $150-$300). I mean, we are only talking about steel spacer blocks and u-bolts to hold them on in the back, new shocks and either spacers or taller shocks up front or a combination of the two. Some come with a new upper control arm for both fronts. Some come with an under-shock spacer, some come with an on-top-of-shock spacer, some have both. How is it possible that a couple steel blocks and some bolts can cost $700?

My question is this; I went to a shop today asking about prices and the guy told me my steering geometry would be messed up with a 4" spacer kit, and that I couldn't do a Bilstein 5100 shock on the highest setting with a shock spacer beneath it and the control arm. He said it couldn't be aligned, would have drivability issues, and would generally be unsafe. Sounds like BS to me, but I am also no expert so I wanted to ask your opinion. Also, does the upper control arm need to be replaced if I already have the forged/cast steel control arms? I thought that was only for the trucks that had aluminum arms? This guy also told me I would NOT be able to run stock wheels anymore with this 4" kit, because the stock wheel would rub the control arms after lift. That sounds like BULLS**T. Whats the real deal with steering geometry, spacers, 5100's, and all that?

Sorry I wrote a book. I tried to be as concise as possible

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer!

-Joe

Edited September 27, 2017 by jd173706

Irby1757 · September 27, 2017

Hey guys, forgive me for not reading 256 pages of entries to try and find the specific answer I'm looking for, I read about 35 pages before giving up, if there is a way to search a thread please enlighten me as I have not yet found it. In fact, I need to play around with this website some more anyways, because it is kinda difficult to navigate for a newbie like me.

Anyway, here is my question. I have a 2014 Silverado LT 2wd with a 2" level kit I installed myself 25,000 miles ago. No issues or anything but I just really want to give it a little more height. I have my eye on a 3.5" or 4" lift kit either from Rough Country or someone else, I'm not brand loyal (just want to get something relatively cheap). I am going to put it on myself so I don't want cheap parts, but I also don't want to get gouged which is what it looks like happens with most kits in this lift range that cost around $600-$700 for parts only (from a shop. Online I can find the parts for $150-$300). I mean, we are only talking about steel spacer blocks and u-bolts to hold them on in the back, new shocks and either spacers or taller shocks up front or a combination of the two. Some come with a new upper control arm for both fronts. Some come with an under-shock spacer, some come with an on-top-of-shock spacer, some have both. How is it possible that a couple steel blocks and some bolts can cost $700?

My question is this; I went to a shop today asking about prices and the guy told me my steering geometry would be messed up with a 4" spacer kit, and that I couldn't do a Bilstein 5100 shock on the highest setting with a shock spacer beneath it and the control arm. He said it couldn't be aligned, would have drivability issues, and would generally be unsafe. Sounds like BS to me, but I am also no expert so I wanted to ask your opinion. Also, does the upper control arm need to be replaced if I already have the forged/cast steel control arms? I thought that was only for the trucks that had aluminum arms? This guy also told me I would NOT be able to run stock wheels anymore with this 4" kit, because the stock wheel would rub the control arms after lift. That sounds like BULLS**T. Whats the real deal with steering geometry, spacers, 5100's, and all that?

Sorry I wrote a book. I tried to be as concise as possible

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer!

-Joe

If you want to go higher than 2", you need to get an actual lift. If you do that, you need to get a good brand that will retain your angles as close to stock as possible. Look at BDS, Zone (BDS owns Zone), or Pro Comp. They both offer a 4" lift. You do have to have a certain back spacing depending on which size rim you have.

You can also use the search bar at the top and type in 4" lift and it will bring up multiple threads.

I would suggest going to a dealership that has a 4" and 6" lifted truck and compare them to yours. I have said this several times since I had my lift installed, but it helped a lot.

jd173706 · September 27, 2017

If you want to go higher than 2", you need to get an actual lift. If you do that, you need to get a good brand that will retain your angles as close to stock as possible. Look at BDS, Zone (BDS owns Zone), or Pro Comp. They both offer a 4" lift. You do have to have a certain back spacing depending on which size rim you have.

You can also use the search bar at the top and type in 4" lift and it will bring up multiple threads.

I would suggest going to a dealership that has a 4" and 6" lifted truck and compare them to yours. I have said this several times since I had my lift installed, but it helped a lot.

Thanks for the quick reply. That's what I mean though, if you look at what comes with a 4" lift usually it doesn't even include front shocks. The stock coilovers are reused, and there is a spacer that goes on top of the spring or underneath the shock on top of the lower control arm. Sometimes it includes a new upper control arm, but they look identical to stock. I am wondering if the ball joint is at a different angle on the replacement ones, to allow for the steeper angle on the control arm since it retains the stock mounting location on the truck body?

Then in the rear, it's just steel spacer blocks that go between the axle tube and the leaf springs. That's why I thought I should be able to accomplish what I want to do with just 5100's in front and my current leveling spacers, then taller blocks for the rear. Is there more that I am not taking into consideration? (I am fairly experienced as a DIY mechanic, and I have replaced the entire front suspension including all bushings, control arms, and ball joints on several vehicles. I have had the front end of this truck apart already as well, though that was just for the level kit.)

Thanks.

Edited September 27, 2017 by jd173706