To Lift or Not to Lift - please help

[MRob]

Great responses and comments! Than you all!!

 

Penguin:  Yes, that is an interesting response. One might be led to believe there was some honesty in their response of which is rare these days in my experience, but if so that is certainly nice of them and I respect that.   In the research I've done, I too have learned that coilovers are really more for performance and use for the real "function" of a lift on a truck.  

I'm just going for more of the look and brawn as DONSTAR mentioned; more of the aggressive looking stance of the truck, so given the price points I've found, I don't think coilovers are needed in my case.  Thank you for calling and posting your response!  greatly appreciated.

 

Donstar:  Yes, exactly!  Thank you for your post...   I have the truck leveled now and it still rides great!  I really want to keep that ride, but I also want that one more touch of an aggressive stance.  My previous truck (in the above pic had the 4" lift and when I got into this new one the ride was so much better/nicer).   I wonder if that was the particular kit that was used? or if that's just what happens regardless.   With my tires and the level I already have a speedometer issue and a small hit in MPG, but I'm good with that.... today.  

 

I'm wondering if I get a good quality kit and then do Bilsteins all the way around if I would be ok??   

 

OR I could just get a damn Raptor and be done with it all! YIKES!  I know, I know... two very different trucks I get it.   I'm sure that will still you guys up a bit   LOL! 

[AgDoctor]

I added a 4.5" Zone and love it. Like Jimmy I want to add some different struts or coilovers but even with the Zone rear shocks and factory Rancho fronts it rides very much like stock. The E rated tires will have far more of an impact on your ride than the lift. I did mine and am very glad that I did. To me stock it looked like my grandpa's truck, now it looks like a real Badass!

 

 

Sent via Morse code

 

[jimmyboy8301]

1 hour ago, MRob said:

Great responses and comments! Than you all!!

 

Penguin:  Yes, that is an interesting response. One might be led to believe there was some honesty in their response of which is rare these days in my experience, but if so that is certainly nice of them and I respect that.   In the research I've done, I too have learned that coilovers are really more for performance and use for the real "function" of a lift on a truck.  

I'm just going for more of the look and brawn as DONSTAR mentioned; more of the aggressive looking stance of the truck, so given the price points I've found, I don't think coilovers are needed in my case.  Thank you for calling and posting your response!  greatly appreciated.

 

Donstar:  Yes, exactly!  Thank you for your post...   I have the truck leveled now and it still rides great!  I really want to keep that ride, but I also want that one more touch of an aggressive stance.  My previous truck (in the above pic had the 4" lift and when I got into this new one the ride was so much better/nicer).   I wonder if that was the particular kit that was used? or if that's just what happens regardless.   With my tires and the level I already have a speedometer issue and a small hit in MPG, but I'm good with that.... today.  

 

I'm wondering if I get a good quality kit and then do Bilsteins all the way around if I would be ok??   

 

OR I could just get a damn Raptor and be done with it all! YIKES!  I know, I know... two very different trucks I get it.   I'm sure that will still you guys up a bit   LOL! 

look at doing the Zone 4.5" with bilstein 5100's in the front and fox 2.0's in the rear and the ride will better than stock. the bilsteins are leaps and bounds above the stock rancho shocks. 

[MRob]

AWESOME!  AgDoc - your ride DOES look bad ass!  When you say E rated tires... are you meaning the M/Ts that I have on there.   I WILL agree that they are noisy!!!  The new NITTO hybrid is suppose to be really nice!

 

JimmyB - Yes, sir!  Thank you for the advice... My research keeps pointing me that way just as you described.  It looks like that's the way I will go.  

 

Thank you again to everyone!  Keep the comments coming if you like... The more the better!   

[AgDoctor]

AWESOME!  AgDoc - your ride DOES look bad ass!  When you say E rated tires... are you meaning the M/Ts that I have on there.   I WILL agree that they are noisy!!!  The new NITTO hybrid is suppose to be really nice!
 
JimmyB - Yes, sir!  Thank you for the advice... My research keeps pointing me that way just as you described.  It looks like that's the way I will go.  
 
Thank you again to everyone!  Keep the comments coming if you like... The more the better!   

The E rating doesn't equal noise, what it denotes is weight duty/capacity. For instance your typical stock tires are 6 ply at best, alot are 4 ply(or comparable with what used to be the equal ply per ply rating...I know this is where it gets really confusing), but most tires that are larger and more aggressive are E rated(10 ply), with some being F rated now as well. They are rated for a duty cycle of a considerably higher weight capacity, like for a 2500 or 3500 truck. They only achieve that rating if inflated to the recommended psi, so using 32 psi on a E rated tire with a capacity of 3600 lbs will not be able to carry that load if they recommend 65 lbs psi.

Long story short; stiff heavy wide tires make bumps feel worse than P rated narrow tires. Running lower pressure in any tire improves ride quality, but costs weight/towing capacity.


Sent via Morse code

[Donstar]

18 hours ago, AgDoctor said:

 To me stick it looked like my grandpa's truck, now it looks like a real Badass!
Sent via Morse code

I agree that your truck looks great!   I will also defend the look of your Grandpa's truck. He has reasons for his truck looking the way that it does and hopefully someday you will be rightfully accused of driving a "Grandpa's truck" .  A Grandpa's daily driver needs to be accessible to friends in his age group and to his grandkids.  Grandpas (like me) know that regularly lifting passengers in and out their vehicle is not as rewarding as when we were younger!

[MRob]

AgDoc.... Wow! Thanks for the info.  That's interesting and makes perfect sense.  I will be checking my pressure tomorrow and will reduce it some and see what happens. 

 

Donstar:  Yes sir, I agree and respect that response as well.   As I get what "I" consider old-ER (over 50)  I can clearly see changes in my desires and the reasons behind them.  On the previous truck I had Magnaflow Duel exhaust and it looked great and sounded BAD ASS!!  It really sounded good!  However.... as I get older, that sound inside the truck just wears "me" out after a while.  Hence, I did not go that route on this truck!   Same thing with this tire "noise" issue.  They look bad ass and they are, a bad ass tire, but damn if that noise wears on me now in the same way.   I can see where in a few years, I will be enjoying a "grandpa truck" for all of the reasons you mentioned.  It will be a sweet, smooth, super comfortable ride I can assure you.  I can clearly see it coming!!   I travel for work weekly and rent cars every week.  Some of these new cars are like sitting in your big fat comfy leather chair inside your living room!  They are SO comfortable and ride and drive like a dream.  I Have already said, that I will soon be shopping for a nice luxury car to park next to my truck!  

 

For now though, I'm still nimble enough and "young" enough to mess with this truck.  As my dad use to say to me, "you just haven't learned yet."  Ha!! LOL!  My point though is that your response is right on!   

 

Thanks for all of your input!

 

[EDL]

Well, the bottom line is that any time you lift a truck you are changing the geometry and it's going to ride and drive differently than stock, period.  If you've already had a lifted truck and you are OK with how it drove and rode, that's fine.  Many people who get theirs lifted for the first time are sometimes surprised at the difference (and not all like it). 

 

It sounds like from your description that what you are after is a "street queen" set up.  Nothing wrong with that at all, most of my nice lifted trucks were street queens because no one wants to take their pretty and expensive truck out in the woods and tear it up.  You want the looks, and there are some benefits to being slightly lifted (better vision over traffic on front of you, better clearance, etc). 

 

Instead of going 4 or 4.5", consider slightly milder, like 3.5 in front with 2" in the rear (vary the rear depending on how much rake you like/want).  Definitely use the aftermarket control arms and add the front diff drop.  That'll give you plenty of room for some more aggressive tires.  

 

Unless the tires you want are only available in an E rating, there's no need for them on a 1/2 ton truck, especially if you aren't pushing the weight limits on it.  You'll just be paying more for tires that'll give you a harsher ride for no reason.

 

If road comfort is your concern, then consider shocks that are less geared for offroading.  Bilstein 5100's may be too much in your case, consider a lower model of Bilstein, like those they would use to replace OEM (they're still a little more performance oriented than OEM replacements), but won't give you that harsher offroad set up feel.

 

 

[MRob]

Wow!  EDL:  GREAT information! Thank you thank you!  I have wondered about the Bistein 5100 as a "performance" type shock.  Looks like your info covered that, so thanks again.

 

Yes... "Street Queen" and I do agree, no need for those noisy ass tires.  I LOVE how they look, but they now make one that's hybrid that's not as heavy and noisy.   I will likely drive these out though, the cost is too much to just toss them or to try and sell them for next to nothing when I paid dearly for them.

 

Thanks again!

 

[T-Devil]

Mrob, I think your fender flares on the old truck make it look great!

[lapoolboy]

My truck on stock wheels and 35x12.50.

 

It's refreshing to have a truck without the ugly fender flares and aftermarket wheels that EVERY other Silverado around here has.  The tacky "Rocky Ridge" emblazened across the windshield makes it hard for them to blend in too.

 

I say lift it man.  I'm real tempted to order some Fox remote coilovers.

 

Edited July 18, 2018 by lapoolboy

[MRob]

Lapoolboy: DAYUMMMM that's a nice truck!  Looks GREAT!   How did you get the lift and keep the stock wheels??

 

TDevil: thanks for the props on the flares!!

 

Here is what I'm running into in my research.

 

I want to keep a good ride as you all know by now reading this post.  So, in order to do that, with a 4" or a 6" lift, I need to do a "full" lift kit with the cross bars and new knuckles to accommodate and keep the geometry to get and keep that same ride.   I will also be upgrading the struts and the rear shocks (not coilovers though).  I have been told that this "ride" will be REALLY nice and likely even better than it is now due to the upgrade of the shocks all around.

 

However, In doing a full kit like this the new knuckles flare out a bit and present a huge conflict with stock wheels in that that offset/back spacing of a stock wheel will not work, because it hits the knuckle.  Therefore, I have to buy aftermarket wheels to accommodate this.

 

I don't mind this, BUT 1. I wasn't planning on that   and 2.  I still like the stock wheel look as in lapoolboy's truck.

 

The lift kit's I've went and checkout were:

1. BDS 4.5" (I think it was .5) with the upgraded shocks all around.  It comes with it's own upgrade struts and then I will do Fox 2.0 on the rear.
2. ProComp 4" kit, with Bilsteins in the front and Fox in the rear
3. Rough Country - same situation as BDS above

Pricing is all comparable  - The feedback from others so far on the above is do NOT do ProComp.  And to just go BDS due to warranty and just an all around better product and with better support.

 

Thoughts???

[lapoolboy]

Thanks for the compliment.  It's a Zone 6.5" lift.  Stock wheels bolt right on with no problems.  I'm running Toyo Open Country R/T in 35x12.5x20.  No trimming, no rubbing.  I am running BORA 1.5" wheel spacers in the rear to even the track width.

[MRob]

On 7/19/2018 at 9:43 PM, lapoolboy said:

Thanks for the compliment.  It's a Zone 6.5" lift.  Stock wheels bolt right on with no problems.  I'm running Toyo Open Country R/T in 35x12.5x20.  No trimming, no rubbing.  I am running BORA 1.5" wheel spacers in the rear to even the track width.

Looks REALLY nice!  I'm gonna go back to the BDS quote guy and really push about the wheels...  I like that stock wheel look.

 

I want to put 295/60s on there though. Will they fit on a stock wheel and look ok????

[MRob]

Here is what I'm running into in my research.

 

I want to keep a good ride as you all know by now reading this post.  So, in order to do that, with a 4" or a 6" lift, I need to do a "full" lift kit with the cross bars and new knuckles to accommodate and keep the geometry to get and keep that same ride.   I will also be upgrading the struts and the rear shocks (not coilovers though).  I have been told that this "ride" will be REALLY nice and likely even better than it is now due to the upgrade of the shocks all around.

 

However, In doing a full kit like this the new knuckles flare out a bit and present a huge conflict with stock wheels in that that offset/back spacing of a stock wheel will not work, because it hits the knuckle.  Therefore, I have to buy aftermarket wheels to accommodate this.

 

I don't mind this, BUT 1. I wasn't planning on that   and 2.  I still like the stock wheel look as in lapoolboy's truck.

 

The lift kit's I've went and checkout were:

1. BDS 4.5" (I think it was .5) with the upgraded shocks all around.  It comes with it's own upgrade struts and then I will do Fox 2.0 on the rear.
2. ProComp 4" kit, with Bilsteins in the front and Fox in the rear
3. Rough Country - same situation as BDS above

Pricing is all comparable  - The feedback from others so far on the above is do NOT do ProComp.  And to just go BDS due to warranty and just an all around better product and with better support.

 

Do I, in fact, HAVE to get new wheels????  Really??  This seems a little much, but just checking!