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QUESTION: AT4 with Readylift and bigger tires


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Hey guys. Pretty set on getting the Ready lift over the RC 2inch spacers. https://www.readylift.com/2-25-front-leveling-kit-w-control-arms-at4-trail-bossgm-1500-truck-2019.html

 

Is anyone running 285/65/20's or anything simular? I saw a white one with 35/12.5 with a 2inch level and a 3inch block (instead of the stock 2) and it looks amazing. Just trying to avoid having to buy 2 sets of tires. Currently liking the Ridge Grapplers.

 

Thanks for any help!

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'm interested to know as well.  Anyone install a front leveling kit on a 2019 GMC Sierra AT4 yet?  Readylift says you MUST buy their 2" kit at $499, due to the wear on the ball joint and pivot joint in the upper control arms when using other brands.  Wondering if this is true.  Anyone else have any info and, if so, what brand are you using/recommending?  Pictures would also be greatly appreciated.

 

Also, anyone install any aftermarket fender flares on the AT4?

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I just did the Readylift kit lifting the front 2 inches and the rear 1 inch on my AT4. Before I can answer your question it is important to understand my journey and what worked and what did not work. 

 

  1. Before I did this lift, I installed 285/65/20 Goodyear AT Ultra Terrain tires on the stock rims and had to use tie wraps on the wheel well covers right next to the mud flap brackets on both front sides. The front (toward the bumper) was ok, just a very small rub next to the mud flap bracket on the wheel well cover. Punched a small hole, wrapped a tie wrap around pulling it back and no rub.
  2. Fast forward and I finally get to install the Readylift lift/level kit and my problem now is the tires rub on the new upper control arm (UCA) supplied by Readylift (something they warn on their web-site). At first just sitting it has about 1/8" or so clearance but when you drive over bumps the tire swells and it rubs.
  3. So now I decide to upgrade the wheels with a more negative offset (stock offset +26). Doing this would move the tires away from the UCA. So i purchase some Fuel rims with +1 offset, reinstall the 285/65/20 and this changes everything. Now the front of the wheel well needs to be trimmed, but the tires rub at full lock in the rear towards the engine. I try to see what I can do and there is no options. At the point on the inner most part of the wheel well there is metal frame right behind the wheel liner. There is no possible way to trim this without cutting the frame brackets something I was not willing to do. Driving was not bad and the rub was only at full lock either right or left. As for me this bothered me too much to leave alone. It sounded horrible coming out of a drive way or parking lot.
  4. To remediate, I downsize the tire from 285/65/20 to 275/65/20 and this solves everything. No rub, plenty of clearance and only a half inch smaller diameter than the 285's.

I hope this helps. I wonder if I had gotten aftermarket rims with a more positive offset (+12 instead of +1) that would of worked. Not sure

 

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7 hours ago, vzdd0y28 said:

I just did the Readylift kit lifting the front 2 inches and the rear 1 inch on my AT4. Before I can answer your question it is important to understand my journey and what worked and what did not work. 

 

  1. Before I did this lift, I installed 285/65/20 Goodyear AT Ultra Terrain tires on the stock rims and had to use tie wraps on the wheel well covers right next to the mud flap brackets on both front sides. The front (toward the bumper) was ok, just a very small rub next to the mud flap bracket on the wheel well cover. Punched a small hole, wrapped a tie wrap around pulling it back and no rub.
  2. Fast forward and I finally get to install the Readylift lift/level kit and my problem now is the tires rub on the new upper control arm (UCA) supplied by Readylift (something they warn on their web-site). At first just sitting it has about 1/8" or so clearance but when you drive over bumps the tire swells and it rubs.
  3. So now I decide to upgrade the wheels with a more negative offset (stock offset +26). Doing this would move the tires away from the UCA. So i purchase some Fuel rims with +1 offset, reinstall the 285/65/20 and this changes everything. Now the front of the wheel well needs to be trimmed, but the tires rub at full lock in the rear towards the engine. I try to see what I can do and there is no options. At the point on the inner most part of the wheel well there is metal frame right behind the wheel liner. There is no possible way to trim this without cutting the frame brackets something I was not willing to do. Driving was not bad and the rub was only at full lock either right or left. As for me this bothered me too much to leave alone. It sounded horrible coming out of a drive way or parking lot.
  4. To remediate, I downsize the tire from 285/65/20 to 275/65/20 and this solves everything. No rub, plenty of clearance and only a half inch smaller diameter than the 285's.

I hope this helps. I wonder if I had gotten aftermarket rims with a more positive offset (+12 instead of +1) that would of worked. Not sure

 

Well this sucks because I just bought some 285/65/20 KO2's and the ready lift kit. 

 

It's also very confusing to hear this because if you look at the thread below you will see that a guys are running 35x12.5x20 tires without a level or anything.   

 

Ready Lift told me that their control arms are the exact same as OEM control arms other than the ball joint upgrade and angle.  Something doesn't add up 

 

Any thoughts?  

 

https://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/topic/216586-owners-pictures-of-35-tires-on-stock-at4-or-trail-boss/

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I read all the same posts and called Readylift as well. Granted all I got is the front office woman who quoted what the web-site stated but could not offer more info. 

 

I will tell you for certain those Readylift UCA's stick out more than stock at the ball joint. They create an offset at the ball joint that realigns the linkage and that offset sticks out more. We checked clearance before and after and went from about >3/8" to less than 1/8" that rubbed (with the 285's). I set tire pressure to about 45psi (E rating) to lesson the balloon effect but to no help. I really tried to make this work and even my installer stated this was not very safe. Like I stated just sitting there was a very small clearance and I thought i would deal with it, but hit a couple pot holes on the side street and found rubber caked on the ball joint and a scrape on both tires. I was really upset by this and immediately ordered (Black Friday sale) aftermarket rims with the +1 offset that brings the rims and tires out more. After new rims I had over 5/8" clearance but ran into full lock rubbing against the frame. I ultimately just had them take off the 285's and put on new 275's and now everything has ample clearance and still looks good. 

 

As far as those that state 35x12.5x20 without any lift or level and no rubbing cannot be true (at least without trimming). Remember, before I added this Readylift i had 285's with stock everything. The mud flap bracket had to be trimmed. We test fitted at Discount Tire and it smashed into it, i trimmed the second bolt toward the center of vehicle and had to zip tie the liner back and then had ample clearance (check other posts describing this trimming mod). The only other explanation is maybe different tires have different shoulder profiles meaning my Goodyear Ultra Terrain's have a very steep tread shoulder and I have noticed that some other AT tires have a more rounded shoulder. Unfortunately, for you the KO2s have even a more aggressive shoulder than i had that will only amplify this issue.   

 

The one other thing you have to check that most don't on this forum is, do you have any rub once your suspension is articulating. My installer has a small hill in the front of his shop that he drives up at a 45 degree angle and stops nothing extreme (search this on YouTube as well good videos showing this). This shows the suspension moving in real world scenarios and since our wheel wheels resemble a C shape that curves in at the bottom, watching the suspension articulate shows rubbing that does not show up just sitting in the drive way our driving down a flat road. Get this off-road or even climb over a small curb and rub will happen on those bigger tires. That is why I doubt those 35" tire post (no lift or level) you see here.

 

Some can live with rubbing here and there and some don't even notice. I drive my truck daily and have a family and the last thing I want to do is hit a pot hole on the express way and shred the tire and lose control.   

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I just ordered the RC 2" level for mine due to the fact I want to keep the stock 18's I have.  I've seen a 285/75 done (35x11.3) with the new ready lift upper control arms but its too close for my liking.  But you've got 20x9's from factory where the 18's are 8.5" wide I believe.  That must be the difference, if you want to play it safe I'd use 275/65's with the ready lift upper control arms or a 35' with a RC 2" level. 

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22 hours ago, vzdd0y28 said:

I just did the Readylift kit lifting the front 2 inches and the rear 1 inch on my AT4. Before I can answer your question it is important to understand my journey and what worked and what did not work. 

 

  1. Before I did this lift, I installed 285/65/20 Goodyear AT Ultra Terrain tires on the stock rims and had to use tie wraps on the wheel well covers right next to the mud flap brackets on both front sides. The front (toward the bumper) was ok, just a very small rub next to the mud flap bracket on the wheel well cover. Punched a small hole, wrapped a tie wrap around pulling it back and no rub.
  2. Fast forward and I finally get to install the Readylift lift/level kit and my problem now is the tires rub on the new upper control arm (UCA) supplied by Readylift (something they warn on their web-site). At first just sitting it has about 1/8" or so clearance but when you drive over bumps the tire swells and it rubs.
  3. So now I decide to upgrade the wheels with a more negative offset (stock offset +26). Doing this would move the tires away from the UCA. So i purchase some Fuel rims with +1 offset, reinstall the 285/65/20 and this changes everything. Now the front of the wheel well needs to be trimmed, but the tires rub at full lock in the rear towards the engine. I try to see what I can do and there is no options. At the point on the inner most part of the wheel well there is metal frame right behind the wheel liner. There is no possible way to trim this without cutting the frame brackets something I was not willing to do. Driving was not bad and the rub was only at full lock either right or left. As for me this bothered me too much to leave alone. It sounded horrible coming out of a drive way or parking lot.
  4. To remediate, I downsize the tire from 285/65/20 to 275/65/20 and this solves everything. No rub, plenty of clearance and only a half inch smaller diameter than the 285's.

I hope this helps. I wonder if I had gotten aftermarket rims with a more positive offset (+12 instead of +1) that would of worked. Not sure

 

So that you are aware a positive offset will move the tire closer to the control arm. See  the attached diagram.  With a +1 offset the tire will be 1mm closer to the control arm. 

7D88712C-A2EA-4452-B057-298AE4DE2F35.jpeg

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Thank you. Remember the +1 offset I reference is moving from a stock rim of +26 offset to an aftermarket rim of +1 offset.

 

This actually moved the rim a total of negative 25mm (.98") away from the ball joint in my case.

 

The comment i made in my last sentence of going more positive (from +1 to +12) was in reference of my issue of the tire rubbing at full lock. I believe the +12 offset would have cleared my Readylift UCA ball joint as this was still a negative movement from the stock +26 offset of the stock rims. Since I had no issues of rubbing at full lock with 285's with stock rims, moving less negative in my case could have been the sweet spot.

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Here is a pic off the Readylift Youtube video that shows both the stock vs. Readylift UCA.

 

You can clearly see the extra bulk around the ball joint that is absent from the stock UCA (Readylift UCA on the left, stock piece on the right).

 

That extra roundness on the Readylift was rubbing the tire using 285/65/20 on stock rims that was not using the stock UCA.

 

readylift.jpg

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what a friggen nightmare, I be so pissed to waste all that money on different rims after I already bought some....extra labor costs, etc...damn, really have to be careful and research b4 you do this stuff...

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I don't understand why these UCA cost so much, know theyre better and stronger but still some are $800 for pair....I just don't see why theyre so much...fabricating tubular steel doesn't cost that much, ball joints and bushings cost nothing.....you can get aftrmrkt OEM ones for nothing, not as strong but 4-5 times the cost?

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