Readylift SST Trail boss questions

lt1z · March 16, 2021

Ok gents.. here is what I've found.. Camburg took the bilstein kit to the next level with control arms. 1800 and I get what I want without a built-in grenade!

https://camburg.com/shop/suspension/performance-suspension/camburg-chevy-1500-19-bilstein-6112-performance-kit/

I essentially built this kit. 6112/5100 but with the Readylift UCA I had from my level kit I removed for the 6112.

Rukus · March 17, 2021

23 hours ago, lapoolboy said:

The axle and ball joint angles are no more "out of whack" than they were when stock. The suspension can only travel through a specific range of motion bound by its physical limits; i.e. UCA droop stops and bump stops. Most trucks won't even see these two extreme ends of the articulation angles during normal operation, everything else is within the same range of motion as the stock setup. The axles and ball joints are engineered to function properly within these parameters and have plenty of margin built-in. If you put the truck on a lift and take the front struts off, you can cycle the suspension from total droop to total compression with a physical "stop" at each end. The ball joints and axles are designed to work inside this envelope (plus a little margin each way for reliability). This doesn't change simply by adding an aftermarket lift strut. Limits are just that.

Your answer is flawed when it comes to the Trail Boss and AT4. They are already lifted 2" and have taken up a large amount of the engineered limits. the ball joint is then at an extreme angle. (why BDS and many other well known suspension manufacturers put HUGHE disclaimers out there regarding the UCAs. As for the axels... anything over 2"s is beyond the intended limits. The boots are stressed etc...

A non TB/AT4 this does not apply to.

nwscoobie · March 21, 2021

On 3/15/2021 at 1:21 PM, Supercup said:

Reason for the note is the axel angels are more extreme than stock and the torque on the front diff when shifting at speed can cause damage to the front diff, as the shift on the fly of auto 4wd at speed generates a lot of torque on the diff - with the geometry being stretched beyond factory specs, you are at risk of damaging your front diff. You likely will not get it warrantied. When kit first came out they had customer complaints about grinding noise when using auto 4WD as it shifted in and out of 4wd and then ultimatly a few that toasted the front diff. So they added the note - to warn the customer .

You face this same issue with any level kit - so it not just a RL issue - it is for any level kit that goes beyond factory specs. I found out after the fact from several reputable off road shop in my area that it was common knowledge that if you go over 4" in lift you need a proper lift kit with diff drop bracket (so TB is 2" and RL is 2" so on the edge). So if you use Auto 4wd with any level kit - you run the risk of damanging your front diff - does not mean you will - but it could happen and if it does it likely will not be covered under warranty.

If you can get a proper lift kit from Zone or BDS or others that is more costly - you will eliminate this risk for about $650 (the difference in price of a RL SST vs a Zone 2" lift - no shocks). I ran my 2019 AT4 with RL SST kit for 10k miles - no issues, but I never used auto 4wd - I did use 4H with no issues.

Zone - https://zoneoffroad.com/products/4-in-ifs-suspension-lift-kit-2019-2020-chevy-trail-boss-gmc-at4?variant=39266940878936

RL SST - https://www.readylift.com/at4-trail-boss-plus-2-0-sst-lift-kit-gm-1500-at4-trail-boss-4wd-2019.html

Here are photos of my 2019 AT4 with RL SST kit - see the angle of the axels (sorry for crappy photo) - then a photo of my 2020 AT4 with proper BDS lift kit (2.5" - so 4.5" overall).

2019 GMC AT4 - Stock 275/65/18 tires - axel angles are pretty extreme

1

2020 GMC AT4 - stock 275/65/18 tires - note axels are dead level - better than stock

I am not sure if you know this but that top picture with the SST kit is installed incorrectly. I keep seeing this picture on forums and wondering why the CV angles look so bad compared to mine. That preload spacer is upside down thus adding more pressure on the spring.

Supercup · March 21, 2021

12 hours ago, nwscoobie said:

I am not sure if you know this but that top picture with the SST kit is installed incorrectly. I keep seeing this picture on forums and wondering why the CV angles look so bad compared to mine. That preload spacer is upside down thus adding more pressure on the spring.

You could be right - it was installed by a very good race shop - but they do mainly Ford Raptors - so could have not gotten it right. But I would ask how do you determine from that photo the spacer is upside down? I looked at pictures on RL site and that appears to be the bottom - the top having indentations for the spring to seat into. And even if it is "upside" down you are talking about a difference in height of 1/2" or less - so that will not change the the axel angles of the CV's by much (if you go 2" vs 2.5" - 20% difference). One problem with that photo is the camera is not level, so you can really get a clear view of the angles - If you just look at the boot's and the that gives you a good idea of the amount of angle. CV angles will be based on height of level - more you go the greater the angle.

Attached are photos from RL install instructions:

Edited March 21, 2021 by Supercup

lapoolboy · March 21, 2021

15 minutes ago, Supercup said:

But I would ask how do you determine from that photo the spacer is upside down?

Edited March 21, 2021 by lapoolboy

lapoolboy · March 21, 2021

No idea why it wouldn't let me add text to your quote above, but you can clearly see the aluminum ReadyLift spacer is not seated down around the stock spring perch. ; i.e. it's upside-down.

Edited March 21, 2021 by lapoolboy

Supercup · March 21, 2021

2 hours ago, lapoolboy said:

No idea why it wouldn't let me add text to your quote above, but you can clearly see the aluminum ReadyLift spacer is not seated down around the stock spring perch. ; i.e. it's upside-down.

I think that is just the angle of the photo and shadowing - looking at it bottom up in my photo and from top side down in RL photos.

If you blow the photo of my old truck - the washer is right up against stock spring perch - you see no "indentations' Like the spacer has on the spring side (see photo below) So I just don't see it - but since the truck is gone can't go look and see!

lapoolboy · March 21, 2021

35 minutes ago, Supercup said:

I think that is just the angle of the photo and shadowing - looking at it bottom up in my photo and from top side down in RL photos.

If you blow the photo of my old truck - the washer is right up against stock spring perch - you see no "indentations' Like the spacer has on the spring side (see photo below) So I just don't see it - but since the truck is gone can't go look and see!

Trust us...it was upside-down. But truck is somebody else's problem now, so who cares, right?

Flyboygt · March 23, 2021

Question for lapoolboy and lt1z,

The front adjustable bilsteins look like there is a snap ring that holds the lower spring perch in place and the 4 groves in the shock are the height adjustment, have you had any issues (or heard of any) where that snap ring failed? It seems like a lot of pressure on a little ring

Also what are the height settings (3/4” per ring? Ish)

I'm assuming (running the trail boss) I will get to use position 3 (probably stock height) and position 4 (1.2"lift)?

I know they make a great product, I've run bilsteins on 2 other rigs and loved them but never had adjustable heights.

I'm thinking about the going with the camburg kit

Thanks

lapoolboy · March 23, 2021

7 hours ago, Flyboygt said:

Question for lapoolboy and lt1z,

The front adjustable bilsteins look like there is a snap ring that holds the lower spring perch in place and the 4 groves in the shock are the height adjustment, have you had any issues (or heard of any) where that snap ring failed? It seems like a lot of pressure on a little ring

Also what are the height settings (3/4” per ring? Ish)

I'm assuming (running the trail boss) I will get to use position 3 (probably stock height) and position 4 (1.2"lift)?

I know they make a great product, I've run bilsteins on 2 other rigs and loved them but never had adjustable heights.

I'm thinking about the going with the camburg kit

Thanks

The snap rings are completely encapsulated by the aluminum spring perch when it sits down over the ring (it is notched out on the bottom). Once the spring perch is down around it, there's no way for the snap ring to come out of the groove.

My 6112's only had three grooves....stock TB/AT4 height, 0.6", and 1.2" I believe. I'm at the max 1.2" and have just a tiny bit of rake.

Edited March 23, 2021 by lapoolboy

Flyboygt · March 24, 2021

Cool, I was a bit worried about that snap ring. Your rig looks great it's exactly what I'm going for with the ability to get 35s on it. Im not big on cutting or welding a lift kit onto a truck with 600 miles on it!

Thanks man I appreciate all the info!

nwscoobie · March 24, 2021

5 hours ago, lapoolboy said:

The snap rings are completely encapsulated by the aluminum spring perch when it sits down over the ring (it is notched out on the bottom). Once the spring perch is down around it, there's no way for the snap ring to come out of the groove.

My 6112's only had three grooves....stock TB/AT4 height, 0.6", and 1.2" I believe. I'm at the max 1.2" and have just a tiny bit of rake.

Yup, just as you said that is correct it locks in place and with the edge of the spacer.