Lift Kit Help

Kurvette · November 24, 2004

I have a 03 Silverado 2500 HD and put a SkyJacker 6" lift on with 35" tires.

Problem:

Front wheels have a 4" back spaceing which pushes them out about 3 1/2 inches past the existing stock fender flares.

NJ is not 4X4 friendly and will hold me to the strictest standards, ie: mud flaps, fender flares etc..

Fender flares come with the 2500 hd pkg and I don't know the best way to extend the fenders with out making the truck look ( Hokie ).

Any help is welcome.

Thanks

Mighty HD · November 24, 2004

put the factory wheels/tires back on and play stupid

Hecktorx · November 24, 2004

Are you looking to just get through inspection, or a permenant fix? Do you know since your truck has more than 4" lift, you have to go to a special inspection in NJ?

I used 6" covebase one time at inspection. I held it up with the stock chrome trim screws and double stick tape then took it off right after I got my papers and sticker. The guy at inspection laughed at me, but he couldn't faill me because the tires were covered at the time.

Kurvette · November 25, 2004

Are you looking to just get through inspection, or a permenant fix? Do you know since your truck has more than 4" lift, you have to go to a special inspection in NJ?

I used 6" covebase one time at inspection. I held it up with the stock chrome trim screws and double stick tape then took it off right after I got my papers and sticker. The guy at inspection laughed at me, but he couldn't faill me because the tires were covered at the time.

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Thank you for replying:

My question is really two parts, 1, to get through inspection and 2, to protect the side of the truck from debre flying up and hitting the paint.

I like the covebase idea and think I will try it. My 2500HD has fender flares and to remove them and install new larger ones is going to be involved.

Thank you for your help!

Kurt

Hecktorx · November 25, 2004

Well, about the only fender flairs that are going to help you with 3.5" sticking out are Bushwacker cut-outs. Even if you use a 2.5" extend-a-fender fender flair, your still going to be sticking out. Your wheels are probably the problem. Too little backspacing and they're probably too wide. In this state, if you want to keep a chevy 100% legal, knuckle lifts and big tires don't go together well, especially on an HD. The increased wheel track and minimun backspacing requirements of those lifts make it hard to keep the tires covered.

Your in a tough spot. It's going to cost you some money to make it 100% legal. New wheels and a new set of fender flares or a set of flares that your going to have to cut up your truck to install. Keep in mind, NJ has done away with the stability papers too. They now have an additional window sticker next to the inspection sticker. So if a cop knows what he's looking for, he can tell if your legal or not before he even pulls you over.

Kurvette · November 25, 2004

Well, about the only fender flairs that are going to help you with 3.5" sticking out are Bushwacker cut-outs. Even if you use a 2.5" extend-a-fender fender flair, your still going to be sticking out. Your wheels are probably the problem. Too little backspacing and they're probably too wide. In this state, if you want to keep a chevy 100% legal, knuckle lifts and big tires don't go together well, especially on an HD. The increased wheel track and minimun backspacing requirements of those lifts make it hard to keep the tires covered.

Your in a tough spot. It's going to cost you some money to make it 100% legal. New wheels and a new set of fender flares or a set of flares that your going to have to cut up your truck to install. Keep in mind, NJ has done away with the stability papers too. They now have an additional window sticker next to the inspection sticker. So if a cop knows what he's looking for, he can tell if your legal or not before he even pulls you over.

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Thank you again for your help:

I didn't want to get rid of my stock rims but they told me I needed 4" back spacing for the lift kit to work.

I don't know the ramifications of the different rims but the stock one's sure would make my life easyer!

Thank you for your help, I'm in East brunswick

Hecktorx · November 25, 2004

The way the knuckle kits are designed, they don't allow you to use the stock wheel because they have to much backspacing. For clearance, you have to run at least 4.5" backspacing. Without that much backspacing, the tire would contact the upper control arm and knuckle.

How wide are your wheels and tires? Do you have any pictures of your truck?

I'm in east windsor until new years, but I'll be living in So. Plainfield by the end of the year.

Kurvette · November 25, 2004

The way the knuckle kits are designed, they don't allow you to use the stock wheel because they have to much backspacing. For clearance, you have to run at least 4.5" backspacing. Without that much backspacing, the tire would contact the upper control arm and knuckle.

How wide are your wheels and tires? Do you have any pictures of your truck?

I'm in east windsor until new years, but I'll be living in So. Plainfield by the end of the year.

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http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=2135159134

I posted 2 pictures,

Tires 315/75/r16 12" w

Wheels Rock Crawler

Do you think my spare tire is useless now?

Hecktorx · November 25, 2004

Your spare will still fit on the back. If you had a front flat, you would just have to put the spare on the back and a rear tire on the front, at least just to get you home.

Truck looks good. It looks like the backs don't stick out too bad.

Check out the link in my sig. to see what the NJ tilt test looks like.

Kurvette · November 25, 2004

You have great looking trucks! That Blazer certainly looks like a monster.

My truck isn't due for inspection till 2007. Do you think I should try to inspect it soon to avoid any headaches as in getting pulled over?

thanks, Kurt

Hecktorx · November 26, 2004

If I didn't have the money, I wouldn't worry about it until I got stopped once. I drove that Blazer around the way it was in those pictures and never got bothered. I have found that there are very few NJ police that actually know the laws about lifted trucks. It seems like as long as the rear tires are close to being covered, they will leave you alone. Just watch out for roadside DMV inspections. That's why I finally went the legal route. I got stopped at a roadside once and got 5 tickets. I'm not complaining, I deserved them. But if I had the money, I would make sure it's legal.

BTW- I've taken 2 lifted trucks through state inspection and was never failed for mud flaps. The last one I went through with was a 99 f-350. They actually put the thing on a lift and were checking bolts for tightness. I have to hand it to NJ. Inspection is a PITA here, but they really do make sure your truck is safe.