clueless

[daeric83]

ok well im in the market for a 96-99 gm ext. cab Z-71, or 96-99 gm 4x4 tahoe or yukon. I have a few I have my eye on, but I know once I get it i would like to put a lift on it and add some a/t tires. Heres the problem. I have no idea what to buy that will look good and still provide a decent highway ride. I also cant afford an arm and a leg. I was thinking no more than 3 inhces or so. I dont know what the dfference between a body lift and suspension lift is? I also heard that just adding bigger tires will lift it some. Im not looking to go climb any mountains or anything, just the occasional off roading type deal.What i'm trying to say is it will be driven mostly on the highway, but I am just really going for looks. Any suggestions or info would be greatly appreciated. thanks

[vxaxv17]

Body Lifts separate the body from the frame. Essentially adding spacers between the 2. These are cheap and easy but can really throw things off (step bars, bumpers, etc) if you want to add accessories later. The alternative is a suspension lift which basically separates the frame from the suspension keeping the body attached to the frame as originally intended. Suspension lifts are more expensive and harder to install, but they basically keep everything where it should be. Depending on the height of the suspension lift, some things need to be reloacted (torsion bars dropped to retain factory angles) and some people find this unsightly.

 

As far as running bigger tires, you can get away with a slight upgrade without any sort of lift kit whatsoever. Once you get past 32 or 33" total diameter though, you will certainly run into clearance issues. I'd say find a tire you like and see what sizes they come in. I'd say a 265s-285s would be the MAX you could go without getting a lift.