1999 Suburban Body And Suspension Mods

Smooth · May 1, 2009

I previously owned a 1992 K2500 Suburban that I loved the exterior look (stance) of. It was stock with aftermarket wheels that provided a slight offset, allowing the front wheels to stick out about 1" beyond the stock fender flare.

I now have the option to buy a 1999 K1500 suburban with only 45K miles on it. It's been owned only by my family and I feel its a deal I can't pass up. HOWEVER, I HATE the look of the stock K1500 Suburban! I figure if I perform the following mods, then perhaps I can alter the look of it so it would resemble my '92 K2500 (except for the front suspension which I understand can't be duplicated):

- Strip off the silver trim around the fender and install fender flares, painted white to match the body. (Does this trim come off easily? Do the flares install easily? I am NOT mechanically inclined.)

- Have a local shop install the add-a-leaf kit, which I believe will add about 2" to the rear of the truck. (Who would install this for me - a tire dealer like Les Schwab? I'm in the Seattle area.)

- Increase the ride height by 1" in the front by adjusting the torsion bars. (I've heard mixed reviews on this, but the consensus seems to be that 1" is not a problem? If that isn't recommended, what other alternative do I have? I don't want the front to be the same height as the back. I believe the K2500 rear is slightly higher than the front. I've heard about torsion keys. Who would install these and wouldn't they increase the front by a full 2"? I'm concerned that is too much?)

- On the front, I want the tires to at least equal the edge ofthe fender flare, if not slightly outside of it. I'm thinking of a 17" wheel. (I don't care for 18" wheels or higher on older suburban's, tahoes, etc.) So, what size tire would allow the front tire to do this?

- Lastly, the exterior door handles are black, and I would want them white to match the truck. is this available, or do I have the black handles painted white?

- Oh, and a Billet grill will be added.

If you can offer answers and suggestions to these questionsissues, I would appreciate it. If you have dealers you would recommend that would be helpful too.

Thanks.

Smooth · July 22, 2009

I wanted to bump this post to the top as I didn't get any responses. I'm interested in comments on the suspension part of the post. I recently was reading about lift blocks to increase the ride height in the front. Perhaps this is more ideal than tweaking the torsion bars?

Thanks in advance for any insight you can offer.