Rough Country 4"/6" kit install tips.

[Kyle97GMC]

I paid 400 for instalatilon and gave the guy my Flowmaster 40 series haha

 

[Rekeever]

sweet!

I'm going to be probably doing this myself, but what is the typical cost for a professional installation?

Our labor rates are $65 per hour. The typical GMT400 kit is about 10 hours, so can expect to shell out $650 for installation. However on the plus side, due to the age of these trucks the suspension components almost always need to be replaced for safe lift installation. So we typically replace the worn parts (ball joints, tie rods, pitman, idler arms, etc) at no additional labor cost. Its a fairly substantial savings considering the amount of labor involved just those components.

One trick I would recommend that I found, the sway bar end links on these trucks are a solid bolt with rubber on each end and sleeve in the middle. Its terrible design and wears out quite easily. Use Part # K750362 to replace it when you do your lift and you will be much happier. It is a greaseable Moog link that has joint on each end of it. This will allow for greater flex/life and easier installation than a stock replacement for a Chevy/GMC. Warning to you diehards that is a replacement part for a 2010-Up Ford F150. I found that part to work out of shear frustration trying to install the GM unit into the lower control arm.

 

[Rekeever]

I know the OP complained of using a Sawzall to cut the bump stops out of the truck and I know his frustration. I burned a lot of blades trying to do this the first time. We have since started cutting them out of this bodystyle with a plasma cutter, but I do have a method for sawing them out for those that don't have access to plasma.

The bending of the blades happens right after you pass through the side of the bump stop mount and the tip of the blade hits the shock mount. If you are able to angle your saw about 45 degrees so that the tip is angled away from the shock mount while cutting from the rear you can cut quite deep without bending any blades. Should be able in 2 cuts, one from the front and one from the rear to cut clean through the bottom and about and inch in at the top. Now shove a pry bar in there and bend it out now you can lay the saw flat and cut the top section out from the bottom. Or simply work the material back and forth and shear the metal off through fatigue.

Now you can start the grinding. I'll try to grab some pictures of this process the next time I get one of these in the shop.

 

[Vortec Lover]

all pictures are appreciated- say, where are you from anyways? from the other side of the country, undoubtedly haha

 

[Rekeever]

My shop is in Oklahoma, so on the other side of the country... But its only top to bottom not side to side lol


One thing often neglected, when replacing front end parts are the upper control arm bushings. Inspect these when you decide to go with the lift, worn control arm bushing will prevent you from being able to retain the camber angle after alignment. This problem is only made worse by tall, wide tires.

 

[Askme42]

I know the OP complained of using a Sawzall to cut the bump stops out of the truck and I know his frustration. I burned a lot of blades trying to do this the first time. We have since started cutting them out of this bodystyle with a plasma cutter, but I do have a method for sawing them out for those that don't have access to plasma.

The bending of the blades happens right after you pass through the side of the bump stop mount and the tip of the blade hits the shock mount. If you are able to angle your saw about 45 degrees so that the tip is angled away from the shock mount while cutting from the rear you can cut quite deep without bending any blades. Should be able in 2 cuts, one from the front and one from the rear to cut clean through the bottom and about and inch in at the top. Now shove a pry bar in there and bend it out now you can lay the saw flat and cut the top section out from the bottom. Or simply work the material back and forth and shear the metal off through fatigue.

Now you can start the grinding. I'll try to grab some pictures of this process the next time I get one of these in the shop.

Yep my buddy was ready to whip me when I said I had a plasma cutter a few days after we finished lol.

 

[ChrisAU]

We used an angle grinder with a cutting wheel. Made very quick work of them. 10 blades are like $10 at Harbor Freight, and I think we only used 2 or 3 blades actually.

 

[Sparg93]

Our labor rates are $65 per hour. The typical GMT400 kit is about 10 hours, so can expect to shell out $650 for installation. However on the plus side, due to the age of these trucks the suspension components almost always need to be replaced for safe lift installation. So we typically replace the worn parts (ball joints, tie rods, pitman, idler arms, etc) at no additional labor cost. Its a fairly substantial savings considering the amount of labor involved just those components.

One trick I would recommend that I found, the sway bar end links on these trucks are a solid bolt with rubber on each end and sleeve in the middle. Its terrible design and wears out quite easily. Use Part # K750362 to replace it when you do your lift and you will be much happier. It is a greaseable Moog link that has joint on each end of it. This will allow for greater flex/life and easier installation than a stock replacement for a Chevy/GMC. Warning to you diehards that is a replacement part for a 2010-Up Ford F150. I found that part to work out of shear frustration trying to install the GM unit into the lower control arm.

$650 for all that work is unbelievable!! Around me, the labor rate is $95 an hour and they would definitely charge you for replacement of all the front end components.

Great writeup by the way, RCX should definitely amend their install instructions to reflect these changes. I am FIRMLY against bending those existing brake lines and they should have included extended lines in the kit and charged a few more bucks.

 

[oohunter04oo]

I was really worried about bending the brake lines. But it actually was not bad. They easily bent to fit in the new brackets.

 

[ChrisAU]

I never undid mine...