Lifted and im going crazy!!!

[Steve's Chevy]

Here's the deal....... if you have a 4x4 and dont believe in lifting a 2wd then please dont comment unless you can add positive information thank you.


I have a 97 silverado that i lifted with a 7.5" Fabtech lift back in sept. Ive had nothing but problems with it as far as steering and handling to Date! I have taken it back to the alignment shop 4 times and still feels like im driving my Jet boat floating around on the highway sometimes its scary the way it feels.

I have swapped out my new 35's on 17's for new 33's and went back to a light weight 15" rim and no change other then better performance and MPG but is still loose on the highway. the frontend is all Moog parts new when i installed the lift and this weekend im going to change out the steering gear box just because.

now im thinking of pulling the lift out and going with a RC 4" lift spindle or just do a 2/4 drop ... It was so nice like a caddy when it was at stock height now i cant stand it!! so im posting this to see if anyone has any thoughts as far as what it could be before i pull everything out and start over.

Thanks.

 

[outalne94z71]

sure sounds like the caster is too close to 0 caster, that makes the steering really squirrely i would contact fabtech and see what their alignment specs are, i bet the shop you are going to is either not messing with fixing caster or trying to use stock specs

 

[///RAGMC]

Are you running a steering stabilizer? Also are you running a front sway bar?

 

[Steve's Chevy]

They said they zeroed it out on stock specs which i know is wrong but that is the only way they will do it.

Stabilizer was installed shortly after the lift and just recently i removed the sway bar. It made it ride smoother but didnt affect handing as nothing else changed.

Oh i called Fabtech and they really want to sell you a lift but not so much on giving out any info.... I had to almost beg to get my shock specs.

 

[bluex]

Sound like you need to go somewhere else for an alignment. You can't align it to stock specs, they need to set it to fabtech recommendations....

My friend has a 95 with the 4" spindles and a 3" body lift and with a good alignment the steering is still good. It grabs the ruts in the road around here, but that is to be expected with a 12.5 wide tire....

 

[Steve's Chevy]

I will try again to get there specs but wish me luck, last time i called i think i was bothering them the way he acted.

 

[outalne94z71]

looks like you have the discontinued k1006 kit, fabtech doesn't even have the instructions available on site anymore so best hope is that someone has instructions somewhere to get the alignment specs from or find a offroad shop that deals with fabtech, they may get a better response being a dealer vs a customer.
a offroad specific shop may even be able to just solve your alignment, a regular shop generally doesnt like to mess with aligning anything different than stock so that is probably where some of your issue is stemming from

 

[Steve's Chevy]

Yes that is the kit i have..... I still think i might just pull it off and start over, im so frustrated!! I love my truck but its miserable to drive now..

 

[bluex]

Ya find a shop that will work with you on the alignment. I've walked out of plenty before because they wouldn't set it to the specs I wanted. It may take some time but if you explain to them why it can't be set factory an maybe pay alittle more than a normal alignment someone, somewhere will set it up right....

 

[outalne94z71]

i can totally understand that, i would just find a shop willing to actually fix the alignment, the caster has to be set wrong from the way you are describing it is acting.