Suburban small "lift"

[8thNote]

Trying to figure something out. 99 suburban k1500. I want to "lift" it just a little. Got about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ of threads I can crank. Cv axles are fairly straight. No block on rear leafs. Was thinking of adding a 1.5-2 inch block but don't want to go so far I can't crank the front to match. Anyone have any experience or suggestions. Don't really want to go bigger than 2 inches just want it to sit a little better.

Have asked about a 3 inch lift before but didn't find anything that really answered this question. Also posted on the Facebook page

Here's my 96 Suburban. It has 3" blocks on the rear, and when I bought it the previous owner had the torsion bars cranked to the max (ride was horrible and steering was very sloppy and vague). I cranked them back down about 1.5" and got it aligned. Now the ride is tolerable and the steering feel is much much better.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[beardeddummy]

Here's my 96 Suburban. It has 3" blocks on the rear, and when I bought it the previous owner had the torsion bars cranked to the max (ride was horrible and steering was very sloppy and vague). I cranked them back down about 1.5" and got it aligned. Now the ride is tolerable and the steering feel is much much better.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

So do you think I could be real close to level and possibly pretty decent ride at 2 inch?

 

[df2x4]

possibly pretty decent ride at 2 inch?

Not in my experience. Cranking my Suburban to level (2") made it ride much worse. It'll work, but it won't ride great.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Cranking the torsion bars makes them stiffer, so yes it does adversely affect the ride. The F150 4x4 super crew I got from my boss a few years ago, (that we drove for 3 weeks before it remembered it was a Ferd) rode as rough as my empty one ton. I asked my boss if he'd cranked the bars and he had.

 

[Hipster]

The Catch 22 is that, the stiffer the ride the less compliant the suspension becomes, which you need offroad. What you gain in ride height, you give up in articulation. At 2.5 inches in my truck you could forget about anything more serious than a graded logging/fire trail. It was beating me to death behind the wheel and the smallest bumps were really rough on the truck. At 1.25-1.50 still not great nor better than stock height in those conditions. Actually, worse than stock.

@beardeddummy, you could take some measurements crank 2 inches and go for a ride. The alignment will be off a bit but it's not going to eat the tires off going around the block or down a local trail in a few miles, and I would do both on and off road.. It will give you a better understanding of what everyone else is talking about. You'll also have before (or anywhere in between) measurements to return to if you don't like it. Then you can decide if it's worth pursuing alignments, blocks, etc. Not all trucks have been tamper-free so 2 inches for someone else might be a different height than 2 inches from where you start. .50 inches seems to make quite a difference.

used Rancho kit for sale on the site, the guy had 2 kits, haven't doubled checked tech specs, but they were one of the only kits that were sub-4 inches with the diff drop and steering/cv joint corrections , factory ride, etc. if I'm not mistaken. I think they could be set up 3.5 to 5.5 or something like that. Still touted as one of the best kits out there.

 

[Pinger]

My standard height C2500 Suburban rides so badly I wouldn't do anything that worsens it. Bouncing the frame of rocks would be preferable to raising it (by the sounds) if I ventured off-road - and no less comfortable.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

My standard height C2500 Suburban rides so badly I wouldn't do anything that worsens it. Bouncing the frame of rocks would be preferable to raising it (by the sounds) if I ventured off-road - and no less comfortable.

Part of that is the stuff truck tires, part of it is the springs are stiff till it's loaded. I'd wager yours rides better with a full propane tank? Rawhide is much better loaded, even just a third of his rated capacity. With new shocks it'd probably be better, one of many things I want to do once funds are available....

 

[beardeddummy]

Yep, it's why mine never got lifted. I'd love a small lift but there's really nothing out there under 4" unless you kill the ride with a key crank.

https://skyjacker.com/shop/suspensi...ion-lift-kit-with-hydro-shocks/#configuration here's a small lift but I know nothing about it. @Hipster I don't understand how it's getting its front lift if it ain't by crank. You also get the diff drop for 85ish. Do you know anything about it? Also it's simple ideas like just trying getting measurements and trying the crank to see if it's something I'd be ok with that make me think I live up to my username or some folks are geniuses....

 

[Hipster]

4 Inch Lift Kit | Chevy/GMC K1500 Truck/SUV 4WD (1988-1999)

4 Inch Lift Kit | Chevy/GMC K1500 Truck/SUV 4WD (1988-1999)

www.roughcountry.com

By time you bought shocks this kit is cheaper. This is one inch taller than the way you want to go in the beginning of this thread. Maybe it's the more complex install that makes it a no-go for you, idk.

A proper kit drops the upper and lower control arms and the torsion bars down, along with the drag link and tie rods. It moves everything so you can maintain a factory like ride , factory like steering geometry, and a factory like suspension geometry. The diff also drops down correcting cv angles. It's a complete engineered system. You want to be your own engineer and start cobbling stuff together from difference sources go for it You're already looking at bandaids and haven't even started. The diff drop only corrects cv angles. The steering angles, the suspension geometry issues, and the ride quality remain askew with only cranking and a diff drop. Like I said in a previous post the next step is "What about cranking, the diff drop and now the upper control arms" The steering angles and the suspension geometry issues remain, with the exception being the new control sit a bit further away from the droop stoops, and the ride quality remains like a cranked truck. I've already answered what shocks and the control arm bushings if needed when you go this far down this path.

I'm not trying to be facetious, just trying to prevent you a headache.

Ask enough times in enough places someone will tell you exactly what you want to hear.

 

[beardeddummy]

4 Inch Lift Kit | Chevy/GMC K1500 Truck/SUV 4WD (1988-1999)

4 Inch Lift Kit | Chevy/GMC K1500 Truck/SUV 4WD (1988-1999)

www.roughcountry.com

By time you bought shocks this kit is cheaper. This is one inch taller than the way you want to go in the beginning of this thread. Maybe it's the more complex install that makes it a no-go for you, idk.

A proper kit drops the upper and lower control arms and the torsion bars down, along with the drag link and tie rods. It moves everything so you can maintain a factory like ride , factory like steering geometry, and a factory like suspension geometry. The diff also drops down correcting cv angles. It's a complete engineered system. You want to be your own engineer and start cobbling stuff together from difference sources go for it You're already looking at bandaids and haven't even started. The diff drop only corrects cv angles. The steering angles, the suspension geometry issues, and the ride quality remain askew with only cranking and a diff drop. Like I said in a previous post the next step is "What about cranking, the diff drop and now the upper control arms" The steering angles and the suspension geometry issues remain, with the exception being the new control sit a bit further away from the droop stoops, and the ride quality remains like a cranked truck. I've already answered what shocks and the control arm bushings if needed when you go this far down this path.

I'm not trying to be facetious, just trying to prevent you a headache.

Ask enough times in enough places someone will tell you exactly what you want to hear.

It's going up in tire size that's stopping me. I don't want to go any bigger on tire. I'm afraid by the time I drop everything and decrank a 4 inch ill loose ground clearance with the torsion bars dropping. You may not be trying to be facetious but you really ain't trying to help me figure this out either. You're so stuck me going with a 4 inch(which seems to be for good reasons) that you can't figure out that like previous stated I do not want a 4 inch. I did say that I asked about a 3 inch in a previous post but in this I said I don't want to go any bigger than 2 inch. I don't want a lift at all really I just want to get high centered less and maybe lose some of the soccer mom look....