[top of page]
What do I get with this kit and how does it work?
The leveling
kit contains a new pair of torsion bar adjusting cams and installation
instructions. The new cams are cast with the receiving socket
at a different index than the factory cams, allowing a taller
front end adjustment with the factory adjusting bolt setting.
What
do I need for installation, and how long does it take?
Installation
requires a floor jack, vehicle stands, a medium sized two-jaw
gear puller, and a basic metric 1/2" drive socket set. Installation
takes approximately 1-2 hours.
Does
this kit require wheel alignment after installation?
Yes, front
end alignment should ALWAYS be checked after installing ANY vehicle
suspension lift. This kit typically requires a slight toe-in adjustment.
Why
can't I just crank up my torsion bars and achieve the same thing?
Cranking
in the torsion bar adjusting bolt with the factory indexing cams
will cause the top of the cam lever to "bottom out"
against the inside of the crossmember channel and grind against
it at approximately 1" increase in lift. Although this might
get you 1" of lift, it will not allow for any clearance,
fine tuning or side to side ride height adjustment. If the adjusting
bolt is forced beyond the factory cam's range, it will wipe the
threads from the bolt or crack the thread block and cause the
torsion bar to release violently.
Will
this make make the truck ride differently?
This
kit will level the vehicle without a substantial difference in
ride quality. Most customers adjust the front to 2" higher
than stock, and are satisfied with the ride quality. Common sense
might tell you that you are not going to lift the front end of
a new 4x4 Chevy 3" or higher for $150 and one hour's worth
of work without some sacrifice in ride quality. If you want to
go 3" or taller, and you want the truck to ride exactly the
same as stock, then this kit is clearly not the answer. If you
want to bring up the front 2"-2.5" and don't mind a
slightly stiffer ride, (ride quality is inversly proportional
to height ABOVE a 2" adjustment), then this is easily the
most cost effective way to do it.
Please keep
in mind that any suspension lift will slightly amend ride quality
(they always have), and if you are completely unwilling to compromise,
then maybe you should consider not modifying your truck at all.
Will
this kit add 2 or 3 inches to the suspension lift I already have?
No,
different lift manufacturers relocate the factory suspension droop
stops and change the relative geometry between the front differential
and the upper and lower control arm assemblies. Because of the
variety in lift design and the changes they present, different
kits will display different results when fitted with the leveling
kit. ON AVERAGE the leveling kit will add 1" to 1.5"
to an existing suspension lift.
Will
this kit cause front end problems or prematurely wear out suspension
and steering components?
No, this kit actually
places less of a load on steering components than conventional
4" or 6" lift kits which use ladder style replacement
steering drag links. Full bracket drop kits integrate the steering
drop with an offset drag link, (with or without a 3rd idler link);
this places a 4"-6" cantilever against the idler arm,
pitman arm, and the steering box
lower bearing. The leveling kit does
not change the drag link or subject the steering components to
any of these conditions, commonly associated with premature idler
arm failure in IFS lift systems.
The leveling
kit works within the range of the FACTORY droop, or downward suspension
cycle. It does NOT bind the CV axles or ball
joints, just as none of these conditions occur with the truck
supported on a hoist and the front wheels hanging freely in the
air.
A word about IFS lifts: Contrary
to popular belief, it is typically the aftermarket wheel and tire
combination, and NOT the suspension lift that causes premature
failure in IFS components. Wide oversized tires on 10" or
12" wide rims commonly seen with 6" to 8" lifts
will cantilever the ball joints and wheel bearings into premature
failure --- blaming a properly installed suspension lift for these
problems is a common misconception. With that in mind, the leveling
kit does not allow clearance for 10" or 12" wide aftermarket
rims or drastically oversized tires and this is not a concern.
Tire
Sizing [top
of page]
What
size tires and wheels can I fit with my lift?
Our
collective experience with lifting GM IFS vehicles has provided
us with enough information to create our own real world tire/wheel
chart for full size Chevy/GMC. As reflected in the chart, RIM
WIDTH has a profound impact on how tall of a tire will fit; wheel
offset and backspacing will also impact the potential tire size.
Generally you can fit a much taller tire when using a factory
wheel or one with a comparable offset than when using an aftermarket
wheel with less backspacing, (all other conditions the same).
You
will also notice that in some cases suspension + body lift combinations
offer more tire clearance than the same comparable net lift height
from suspension lift only.
You
may interpret the following chart as being on the conservative
edge for full size 88-02 GM IFS 4x4 vehicles, (figure a little
more conservatively for 99-01 body, and less for 88-98). Also
when using this chart, figure less conservatively for tire brands
like BFG and more conservatively for SuperSwamper. If you plan
on using your truck, (ie. daily driving and some off road use),
we strongly recomend you stay within the limits specified by the
green or blue cells, especially when running boggers and other
wide Superswampers..
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No
problems or interference at all
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Will
fit with mild interference during off road driving
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Will
fit with some interference during normal street driving
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Will
have annoying clearance problems most of the time
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Contrary
to popular belief, this will NOT work
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You're
Nuts! Get out the sawzall and don't look back
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This Table is for 88-02 Full Size
GM Pickups, and 92-02 Blazers, and Tahoes
| 285-70-R16 |
2"-3"
|
4"
|
+Body
|
6-6.5"
|
+Body
|
9.5"
|
+Body
|
|
with
Stock Wheels
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| 32x11.50 |
2"-3"
|
4"
|
+Body
|
6-6.5"
|
+Body
|
9.5"
|
+Body
|
|
with
Stock Wheels
|
|
|
|
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with
8" Wheels
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| 33x12.50 |
2"-3"
|
4"
|
+Body
|
6-6.5"
|
+Body
|
9.5"
|
+Body
|
|
with
Stock Wheels
|
|
|
|
|
|
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with
8" Wheels
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with
10" Wheels
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| 33x14.50
or wider |
2"-3"
|
4"
|
+Body
|
6-6.5"
|
+Body
|
9.5"
|
+Body
|
|
with
Stock Wheels (unlikely)
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with
8" Wheels (unlikely)
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with
10" Wheel
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with
12" Wheels
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| 35x12.50 |
2"-3"
|
4"
|
+Body
|
6-6.5"
|
+Body
|
9.5"
|
+Body
|
|
with
Stock Wheels (unlikely)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
with
8" Wheels
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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with
10" Wheel
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|
|
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with
12" Wheels
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|
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|
|
|
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| 35x14.50
or wider |
2"-3"
|
4"
|
+Body
|
6-6.5"
|
+Body
|
9.5"
|
+Body
|
|
with
Stock Wheels (unlikely)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
with
8" Wheels (unlikely)
|
|
|
|
|
|
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with
10" Wheel
|
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with
12" Wheels
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with
14" Wheels
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| 36x12 |
2"-3"
|
4"
|
+Body
|
6-6.5"
|
+Body
|
9.5"
|
+Body
|
|
with
Stock Wheels (unlikely)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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with
8" Wheels
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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with
10" Wheel
|
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|
|
|
|
|
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with
12" Wheels
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
36x14.50
or wider
|
2"-3"
|
4"
|
+Body
|
6-6.5"
|
+Body
|
9.5"
|
+Body
|
|
with
Stock Wheels (unlikely)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
with
8" Wheels (unlikely)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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with
10" Wheel
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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with
12" Wheels
|
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|
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with
14" Wheels
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 37x13
or wider |
2"-3"
|
4"
|
+Body
|
6-6.5"
|
+Body
|
9.5"
|
+Body
|
|
with
Stock Wheels (unlikely)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
with
8" Wheels (unlikely)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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with
10" Wheel
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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with
12" Wheels
|
|
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|
|
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|
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with
14" Wheels
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 38x11
or 12.50 |
2"-3"
|
4"
|
+Body
|
6-6.5"
|
+Body
|
9.5"
|
+Body
|
|
with
Stock Wheels (unlikely)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
with
8" Wheels
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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with
10" Wheel
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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with
12" Wheels
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
with
14" Wheels
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 38x13
or wider |
2"-3"
|
4"
|
+Body
|
6-6.5"
|
+Body
|
9.5"
|
+Body
|
|
with
8" Wheels (unlikely)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
with
10" Wheel
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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with
12" Wheels
|
|
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|
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with
14" Wheels
|
|
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| 39
to 42 any width |
2"-3"
|
4"
|
+Body
|
6-6.5"
|
+Body
|
9.5"
|
+Body
|
|
any
Wheels
|
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