5.5 Inch Body Lift
#31
05-30-2011 | 12:22 PM
Suspended
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 6,657
Likes: 0
Not with an aftermarket driveshaft, that costs $500. I did not bother to read all of the mentioned kit documentation, but I looked up a couple. They both have disclaimers that say that either driveshaft modification or a new driveshaft may be required. That was exactly the case with my last truck. A vibration started soon after I bought the truck.
You are absolutely right about "most here would rather have suspension", but you can't really compare a 3" lift to a 6" lift can you? You can't clear 35" tires with just a body lift, and that seems to be the benchmark for a "big" lift. I suppose people have been combining the 3" body with leveling kits for a while, but they've been putting them together from different sources. From what I understand, this kit that I have is relatively new, and not many manufacturers package them this way. I think we agree, being able to clear 35" tires for $1500 installed is a great deal. We might not agree that having to deal with driveline vibration is reasonable. The guys at the dealership sure think I'm a pain the butt. They told me that "all lifted trucks do that a little bit". Not mine!
You are absolutely right about "most here would rather have suspension", but you can't really compare a 3" lift to a 6" lift can you? You can't clear 35" tires with just a body lift, and that seems to be the benchmark for a "big" lift. I suppose people have been combining the 3" body with leveling kits for a while, but they've been putting them together from different sources. From what I understand, this kit that I have is relatively new, and not many manufacturers package them this way. I think we agree, being able to clear 35" tires for $1500 installed is a great deal. We might not agree that having to deal with driveline vibration is reasonable. The guys at the dealership sure think I'm a pain the butt. They told me that "all lifted trucks do that a little bit". Not mine!
-you can clear 35's with a body lift or just a leveling kit on a 4wd.
- driveshaft issues are not reasonable, never had any and never known any one who has had issues either.
as for ride quality, every lifted truck i have driven has driven better than stock or at least equal, even the SAS trucks have ridden as good as stock. now saying that i haven't ever driven a hacked up pieced together lifted truck either
#32
05-30-2011 | 05:37 PM
Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
-6" lift does not need driveshaft modifications, never heard of anyone needing to modify them until at least 8" and there are few with 10" that haven't had to touch theirs yet.
-you can clear 35's with a body lift or just a leveling kit on a 4wd.
- driveshaft issues are not reasonable, never had any and never known any one who has had issues either.
-you can clear 35's with a body lift or just a leveling kit on a 4wd.
- driveshaft issues are not reasonable, never had any and never known any one who has had issues either.
There are more. I searched and found quite a few.
BDS installation instructions. Page 1, "Pre installation note #4". http://bds-suspension.com/instructions/023630.pdf
Rough Country instructions. Step 44, drive shaft spacer. http://www.roughcountry.com/install/598.pdf Note that this is the 2009+ kit. The kit for the previous generation (my old truck) did not have a spacer. The instructions told the installer to "clock" the drive shaft. Why would they do that if there was not a need, or at lest the potential for an issue?
#33
05-30-2011 | 05:59 PM
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,585
Likes: 0
From: Missouri
I just installed my lift myself this weekend. its a procomp with coilovers. It rides better then before. i think it would even be a nicer ride if i had 18's instead of 20 inch wheels.
I didnt have to mod any driveshafts or replace anything. i dont have many miles on the lift, but a couple hundred. It comes with a small spacer that you put on your frontdriveshaft. its cake. As far as clocking....not sure even what that is.
Just mark a line across where the driveshaft goes into the differential and put it back just the same and you are done. Or at least it worked for me. This is a 2010 also. ALso the rear is fine also with 6" of lift.
I have seen the lift you are talking about. There are a bunch of write ups on it floating around the internet and youtube has some too. And as for the price, that doesnt seem bad installed. Id bet you could do it cheaper buying the kits seperate as the leveling kits are only a hundred bucks and are really easy to install...most of the cost im sure is probably for the body lift, wouldnt you think. id price those seperate and see what the grand total would be
I didnt have to mod any driveshafts or replace anything. i dont have many miles on the lift, but a couple hundred. It comes with a small spacer that you put on your frontdriveshaft. its cake. As far as clocking....not sure even what that is.
Just mark a line across where the driveshaft goes into the differential and put it back just the same and you are done. Or at least it worked for me. This is a 2010 also. ALso the rear is fine also with 6" of lift.
I have seen the lift you are talking about. There are a bunch of write ups on it floating around the internet and youtube has some too. And as for the price, that doesnt seem bad installed. Id bet you could do it cheaper buying the kits seperate as the leveling kits are only a hundred bucks and are really easy to install...most of the cost im sure is probably for the body lift, wouldnt you think. id price those seperate and see what the grand total would be
Last edited by Big_Smokey; 05-30-2011 at 06:02 PM.
#34
05-30-2011 | 11:24 PM
Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
I just installed my lift myself this weekend. its a procomp with coilovers. It rides better then before. i think it would even be a nicer ride if i had 18's instead of 20 inch wheels.
I didnt have to mod any driveshafts or replace anything. i dont have many miles on the lift, but a couple hundred. It comes with a small spacer that you put on your frontdriveshaft. its cake. As far as clocking....not sure even what that is.
Just mark a line across where the driveshaft goes into the differential and put it back just the same and you are done. Or at least it worked for me. This is a 2010 also. ALso the rear is fine also with 6" of lift.
I have seen the lift you are talking about. There are a bunch of write ups on it floating around the internet and youtube has some too. And as for the price, that doesnt seem bad installed. Id bet you could do it cheaper buying the kits seperate as the leveling kits are only a hundred bucks and are really easy to install...most of the cost im sure is probably for the body lift, wouldnt you think. id price those seperate and see what the grand total would be
I didnt have to mod any driveshafts or replace anything. i dont have many miles on the lift, but a couple hundred. It comes with a small spacer that you put on your frontdriveshaft. its cake. As far as clocking....not sure even what that is.
Just mark a line across where the driveshaft goes into the differential and put it back just the same and you are done. Or at least it worked for me. This is a 2010 also. ALso the rear is fine also with 6" of lift.
I have seen the lift you are talking about. There are a bunch of write ups on it floating around the internet and youtube has some too. And as for the price, that doesnt seem bad installed. Id bet you could do it cheaper buying the kits seperate as the leveling kits are only a hundred bucks and are really easy to install...most of the cost im sure is probably for the body lift, wouldnt you think. id price those seperate and see what the grand total would be
If your kit came with a driveline spacer it's either a higher-end kit than what I had on my previous truck (also a Procomp, but just a stage one), or they learned from the previous generation that they had an issue. Who knows. All I know is that my previous truck had the driveline vibration until I had an aftermarket driveline put in.
Just for laughs I looked at the component cost of the kit that I have. Body lift, spacer lift, and the wheel well extensions called gap guards. No, I can't get the parts for less. Not that I'd try, everytime I try ordering parts for my motorcycle, I end up with some part that is not compatiable with some other part. So I leave the wrenching to the experts, and as long as they don't try to do their own dental work at home, it's an arrangement that will work out fine.
#35
05-31-2011 | 06:57 AM
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,585
Likes: 0
From: Missouri
Yah its a nicer kit. I think a lot of them now are starting to understand a full kit comes with all the stuff and that they should supply everything. Because it can be a pain trying to round stuff up in the middle of an install. This one is a stage II and i got a heck of a deal on it from a fellow member who decided not to use it thats the only reason i did that. Sometimes though and you have to shop for a while they will run specials on the pieces you need. its just a matter of how much shopping do you want to do to save 200 or 400 bucks. SOunds like to me with the install thats a go ahead and do it deal.
When are you going to do this?
When are you going to do this?