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Old 03-22-2018, 09:02 AM   #1
FriskyFleabag
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Lift kit recommendations

I've done a bit of searching for a decent lift kit, but wanted to see what is the most popular/ best value currently (2018). I have a 72 K10 lwb. I have 35's that rub when making turns. I'm looking for a 6 to 8 inch lift.

I'd prefer to not have to modify the drive line so a 6 may be the best option ATM. Thanks!
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Old 03-22-2018, 12:16 PM   #2
justin_jj_Taylor
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Re: Lift kit recommendations

Rough Country is the best lift FOR THE MONEY (IMO). Some complain about the ride saying it's too rough, but I think they all are forgetting that they're driving a 40 some year old truck! I've had multiple Rough Country lifts (4 and 6 inch) and all of the trucks rode better after installing them.

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Old 03-22-2018, 03:55 PM   #3
Matt Man
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Re: Lift kit recommendations

I have 4" rancho springs on my 81 I also corrected the angle of the front sway bar which made a big difference in ride quality. If I had to buy new springs I would buy the tuff country EZ ride springs. If you want to run 35's and don't do any hardcore wheeling you can use 4" springs, you also need to consider the offset of your wheels.
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Old 03-22-2018, 11:03 PM   #4
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Re: Lift kit recommendations

Rough countrys springs are not the best for the money, they are the least expensive for the money. Big difference between the best and cheap. I say that knowing I'm running a pair of them in the front of my K5.

There are better springs out there. Tuff Country or Skyjacker softrides are better springs with softer spring rates than rough country stuff.

Just about anything will ride better than worn out springs that are on a negative arch and hitting the bumpstops with ease. If Rough country springs are all you can afford they will do the job. If you can afford a little more spend it now so you don't have to do it again later like I'm going to.

I will say my addition of Bilstein shocks made a world of difference on how my truck rides even with the rough country springs up front. But then again they better. The 4 shocks cost me more than the complete Rough Country lift kit did. My kit was complete with front springs, rear blocks, 4 shocks and the raised steering arm.
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Old 03-23-2018, 07:11 AM   #5
justin_jj_Taylor
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Re: Lift kit recommendations

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Originally Posted by Zoomad75 View Post
Rough countrys springs are not the best for the money, they are the least expensive for the money. Big difference between the best and cheap. I say that knowing I'm running a pair of them in the front of my K5.

There are better springs out there. Tuff Country or Skyjacker softrides are better springs with softer spring rates than rough country stuff.

Just about anything will ride better than worn out springs that are on a negative arch and hitting the bumpstops with ease. If Rough country springs are all you can afford they will do the job. If you can afford a little more spend it now so you don't have to do it again later like I'm going to.

I will say my addition of Bilstein shocks made a world of difference on how my truck rides even with the rough country springs up front. But then again they better. The 4 shocks cost me more than the complete Rough Country lift kit did. My kit was complete with front springs, rear blocks, 4 shocks and the raised steering arm.

To each their own, I guess I'm just one of few who expect an old truck to ride rough!
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Old 03-23-2018, 07:16 AM   #6
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Re: Lift kit recommendations

I will also say that while there is of course better lift kits available, we're talking about budget friendly... and as far as those EZ ride springs go, if you go that route you better order springs 2 inches bigger than what you actually want, because they settle very quickly.



But again, to each their own.
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Old 03-23-2018, 07:18 AM   #7
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Re: Lift kit recommendations

as said to each there own for ride they like .

but i have removed rough country for people cause the ride sucked so bad .

and there newer ifs lift kits i will NOT even touch unless its to remove them . the quality level last few i did years ago sucked .

also for a great ride dont forget BDS lift kits .

and as said tuff country is way up there in quality . there what i tend to install for people and my self on leaf springs . then a good shock like bilstein .
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Old 03-23-2018, 09:25 AM   #8
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Re: Lift kit recommendations

The cheapest would be the suspension special from NTW. So cheap they can't tell you its brand name Superlift stuff. They are old school ride but very good quality. I have that kit in my '72 due to budget concerns (). The best for the money is Tuff Country, IMO. That is my prefered brand I have used on quite a few trucks.

One thing to consider with better riding springs is the reason they ride better...flex. And flex is what draws the line between rub and clear on a marginal clearance lift.So does wheel width. A flexy suspension with allow more compression over the same angles putting the tire up into the body more. On my '72 K/20 with 6" EZ-rides, 315/75-16s mounted on 10" wheels could rub a bit at times. Very avoidable, but I am sure stiffer springs or 8" wheels would have eliminated that issue. I had to extend the rear shaft 2" for proper travel. Nothing necessary beyond that. They give you a transfer case drop but that's on the shelf. Totally not needed. I personally feel those only serve to make the front angle steeper when the longer rear shaft is not the issue. It puts a steeper angle on the front shaft by cocking the engine-transfer case unit down in the back end. Dropping the engine mounts the same amount is the only way that deal makes sense to me.
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Old 03-23-2018, 11:01 PM   #9
Zoomad75
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Re: Lift kit recommendations

Quote:
Originally Posted by justin_jj_Taylor View Post
To each their own, I guess I'm just one of few who expect an old truck to ride rough!
Ride in one with a better setup suspension and you'll think again about that statement. With a good set of springs and shocks a solid axle truck won't ride like a covered wagon. Larry's K10 is riding on a mix of springs out back but a skyjacker softride set up front. With Bilstiens all the way around it rides like a caddy and better than a jacked up torsion bar on an ifs truck.

My rough country springs in my 91 were what I originally lifted my 75 with many moons ago. I thought they didn't ride bad. We parted out the 75 when the 91 project got going and I recycled the springs into it. That was with the rough country shocks too. It had been over year since I drove either and the first drive in the 91 had me wondering why it bucked like a mule over highway expansion joints. Literally. Larry was following me on the way home and saw 2" of daylight under the rear tires. The front didn't feel any better. Changing the shocks made worlds of difference. It was enough of a change that I'm not in a rush to change the front springs yet. Probably next winter. When I do it will either be skyjacker soft rides or ORD custom.

The biggest difference between rough country's and better springs are the spring rates and number of leafs in the pack. RC springs use less leafs with a higher spring rate which gives the ride quality they are known for. Better springs use more leafs per pack with a lower spring rate. They ride better, flex better and just do a better job.

You can settle for a truck riding like a truck if you want. I know it could be better and want mine to be better.
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Old 03-24-2018, 08:29 AM   #10
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Re: Lift kit recommendations

And post '72s have to longer springs, too. When there was no choice but the stiff lifts I found that hydraulic shocks were the way to go vs gas. I don't run high speeds over washboard so caviation from heat is not a concern. Gas resists bottoming better and that is a non-issue with that type of spring. A weaker/softer shock made a big difference. All you need shocks for n a truck with stiff springs is to control bounce. You WANT all the compression you can get with those.

I wanted to put springs on my '72 so bad for so long, and money is what was keeping me, I finally said screw it and got the Suspension Special just so I could mount my aluminum slots with 35" BFG before they were toast. They were toast and one blew in a few hundred miles. That, and I went with add-a-leafs/2" blocks I had and tossed the 4" blocks. The 2" blocks ended up being crappy, so I bought new ones. The rounded corner u-bolts (nuts down) I didn't like so ordered Ruff Stuff Nuts up bolts and plates. All this ended up bringing the cost closer to what the EZ-Ride kit cost. If I knew all that before I never would have gone that route (my kind of luck). Now I am back to wanting at least to change the fronts to EZ-Rides.
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Old 03-24-2018, 10:08 AM   #11
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Re: Lift kit recommendations

I worked at a four wheel drive shop for years and rough country is one of the worst kits out there. I just saw one of there new ifs lifts and they actually have you cut the supports out of the front diff to the lift and say they are extra and not needed, what a joke. Super lift or skyjacker were what most people were happy with on a budget, off road design has very nice ones that ride great but are spend.
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Old 03-26-2018, 03:55 PM   #12
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Re: Lift kit recommendations

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Old 03-27-2018, 08:40 AM   #13
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Re: Lift kit recommendations

www.suspensionconnection.com
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Old 03-27-2018, 08:49 AM   #14
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Re: Lift kit recommendations

We bought the NAtional Tire and Whell 4” lift kit for my kids Jimmy project. Time will tell if that was the way to go or not. But at $500 for an all spring lift with shocks and free shipping it was the only choice for a budget project.

And Tim and I have debated blocks in the past adnauseum but I am NOT a fan with all of the issues they created on my own Jimmy and an all spring setup was all we considered.

My own Jimmy has a set of National 4” rear springs and Ranchos in the front that have been on the truck 27 and 28 years respectively now. But realities with 104” wheelbase and lift springs is ride will be a tertiary consideration at best...
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Old 03-27-2018, 07:39 PM   #15
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Re: Lift kit recommendations

I have a Skyjacker 2.5" kit in my shop. Picked it up new off Craigslist a few years ago for $1500. Less than half what it was new and was never installed at the time. It has Rancho shocks and some other brand name components to complete the kit. The springs are Skyjacker branded. From what I see they seem to be good quality but thats just visual. I plan to install it in a couple months when I get my LS swap further along. I think anything will be better than the stock springs for now. They are pretty old. I always find deals on Craigslist so you might want to keep an eye out if you're on a budget.
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Old 04-10-2018, 06:49 PM   #16
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Re: Lift kit recommendations

We just completed a Skyjacker 4" lift on our 1970 GMC K2500. Overall a good kit. We went with the Nitro Shocks.

Don't forget to order Brake hoses. You'll also need to order longer parking brake cables.

Since we have the one-year-only front axle with drum brakes, and we forgot to order hoses, we built stand-off brackets and welded them to the front bump-stop bracket then installed a 6" piece of hard brake line to push the existing hoses out about 4". We put a Z bend in the hard line to allow for flex.

Overall ride is very nice. Not too harsh, but definitely not mushy.

We did have to grind off a bit of the bushing for the front mounts because they are about 1/8" too long for our spring mounts.

The kits do NOT come with new spring PIN bolts, so if yours are REALLY rusty, you should order new ones for that as well. Skyjacker does not supply or carry them.

We mushroomed a couple getting them out because we had to use the air impact chisel to push them out of their 48 year home.
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Old 04-10-2018, 11:03 PM   #17
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Re: Lift kit recommendations

I use mid-70s C/20 front brake hoses with my 4" lift trucks and never had to touch the e-brake cables till I got into 6" or more lift. The C/20 hoses are longer than 4wd hoses and you just walk into NAPA for them.
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"BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed"

GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project)
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"Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman"

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