Has anybody installed the total performance 2" lift on their rigs think about ordering the kets and the blocks for the rear.

 

I did some research and desided the keys are a waste of money. You dont gain any additional lift, and no beneficial(IE does not lessen any possible damage) aspects. Just crank your tortion bars a safe amount and call it good.

For the rear I did a write up on swapping to 2wd shackle hangers. I tested it today and I gained a full 4" of downward travel over the 4wd hangers. It gave me exactly 2" of lift. I found that to be quite impressive.

 

By getting the keys you can crank the torsion bars higher and not bottom out on the keys. On the other hand I have a set and will be taking them off to go back to stock keys and stock ride height at the front. I had blocks on the back too and took those off also and ended up going with the 2" body lift, which I am very happy with.

Everyone has their preferecne and some guys don't mind the bars cranked up. For me, travelling on the highway a lot with high winds and icy conditions on the winter it was just too much body roll. The wind from tractor trailers would push me around while I was driving.

I would say put the body lift on and I don't think you will be dissapointed. The ride will stay near the same and you will gain some clearance in the wheel wheels. Make sure to disconnect your brake line hangers and watch yoru linkages as you install the blocks for the front. I didn't have any slack in a few of my brake lines and had to move the mounts to the frame. If you want more lift after that you will have to look into cranking up the torsion bars with or without keys and putting blocks on the back.

 

I have the keys installed. For me it is worth it. Cranking stock can only get you so much. Then the re indexed keys will get you more. By cranking stock or adding the re indexed keys you will make the front suspension stiffer. For me it is not that bad. I say these are trucks not caddy's. If I wanted a soft ride I would get a caddy.

As for the blocks. Some love them and never had problems. But they can give you axle wrap. And if you do any offroading it is never good to have axle wrap. I would suggest some add a leaf. Again they will add to the stiffness to the suspension though.

 

Air shocks can also give you a little more lift in back. I am planning to mimic Crazy's setup and go with a dual shock in the rear. I think he has 2 coil overs? I want to go with one air and one coil over.

I had the blocks in also, and I didn't have a problem with them, but when I lowered the front I didn't need them anymore.

 

Air shocks can give you lift. I do have air shocks but I don't have them to give me lift. I use them to help when I have heavy loads. The second shock set up for me is a regular shock. I don't have coil overs. I do actually have them on my TA to help with axle hop. I believe 95 318SLT slt does.

 

I agree with the above opinions on blocks. They can lead to axle wrap and don't give you any more travel. For about the same amount of money, you should be able to change up the shackles to lift the back safer.

As for the reindexed keys, they helped me out a ton too, but my truck had frame damage and the two sides were not even... I had one side cranked all the way up and the other one about 75%-85% cranked to get the truck sitting level. Now it sits higher and level with the reindexed keys than it ever could have with the factory keys.

Yes, I do have coil overs in the back. The biggest difference between them and air shocks is that they are always there, whereas you can fill and empty the air shocks as needed. They do give the back end a stiffer ride, but they also did help lift it about 1.25" over the worn out factory shocks I took off. Here's a picture...

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I'm actually going to work on my suspension this weekend and try to come up with something softer but at the same height. But now I have a 2wd Dakota in my garage to steal the shackle hangers off of!!!

 

After running around with my truck a ton today I couldnt possibly be happier than the hanger swap. I cant recommend it enough. It was pretty simple, and at least in my case netted me a ton of good articulation. So much so Ill have to switch shocks to a longer travel very soon.

Seems like you guys are liking the keys. Seems like just about everywhere else I read said you could crank the factory keys up nearly as high without much more effort. I guess ill try cranking mine up and see what happens. If I dont like it Ill get some keys. My front end parts are pretty worn, so Im gonna tear in to the joints and boots and all that very soon. Spose Ill do a write up on it while Im at it. I like looking at pictures before I start a project, makes it a much smoother proccess.

Theres a ton of good advice in the thread so far. Pick up what ya need and you should be good to go.

 

With some trucks, like my friend's chevy 1500, the stock keys will crank the bars up enough (at least in his case), but with ours, it seems like you bottom out the bolt and there is still more the bars have to offer. Once the bar starts to bow, stop tightening it!!!!!

Just to be clear, at any certain height, the bar has to be cranked a certain amount... it doesn't matter what keys you have turning the bars or where on the bolt they sit. If your happy with the height the stock keys give you, it would be a waste of money buying the new ones, but when you've bottomed out the bolt and you still want to go higher, get new keys.