Looking for Leveling kit and Body lift suggestions
Administrator
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 24,686
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From: South Georgia/East Florida
Yes, I've read a couple of posts where guys have had vibration issues, but like the guys with the smaller spacers, not as common. I dp have a former neighbor of mine who had a set of the Rancho QuickLifts (about the same thing as the Bilsteins) put on his '06 4x4 and it made a bad rattle and squeeking sound as well as vibrated the truck pretty bad. Rattling was coming from the passenger side. I didn't see anything glaringly wrong, but we jacked it up and I removed it and re-installed it to just see if it made a difference and the thing was fine after that. I have NO CLUE what I fixed, but what the hell?
I don't think ANYONE can guarantee that any level kit WON'T cause vibration issues with the '06+ coil over front ends, some get it some don't no matter what's used.
As a rule, I think the Bilsteins (and the Ranchos for that matter) are solid and you shouldn't have a problem, but it is possible.
Only way to lift it, have it level and be pretty certain of having no issues is to go suspension lift with a kit that retains stock angles by using a solid sub-frame and drop brackets...
hey hammer..i read your thread in the DIY, FAQ about the different kinds of lifts. i know you got the suspension, body, and level. the only one i dont understand really is the suspension lift.
to me, when i look at some trucks with a suspenion lift, i can't really tell theres a lift at all. but with a body lift, thats easy to see. can you elaborate more on the suspenion? if the suspension remains at stock angles, how can the truck be lifted? with the larger tires on a sus. lift, they sit under the wheel well pretty well when compared to the body lift...
and every sus lift i am looking at, i am making sure it has the subframe though
to me, when i look at some trucks with a suspenion lift, i can't really tell theres a lift at all. but with a body lift, thats easy to see. can you elaborate more on the suspenion? if the suspension remains at stock angles, how can the truck be lifted? with the larger tires on a sus. lift, they sit under the wheel well pretty well when compared to the body lift...
and every sus lift i am looking at, i am making sure it has the subframe though
Champion
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,210
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From: Shreveport, LA
the suspension lifts in a different way than a body lift. There are a few ways the different suspension lifts lift
subframes, spindles, blocks or shackles for the back. A level is a suspension lift
subframes, spindles, blocks or shackles for the back. A level is a suspension lift
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 24,686
Likes: 21
From: South Georgia/East Florida
I've had them all at one time or another, and I've done a body/level combo, a suspension levels so you don't need a level with one, and I've not done a body/suspension combo - YET. I think I'd have one by now but every option I can come up with to do a body lift on top of suspension and keep the winch bolted to the frame, is a lot of fabrication (not really a problem) and hacking of the front of the truck, especially the bumper (which is a problem).
In a nut shell, a level kit is theoretically a suspension lift, BUT it's a budget minded lift that ONLY puts a boost on the coil springs or lifts the torsion bars higher depending on the front end. It leaves ALL other components at stock height which increases travel and wear on all of these components. So the higher the level, the more stress. In extreme cases, it could result in major front end component failure. The plus here is only the price.
Body Lifts are that, they simply use spacers to lift the entire body of the truck off of the frame. Much safer than a level, BUT the lift is uniform so the truck is NOT level. So a body/level is often used in combination. If the level isn't too severe, this is a good, economical way for a decent lift height. Down sides are ALL suspension components stay the same, so bigger tires can be a major wear issue and body lean can be bad if aggressively driving. Also, suspension components and the frame remain at stock height, so they can catch on things off-road.
A good choice for a lift for the look of a lifted truck with larger tires (although the frame can show underneath ESPECIALLY in GM trucks). Also good if you use the truck lightly off-road and just want to fit a little larger tire.
Suspension lifts do exactly that, they lift the suspension. Depending on how well the kit has been designed, these lifts lift the suspension and often replace many stock suspension parts with larger, beefier components AND include components to keep the stock working angles of the rack & pinion, transfer case, drive shaft, CV axles and other front end components. This generally allows for higher lift height that is safer for the truck than other lift types and since stock components are often replaced with larger/stouter ones is the type of lift that can stand up to abuse.
The reason why a body lift is so easy to notice is because you see the suspension components and the frame under the body now, as there is a space created. VERY easy to spot.
A suspension lift lifts the entire truck, so the truck looks the same, just sits higher. I have to disagree with you though, a 6" suspension lift looks WAY higher to me than a 3" body lift, given the same size tires.
Suspension lifts vary more than the other lift types, some are inexpensive and are decent kits, some are just out right cheap and put stress on various other components such as the rack, CVs, transfer case, tie rod ends (which better kits replace with stronger ones), ball joints, etc.
A suspension lift retains stock ANGLES not stock HEIGHT. It raises ALL necessary components at varying amounts so that their relation to other components are the same angle that they were designed to be at, thus ensuring the components work together as they originally did. In some cases, some components are actually lowered via drop brackets to ensure the proper angles.
For example, the CV joints should still be at the same angle they were stock, while with a poor kit or just a level, you'll notice the outer CV is WAY high and the inner is WAY low. NO GOOD, and is a recipe for a CV axle failure...
In a nut shell, a level kit is theoretically a suspension lift, BUT it's a budget minded lift that ONLY puts a boost on the coil springs or lifts the torsion bars higher depending on the front end. It leaves ALL other components at stock height which increases travel and wear on all of these components. So the higher the level, the more stress. In extreme cases, it could result in major front end component failure. The plus here is only the price.
Body Lifts are that, they simply use spacers to lift the entire body of the truck off of the frame. Much safer than a level, BUT the lift is uniform so the truck is NOT level. So a body/level is often used in combination. If the level isn't too severe, this is a good, economical way for a decent lift height. Down sides are ALL suspension components stay the same, so bigger tires can be a major wear issue and body lean can be bad if aggressively driving. Also, suspension components and the frame remain at stock height, so they can catch on things off-road.
A good choice for a lift for the look of a lifted truck with larger tires (although the frame can show underneath ESPECIALLY in GM trucks). Also good if you use the truck lightly off-road and just want to fit a little larger tire.
Suspension lifts do exactly that, they lift the suspension. Depending on how well the kit has been designed, these lifts lift the suspension and often replace many stock suspension parts with larger, beefier components AND include components to keep the stock working angles of the rack & pinion, transfer case, drive shaft, CV axles and other front end components. This generally allows for higher lift height that is safer for the truck than other lift types and since stock components are often replaced with larger/stouter ones is the type of lift that can stand up to abuse.
hey hammer..i read your thread in the DIY, FAQ about the different kinds of lifts. i know you got the suspension, body, and level. the only one i dont understand really is the suspension lift.
to me, when i look at some trucks with a suspenion lift, i can't really tell theres a lift at all. but with a body lift, thats easy to see. can you elaborate more on the suspenion? if the suspension remains at stock angles, how can the truck be lifted? with the larger tires on a sus. lift, they sit under the wheel well pretty well when compared to the body lift...
and every sus lift i am looking at, i am making sure it has the subframe though
to me, when i look at some trucks with a suspenion lift, i can't really tell theres a lift at all. but with a body lift, thats easy to see. can you elaborate more on the suspenion? if the suspension remains at stock angles, how can the truck be lifted? with the larger tires on a sus. lift, they sit under the wheel well pretty well when compared to the body lift...
and every sus lift i am looking at, i am making sure it has the subframe though
The reason why a body lift is so easy to notice is because you see the suspension components and the frame under the body now, as there is a space created. VERY easy to spot.
A suspension lift lifts the entire truck, so the truck looks the same, just sits higher. I have to disagree with you though, a 6" suspension lift looks WAY higher to me than a 3" body lift, given the same size tires.
Suspension lifts vary more than the other lift types, some are inexpensive and are decent kits, some are just out right cheap and put stress on various other components such as the rack, CVs, transfer case, tie rod ends (which better kits replace with stronger ones), ball joints, etc.
A suspension lift retains stock ANGLES not stock HEIGHT. It raises ALL necessary components at varying amounts so that their relation to other components are the same angle that they were designed to be at, thus ensuring the components work together as they originally did. In some cases, some components are actually lowered via drop brackets to ensure the proper angles.
For example, the CV joints should still be at the same angle they were stock, while with a poor kit or just a level, you'll notice the outer CV is WAY high and the inner is WAY low. NO GOOD, and is a recipe for a CV axle failure...
Last edited by HammerZ71; May 18, 2011 at 10:04 PM.
