Lift Kits for trucks

[Rypien 91]

I know we have some car and truck knowledgeable people on this board, so I have a question for you guys. I was thinking about getting my truck lifted. But to be honest, I have no clue about lift kits, what's good, what range of prices should I expect? Do mechanics charge a lot to install it? I have a 2004 GMC Sierra, four door 2WD. Can a 2WD truck even get lifted? Thanks for the help guys.


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[IONTOP]

Are you thinking about putting larger rims and tires on it too? I like the look of lifted full size trucks, as long as there isn't a HUGE gaping hole between wheel and fender...

[DButz65]

Yea you can lift 2WD's, you cant/shouldnt lower 4WD's is what i remember, it messes up the drive train and stuff.

There are 2 different kinds of lifts, one is shocks only i think, or leaf spring lifts, my memory is a little cloudy right now though, those may be different now a days. I remember back in the day, specialist shops around here ddnt charge much to install them, but the kits themselves werent cheap. Being in Florida, im POSITIVE you have some shops down there that specialize in these things.

And yea IONTOP has a good point, you will need bigger rims and tires or it will look funky, but ive seen people leave the stock ones on until they could afford
bigger ones, it does look silly though :laugh:

[Rypien 91]

Are you thinking about putting larger rims and tires on it too? I like the look of lifted full size trucks, as long as there isn't a HUGE gaping hole between wheel and fender...

Yeah, I would like bigger tires. Probably won't get it lifted that much, maybe 3-5 inches.

[twa]

Why screw up a perfectly good truck? :D

Obviously I am not a fan, but a true lift kit installed is about 3000 here.

[skinsfan44]

First of all, why would you want to lift a 2WD truck??

Guys who lift their trucks do so so they can put bigger tires on them so they will have added ground clearance when they go OFF-ROAD.

Do you plan on going OFF-ROAD alot with your 2WD??

If so, you should have bought a 4x4.

You could say that I am an "expert" when it comes to 4x4 trucks, since I use to work for Trick Trucks in Kensington, MD (www.tricktrucks.com) for over 6 years as a supension mechanic, and in that time, I only lifted (suspension wise) 1 2WD truck. I had done a TON of lift kits on 4x4’s and most 2wd’s get lowering kits for them, not lift kits.

If you were only looking to raise your truck up to put bigger tires on it only (not to use it for off-roading) then I would go with a body lift.

They come either in 2 or 3 inch lifts and you will retain the original ride of the truck.

I one thing bad about body lifts is that you will see more of your frame and in some cases you will see a gap between your body and the bumpers that you didn't have before.

If you have some mechanical experience with cars and trucks, you could install the body lift yourself, with help from a friend and a floor jack and some wood blocks, but if not, you should take it to someone like Trick Trucks and have them install it.

[KAOSkins]

I got a two inch suspension lift for my S-10. Not to put giant tires or anything, I just needed an extra leaf in back because I have a boat rack that goes over my camper shell and with the boat on there it's heavy and I was seeing sag in the rear end. It worked for that, but my front end has been a mess ever since. I have replaced every component and the ball joints three times. I wish to hell I wouldn't have done it.


I would agree with twa here, why screw up a perfectly good truck?

Edit: I'd add that a set of air shocks would've solved my problem with less trouble and money...funny how the 4x4 shop didn't come up with that suggestion. :doh:

[codeorama]

There are 2 basic types of lifts... Body lift (cheap) and suspension lift (not so cheap).

Body lifts can be as little as 150-300 bucks, suspension lifts 1000 to 3000.

Ground clearance is not determined by the lift, it still comes down to how far the axels are from the ground and the only thing that changes that is the size of the tire. The bigger the tire, the the higher the axel is from the ground. You need the lift to get the body out of the way of the tire.
For a 2x4, if you wanted to do it, I'd go with a body lift because it's only for looks anyway considering you don't have a 4x4...

[70th Week]

I would never suggest a body lift if you had the money for a suspension lift.A body lift requires you to modify the bumper brackets to raise them up,most times you have to cut or modify the fan shroud,modify the transmission linkageand if you have a hitch system it stays low with the chasis while your bumper is raised so it looks stupid if you ask me.

And again, why would you want to lift a 2wd?