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4 inch lift q's

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imabeast247z

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im about to turn 16 and i need some advice on my 82 k5 blazer which will be my first ride.and i want it to all go smoothly.
i want to install a 4 inch lift and dont really know whether i should drop the transfer case ,extend the driveshaft(dont really have the money for),or just angle the pinion gear,i have heard all kinds of stuff from everybody but i want know to which,really is the best way,and the cheapest way as in money,......oh yeah the tires im putting on it are 35's if that helps any.
Once i get done i will post up some pics of my progress.
 
if you have driveline vibes after the lift install, then a 1" transfer case drop would be the cheapest fix. that's what I did on my 81 with a 4" lift. get 1" square tubing, cut it and drill out the holes then get longer bolts
 
Don't drop the t-case, if you have vibes after the lift you'll need to adjust your pinion angle with shims. Many, many threads on this.

Make sure that your u-bolts are tight and check them several times after you put the lift on.
 
if he has a rear cv shaft, then shimming will be the answer, but my guess is it's stock, so the angle at the pinion needs to match the angle at the t-case. dropping the t-case keeps that relation better than rotating the pinion. even better would be raising the motor 1", but I haven't seen that on Blazers before
 
Dropping the transfer case without dropping the engine/tranny the same amount actually makes the front driveshaft angle worse.

I would shim the axle if there's vibrations. Big end of shim would be oriented rearward to get the angles matched back up if you don't have a CV joint in the driveline.
 
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the front driveshaft angle, yes, but not the rear angle. if it was all wheel drive that would probably be an issue, but it's not. I guess you could install the shims "backwards" at the rear, but then that'll make the length from the t-case to the pinion longer and might require a longer driveshaft. remember this guys looking for the cheapest route...
 
but what would i do about the front drive shaft
im just trying to figure out what has worked out from experience,
 
Shimming rotates you axle housing in relation to the rest of the vehicle in order to help with excessive driveline angles. Hopefully with just 4 inches you can just put the lift on and be good to go without any shimming. Lift wise if you go with a shackle flip in the rear, you will get a little of the shimming effect without actually having to use a shim, since you drop the rear end of the spring while keeping the front in the same spot. (This works sort of like turning a compass to draw a circle, the forward end of your rear spring is the needle point and the rear end of you spring is the pencil end) If you are wanting to go low buck on the lift you can usually find a shackle flip floating around the classifieds for a good price, or you can get one from DIY4X or ORD. Then for the front you can go with a set or lift springs (with new bolts) and with a some longer brake lines and a few hours work you have your lift (if doing a shackle flip the majority this time will be spent dropping the gas tank and cutting/grinding/drilling/swearing out rivets, but will be worth it in the end). Keep in mind that for decent steering you will probably also have to do some form of steering correction, whether you go all out and do crossover, or stay cheaper and simpler and do a raised arm or dropped drag link or pitman arm.
 
i put a 4 inch lift on my budies truck for him and its a 85 k5 and it will run 75 miles per hour down interstate with no vibrations.

the only thing i didnt like is he didnt buy any longer brake lines so his were pretty tight but other than that it was all good
 
alright thanks
i think im gonna try out the stock drivetrains and hopefully it will work,if not ill go with shiming of the axles or dropping the t-case.......dont really want to drop the t-case due to clearance in case i want to do a little trail riding or mild rock climbing,ill probably just shim the axles if any vibrations or any problems.
 
I have a '77 3/4 ton here with a 4" lift and stock driveshafts, though it is a longbed so that might help on rear driveline angle. When I first got my K5 it had a cobbled together lift of about 3-4", an extra stock leaf in the front pack(3 total) and some 3" rear blocks/xtra leaves. It ran stock driveshafts no problem and cleared 35's.
 
I have a 91 Im thinking of lifting 4-8 inches all depends on cash flows :D I was reading anything over 4 requires extended brake lines, tcase drop, and a extended steering arm?
 
Heres what it looks like with a 4" lift, stock brake lines, stock steering arm...you can adjust out your drag link, a little bit makes a big difference. Don't go too far though, if your not sure go to an alignment shop and have them show you(thats what I did). I'm sure that if you buy a kit that it comes with a steering arm, I don't know why this truck don't have one...maybe too hard to get the old one off lol :confused:

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