How's your idler arm and steering components? With my Rancho 2.5" I couldn't keep any of that stuff for any period of time. Alignments lasted until the first pothole.
CK5
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anyone tried or heard any thing about the 2-3in rancho/rough country a-arm/t-bar kits
- Thread starter bananablazer
- Start date
so... buy a 4" lift then uncrank the torsion bars until i get what i want? never thought of that, and what about the back? no blocks for me, spring only.
Doesn't work that way. You'd at best end up with the subframe hanging lower than the control arms not to mention definitely weird steering angles.
original balzer
1/2 ton status
When I first got the truck I replaced everything as it was a HIGH milage truck. Ball joints idler arm TRE's and axle half shafts. I used "moog" premeum parts including the problem solver idler arm. Its been a year now and everything is still good and tight. I DO NOT baby the truck it sees off road and high speed dirt roads. I have not used 4wd much though because the front drive shaft was stripped at the slip splines(apperently a common problem on 95-98 because they went to a fine spline slip joint). after replacing that the first actuator went bad. I replaced that with a used actuator I had on a 94 gmc my dad sold me. It also went bad after a few snow wheeling trips (they dont like to be cooled off while they are hot) I might mention I did jump a few frozen snow drifts. Now im waiting for my posi-lok.
NOJEEPS no dont buy a 4" lift and lower it. My lift is simply superlift upper a-arms and ford keyways then cranked up almost all the way. The stock upper a-arms hit the down travel bump stops after 2.5". The super lif upper a-arms are designed to allow 5" down travel. The ford keyways twist the torsion bars more than the stock ones giving about 3" of lift I then had them adjust them up 1.5" more as I wanted max lift. My rear is NOT lifted and is about 1.5-2" lower than the front (the way I wanted it by the way)
In your case you could do the a-arms and ford keyways and lower it 1" and that should give you the 2" lift that you want and even soften your ride. 2" lift should make your truck close to level front to rear. I would sugest good quality shocks front and rear.
is that upper and lower a-arms? and ford keyways? what are keyways anyhow? I definatley dont want to soften the ride, firm it up actually. this thing wont see more then dirt roads and LIGHT wheeling anymore. indeedy, im going to put the running boards and air dam back on, get some fender flares and mud flaps and turn it into a good highway cruiser. ill wheel the 81 Jimmy from now on. i just want this thing to sit up higher like a pickup (suv) should, plus i figure 2" of lift wont kill my fuel economy too much.
btw, will this ruin my balljoints like some other lifts do?
His setup is the upper A-arm gets replaced only. No one makes a commercial replacement lower A-arm.
I'm not going to argue with original on his setup but from my experience with my IFS truck and others back when the IFS forum on Off-Road.com ruled the roost wasn't good about these kits, keyways, and cranking the hell out of the bars. You were invariably wearing something out in the suspension and steering components. Mine ate Moog steering gear like candy. I took that Rancho kit off, threw it in the dumpster, had it aligned, and for the next 4 months until I sold the truck it drove straight as an arrow.
Lifting a GM torsion bar IFS truck is a diminishing returns gain. It costs money, the ride gets bad, parts wear out faster, and you're going to loose gas mileage. Not to mention you can fit the same size tires with a 2-3" lift as you can without a lift so what's the point? Hell, a little creative use of the cutting wheel and you can fit 35's. I've even seen 36's but it wasn't optimum.
I'm not going to argue with original on his setup but from my experience with my IFS truck and others back when the IFS forum on Off-Road.com ruled the roost wasn't good about these kits, keyways, and cranking the hell out of the bars. You were invariably wearing something out in the suspension and steering components. Mine ate Moog steering gear like candy. I took that Rancho kit off, threw it in the dumpster, had it aligned, and for the next 4 months until I sold the truck it drove straight as an arrow.
Lifting a GM torsion bar IFS truck is a diminishing returns gain. It costs money, the ride gets bad, parts wear out faster, and you're going to loose gas mileage. Not to mention you can fit the same size tires with a 2-3" lift as you can without a lift so what's the point? Hell, a little creative use of the cutting wheel and you can fit 35's. I've even seen 36's but it wasn't optimum.
