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Best/cheapest way to 15"+ of lift

B

Big89Burban

1/2 ton status
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Jul 19, 2005
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Location
Magnolia, Tx
Ok. guys.
Before I bought my 89 suburban I already decided to make it a toy. Plans were to put a huge lift & 44's. My budget right now is about 4500 (for now)and I already have a set of 44's (16.5x44x21.5)

Heres my plan:
12" superlift
4" rear shackle flip
square tubing for front axle to gain 4" (or another equivelant way)
and possibly a 3" body lift later if I need more :doah:

I have heard about getting custom springs made but I dont really know how to go about getting that done. This will mostly see on road. Maybe taken off road 1-2 times a month but mostly just putting around in the mud & driving on the street. No real serious 4wheelin'

The setup above is about the only way I can think about getting this done. Am I missing something? (just talking about lift here) Is there a better way to get my truck up high? (and still ride decent) How would you do it?

Opinions welcome. HELP :o
 
I'd say you're not likely to find more than one or two people here that want, have, or have had that much lift. Not that 'showy' trucks are any less work, but most here would much rather sawzall the sheetmetal and run those tires with 6" of lift...

You might find better advice for your question on www.customtruckshowcase

There are quite a few guys there that run the huge lifts and do the whole show circuit.

Rene
 
What do you mean by " square tubing for front axle to gain 4" "?? Are you talking about putting square tubing under the springs like a front block? If so, find a friend to hit you in the head w/ a hammer right now so we don't see you on Dateline or something like that. :doah:

If you are talking about putting it under the front of the spring mounts, this rotate your pinion up (which you probably need) but I think that a 4" tube under 1 end will net you about 2" of lift... so to get 4" of lift you would need a 8" spacer under the front... would work, but kinda hokie.

If you REALLY want it that tall I would suggest some 12" springs in the front, some 8" springs in the back w/ a shackle flip, and just cut off whatever the tires hit.

Leave room in your budge for some crossover steering w/ hydro assist, and some 1ton axles, and gears or you are gonna run into trouble tring to drive it. Also buy a good kidney belt or some suspension seats, cause it is gonna be a rough ride!!!
Good luck w/ the project and post up some pics!!! :D
 
pm shortsub he might be able to help ya. hes got some 12'' springs on his. 4'' shackle flip and 8'' springs in the rear. he might b able to help ya out
 
Just to put it into perspective. My old truck (83 3/4 ton sierra) had 10" springs and a 3" body lift. Just wanted something big, and I figured if I go big. I wanna go really big.

BTW I was talking about under the spring mount on the frame (not 4" blocks) shoulda cleared that up. I wasnt thinking right. I forgot about halfing the amount of lift from the square tubing. Thanks

Edit: My Sub. is bone stock right now and I am going to take a whole lot of pics from start to finish. Do a little documentary. :D
 
i could be wrong, i think unless you go with some mammoth drop hangers, its gonna ride like a dump truck.
 
look at ratzilla's ride. its pretty big
hope he doesn't mind me posting this. :bow:
overlay-round.gif


don't know if the pic is working, but its in his photo gallery
 
I'm not really into the whole big lift thing...but i saw a Dodge in a mag once where the guy stacked one frame on top of the other.

if you get too much arch in your springs, they'll look dum and ride bad...drop the hangers, and you'll get a better ride, but looks dum too....also gotta worry about the gnarly dsft angles you're going to have....rockwells?
 
For one it's going to ride terrible. I have never seen or ridden on a spring that was 8"+ that rode even decent. Big arched springs are stiff, really stiff. You could maybe have some custom springs made that could be designed to provide a lot of lift and ride well but that probably isn't cheap.

Why do you want something so huge? Is a rope ladder included into the budget? :D
 
i know a guy thats building a "mini monster" as he calls it. he is doing a 4 link and coilovers for about 10" of lift. also he is useing a 3" body lift AND fiberglass desert raceing fenders and bedsides. its a long bed hes running a divorced 205 centraly mounted for equil lenth drive shafts. dual d60's and 49 iroks. i realy dont know how much the coil overs are gunna cost but im sure its a grip full. thats about the only way i can see something that big rideing nice. maybe ill get some picts next time i go see him if i remmeber my camera

balzer
 
A 12" superlift and 3" body lift should work. Shows that in the catalog. If all your looking for is mud and road driving, just the lift kit and body lift should work fine.
 
IMHO I think you should cut off all of the spring hangers build them lower and then get the longest springs possible of course if you can't do this by yourself your 4500 will dissapear quickly You will probably have to run a very expensive front driveshaft and have your knuckles cut and turned plus steering issues, you probably know this. I have ridden in a few huge tall trucks that used leaf springs and they didn't ride too bad. Same day I got to ride in one that had done coils up front much more expensive to do right but it rode fairly well These trucks had probably about 10" more lift than you are shooting for
 
Ok back in 1997 I went this route or close to it..

12" swamp runner kit
3" body lift

I was planning on rockwells and 53" michelins....

12 + 3 and trimming will fit 44's

few things... I thought it as cool looking but never got to drive it as NJ changed their lift laws....just moving the truck around the yard was a kidney buster :doah:

my steering sucked badly...

now im not trying to change your mind but just want you to know right away...

superlift swamp runner kit = $1500
xover steering = $400

there is $1900
transfer case drop brackets $100 if ya do it yourself
$2000 so far

front axle should be rotated.. this means axle taken out.. outters welds ground off... rotate the entire diff and tubes... and re-weld... $200-$300
you didnt say what size axles you have or gears...
so 14bolt rear axle and gearing 4.56's minimum about $50 if found with gears in junkyard or $50 for axle in junkyard, $130 for gears, $200 for labor (and that is cheap labor)
$2000 + $300 + $400 = $2700

front axle dana 60 minimum - $500-$900 plus gears and install
$2700 + $900 (will say you found a chevy d60 with 4.56's)=$3600

$3600 and that doesnt list stupid stuff that you may find needing to be done later.....
brake lines
longer drive shaft (front only as my back one worked) $200 (will use what I paid)
$3800 and room to go but you know Murphy... if you havent met him yet he is called Murphy's Law. He visits me all the fricken time on every upgrade :haha:

aight well enjoy the reading and starting of headaches and what to do...
ask any other q's as I can help.... sold my front 12" leafs a while back with shocks for $300 so you can find other deals out there too

drivewayornament1.jpg

drivewayornament2.jpg

truck6.jpg


steering... 20 feet to turn right and 30 feet to turn left.... :doah:
go xover as the s-drag and drop pitman arm and raised steering arm leaves alot to be desired...
1024_steering.jpg
 
Thanks tx sub. Here is my 90 burb. Its sitting on 1 ton axles with 12" front superlift , 1" zero rates, 6" rear skyjacker, 4" ord shackle flip & 1" zero rate. I am also running a 3" body lift and in the pic it shows bushwacker cut out flares which are now gone. I am running 44" boggers. I suggest that you at least run 1 tons under your rig for those tires.
13906ratzilamuddy.jpg
 
Nice write up RootBreaker!

Nice ride Ratzila!

BTW I was looking for something about like what ratzila has. :bow:
Maybe just a tad bit more lift. Thanks for the concern guys but like I said. My other truck had 10" springs in the rear. You could barely eat a full meal and then go riding around in it. The bouncy thing never bothered me that much.

Thanks for the info guys. Gonna start ordering parts.
 
I bought my truck with 12" of suspension lift and a 3" body lift. The 12" springs were like solid steel - no spring flex at all, but it was up there.

Because I wanted a trail rig, not a mudrunner, I pulled the lift and went for a flexy ~5" custom suspension lift with stock 52's up front and stock 56's w/ shackle flip in the rear, and kept the 3" body lift.

That being said, I have a 12" suspension lift for sale. The 2 12" springs, and the 2 8" rear springs with 4" rear blocks, and 3 rear U-Bolts (1 had to be cut) PM me if interested.
 
Yo have to be a paying member to use pm's. Post up you email addy and I'm sure MTMike will email you when he sees this.
 
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