Can y'all critique my lift plans

[Nutro]

So this 88 has an unsafe hodge podge supposedly 4" lift on it with some 35's and I am planning on going down a bit and thinking 2"-3" Tough Country but not sure how I should proceed with ordering parts. This is the first leaf-at-all-4 corners vehicle I've ever owned and not sure what the best route would be. I am mostly wanting it for camping, trails and some limited wheelin' but nothing major. Smoothest ride is best as my wife and 2 little kids would prefer that.

TC 2 or 3" front springs
ORD Sway bar disconnect
ORD heady duty greasable shackles
ORD rear shackle flip in 2.5"
Bilstein 5100 (Silver body) shocks all around

OR

TC 2" or 3" springs front and rear
ORD Sway bar disconnect
ORD heady duty greasable shackles
Bilstein 5100 (Silver body) shocks all around

OR

TC 2 or 3" front springs
ORD Sway bar disconnect
ORD heady duty greasable shackles
Matching TC 2" or 3" rear blocks
Bilstein 5100 (Silver body) shocks all around

Also, in these pics, does it appear the previous owner used the best materials for this "4" lift? Do the front steering components look stock and correct?

 

[Bent77]

Nothing sketchy. Except those shackles. Bleh!

Most of your plans would be fine. Good shocks are key, and those Bilsteins are excellent at their price point

 

[frankin5]

Looks like a 2" lift with rear blocks now. Lose the front shackles, rear blocks my 2cents worth. Yes to the Bilsteins.

 

[Nutro]

It has 4" rear blocks it appears. It clears 35's

 

[frankin5]

When I bought my Blazer it had 33 and was stock. Tires only rubbed on a tight turn into a parking lot. I was going by that fact that the sway bar in not at an angle and bolted to the axle. It was a guess as I can not see the blocks. If 4" and the sway bar locking down the front axle from moving, makes for a rough ride.

 

[Wes Harden]

the first list is the one I'd go with. The shackle flip allows no block, maybe easy inch, so less leverage on springs from axle torque, at 2-3 inch you will not need to do steering linkage correction, just an adjustment on the drag link. Add new body mount pucks. great time to change them out since you will need to drop tank to do shackle flip.

the current shackle are sketchy ass hell.

Good looking truck

 

[Nutro]

@frankin5 You might be right. I honestly don't know.

So pardon the dumb question. Those sketchy shackles I have now. When I order the ORD HD greasable shackles, they replace those sketchy ones, correct?

 

[frankin5]

You are correct.

 

[Wes Harden]

1 thing to double if not triple check is the drive shaft length. When going down, if modified for the taller lift, they might be to long and bottom out. Expensive things break when this happens (t case)

 

[sweetk30]

Nothing sketchy. Except those shackles. Bleh!

Most of your plans would be fine. Good shocks are key, and those Bilsteins are excellent at their price point

x2 .

more simple fast bolt in = no shackle flip .

otherwise all real good picks of parts

 

[rampage]

Those shackles are throwing your caster way off. Must be fun driving like that.
You might be able to save yourself a few bucks by not getting the sway bar disconnects. Stock springs have a negative arch while lifted front springs have a positive arch. Others that have ditched the sway bar altogether and prefer the softer ride. Of course I believe most of them had a 4” lift, so you might want to drive around with it disconnected and see how it is.
You might also want to add new extended brake lines for the front and the one at the rear. Hard to tell from the pic but those don’t look like they have enough slack.

 

[imiceman44]

So this 88 has an unsafe hodge podge supposedly 4" lift on it with some 35's and I am planning on going down a bit and thinking 2"-3" Tough Country but not sure how I should proceed with ordering parts. This is the first leaf-at-all-4 corners vehicle I've ever owned and not sure what the best route would be. I am mostly wanting it for camping, trails and some limited wheelin' but nothing major. Smoothest ride is best as my wife and 2 little kids would prefer that.

TC 2 or 3" front springs
ORD Sway bar disconnect
ORD heady duty greasable shackles
ORD rear shackle flip in 2.5"
Bilstein 5100 (Silver body) shocks all around

OR

TC 2" or 3" springs front and rear
ORD Sway bar disconnect
ORD heady duty greasable shackles
Bilstein 5100 (Silver body) shocks all around

OR

TC 2 or 3" front springs
ORD Sway bar disconnect
ORD heady duty greasable shackles
Matching TC 2" or 3" rear blocks
Bilstein 5100 (Silver body) shocks all around

Also, in these pics, does it appear the previous owner used the best materials for this "4" lift? Do the front steering components look stock and correct?

View attachment 347831

View attachment 347832

View attachment 347833

View attachment 347834

View attachment 347835

View attachment 347836

From what I can tell, you have a 2" lift springs front and back, with a 2" block in the rear and a really long shackle in the front to make a 4" lift.
If you get a regular shackle for the front and lose the block in the rear.
Get a better shock like the 5100 you mentioned and see how it is, if it is still not riding right then get different springs.
And looks like you still have the stock steering arm so you don't have to change that.
Couldn't see the driveshafts so can't help there but if they look extended too far then they never changed them and you should be fine.
Judging by the rest of the work, I say they didn't touch the front driveshaft

 

[ryoken]

ya might wanna look to do ORD's FUSH kit... great upgrade and THE time to do it since you're in there...

 

[Nutro]

I'll take more pics in a few min after coffee

 

[Nutro]

Ok so I crawled under it and measured and they are 3" rear blocks with degree shims and Rancho shocks. Do factory leaf packs look like this and have numbers on them like this? The front right shocks is actually missing! Other than that, honestly this truck rides pretty well. If these are aftermarket rear springs, I will just order some front leaf packs and the ORD goodies and remove the 3" rear blocks. School me, guys.

 

[Wes Harden]

I think the u bolts aren't long enough, I'd like to see at least a couple threads past the end of the nut.
Doesn't look like driveshafts have been modified.
Those rear springs look original.

 

[sweetk30]

if suburban then ya prob stock leafs .

but blazer i have not seen 6 leaf + overload stock .

and the person who flipped the spacer tubes between the frame and cross memeber has KILLED the frame rail lips . see how there bending up in real bad . this is a comon old school trick and has been proven BAD to do as you can see . they did this to help the rear driveshaft angles . but it needs put back and a c/v shaft made and installed for best function . and side effect is also kills front c/v head angles as the rear goes down and the front goes up .

you have a hodge podg of parts for sure .

i would do front parts and then 2" block only in rear with the leaf packs you have as they look good and should be fine .

 

[frankin5]

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/slf-01-324
this is what comes back as to the number on rear spring.
lose the block and the front shackle and see what you drive shaft look like. I would be afraid to hit a large bump in the road with that rear shaft that far out of the transfer case. Transfer case has been lowered. Looks like some one cut the support bar for the transfer case off. That Superlift rear spring is a 52" 2.5" lift spring. My guess it is a full 2.5" spring lift you have.

 

[Nutro]

Damn so that is a 2.5" spring and 3" blocks so a 5.5" lift? If so, I can just buy the HD shackles from ORD for the front, some 2" TC springs, remove the rear blocks and add 4 Bilsteins and should be good to go

 

[frankin5]

That number in the picture is for the rear springs. I think you have 2.5" springs in the front now and in the rear. That is unless you are buying all new 2" springs.