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Lift kit installing help

I went back to actually check it out. There are rust holes all over the body and it's falling apart. I'm still torn between lifted and stock. How much is a lift for a k5? I'm wondering if it would be worth lifting a stock to save money in the long run.
 
I had one of those rust bucket trucks. I sold mine for $500 in VA. $1800? Yeah, I saw lots for sale at that price. And they stayed for sale for a long time.

I got screwed when I bought mine. It turned out the tailgate would not open because the hinges were completely rusted off. To fix it I would have had to spend thousands of dollars, and probably a year or two, only to have a crappy half-rusted truck.

Seriously, hit craigslist. I think there is a site called AllOfCraigs.com or something like that. Hit up ALL the states within 8 hours of you. I drove 7 hours to look at one truck but passed because the PO had don't some weird stuff.

How can you NOT wait for this?

http://coloradok5.com/forums/album.php?albumid=612

Look at the first photo ... NO RUST.

Lift kits are probably $500 to $1000 depending on what you want. I'd FAR rather pick what I want and do it myself that risk someone selling his truck because he got a cheap kit and now has death wobble ... and you wreck it.

Edit - here are prices:

https://www.google.com/#q=1991+chev....,cf.osb&fp=678d7b5b459d50f0&biw=1366&bih=655
 
Are you suggesting I install myself? With no mechanical experience how hard of a project is this? And what do you mean how can I not wait for this? For what? An thanks for all the help so far!
 
One other thing, when you go to look at a truck, take someone with you that has no emotional interest in the truck. I like to take one of my Ford or Toyota friends. They know how to pick apart a Chevy better than we ever could.

Take something to write on and critique away. When done use the notes to bargain with, if it is even worth purchasing.
 
ChrisPerry said:
Take something to write on and critique away. When done use the notes to bargain with, if it is even worth purchasing.
Click to expand...

Good call on the notes. It's definitely worth the effort to write things down to keep track of stuff 1) you will need to fix, and 2) to talk about when you're negotiating a final price.
 
K5trs said:
Are you suggesting I install myself? With no mechanical experience how hard of a project is this? And what do you mean how can I not wait for this? For what? An thanks for all the help so far!
Click to expand...
No mechanical experience? At all? Well, looking at some of these kits, they advertise 6 hours to install. What are your thoughts on having a shop install it?

This install is pretty easy in my opinion. It's a few large bolts (which, most likely will be seized) and then some big parts. Except for the fact that I just KNOW some of the bolts won't come off, the whole thing seems pretty straight forward to me.

Maybe someone with some experience can reply.

TIP: Go back and edit your first post - click "Advance Mode" - change your thread title to include the words "Lift kit help needed" and save it. You should get a lot more people looking at this and can give you some real experience based advice.
 
Just a heads up. If you are looking to get into a 4x4 and then willing to lift it, then you are going to get mechanical experiance. That's all there is to it. Owning a vehicle requires work and you will start simple with oil changes and tune-ups, next thing you know you will be changing u-bolts and tranny's. Or you end up like Cheif Brody who is fast becoming a body and paint man. If your heart is in to these vehicles and you spend enough time around here you are going to learn (and its good for you). Spending all you money on this will keep you off drugs.:D Good luck in your hunt, lifted or not focus on getting a solid start vehicle and follow the buyers guide, that can be your introduction into getting experiance.

And if you dont like the idea of that much work than buy a honda, toyota, etc, and figure out where jiffy lube is.:haha:
 
Haha ya I figured the best way to learn is to do it! When looking at an already lifted used k5 what do I look for to see if the lift was done right? And who's that ryoken guy in your sig? I've seen his
Name around a lot.
 
Best thing I can tell you is do a search on Ryoken. His builds are awsome. He is helping Cheif Brody via internet to do some "minor" body work on his blazer and is one of the most helpful guys on this site. You will see we all have been there and we always try to be helpful with good info. And I helps to have a sence of humor too.

I belive the Brody thread is titled "Ryokens guide torust and body work 101". and then there is his rig builds in the driveway fourm.

Depending on the type of "build" you want to do and the type of rig you want There is something here to cover it. Rebuilds, restoration, trail rigs, show rigs or buggys. You found the living breathing encyclopidia of how to and what not to do site. Spend some time looking around for the rig you want and in here figuring out the rig you want it to be.
 
K5trs said:
When looking at an already lifted used k5 what do I look for to see if the lift was done right?
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I'm not an expert, because I generally don't buy lifted trucks, but ...

It seems to me that you would want check for "death wobble" at high speed. Of course, this is a risky situation, because it's a dangerous issue, so you probably don't want to do this ... From what I understand, you get to speed (55-65?) and then give the steering wheel a little "jerk". Or basically do a sudden lane-change type move. Is it smooth and stable, or does the truck act weird, as in it does not respond, or over-corrects, or otherwise feels sketchy? The problem of course is that if there IS death wobble or other major issues you may lose control of the truck, potentially crashing or rolling over. See why I warned you not to do this?

Also drive it and see if there is any speed-related vibration.

You may want to turn it full lock-to-lock and see if there are any binding issues.

Check if the steering box-to-frame mount area is cracked.

Someone else will probably give me details...
 
If all else fails, get enough posts here to be able to post pictures. You may have to come up with the full membership fee.
If you are going to do any work yourself, and are thinking about getting into this type stuff, then its money well spent.

Then, get a decent digital camera. When you find a truck you are interested in, and want to know about the lift kit, take pictures of it and post them here.
Take lots of pictures, all angles and distances.
Then sort through them and post the few best ones.

Concentrate on the blocks or whatever might be between the axle tube and the springs.
Then the big U-shaped bolts that hold the axle tube to the springs, and the shackles on the ends of the springs where they hook to the frame.

If you see any welding done to the frame or axle, that was not factory, take pictures of that.
If its not broad daylight, use a flash or a big shop light to make sure the parts are well lit.
Remember, other than battery power, digital pictures are free. Its far better to take 80 pictures and have a bunch that are good, than to take 10 and find out you have to go back and take some more.

Sort them out. There are lots of good picture handling programs out there. Picsa from Google is ok and is free.
So is GIMP.

I use Compupic, but it costs.

Then, post a couple of the best ones that show what you want advice on. Odds are you will get requests for different angles or areas, and if you did your job of taking the pics right, you will have them ready to post.

This is not as good as having someone knowledgeable there, or knowing what to look for yourself, but its not bad, and will weed out the really bad ones quick.
 
Well the death wobble seems scary as hell haha. But again does anyone know if a 16 year old high school student with little mechanical knowledge could install a lift? I dont feel like paying 3000+ for a mechanic to do it. Lifting an almost stock car by myself is sounding better and better if I knew I could do it.
 
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It's obvious you do not have experience with death wobble:D
You do not need to get up to 55, and you do not need to jerk it, it will start wobbling as low as 35, and it can throw you off if you try and go faster. The best way to stop it is to stop.:eek1:
Jessie James said:
I'm not an expert, because I generally don't buy lifted trucks, but ...

It seems to me that you would want check for "death wobble" at high speed. Of course, this is a risky situation, because it's a dangerous issue, so you probably don't want to do this ... From what I understand, you get to speed (55-65?) and then give the steering wheel a little "jerk". Or basically do a sudden lane-change type move. Is it smooth and stable, or does the truck act weird, as in it does not respond, or over-corrects, or otherwise feels sketchy? The problem of course is that if there IS death wobble or other major issues you may lose control of the truck, potentially crashing or rolling over. See why I warned you not to do this?

Also drive it and see if there is any speed-related vibration.

You may want to turn it full lock-to-lock and see if there are any binding issues.

Check if the steering box-to-frame mount area is cracked.

Someone else will probably give me details...
Click to expand...
 
K5trs said:
I just want to take it through the mud and on rough trails so I don't need anything too intense. But again what is required and how hard is it to lift a blazer? I have almost no experience doing mechanical stuff but I want to learn!
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The requirements for lifting a blazer are diffrent for each person and application. I know this will sound like a broken record but... thats the facts.

As far as lifting a vehicle you can spend $500-$5000.00 in doing so. An off the market lift as say rough country will give you enough lift till you break it. Or you can go top of the line 4-link with coil overs which if you are crawling rocks or running baja trails is the way you want to go, but way overkill for mud puddles.

I know your new to the site but put some time into reading the driveway builds as they are for people all over the U.S. and have diffrent needs of their rigs and you will also see anything from 4" lifts to 20" lifts and all manner of practicallity to their hobby (mud, crawling, show, buggy, truggy). There is some cool stuff. I will help you get going by telling you of a couple of members builds I watch for ideas. Ryoken, Jekquist, Deuling, Blazinuk, Nvrenuf, Stormis, Cherryk5 and Supersize75k5. This should be a cross section of vehicles and uses, these guys are doing some really cool stuff.

We have some of the best vendors around that can supply and inform you with the parts for your lift from mild to wild.

Point is throw the wrong lift in for what you want to do can end up costing you more than the lift. It is not hard to lift a blazer, the hard part is getting it right.

That and tools... lotsa tools.:D And yes a high school kid can do it (my son did, and no mech exper.).
 
To answer your current question, installing a lift is not difficult on these trucks. You will need a good set of tools with some bigger sockets than most tool sets come with. You will need a good floor jack and some good size jack stands too. And the willingness to put in some hard work.

You ever work on your bike as a kid? Take stuff apart, put it back together? It's all just nuts and bolts.

My advice to you is this... You are 16 and have little experience. Find a stock, unmolested truck. Forget about lift and bigger tires, put some 31s on it (even 33s will fit if you want to trim the fenders). Drive it and enjoy it for what it is. Fix the things that will be wrong or broken, in your price range there will most definitely be something to fix. Have fun and learn. Upgrade things as you learn and become more confident in your abilities, it'll take time. This is called starting off somewhere. We've all been there.

Buying someones old lifted beater can overwhelm you real quick when the problems start adding up. And the truck can break you in short order. And when that happens you're all done and left with a bad taste for trucks in general. Next thing you know you'll be driving a lowered Honda with a coffee can exhaust. :haha:
 
Thanks I'll check those out but I'm afraid they'll make me feel impatient about when I'm getting my blazer haha! But would a 4" or 6" be good enough for mudding? I'm not planning to rock crawl or anything like that but who knows!

And 496truck do you think I could find a decent k5 for 4000 and below? I'd handle the smaller stuff first before jumping into the lift!
 
I am running a stock height F250 with 12.50-33s. Runs good on the highway, handles good in the woods, and I have driven around many lifted trucks with much larger tires, turned around and then pulled them out with my winch.

Knowing how to drive in different terrain is almost as important as the vehicle. If you want to run in mud bog competition, then you are starting off wrong. It takes specialized stuff to do really good in those.

Mud is different than rock climbing. Most of the trucks here, would get about 3 feet down most of the roads I drive down and stop.
Doublers and mud do not mix. You don't need swamp buggy tire speeds, but you have to turn the tires fast enough to clean the lugs.
When you increase tire diameter, it takes more horsepower to turn them. You want to run 46s in mud, its going to take horsepower to do it. Which probably means an engine upgrade if its old and tired.

But, if you want to drive through fairly bad places and not be too worried about where you can go, then start off with a solid stock height vehicle, and put a big honking winch on it along with some nice wide mud grip tires.
Learn how to use that winch properly, and do a lot of driving and getting stuck. Pretty soon you will learn how to drive off road, and you will find that you can go many more places than you expect.
Then, you can start thinking about how you want to improve the truck.

That is assuming that you want a driving truck. Lots of people do the lift kit and big tires for show.
Nothing wrong with that, and they enjoy this place too.

But, I seriously recommend that you DO NOT lift your truck. Lifting it and putting big tires on it at 16 is a bad idea.
It will cause you to not learn the type of off road skills you are going to have to know in the long run.
And skill is paramount.
Some of the guys here, I could drive around them in mud with my truck no matter what they were driving.
Put me in rocks with anything, and they would make me look like a fool. I don't have the skill set for rock driving.
And they never drove in mud up to the door handles.

Trust me, if you want to drive off-road even causally, you want to get stuck. That is how you learn.
Its when you are driving along and it starts bogging, you try something, and it stops. You get out, hook up the winch, and pull yourself out.
Later, going through there again, and you do it differently and it makes it.
You don't consciously make notes, but your brain learns and it becomes automatic. With big tires, you don't get the feedback you do with smaller tires.
So, you learn with stock tires, and when you go bigger, you know how to handle them.

As far as installing a lift kit, like they said, if you can fix your bike, don't stop work when you skin a knuckle, and most importantly are willing to listen when folks here tell you something, you can do it.

But get yourself a good, solid, well running vehicle first, and then figure out what you want to do to it.
 
That's great advice I can hold off on lifting. But trees are few and far between down here haha so idk how I would winch myself out.. And could I get a solidish k5 for 4 grand and under? I know some work would be needed on it but is that a decent number? My budget is sorta limited right now. And What size engine should I look for? A 350?
 
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You need to talk to the folks here for actual K5 buying advice. As alluded to in my last post, and my screen name, I tend to run Fords.

And I know about no trees.

Every four wheel vehicle I have ever owned had a PTO winch on it. So, after I had to walk out a couple of times, I learned to drive towards trees. If I saw a bad looking hole with a good solid tree on the other side, I would go for it.
If there was nothing, I would turn around and go back.

However, I came up with a plan many years ago. I live on the coast, and my family has a seafaring background.
One day, I borrowed a Dansforth anchor from a friend's boat that was in for repairs.
Got a friend with a winch to follow me, and drove off into a hole I had never tried before out next to the bay.
Sure enough, I got stuck.
Walked out through the mud carrying my cable and that anchor.
Hooked the cable to it, and set the flukes in the mud.

Started winching. The anchor slid towards me a little then started biting in. Went down a short distance, and then the truck pulled out.

I figured I had it made.

Until the next bog hole.
That time, I got stuck big time. Hooked up the anchor, and pulled myself out.
Then could not get the anchor back. The mud was soft, and the pull hard. I think it went about 10 feet down.
I could not get it up with the winch without breaking my front suspension. I actually pulled so hard my rear tires rose off the ground.

Finally had to saw the cable off and go home.
Went back a couple of weeks later with some help and shovels and dug it up.

I could have hooked the cable like they do on boats, to the back end of the anchor with some rope holding it to the front.
Then, if it gets hung, you pull at an angle and break the rope. Then the anchor backs out.
But the whole exercise soured me on the idea.

Later, someone else who had more sense than me figure out the trick and invented this.
http://www.pullpal.com/

Never used one, but I hear they work ok.
Surely someone here has and can chime in. Of course, this place sees a lot of rock climbing, so maybe not.
Doubt its much help in granite.........
 
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