Pieced Together Lift Kit

[Tyco]

So i finally received my refund check, and I've got enough to buy the Rough County lift kit, but honestly I'm not impressed with their spring rates. I've heard that tuff country is a much better spring producer, I can't afford their 6'' lift though. I found their 6 inch front springs for $270 on SD springs and can get a 5 inch rear block and steering arm for $90 dollars each. Shocks aren't an issue, my brother upgraded his lift to an 8 inch skyjacker so i have his semi-used shocks.

Is there anything i need to lift my 84 K10 other than the front springs, rear blocks and a steering arm? I want to piece together my own lift kit to save some cash for some other projects on the truck

 

[Deuling]

I'm gonna guess driveshafts and brake lines as well.

 

[Tyco]

found a set of brakeline relocation tabs from pro comp for cheap. as far as drive shafts i'll have to start calling the local shops for a price on getting an extended set built. would they both need replacing or just the main rear one?

is there anything else i should consider? i've been looking through bills of parts for different manufacturers and they all seem to focus on blocks, shocks, leaf springs, ubolts and a steering arm. So i think this should be a good way to get it lifted on the cheap

 

[Deuling]

I got 4" springs up front, but I think they were closer to 5". But as soon as we bounced on the front bumper, the front driveshaft ran out of slip and popped apart.

 

[Tyco]

I think it's gonna be a look and see thing, i bought the truck from a farmer who had massive spring packs under it for 33s but it drove like a bloody tank. It was so bad we were able to bring a big block buick engine home without compressing the springs at all.

I got some stock springs from the salvage yard and the truck drives much better and dropped about 4 inches in the front and maybe 3 in the rear. so here's hoping things will fit together well, and the driveshafts will be long enough.

 

[Blue85]

Getting decent springs is the right move vs. saving money on the Rough Country kit. Rear blocks suck, though, so long-term that's money wasted. How about a shackle flip? Even if the vendor kits seem too expensive for you, there are some other junkyard and DIY options discussed on this forum. Check the classified section here, as used shackle flips come up from time to time. With a K10 and a shackle flip, you will need to change the rear pinion angle a lot, though. You could get angle shims if you're changing to a C/V driveshaft, or you will probably need to cut and weld the spring perches on the rear axle.

 

[Tyco]

the blocks are definitely not a long term thing, they are a cheap lift for now. I plan on getting some rear 6 inch springs later on when i've saved some more money. Since the majority of offroading around here is up and down hills for hunting and camping i think they should suffice until christmas.

 

[Deuling]

I guess it depends on the use for the truck. But luke, you have seen nates ford with all that block in the back. He doesn't have issues, so I'm not quite sold on the fact that blocks are that bad. Unless your doing harder wheeling.

Shackle flip is better yes, but blocks are cheaper and not much more time. And I don't think a cv or perch moving would be needed on a k10... Your not changing the angles as bad as a k5.

 

[nvrenuf]

If you still have a factory style "Y" pipe on your exhaust it will probably be in the way of the front driveshaft.

 

[K85 Octane]

you may have to drop the T-case and do some angle work for the rear shaft to be happy with 6"

 

[AV8TER]

If you do a shackle flip in the back you could get the other two inches with small blocks or some other form of 2 inch lift. But, if you flip it you will change the pinion angle alot. On a 52 inch spring, if you drop the back end of it 8 inches to get 4 at the axle you will rotate the pinion up 9 degrees. True, on a K10 with a little longer drive shaft than a K5 the u-joint angle wont change as much but the angle relationship between the angle of transfer case and pinion angle will be 9 degrees different than it was. If you were perfect before, now you need to shim or move perches.