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Rough country lift kit

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bigboy

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Hey guys I have a few questions about the rough country lift. From rockymountainsusp.com I can get a 6" rough country lift with a T-case lowering kit, steering arm, and breaklines shiped to my door for $550 is it worth it?? They said that is everything I need and that I dont need to lengthen driveshafts or anything is this correct??? They also said it is everything I need to lift it and I can just put it on without doing anyother modifications is this also correct. Need opinions this truck is going to be mostly a daily driver and taken off road about 3 or 4 times a month but I need it to last and not mess up my truck as I am trying to do this with very limited funds.
 
Long Version:
For that price, you could probably have a Tough Country, which is supposed to ride a lot smoother. And you most likely will need to do some sort of driveshaft mods with 6" of lift. 4 seems to be a popular choice, and you can clear 40" tires with only 4" of lift, if you're not scared to hack the fenders. I would hold out before I jumped off into a lift kit. Heck, I still haven't gotten a lift kit myself (mostly due to lack of funds). When I do get a lift, it will probably be 4" Tough Country or 4" BDS. Using a shackle flip with your stock rear springs seems to be a popular way to gain 4" of lift in the rear. I'm still not sure If I want the shackle flip, or rear lift springs. Anyway, maybe my rambling helped a little.
Sort Version: Think long and hard before you buy that kit.
Thanks,
James :wink1:
 
Rough Country lifts have the highest spring rate, which means they are very stiff spring. Harsh ride and poor flex. Save the money and go with Tuff Country or BDS, they offer the best spring rates.
 
I have a 6" lift on my k10 and I didnt need to do any driveshaft modifications or lower my tcase.
 
I have done business with Rocky Mountain Suspension several times, and they are good people to deal with. Rough Country lifts are harsh riding lifts, but $550 is a good price. If cost is your only objective, and not ride quality, then go for it. When it comes to modifications that will have to be done, all trucks are different. Nobody can say for certain whether you will have to lengthen the drive shafts or lower the T-Case. That is the nature of modifying a vehicle. If you plan on modifying a vehicle, then you had better be ready to deal with all kinds of different things that could (or could not) come up.
 
cegusman said:
Rough Country lifts have the highest spring rate, which means they are very stiff spring. Harsh ride and poor flex.
Click to expand...
I don't know what my spring rate was, but I could invert my 6" soft-ride springs from Rough Country fairly easy. They rode about like any other leaf spring, including the 4" BDS on my friend's '03 2500HD.
 
i had 3" rough coutry before, springs were really stiff. now i have 8" bds and they are softer.
 
I had a 4" Rough country lift (front and rear springs) on my K5 and HATED it. The rear wasn't too bad, but the front bounced so much (with brand new shocks) that it was hard to keep it straight down the road. Like you, I liked the price of the rough country kit, but now that I have replaced it, I probably spent double what I would have spent on a better lift to begin with!

My .02!
 
Ruff Country = Bent Frame

I had the 6" Rough Country. When I installed it on my '91 K5 I had to lengthen the driveshaft and get a sway bar lower/disconnect.

After I installed it, I hated it. It rode extremely rough with adjustable Rancho 9000s and bounced all over the highway at about 60 mph. On a trip to Pismo I bent the frame a little (it's fixed now after loads of $$$$) on some fairly mild bumps. The truck got to bouncing and wouldn't stop, it just wasn't absorbing any of the bumps.

I have a 6" Tough Country now, and it is sweet. It's very smooth and handles great offroad.

Al
 
When I had lift springs I had the 4" RC front springs. It was a firm ride but it didnt knock your teeth out.

But one thing that I was shocked by was how well they flexed. One of the best flexing leaf springs I have seen around.
 
I've got the RC 2.5" in the Pick-up. Carrys a heavy bedload well, corners very well at speed, but rides like a stiffy.

You will feel every last crack, bump, and dip in the road. It's fun driving down a concrete roadway and getting a little bounce at every seam. If you open your mouth and let out a steady tone it sounds like your back bouncing on Daddy's knee.
 
I've got Rough Country 4" springs in the front of my 75 K5. They are firm, but not obnoxious. For the cost, they are great. Off road is pretty stiff, but I'm not hauling tail off pavement either. If I was planning on high speed off road I would have went a different route. But most if not all I run off road is at pretty low speeds. Flexes well enough for my needs.
 
i got a 6 rough country it does ride purdy firm on road and offroad but for the price i was happy besides i like to hear my friends bitch when they ride in it!!
 
I've got a set of broken in 4" tough countrys that are waiting for my restored 89 when it is all done. I haven't had any experience with them before, but apparently they are pretty stiff. I have the quad shock setup and just might skip the auxilary shock when I put the lift on.

Erik
 
midnitewarya said:
I had the 6" Rough Country. When I installed it on my '91 K5 I had to lengthen the driveshaft and get a sway bar lower/disconnect.

After I installed it, I hated it. It rode extremely rough with adjustable Rancho 9000s and bounced all over the highway at about 60 mph. On a trip to Pismo I bent the frame a little (it's fixed now after loads of $$$$) on some fairly mild bumps. The truck got to bouncing and wouldn't stop, it just wasn't absorbing any of the bumps.

I have a 6" Tough Country now, and it is sweet. It's very smooth and handles great offroad.

Al
Click to expand...


Realy? could the Rough Country 6" lift be so stiff that it could cause the frame to bend if you hit some fairly mild bumps? it must have been somthing else. Or what do you people on this forum think?

I am asking cause i think i want a 4" Rough country lift on my 79 K5 Blazer
is the lift to stiff or ok?

I now see this is an old tread. but maybe someone else could say what they think about this "topic"
 
Last edited:
Ive been running the 4 in for 2 years, and it is rough not terrible but not like stock either. I personally would spend the extra couple hundred and do it with a softer spring. I had to lengthen the driveshaft also,and i believe the stiffer add to the vibrations while driving or atleast amplify them.
 
suicide jockey said:
Ive been running the 4 in for 2 years, and it is rough not terrible but not like stock either. I personally would spend the extra couple hundred and do it with a softer spring. I had to lengthen the driveshaft also,and i believe the stiffer add to the vibrations while driving or atleast amplify them.
Click to expand...


i see.. but what do you think about whats written in this old post that i just quoted?. The thing about Rough country= bent frame.
How do you "read" that? is it possible? is rough country 4"or 6" leaf springs so stiff that you will bend the frame offroading?


thanks

knut
 
I cant say from experience about the frame cracking due to the stiff spring(thank christ). And i do try and beat 7shades of s**t out of my truck off pavement:waytogo:
I have a pair of 6"RC's on the front of my k5, they do seem stiff on the road for everyday driving, disconnecting or removing the sway bar does help. But as the other posters from2005 have said, they flex the hell up.
I got em for a steal used, if you were going to buy new i would pony up a few more bucks for a softer rate spring. Check out the spring rate table under technical articles from the home page, as they might help you determine which spring is more desibable for your truck.
 
DeviousK5 said:
I cant say from experience about the frame cracking due to the stiff spring(thank christ). And i do try and beat 7shades of s**t out of my truck off pavement:waytogo:
I have a pair of 6"RC's on the front of my k5, they do seem stiff on the road for everyday driving, disconnecting or removing the sway bar does help. But as the other posters from2005 have said, they flex the hell up.
I got em for a steal used, if you were going to buy new i would pony up a few more bucks for a softer rate spring. Check out the spring rate table under technical articles from the home page, as they might help you determine which spring is more desibable for your truck.
Click to expand...

ok. i am just wondering now:doah:. when you write that other posters from 2005 have said:They flex the hell up. does that mean good flex or poor flex?
I wonder because i read in this tread that some say it is poor flex and someone else says good flex on this RC lift Kits
 
been running my 4" Rough Country lift for about 6-7 years now, i did end up removing the bottom leaf from the pack to help with the "harshness" it still rides firm, but gives alittle more over bumps and whatnot.

No issues with my frame, and i have wheeled this land yacht pretty decently for it's size, flexed the springs a pretty good deal as well.

Still holding up and still riding fine. :laugh:
 
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