What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

The debate of lift

brans87

brans87

1/2 ton status
- In Memoriam -
Joined
Sep 16, 2013
Posts
3,018
Reaction score
838
Location
North Carolina
So the big debate here and sure a few other might be interested to know thoughts,reason,opinions etc! Basics 87 K5 will get 8 lug front with 3/4 ton 14 bolt Full float with H2 wheels. Now I wanna lift it and need to for the drive shaft and 14 bolt, but which is better etc 2 or 4 inch lift? See alot of 4 inch lifts and up but seen few throw out 2 inch lift. Which would you use for a good all around results? Feel like for price on tires 4 inch lift would be better for 35 and also never seen K5 with H2 wheels/33's on it. So fill us in on the knowledge part here.

Know my wife would be for little lift as possible but when I go off road I don't wanna get hung up etc.
 
As low as possible to fit the tires you want. This can be mean stock height if you're willing to trim the fenders.

But generally speaking, 4" front springs and a rear shackle flip are the most popular. You can add zero rates and a 1" body lift from there to get 6" if necessary.
 
So lemme add in a possible different perspective.
To me it's more about spring rate and movement more than lift. So if you find a 2" lift with a very similar spring rate as a 4" they will ride very similar.

Thinking about clearance is a very valid point though. I used to wheel a very tall truck. My first blazer had nearly 10" of lift. All custom though so it rode very well. This was when everyone was getting as low as possible. Some giving up almost all up travel to stay low. I had nearly as much up travel as down. My height allowed me to approach things others couldn't. It also let me clear lots of stuff similar lower rigs could not.

So it's a double edged sword.

Now Horton on 42s sits just a touch lower than my Jimmy that has a 6" lift and 37s. I have cut Horton up so much I have gained tons of clearance. Something I can't do to the jimmy.

It's a balancing act on a full bodied rig.

My advice is do 2" springs slightly longer shackles and an ez inch. Move the front axle forward which prevents it hitting the trailing edge of the fender. Then a shackle flip of the 4" variety out back. Run 35s.

Of course if your off roading consists of mild roads then 33s might be the way to go.

There are lots of ways to optimize the front suspension without getting too crazy
 
Since you're running a full-floater, you're going to lose a bit of ground clearance just due to the size of that axle. Correcting that means a bigger tire (or shaving the housing), which will also be a factor in how much lift you have.
 
How are you going to use it and how often? I wish I had less lift and smaller tires as I think I would drive the truck more. Been debating dropping it down for a while now.

I have 5" up front(4" springs and 1"zero) and 6.5" in the back(4"spring and 2.5" flip) on 35's.

I built my truck to go camping off road and get me back home, not to run big trails but I tried to overbuild everything and built it with d60/14b combo. Because it is tall and hard to load the family in, it basically sits and we take our stock Z71 suburban on camping trips where the K5 would really be more suited.
 
First thing you need to decide is how much time the rig will spend off road versus on road. Then, you need to decide on what kind of terrain and roads you will frequent. A 14 bolt has a large center section that hangs down quite a bit. The best way for true ground clearance is running larger tires. A 20" lift does you no good if you are running 27" tires on a 14 bolt. When deciding your road versus off road be honest with yourself. Same with the terrain you will frequent. I usually decide on a tire and wheel first, then work on your lift size to accommodate your tires and wheels.

Be honest and realistic with your goals. Otherwise you will end up with a rig you can't really use and appreciate.

LT.
 
A 14bff on 35s offers no clearance. I wouldn't run anything less than 40s on a 14bff if it will see any terrain more challenging than a gravel road. Just keep your 10bs and run 33s, 34s, or 285/75/16s on a 2" lift.

I've run some decent trails on 2" lift, 33s and a 10b/12b combo and I'm only going to lift it if I have to when I swap over to 35s because I like the low CoG.
 
Only way to get ground clearance is with larger tires,therefore only lift enough to get the tires you want to fit,, or cut it up,personally I like to keep it as close to stock height as possible
 
I went with 35's on the 14bff. I wanted the durability and am willing to live with the loss of ground clearance. 35's are in a middle ground where it's pushing it for a 10b. Anything lower than 35's though and it's basically stock.

Anyway, to the original question, you really need 4" to fit 35's unless you are willing to cut a lot, or have a really stiff suspension and are willing to cut some. With my super stiff Rancho 4" kit, I was getting by with just trimming the corners. With the ORD flexy suspension closer to 5" I still hit some.

When I went down this path, my personal conclusion was that to get under 4" with 35's, or to fit 37's on 4" you either need to not care much about your body (just hack it and let it look bad) or be a pretty skilled body guy (or hire one).
 
Hmmm . . .

I've been told you can fit 33x10.5x15's on stock K5's, which is what I am going to start with (due to budget limitations), if I need a bit of room I will get some slightly longer shackles. Only problem is limited choices of tires in that size, BFG AT KO's/MT's or General MT's.
 
Mastiff said:
I went with 35's on the 14bff. I wanted the durability and am willing to live with the loss of ground clearance. 35's are in a middle ground where it's pushing it for a 10b. Anything lower than 35's though and it's basically stock.
Click to expand...

I would probably have agreed until I watched an otherwise nicely built EB on 36s and a 14ff make about two vehicle lengths into a rock garden before giving up because every other rock he crossed high centered his diff.

If you are mainly trail riding or running the highway, I'm sure it'd be fine and almost unnoticed. I mainly want a wheeler so a 12b with alloy shafts on 35s should suit my purposes. Plus I don't need to upgrade brakes, buy wheels, or be concerned about the extra weight. I do lose the ease of putting a pinion guard on a 14ff offers though.
 
TerryD said:
I would probably have agreed until I watched an otherwise nicely built EB on 36s and a 14ff make about two vehicle lengths into a rock garden before giving up because every other rock he crossed high centered his diff.

If you are mainly trail riding or running the highway, I'm sure it'd be fine and almost unnoticed. I mainly want a wheeler so a 12b with alloy shafts on 35s should suit my purposes. Plus I don't need to upgrade brakes, buy wheels, or be concerned about the extra weight. I do lose the ease of putting a pinion guard on a 14ff offers though.
Click to expand...

Fair enough. For me it's worth it to have everything be indestructible. I'll just stick with moderate non-body damage type trails, armor up the pinion and diff, and see how it goes. Maybe I'll move up to 37's at some point. It's also nice to have the huge aftermarket support.

I still need to shave the bottom lip off my 14bff too. That'll buy 3/8" or so.
 
Check out barnes they make a 13 bolt cover that clears a 1 inch off 14 bolt with normal shaving. Found it today looking around. Can't get link to paste here.
 
brans87 said:
Check out barnes they make a 13 bolt cover that clears a 1 inch off 14 bolt with normal shaving. Found it today looking around. Can't get link to paste here.
Click to expand...

That looks crazy. Is all that metal really there for no good reason?

http://www.barnes4wd.com/GM-14-Bolt-High-Clearance-Shave-Cover_p_169.html#

13B_installed.jpg
 
being GM yeah. I thought you would enjoy seeing it and alot of guys here have helped me out.er. ORD even sells one use goggle and type 13 bolt diff cover.
 
rebelgregory said:
As low as possible to fit the tires you want. This can be mean stock height if you're willing to trim the fenders.
Click to expand...

LT. said:
Be honest and realistic with your goals. Otherwise you will end up with a rig you can't really use and appreciate.
Click to expand...

This ^ and this ^^. Pick a tire size and an intended purpose let them determine the lift / axle combination you will want to run.
 
Shaving the 14ff that much is not worth it on a DD.

There is about an inch lip you can shave off and still keep the bolt.
 
There are other benefits to the 14bolt that I like that compensate for the loss of clearance:

Full float- never have to worry about a c-clip failure going down the road. I've seen lots of those ruin some nice cars and trucks.

Extra load capacity- never have to wonder if you put too much on it.

Performance- I know we're talking trucks but in case anyone is road racing, 10 bolts can flex enough in the turns to allow the axle to shift enough to allow the rotor to rub on the caliper adding considerable drag. I run a full float 9" in my Nova just for that reason.

Overkill- haven't seen too many 14bolts break but seen lots of 10bolts in stock trucks snap tubes and more. Probably why the factory put them in the 3/4-2t trucks.


I shaved my 14bolt and then plated it to allow me to skid up over rocks if need be.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom