Just bought a 2001 GMC Yukon LX for the wife.

She wants it raised slightly (say, 3 inches). I figured a suspension-lift would be the best way to go since we plan on towing a 3 horse trailer (7500 lbs loaded). My local 4X4 shop was amazed to find out that 6 inch lifts are the lowest available kits. Trying to keep the rig civilized for running kids back and forth from school but I’d like to slip some 33 inch tires under there. My local shop says $900 installed. Any opinions on going with a 3 inch body lift?

i say get a body lift and do it yourself.

when i did mine the total cost was right around 150 bux

suspension lifts are good if you are guna be wheeling, but for a bling bling rig just go body lift.

i say get a body lift and do it yourself.

when i did mine the total cost was right around 150 bux

suspension lifts are good if you are guna be wheeling, but for a bling bling rig just go body lift.

You should be banned from this board for even hinting that a body lift is cool or the way to go.

Body lifts are ubber ghey! Think about the extra lateral leverage your body has on the frame mounts. How much more of your frame shows below the rocker. That huge gap above the frame rail in the back. The fact that your bumpers need brackets to move them where they look asthetically correct but are a disaster if you actually use them in say a WRECK! The fact that you are still running the stock suspension that was manufactured to work with a certain size and weight of tire and wheel but now you've exceeded it and are over working the stock suspension.

Anyone who even suggests to you a body lift is OK needs to be drug out back and shot.

Seriously go the suspension route. 6"s isn't shit.

I run a 6" on my 2500HD Duramax, and it routinely pulls close to 15,000lbs. And no it doesn't sag ass going down the road if you properly load it.

Just say "NO" to body lifts! Or go back to Pavementsucks.com

Look into Rancho, I thought they came out with either a 3 or 4" suspension lift for the Tahoe/Surburbans

I would'nt trust a bodylift with your family's daily driver.
maybe a trail rig but I tend to stay away from them.
thier was a post on here where a waggy body came off the frame going down the highway and a friend of mine had an 03 taco with a 2" body lift and the back cab mounts pulled straight out just before he traded it in.
plus who knows what crap you might run into with all the electro-traco abstcba-mocha-pms sensors and wires with newer suvs

i would use the smallest lift i could and crank down the torsen bars up front and use smaller blocks/springs in the rear

The only reason I would use body lift would be to clock the t-case or something along those lines. Even then, I would only lift an inch. Go with a suspension lift, run your 33's and enjoy.

Wowah.... didn't know the body lifts were that dangerous. Seems to make sense that they could throw off or cause a chain reaction to other components. Sounds like I should put more effort into researching other lifts…. There’s gotta be a 3 or 4 inch lift out there somewhere?

K5freak, sorry you got slammed… I was thinking body kit was the way to go but the others have convinced me to go suspension.

Thanks again folks, I really appreciate your comments – I’ll have to drop by here more often.

I got a body lift on my old chevy but then again I bought the best bolts that I could buy (not the cheap ass grade 5 shit they give you) and my bumper weighs about 250 pounds and I built it so I think I am gonna be fine in a wreck, but in my toyota, not a chance in hell I would ever run a body lift because I want it to look fairly stock as it is mainly a parts runner, and the lifted bumper brackets for a stock bumper are a fawking joke, that is not safe. So unless you are doing some wheeling and plan on changing bumpers and just my nuts and bolts for my lift were about 100 dollars I would stay far away from the body lift on a street truck, especially one your family will be riding around in. :smokin:

Body lifts aren't so bad. Gain REAL tire clearance with less of a change in center of gravity & keep the factory ride qualities. I wouldn't bother lifting a Yukon for 33's though. Stock tire is a 32 & you wanna go to the hassle of lifting it to go up one size in tire? Buy some aftermarket rims & spiffier looking rubber in the stock size if all you're after is a "look".

TEX

For a DD, I wouldn't waste my time with a lift. They change the way the vehicle handles, tires are more expensive, you should usually re-gear, you sometimes lost the factory warranty; and the list goes on and on...

Yes they look cool, but they are more trouble than they are worth. If you want a "bigger" truck, get a F350 crew cab. They are a few inches taller than a Tahoe and can tow a hell of alot more.

Leave the lifts and tires for the trail trucks. For a DD, put gas in it and drive it. That's what I say; but then again, I'm sick of wrenchin on my DD's.

Yeah, you guys are right... I'll probably keep it stock with slightly larger tires. thx!

Obvious answer here seems to be torsion keys for the front and a spacer for the rear. You can raise the front 2.5" and keep the same ride with the keys. Granted there will be more wear on the cv's but it's actually pretty minimal. I install about 10 of these a week and have been doing so for a while and people love them because they're inexpensive and the whole process takes about 20 minutes to do.

Obvious answer here seems to be torsion keys for the front and a spacer for the rear. You can raise the front 2.5" and keep the same ride with the keys. Granted there will be more wear on the cv's but it's actually pretty minimal. I install about 10 of these a week and have been doing so for a while and people love them because they're inexpensive and the whole process takes about 20 minutes to do.

'ho's have coil rears. I'm not too fond of coil spacers.....but for an inch, I'd probably do it. Which keys work on them again? Is it the purple or the green?

Don't know what color, i install adjustable torsion keys....as far as the rear i was talking about a coil spacer and you'll be fine up to 1.5 as far as the rear is concerned.

Don't know what color, i install adjustable torsion keys....as far as the rear i was talking about a coil spacer and you'll be fine up to 1.5 as far as the rear is concerned.
Totally off subject, but are you the one who lives over in Edgerton? I had you guys do a set of super longs for a Jeep Waggy, 6 or 7 years ago. I'm from Paola, like a bunch of yahoos that wheel up in that area.

actually that was Jim, and he lives in Paola now but it is the same spring shop....small world

actually that was Jim, and he lives in Paola now but it is the same spring shop....small world
The green metal shop in the back of your avatar was the giveaway.

Rancho makes a 4 inch lift kit for XL's. I have installed many of these kits on XL's and they ride very well. Changing the keys on the torsion bars works but it does make the ride alot more stiff, i install these as well. The rancho kit cost more but you can get near stock ride out of the lift kit. As far as rear spacers go most 6" kits use 6" spacers in the rear some use longer coils most dont. My .02$ :grinpimp:

Update: I took KansasJoe's advice and installed the adjustable torsion keys and the 1.5 inch spring spacers in the rear. Wowah, they work really good. No increase in ride stiffness at all. My 285's clear the fender wells with no rubbing and the rig has an overall nice healthy look. Thanks Joe I really appreciate all your help getting this rig raised. - Andy