Guys, i just picked up the truck listed above. Does anyone have any experience installing a homemade body lift, or any other lift for that matter. I do not want to go huge yet, simply 3 to 4 inches. Whats my cheapest option. Any creative ideas?

Thanks
B

crank the torsion bars, 2" blocks in the the rear, 2" body lift, a little fender trimming, and 35 inch tires, all this should give you a 4-6" of lift.

I was running 3" body lift, cranked torsions with the 2" block in rear and cleared 35"s with no issues at all. Sorry thats the only pics I have of that truck :(
http://beer.thisdysfunctional.org/TDOGallery/d/2361-2/P_U_on_Ramp_Rear.jpg
http://beer.thisdysfunctional.org/TDOGallery/d/2359-2/P_U_on_Ramp_Front.jpg

What do these blocks do? - and, no chance there is a little right up on doing the torsion bars is there?

Torsion bars are easy, turn right and they tighten up but they also affect your front end alignment and eat tires if you're driving everday. The body lift is $150 bucks for everything including front bumper brackets which you'll need to clear wide tires unless you're good with a sawzall. I've put several on these trucks in less than a days time, and you'll be money ahead to just buy the kit. I put a 2.5 to 3 inch suspension lift on my current truck and would never do it again. It replaced the upper control arms and used stiffer torsion bars to get 3 inches, now it rides like a tank and eats upper ball joints and idler arms. Don't waste the $500!

Thanks bro. Thats the type of information I am looking for. As mentioned I do not want it to be huge. YET :smokin: - i just want it to not look factory and the same as the other 4 millions GM/Chevy 1/2 tons ext cabs. I wonder what wheels would make it come alive. Right now its got the typical GM steel wheels with the center caps...6 bolt.

Any stock late model pull off wheels will bolt up and look tons better than what you have now and can be had for pretty cheap.

I have put on many 3" body lifts for myself and others, no problems. U can crank the torsion bars and run 33's on 8" wide wheels and a body lift to run 35's. Get the front end aligned and drive the piss out of it. Don't fuck with the aftermarket torsion keys, waste of money, u will not want to get anymore angle from the frontend parts than what u can get with the factory torsion bar keys. Maybe an aftermarket uppercontrol arm to get a better ball joint angle but not totally necessary. Just what I have experienced.

Boys, lets say i do a 3 inch BL, is it going to leave a really visable gap or is 3 inch not too bad.

If u are worried about the visible gap, order the gap gaurds, I believe they are called, when u get the body lift. For IFS, the body lift is the easiest bang for the buck option for lift.

hey sorry to kind of highjack your thread, but yaz71 are you saying that it is not good to put a suspension lift on? :S

damn, came on the chevy forum since i own two of them....all I can say is 'poor.' Body lifts are gay, IFS lifts are gay... Start saving some money and keep it how it is for now, then eventually cut the IFS off and hand a solid axle under the front/lift it then. Let me guess: you don't crawl rocks you just want the 'lifted look?' Seriously, if you do it sequentially you're just throwing money away, and on bullshit none-the-less! My honest advice would be to just leave it how it is or go straight for the solid axle.

He is right. Its nice to buy the IFS lift at first. Untill you realise that IFS is just weak and eats parts all the time. I got the fabtec 6" lift, and now I regret it, I coulda put a dana 60 under the truck for about the same price. So if you ever thik you want to do some real wheeling just go for the solid. OR get a jeep/ older truck with a solid axel.

He is right. Its nice to buy the IFS lift at first. Untill you realise that IFS is just weak and eats parts all the time. I got the fabtec 6" lift, and now I regret it, I coulda put a dana 60 under the truck for about the same price. So if you ever thik you want to do some real wheeling just go for the solid. OR get a jeep/ older truck with a solid axel.

true! I got a 6" procomp, TB cranked and 3" body on 38.5" swampers and kinda regret it... I should have done the SAS right from the start....
But there is NOTHING wrong with a body lift, just a small one though 2-3" trucks with homemade +6" body lifts look dumb....
but if you are just looking for a little more lift, go body lift, cheap and very easy to install.. there is no gaps between the cab and frame, it lines up prefect, just a gap you see in the wheel wells but i dont think its that big of a deal.... it gives you more under the hood room, added lift but less stress on driveshafts, etc....
buy a body lift(I think they are around 150ish) 2-3"
crank TBs up(1-3" maybe, free)
buy/make 2" blocks for rear and buy new U bolts(very cheap maybe 50 at most??)
This should give you enough room for 35s, some fender trim might be needed but i think you should be good.... with just one of these lift options, you can fit 33s no prob....

I would go with bigger factory torsion bars, which will lift the truck 1.5 to 2 inches. For the rear go with 3/4 ton 4 leaf springs with the overload removed. Buy some good gas shocks and call it good. I do not recommend body lifts because the steering, brake lines and electrical all have to be moved or adjusted and I like keeping the CG as low as possible. If you want more than that, do a SAS. Most of the IFS aftermarket kits don't really gain you much clearence because they move the differential and suspension down to achieve the lift, kind of defeats the whole purpose to me. Plus they cost way too much money for what you get and some of them are designed quite poorly.

gawd, i love the photo.

shows you just how much flex an IFS truck really doesnt have.

isn't the whole point behind an RTI ramp is to see how much articulation you can get while keeping the OTHER tire on the ground, without driving the other tire up so its hanging mid air?:shaking:

I have to admit, my family owns 4 IFS Chevys and we soften up the rear so we have some articulation. I have often pondered the need for sway bars on these front ends and have removed a couple with little to no consequence in the on road ride of the vehicle. It makes for slightly more articulation in the front. If I really want more flex and articulation I drive my old 76 leaf sprung truck (with the sway bar removed from that too!).

I was running 3" body lift, cranked torsions with the 2" block in rear and cleared 35"s with no issues at all. Sorry thats the only pics I have of that truck :(
http://beer.thisdysfunctional.org/TDOGallery/d/2361-2/P_U_on_Ramp_Rear.jpg
http://beer.thisdysfunctional.org/TDOGallery/d/2359-2/P_U_on_Ramp_Front.jpg

holy fawk that looks unsafe!!!:eek:

but its pretty bad ass at the same time.:smokin::smokin::laughing: