ROOKIE GETTING A "LIFT"

[conwayavalancher]

I must say that this is by far the BEST forum I have ever seen. I have been trying for months now to try and find a decent forum and I must say this this one is the most informative.....like one big happy family in here! Here's my story. I have a 2002 AV Z71 on 17" rims. Love the truck but damn it's to low to the ground. Took it muddin a couple of weeks ago and already busted the A/C line, tore out the emergency brake line, and last but not least put a nice gash in my "stock" tire. Cant tell you how many times I bottomed out!

Here's is what I'm thinking of doing and tips, advice or anything you can throw at me would be helpful. I am going to put a RCD 6" lift on with 33" Goodyear MT/R's. After reading through the list of topics I dont think I should have a problem rubbing...(atleast I hope I dont) I also plan on ripping out the 3:73 gears and putting in 4:10's. Does anyone else know what other tire I can use. I drive a lot of highway miles and want my tires to last. One more thing.....can somebody pleeeeease recomend some rims for me! Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

OH YEAH! just got a digital camera for X-MAS....so I'll be putting my pics in here soon!

 

[MagicMtnDan]

Welcome to the club! And I'm glad to hear you've already had your Av out offroading

RCD lift is a GREAT choice. I did a lot of research and they came up winners before I had their lift installed and after. I've got nothing but great things to say about how my 2003 2500 4x4 runs on the RCD lift and 35" (315/75-R16) BFG All-Terrain T/A KO tires. I highly recommend these tires as they deliver great traction and low noise while providing many miles of use.

Check out my pics in the link below. And let us see what you've done to your Av once you've done it.

 

[chevroletavalanche]

Weclome to the club.

That setup should be great!

Make sure to take lots and lots of pics!

 

[robjae]

I used to go fishing at Lake Conway, lived in NLR. I miss Arkansas.

 

[Bangadrum5]

When I had my Wrangler I had 35-12.50/15" Goodyear MT's and have nothing but praise for them. They were very quiet had excellent treadwear, excellent traction. And if you need to air them down for a bigger footprint the sidewalls are super tough. Good luck with your moods.

 

[dukhntr]

Hello, I live in NLR, and I have a 02 Avalanche that is lifted 6 inches. I used a Fabtech lift kit, and couldn't be more impressed with how it worked out. If you are interested in seeing it, drop me a not at my email address pleonard@sprintmail.com

Paul

 

[Crexis]

conwayavalancher:

Welcome to the forum! While I've not yet lifted my Av (and have MANY rock scrapes on the frame to prove it) from my research (both on this forum and elsewhere) it seems that RCD is the way to go. I've heard only good things about Rancho and Fabtech too, but the praise for RCD seems to be particularly glowing. There was someone on here (I think) who had a bad experience with Fabtech...missing parts and stuff...but I think it was determined they were dealing with a second rate dealer and that the lift itself was basically sound.

33's won't rub at all (I've got 32.8 inchers on my Av with no lift) and some ppl (MagicMtnDan) get away with 35's. I think at that point it's a question of wheel backspacing in ensure you don't have rubs.

I'm running BFG KM (muds) and I LOVE them. They make a bit of noise on the highway, but with the windows up you can barely hear it. They are wearing much better than expected (10,000+ miles on them now) and are AMAZING off road.

Wheels: It seems to me that any of the big names will serve you well... it's mostly a matter of choice of style. On a severly limited budget, I like the American Eagles I put on my Av (see link to pic in signature). They're nothing special in the style department, but I've always been fond of that style and they balanced up nicely and have stood up to a fairly good off-road beating or two.

I tend to favor steel wheels for hardcore 'wheeling, (better to have a wheel bent than cracked!) but just couldn't bring myself to put some ugly black spokes on my Av!

 

[Tunahunter]

Hey dukhntr - I like your moniker...your AV rocks, of course I'm partial to the color. ?I've attached a pic of mine...

Conwayavalancher, I have the 4" Rancho lift which works great. ?But bigger is better, and if I could do it again I'd go with the RCD 6" lift so I could get 35" tires on. ?And I've seen Magic Mtn Dans ride in person...sweet!


[attachment deleted by admin larger then 100KB]

 

[Tunahunter]

Hey Crexis, I had the black rock crawlers on my AV for about 6 months. They didn't look too bad, but they didn't fit. Had to use spacers to get them off the brakes which would cause balancing problems. Too much vibration and bad tire wear, so I changed them out...

I still like the look of the black wheels, especially if you could black out the chrome on the grill and use black nerf bars...that was my vision anyway.

 

[tdaugharty]

Hey dukhntr - I like your moniker...your AV rocks, of course I'm partial to the color. ?I've attached a pic of mine...

Conwayavalancher, I have the 4" Rancho lift which works great. ?But bigger is better, and if I could do it again I'd go with the RCD 6" lift so I could get 35" tires on. ?And I've seen Magic Mtn Dans ride in person...sweet!

You are setup exactly the way I want to lift the AV. How does the Rancho 4" lift do at high speeds while changing lanes?

 

[bbtx]

I just recently had a Rancho 4" lift installed along with complete Gibson exhaust system (headers and Swept back). I am very pleased with all. I am running 295/75/16 BFG KOs and American Racing Ventura 16x8 chrome wheels. I know the other lifts are more than likely just fine, but I do not think I could be more please.
One caution, not all wheels work on all lifts. I had purchased Eagle #118 wheels, but installation at 4Wheel Parts revealed they did not work with Rancho as suppose to. Luckily I had a good working arrangement with my tire/wheel dealer who had Eagle pick up wheels at 4WP and American Racing deliver a set known to work. As it turned out I liked the new wheels even better.

If you have a 4WP store near you, I highly recommend them. They will deal, just give them a chance. They seem to pride themselves in matching prices.

E-mail if you would like jpegs of lift or anything I have had done over the last few weeks.

bb

 

[Tunahunter]

Ok fellas, forgive me if I misspell....been having a few New Years drinks while the coals get ready for Elk steaks...

First of all, bbtx, the flame job is awesome. How 'bout if I reverse it and go with red flames over pewter? Showed the wife and she said, "whatever you want, it's your truck"...that means she's not thrilled, but will deal with it.

Sandman, the ride is smooth, the handling is great. I went up towards Jackson Hole, Wy. from the Los Angeles area, 1000 miles. Took me 15 hours, I cruised at about 83 mph while on Interstate 15. No issues...everthing worked great. Got to Wyoming, hunted, took the AV off road into some rough stuff and then came home, same speed, no problems.

Like I said earlier, I would go a with the RCD if I could do it again. I think I would get the same performance out of that lift. Plus the bigger tires look a bit better - IMO.

You guys have a great New Year,
Chuck.

 

[MagicMtnDan]

How does the Rancho 4" lift do at high speeds while changing lanes?

You didn't ask me but my RCD 6" suspension lift handles like stock. It just doesn't get any better than this (seriously). The ride is simply awesome and the Bilsteins that come with the kit are great on road and off. High speeds, low speeds, changing lanes, you name it and the RCD handles all 7000# of my 2500.

Do yourself (anyone considering a lift) a favor and take a very close look at RCDs kit before you decide on which one to go with. In my opinion, no one makes a kit as good.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated, in any way, with RCD (just a very happy customer).

 

[flynhigh]

You are setup exactly the way I want to lift the AV. How does the Rancho 4" lift do at high speeds while changing lanes?

I have the rancho lift on mine and at high speeds (80mph) it does just fine changing lanes. I also would like to point out that the rancho 4" lift is really more like 5.5" . Also there isn't a 6" lift made where 35" tires won't rub without some modding to the truck wells. To run 35" tires you really need to go with a larger than 6" lift if you don't want to mad the wheel wells.

I have 33" Pro Comp Mud terrains on mine and I must say i have have been extremely pleased pleased with their performance on raod as well as off road.

 

[MagicMtnDan]

Also there isn't a 6" lift made where 35" tires won't rub without some modding to the truck wells. ?To run 35" tires you really need to go with a larger than 6" lift if you don't want to mad the wheel wells.

Correct but...

I'm running 35s (315/75-R16s) with a 6" RCD lift (about 5.5") and yes, my wheel wells have been "modified" but ONLY plastic has been trimmed (in the front wheel wells only) and the trimming has been minor. You would need to put my Av side-by-side to a stock Av to even identify what plastic has been removed. It's not a major deal at all - with a handheld trimmer it doesn't take long at all.

Take a look at the pics for more details on what's been done.

 

[Tunahunter]

Then in theory, I could run 35's with my 4" Rancho lift with some minor plastic trimming...correct?

Dan, do you get some rubbing at full turn?

 

[MagicMtnDan]

Hey, welcome to the site. I have been very happy with my Rancho 4" lifted truck. I have 35" tires as well on mine and did need to trim the plastic some. If you plan to do offroading I would recommend a 33" for the Rancho lift.

One other thing you need to consider is if you are putting it in the garage or not or if you park downtown on occasion. with the rancho lift and some 33" tires you can fit in a 6'8" parking ramp with no problems. I have about an inch clearance on my garage. I cannot fit in a 6'8" ramp. I have to search for the 7' ramp. This is another thing to consider. With the RCD lift you may exceed the height. The again you may not be worried about that.

Jon

First of all, not all lifts are created equal. Some lift kits on some Avs rub a LOT! I know because I've seen (and heard) them. Secondly, I don't think there's any such thing as a 4" lift kit. I could be wrong but I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that any 4" kit is closer to 6" than it is to 4". Thirdly, your mileage may vary - my Av is a 2500 and I personally can't tell you what the difference is (in regard to lifting a 1500 vs. a 2500).

What I can tell you is that I believe that the RCD lift is (a) less than 6" (probably closer to 5.5" or less), and (b) that I think the RCD lift kit is the very best one available. If you take the time to research the kits - looking at the components in brochures and on the trucks - and study the companies involved you'll probably come to the same realization. While prices are pretty similar for all the lift kits, I am convinced that there are some that are better than others.

When you consider that you're (a) driving a big, heavy truck that (b) costs about $35,000 and (c) carries you and your family at high speeds, cost should not be the primary decision-maker. Quality, engineering, and installation should be the factors that drive your decision.

As for rubbing - I get VERY little and I only get it when I'm going very slowly and (a) my wheels are almost fully locked and (b) when my wheels go into a dip (like leaving my driveway or going through a dip - rain gutter here in SoCal - across a street). Only the plastic in my front wheel wells ("fenders") have been trimmed - no metal has been touched.

As for off-roading - I've done some rather extreme (extreme for a huge, 7000 pound Avalanche) off-roading (see Death Valley pics below) and I have not had ANY problems with my lift kit or wheels/tires rubbing - NONE. Of course, the RCD kit is engineered for off-roading (but the on-road ride is at least equal to the stock ride!) and the Bilstein shocks are superb.

I personally did not want 33" tires on my big Av. I had my heart set on 35s and I can tell you that I flip-flopped so many times - every time I read one of these posts on the board about how you can't run 35s without rubbing, etc., I was sure I'd have to settle for 33s. Then I'd read someone's post about how 35s were just fine so I'd start having some faith that I could run 'em on my Av. On and on it went when I finally just decided that there are worse things than going with the tires I wanted (35s) and having to sell them for 33s if that's what had to happen.

If I didn't see it through I'd be kicking myself pretty darn hard right now wishing I hadn't settled for 33s.

Bottom line is that my 2500 Av with the RCD lift and 35s is damn near perfect. It looks awesome (in my opinion), rides as good as stock (in my opinion) and, best of all, does NOT require any compromises in how or where I drive it. You just can't beat that!

Disclaimer: these are my opinions. I do not work for, nor am I affiliated with, RCD (Race Car Dynamics) in Jamul, CA (in the San Diego area).

Questions? E-mail me.

 

[MagicMtnDan]

By the way, my Av is somewhat height challenged. But thankfully, around here, most of the parking garages have a maximum height (posted) of 8'2" and my Av easily clears that so I'm good to go. I have run into a few that are lower but it's a small price to pay for having the truck I want.

 

[conwayavalancher]

I can certainly tell you that I WILL be getting the RCD 6" lift on my AV. As far as the tires go it really doesnt bother me if I go 33" or 35". I have not decided wether or not to go with the 305's or 315's but I'm pretty sure I will go with the 305's. Has anyone in here swapped out thier gears from 3:73 to 4:10? If so how much did that cost? Also when I do get my lift and tires done.....what do I do about the speedometer and ABS? Is that something I can take to the dealership and they can reprogram or am I gonna have to caugh up some more money to buy some kind of chip or something One more thing.....my fan belt is squeeking like a dang mouse.....guess I got it really dirty and the STP belt dressing I bought doesnt seem to be helping......any suggestions on that?. THANKS!!!

 

[MagicMtnDan]

About that squeaking belt. Here's the fix: take it to your dealer. That's what the warranty is for.

 

[flynhigh]

Then in theory, I could run 35's with my 4" Rancho lift with some minor plastic trimming...correct?

Dan, do you get some rubbing at full turn?

Yes that is correct. There is a member "Jeff" in San Jose that is running 35" tires and a Rancho 4" lift. I have seen others as well.

However if your AV is a 1500 a would reccomenc going with 33" tires as your suspension is not as stiff as a 2500. So you will experience more wheel travel in off roading situations than a 2500 would.

I love the look of 35" tires but personally I am very happy I went with 33"s.

 

[steelheadchaser]

I am aware of at least one member that has done the gear swap. As I recall, it ran approximately $2000 for both front and rear.

 

[MagicMtnDan]

I don't really agree with your statements that you are trying to make.

That's cool Jon - that's what this board is all about.

While I value your opinion and know that you have the RCD kit and like it alot. It seems as though you may be putting another manufacturers product down because of a perceived quality issue.

No, I'm not putting other manufacturers' products down. But I do know that not all lift kits are alike! Just because they lift a truck 6" (or whatever they lift) doesn't mean they're the same quality or engineered the same!

Check out the lift kits. Compare them. Look at the number (quantity) of parts. Look at the parts themselves - look at the front member - is it heavy gauge steel or tubing or welded together? Talk to people in the industry. Have you heard the same stories over and over (like how one company makes lift kits for others)? Or how one company consistently comes out with their lift kits first while others wait and then suddenly come out with one once they've had time to "review" the competitor's kit? If you do your research you'll begin to see the differences and then making a decision will be easier. Are there kits out there that are dangerous? I doubt it. But are there kits out there better than others - sure there are. Get together with a bunch of pickup truck owners and you'll be able to look at the lift kits side-by-side. That will help a lot.

I have had Rancho lifts on several trucks I own. One of which has over 200,000 miles on the lift and has been used for extreme wheeling and for extreme towing. I have never once had a problem with this lift what so ever. Rancho and other companies are not still around because they sell an inferior product. They are still around because they sell a quality product and if they did not they would have been gone a long time ago.

That's great. This isn't about Rancho vs. RCD or any other company. It's about what to look for and what makes a lift kit better than another company's. We're all out for the same thing - a high quality product installed by an experienced shop delivering a safe, reliable driving experience.

Regarding the 4" issue. I was mearly repeating the way that the lift is marketed. Rancho says 4" so that is what I'm going to say. I agree that is more is closer to a 6" than a 4" but none the less they say 4" so I do as well.

OK. So you agree that's it's closer to 6" but you want to call it 4" like they do. That's fine but you've just explained what others need to know. That in Rancho's book 4" = 6"

One of the reasons that your lift will not rub tires as bad may have more to do with the fact that you have a 2500 series truck and not a 1500. The fact that you have a 2500 series truck means you have a stiffer front torsion bar than a 1500 and this will allow less wheel travel when going over the same bump vs a 1500 truck. A little might have to do with the lift but I would say more of it has to do with the heavier duty torsion bars.

If you say so. Like I said, I'm not an expert on the differences between the 1500 and the 2500.

As far as the marketing of a product is concerned. You can make anything look better on paper. When it comes down to it all of these companies have been around for some time and all of them create a quality product.

Um, here's where you and I really are going to disagree. When you say "all of them create a quality product" I have to disagree. It's simply not true. You're making a broad generalization about products from many different companies. Let's just say that all of the companies make lift kits that can be put onto trucks and that's about where our agreement stops. A lift kit is not a lift kit is not a lift kit. Sure they all lift the truck up higher but after that there are real differences and I won't agree that all of them are quality products.

As far as a lift recommendation goes I would recommend any of them. The key is to find a good quality shop to install the product for you.

Again, I disagree. I won't recommend any of them. But it is very important to find a quality shop - one that has EXPERIENCE installing lift kits ON AVALANCHES (or at least on late model Chevy/GMC products).

I value your opinion Magic Mtn Dan, but felt I needed to respond with another point of view. I'm not slamming you in anyway. I hope you see that.

And I value your opinion Jon. I don't feel like you slammed me at all. But we don't need to agree on everything either. Obviously one thing we all agree on is that we like (love) our Avs. And improving them is everyones' objective, one mod at a time.

 

[conwayavalancher]

I cant tell you how much I appreciate eveyones input on this. I just wanted to drop another line and say I finally got some pictures Dont worry....there's nothing speacial....have not lifted it yet but I will post some more pics when I get it dirty again!

 

[conwayavalancher]

sorry...forgot the pictures! http://www.geocities.com/gettingbooted/Avalanche_Z71

[attachment deleted by admin larger then 100KB]