1997-1999 Tahoe Lift / Leveling HELP

[Gzes]

That cj has bigger problems then the lift lol but are they from the north? Ive never even heard of body lifts doing any of that down in the south and trust me my old ram was beat on hard and harder and never even bent a body bolt. There has to be other factors o and the ram has hit crap. Pretty sure they used cheap bolts tho

---------- Post added at 01:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:37 AM ----------

Yep see some rust on the cj abd the picture under it so im taking it as a northern ride. Its pretty much the same if you crash becausethe bolts are weak. When i did my lift i had a bolt snap because it was rotted... And yes it was from the north for a good while then taken down south n i got it

 

[purple 'hoe]

That cj has bigger problems then the lift lol but are they from the north? Ive never even heard of body lifts doing any of that down in the south and trust me my old ram was beat on hard and harder and never even bent a body bolt. There has to be other factors o and the ram has hit crap. Pretty sure they used cheap bolts tho

---------- Post added at 01:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:37 AM ----------

Yep see some rust on the cj abd the picture under it so im taking it as a northern ride. Its pretty much the same if you crash becausethe bolts are weak. When i did my lift i had a bolt snap because it was rotted... And yes it was from the north for a good while then taken down south n i got it

This has nothing to do with what we are talking about. It makes no difference if a truck is from the north or the south. Separating the body from the frame with the intentions of "lifting" it is not a brilliant idea. End of story.

 

[Gzes]

Thats where you are wrong. Northern trucks have rot and rot on bolts makes them prone to snapping. Southern trucks dont have rot because theres no snow and road salt. Remember rust is a major factor

 

[_Dylan_]

Those trucks don't have very much rust.

 

[Donnie Yukonie]

Ok Ive read this thread through and through , PurpleHoe made the Best post regarding LIFTING OF ANY SORTS , lifting a vehicle no matter how you do it will change the Vehicles characteristics REGARDLESS of how you lift it either by body or suspension lift ,

Lets clear some things up first

The body separating from the frame doesn't have anything to do with rust The number ONE cause of this is "Weak" grade bolts . The Higher the grade the better But remember The longer the bolt the more prone it will to bending and Ultimately Fatiuging to Failure .

A Leveling Kit is a Waste of money IMO on these trucks You can do the same by simply cranking your factory keys because in reality thats all that is really being accomplished with these so called Aftermarket "Leveling kits". Regardless of how you accomplish your Level/Lift this way it will cost you more money in the long run than that of a Lift by wearing out your front end parts Quickly. better to save up the money for at least a 4 inch RCX lift (I know the 4-6 inch kits are pretty much the same but there is a cost difference)

Lastly No matter how you lift a vehicle It is not going to make it handle a crash any better Esp (rollovers,Side impacts,) This is Due to the fact that NO make/Model on the market todays crash tests a modified Suspension "LIFTED" truck/SUV to Pass the standards of Automotive safety .

LIFT AT YOUR OWN RISK.

As for what lift I would think Suits you best from what the OP stated. A body lift . You are a family man Just looking to make your truck stance Bigger, nothing wrong with that . Body lifts are the best option if your on a tight budget and a Mild 2 inch body lift should net you with a fair amount of clearance to stuff some bigger tires under there with no big issues . I would Buy A higher grade bolt (shear resistant) to install your body lift with , Not that whats provided is unsafe but due to these last few posts will help keep your peace of mind of safety .

 

[Fishin757]

^ yup

 

[clownracer]

I vote body lift....I have a 3" on mine.....if your in a bad enough wreck to separate body from frame that body lifts gonna be the least of your problems

 

[bowtiefreak]

Don hit it

 

[HOEIN]

Most reputable body lift kits come with grade 8 or higher bolts. Don't buy ebay body lift kits. If you get one from summit like mine it will say grade 8 on the head of the bolt.

Also make sure to torque the body bolts to spec and inspect or replace your body mounts while your have it apart.

Finally, I have a body lift in a clean 117k tahoe and I have not noticed anymore rattles or noises than before it was lifted with the BL.

That being said do a good job installing the body lift, like using all 10 bolts for a tahoe and 12 for burb (I wonder if those pictures had all the body bolts installed and torqued correctly?)

If you hit a wall at 60 mph yeah your are going to see some bending like those pictures. No matter what if you modify your suspension you are taking risk as said before. If you can't afford the risk don't made the changes.

Ken