1999 OBS Yukon Lift Swap?

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

chase53g

TYF Newbie
Joined
Apr 13, 2013
Posts
9
Reaction score
0
Hey guys, I've got a 99 Yukon, with the 6" Fabtech Suspension lift, and a 3" Body. I'm running 35x12.5R15 Cooper discovery tires, and I've been experiencing some really bad inside tire wear. I know i have a really bad negative camber, but everywhere i take it to for an alignment says that i don't have enough room to adjust and correct the camber. I know that with the Fabtech Lift kit there is a widened track width (2.5" on either side). I believe that this widened track width is adding to my negative camber and tire wear, because the weight of the vehicle would be over the inside of the tire. Correct?

After reading the OBS lift thread, i learned that the widened track width is caused because the fabtech lift is a "knuckle lift". Not sure what that is, but I believe that i would be better off with a lift kit that will reduce that track width, (Dick Cepek) which would cause the weight of the vehicle to be centered over the tire more.

Would switching to the Cepek lift be worth the money and hassle in the long run? Or should I stick with the Fabtech? What could I do to help reduce tire wear if i stay with the Fabtech? What all would be involved with installing the Cepek?
By the way, i use my truck as a daily driver. Not my first choice, but i really cant afford insurance and maintenance for another car... I'm a broke college student.

Thanks for the help guys, and hopefully you all can assist me in making an educated decision.

***Edit
After doing a little searching, it looks like the Cepek lift isnt available anymore, which is too bad because it looked like a good lift. My next choice would be the rough country 6", but i dont know too much about it. Would it have the oversized alignment cams like the Cepek lift had?
 
Last edited:

Donnie Yukonie

Yates Caretaker
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Posts
5,125
Reaction score
161
You are correct you have a knuckle lift which adds Trac width you would need a bracket style which does not add any . My superlift is a bracket style. What is the back spacing of your rims?

sent from my Droid DNA using tapatalk
 
OP
OP
C

chase53g

TYF Newbie
Joined
Apr 13, 2013
Posts
9
Reaction score
0
You are correct you have a knuckle lift which adds Trac width you would need a bracket style which does not add any . My superlift is a bracket style. What is the back spacing of your rims?

sent from my Droid DNA using tapatalk
Not 100% sure if i checked it right, but i measured from the inside of the wheel, (Between 2 lug nuts), to the inside flange, using a straight edge. It was 6"

***Edit After checking mickey thompsons website, the only backspacing they had for my wheel was 3-5/8". Looks like i suck at measuring.:emotions122:
 
Last edited:

SunlitComet

OBS Jedi-Do Good
Joined
Sep 30, 2010
Posts
16,206
Reaction score
188
Location
unknown at this time.
dont think changing lifts is a good idea from one maker to another, you may have on bracket from a maker that mounts differently from another and may end up with holing that can get elongated or just weakens the frame from more holes then before.
 
OP
OP
C

chase53g

TYF Newbie
Joined
Apr 13, 2013
Posts
9
Reaction score
0
dont think changing lifts is a good idea from one maker to another, you may have on bracket from a maker that mounts differently from another and may end up with holing that can get elongated or just weakens the frame from more holes then before.

Understandable. What could I do to help mitigate tire wear with my current lift? Get a smaller set of daily driving tires and rims? It wont look good, but it would be a lot cheaper to replace...
 

Donnie Yukonie

Yates Caretaker
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Posts
5,125
Reaction score
161
Rim offset to a closer to stock backspacing and what not will help IMO, could you take some pictures of your suspension set up , primarily from the front showing the way the wheel sits , ball joint and tie rod angles?
 

SunlitComet

OBS Jedi-Do Good
Joined
Sep 30, 2010
Posts
16,206
Reaction score
188
Location
unknown at this time.
Understandable. What could I do to help mitigate tire wear with my current lift? Get a smaller set of daily driving tires and rims? It wont look good, but it would be a lot cheaper to replace...

like dony said above lets see pic on everything including the tire wear how you upper arms are mounted to the chassis and all that.
 
OP
OP
C

chase53g

TYF Newbie
Joined
Apr 13, 2013
Posts
9
Reaction score
0
Rim offset to a closer to stock backspacing and what not will help IMO, could you take some pictures of your suspension set up , primarily from the front showing the way the wheel sits , ball joint and tie rod angles?

WP_20130416_007.jpg

WP_20130416_006.jpg

WP_20130416_004.jpg

WP_20130416_004.jpg

View From the front
WP_20130416_003.jpg

From behind the wheel well
WP_20130416_002-Copy.jpg

From above
WP_20130416_001-Copy.jpg
 

SunlitComet

OBS Jedi-Do Good
Joined
Sep 30, 2010
Posts
16,206
Reaction score
188
Location
unknown at this time.
is it me or has the upper arms not been punched and a camber/caster not been added?

---------- Post added at 10:51 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:48 AM ----------

also looks like the lift is peaking on the side of too much angle.
 
OP
OP
C

chase53g

TYF Newbie
Joined
Apr 13, 2013
Posts
9
Reaction score
0
is it me or has the upper arms not been punched and a camber/caster not been added?

---------- Post added at 10:51 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:48 AM ----------

also looks like the lift is peaking on the side of too much angle.

They said at the alignment shop that they werent sure if the upper arms had been punched or not, and that they could do it, but they still werent sure if they would be able to correct the camber.

What do you mean by peaking on the side of too much angle? Is this something i could have adjusted? Bear with me haha, still trying to learn all this stuff
 

Forum statistics

Threads
132,767
Posts
1,873,939
Members
97,605
Latest member
audley71
Top