Front End Rebuild, Should I do a lift now?

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FirstTimerTahoe

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Hello All!

I've had my 2001 Tahoe for 3 years now, getting ready for a Front End Rebuild. I need to source parts, and figure out what parts need replaced.

During this process, do any of you lifted truck experts think I should go ahead and lift the truck NOW, or is it something that should be done at a later part. I don't want to have to replace parts again, after i've replaced the front end.

Which parts should I be looking for? I think I'm going to go for just a MILD lift, maybe 2-4 inches. I have children, and a Shorty for a wife.

Also I'm currently running 285/75/16's on the Tahoe, is that still going to look tasteful, or will I need to upsize my tires?

TLDR: What parts should I replace in the front end and when lifting the truck?
 

Jason in DLH

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By no means am I a suspension expert, but I’d say do it now while you’ve got it up in the air and everything apart. Just getting the Yukon up and pulling the wheels off and putting them back on again and torquing all those lug nuts to 140 ft-lbs is a job in and of itself in my books, so I’m always figuring what else I can do while it’s in the air. Maybe if I wasn’t so out of shape...:cool:

And for reference...I’ve got nearly the same size wheel and tire combo with a 2” (dang it...might be 3”) lift and I think it looks great. Tinkering with the idea of going 2” higher with the same tires. My tires have an aggressive fit with 2” protruding from the fender which I believe pulls it all together.
 
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FirstTimerTahoe

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By no means am I a suspension expert, but I’d say do it now while you’ve got it up in the air and everything apart. Just getting the Yukon up and pulling the wheels off and putting them back on again and torquing all those lug nuts to 140 ft-lbs is a job in and of itself in my books, so I’m always figuring what else I can do while it’s in the air. Maybe if I wasn’t so out of shape...:cool:

And for reference...I’ve got nearly the same size wheel and tire combo with a 2” (dang it...might be 3”) lift and I think it looks great. Tinkering with the idea of going 2” higher with the same tires. My tires have an aggressive fit with 2” protruding from the fender which I believe pulls it all together.


Thanks for the response man!

How did you get the aggressive 2" protruding effect?

I'm looking into tires at the same time so it doesn't look wonky once i'm done, and waiting for tires.

Was wondering if you could fit 12.5 inch wheels on stock rims. I like the way my Rims look. Took em off an 07 Silverado pretty sure? Facebook buy. 1000%
 

Dantheman1540

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If it were me and I wanted 2-4" of lift I'd do some JD fab upper control arms and factory lowers. Then ditch the torsion bars for a set of coil overs from Atomic and a good set of tierods like from kryptonite. It's the same setup I have on my Silverado and rides awesome with a lot of travel compared to the factory setup. Plus you can adjust the coilovers to add a little or remove a little lift to get the desired ride hieght. The parts aren't necessarily cheap but you shouldn't have to replace anything for a long time and you have about the best bolt in setup you can get that will still be easily aligned within spec and provide maximum ground clearance unlike most drop bracket lifts.

Also yes you can run a 12.5"wide tire on a factory wheel it will have a nice bulgy sidewall look that I personally like.

https://jdfabrication.com/collectio...o-06-chevy-1500-4x4-mid-travel-suspension-kit
https://atomicfabandperformance.com/product/99-06-torsion-bar-coilover-package-lifted-trucks/
https://kryptoniteproducts.com/coll...oducts/kryptonite-death-grip-tie-rods-1-2-ton
 

Jason in DLH

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Thanks for the response man!

How did you get the aggressive 2" protruding effect?

I'm looking into tires at the same time so it doesn't look wonky once i'm done, and waiting for tires.

Was wondering if you could fit 12.5 inch wheels on stock rims. I like the way my Rims look. Took em off an 07 Silverado pretty sure? Facebook buy. 1000%

Like Dan previously mentioned, yes, you certainly can fit those.

Since I was too cheap to buy new wheels with the correct offset, I simply used a 2” HUB centric wheel spacer to achieve the aggressive look. I believe I have a 2” lift and I had to perform the NorCal Mod along with remolding the front of the fender as it was rubbing badly.

Here’s the “NorCal Fender Mod”....

https://norcaltruck.com/2007-5-2013-chevy-gm-large-fender-mod

Here’s a picture of what had to be done in the front...

DBAE8BED-0901-455D-923D-384532779C15.jpeg
D9D34559-290F-46FF-A9EB-A9887522A39B.jpeg
 

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