Level question newbie

[Junior21]

Here it goes I have a 2004 tahoe 2wd I picked up some 285 55 20 bfgs ko2
they're in the garage for the moment
Would i have to level the front in order for them to fit? And if so how many inches should i level supposedly the highest is "1.5" to keep the factory ride. also the shocks are wearing out wut brand should i go with?

Thanks in adavance time to go read some more of this threads

 

[Peezer123]

Following

 

[Chubbs]

You will need a leveling kit. The 285s will rub every which way in the front fender well. If you have deep pockets, this is what you want.

https://www.suspensionmaxx.com/store/product/SMX-MC2

you can buy any flavor spacer that you want for the back on eBay, along with dirt cheap torsion bar keys if you don't buy the maxicam, but they are adjustable from 1"-3" in 1/2" increments which is pretty bada$$.

You need every bit of 2" for the 285s. You will also need the front wheels aligned immediately following. Bilstein makes a shock absorber that is tuned for up to 3" over stock: it may be the 5100 or something but you will have to find the info yourself. Google "bilstein GM leveling kit/keys" and it should be on the 1st page of hits. Go to images also; they are gray/silver with blue or black dust sleeve.

If you end up at 2" lift on the keys it should be level with the back. Anything more, or to maintain the factory rake, rear spacers are necessary.

Stay tuned to this guy lifting the same truck

http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/2002-tahoe-project-progress.96388/

 

[Chubbs]

loosen the control arm bolts & sway bar end links when you swap out the keys & shocks. You tighten them back up after the truck is on its own weight and the suspension cycled/ rolled back & forth. Just don't forget & drive off with all of your fasteners still loosened haha.

If you have the ZW7 suspension option, you must either extend the factory rear (if leveling the back) shocks OR replace the rear springs (with Z71 type) with the bilstein shocks, simultaneously. If you have ZW7 factory springs, you cannot replace the factory shock with a regular shock.

 

[CamReynolds]

You will need a leveling kit. The 285s will rub every which way in the front fender well. If you have deep pockets, this is what you want.

https://www.suspensionmaxx.com/store/product/SMX-MC2

you can buy any flavor spacer that you want for the back on eBay, along with dirt cheap torsion bar keys if you don't buy the maxicam, but they are adjustable from 1"-3" in 1/2" increments which is pretty bada$$.

You need every bit of 2" for the 285s. You will also need the front wheels aligned immediately following. Bilstein makes a shock absorber that is tuned for up to 3" over stock: it may be the 5100 or something but you will have to find the info yourself. Google "bilstein GM leveling kit/keys" and it should be on the 1st page of hits. Go to images also; they are gray/silver with blue or black dust sleeve.

If you end up at 2" lift on the keys it should be level with the back. Anything more, or to maintain the factory rake, rear spacers are necessary.

Stay tuned to this guy lifting the same truck

http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/2002-tahoe-project-progress.96388/

what he said

 

[tRidiot]

Odd... I have 285/55/20s on my 2004 2wd with no suspension mods. Zero rubbing.

 

[CamReynolds]

Odd... I have 285/55/20s on my 2004 2wd with no suspension mods. Zero rubbing.

I can see that. It would just be tight

 

[Chubbs]

I have 275/60/20 on my 4x4 with 2" front lift & the tires still barely rub backing up in reverse with the steering turned all the way.
It is almost 38" from the ground to the bottom of the fender.

Post some pics and let's see it.

Do you guys have torsion bar or coil springs on 2WD?

A guy at work said he has torsion bar on his, but I'm not entirely sure that is true.

 

[tRidiot]

I have 275/60/20 on my 4x4 with 2" front lift & the tires still barely rub backing up in reverse with the steering turned all the way.
It is almost 38" from the ground to the bottom of the fender.

Post some pics and let's see it.

Do you guys have torsion bar or coil springs on 2WD?

A guy at work said he has torsion bar on his, but I'm not entirely sure that is true.

Honestly, I'm not familiar enough with this stuff to know. I would like to get a lift put on, probably 2-3", but I know so little about it, I don't even know what to look for to know I'm getting the right stuff. I've been told by a friend if I put a lift on, I also need new ball joints, bushings and tie rods, probably new shocks, plus the lift, which I'm told includes upper control arms, sway bar links and the lift blocks.

TBH, even typing that much out makes me sweat, I don't know what most of that is, and I have been taken 'to the cleaners' by so many GD'd mechanic's shops over the years, I am terrified to even ask about having this done for me, almost positive I'll get shafted for $2-3k+ just for the lift.

 

[Chubbs]

first of all, I don't even know if your 2WD truck is set up like my 4WD.

You will have to look behind the front tires and tell me if it has coil springs in there, or torsion bars: It will be obvious. a guy at work told me that he has torsion bar on his NBS 2WD Tahoe, but who knows?? If you have coil spring in the front, that's a whole different animal.

Rebuilding the front steering/suspension as you have described is costly. Yes, hiring the labor/repairs out to some else either pro or novice will cost you plenty. Fortunately for you, there is a tutorial for everything on YouTube. All you need is the tools, space and patience. Even these things come at a cost, but still better doing it yourself and know what you have under there opposed to getting it shoved up your A...

personally, I would rather buy the tools and have someone threatening to call a tow truck as it sits somewhere in pieces before I would allow somebody else that I don't know to ****** my truck and then expect me to pay them for their time. If you go to a garage, refer to yelp or Google Reviews at the very least. There are some other boards I frequented in the past that share info & experience regarding auto garages in certain locals. Never contract with the cheapest bidder and research the most you possibly can. Its that important, as you have come to learn.

If you have a driveway and your truck needs work, you should start buying some tools: watch youTube videos to get an idea of what all you will need. I started doing my own automotive repairs after I moved to Dallas; I can't afford to pay $100/hour. I have the time and intelligence to get it done myself. Auto garages make a huge percentage of their income from parts alone. All you have to do is look at some of your old invoice and then search some online wholesalers to see that you are getting double-screwed between the charges for parts and THEN labor on top of that. F*** me...