Suspension help

[Ovie Hodges]

Just bought a 09 ltz 4x4. I want to run 285/60/20-305/50/20 bfg ko2’s or maybe more aggressive Toyo mud terrains.
I plan on doing a air ride delete and need help figuring the best setup to go with.
I don’t mind spending money to go with a suspension lift , but I’m wondering if a quality level kit, new shocks , coils is good enough for what I need.
Also wondering what the ride difference is between suspension lift or level kit/ shock coil/upgrade

 

[swathdiver]

Just bought a 09 ltz 4x4. I want to run 285/60/20-305/50/20 bfg ko2’s or maybe more aggressive Toyo mud terrains.
I plan on doing a air ride delete and need help figuring the best setup to go with.
I don’t mind spending money to go with a suspension lift , but I’m wondering if a quality level kit, new shocks , coils is good enough for what I need.
Also wondering what the ride difference is between suspension lift or level kit/ shock coil/upgrade

Welcome Ovie!

@NathanJax Can you move this to the right forum please for Ovie?

Ovie, those are some wide and tall tires for sure that you are looking at. Lifts are not my specialty so I'll defer to the experts, they'll show up around dinner time or after usually. What motor came with your Tahoe? What state are you in?

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

Pics, please.

Regarding wheel/tire combinations that will fit your truck without rubbing, no 2 trucks and their suspensions are exactly alike, due to a number of factors including accumulated wear on the suspension components, so there is no guarantee that what fits with no rubbing on one truck will automatically fit with no rubbing on your truck. Other folks' experiences can guide you in one direction or another, but the final test will be when you mount the wheel/tire combination on your own truck.

To assist you in getting a good idea on whether or not specific alternate wheel/tire combinations 'may' fit your truck with no rubbing, I recommend that you use the wheel/tire comparison app at the URL listed below. You can use this app starting with your existing wheel/tire combination as a benchmark, assuming that there are currently no rubbing issues with it, and measure the actual critical fender and suspension component clearances as directed by this app. Then, you can enter alternate wheel/tire combinations, and this app will give you the projected changes in these critical fender and suspension component clearances.

https://www.wheel-size.com/calc/

I used this app for determining whether on not I could use my current alternate wheel/tire combination, and it accurately projected the changes in critical clearances. Again, the use of this app in not an absolute guarantee that an alternate wheel/tire combination will fit without rubbing, but it provides a much better assessment, or projection, than simply an educated guess on your part, or a statement from others that it worked on a truck other than yours.

 

[NathanJax]

Welcome Ovie!

@NathanJax Can you move this to the right forum please for Ovie?

 

[87carl]

I was running 33x10.5 before lift with stock rims no rubbing. One of sizes you mentioned is 33x11 other is 32x12. Depending on offset of your rims you should be able to get by with just a level kit. The more offset pushing your wheels out the larger you scrub radius will be and therefore the worse the rubbing will be. There's alot of options for lifts and level kits. Personally I went with rough country 3.5 knuckle lift for 07-13 trucks and skyjacker c25r lift springs in the rear. I wanted a mild lift with no spacers on my springs and struts and I wanted to keep my tie rod ball joints and cv angles as flat and close to stock as possible. It did exactly what I wanted sits very level and rides way better than it did stock. It's taller than I expected it went up 5 inches in front and 3.5 in the rear, some of that is how worn out and sagging my old suspension was. I now have enough room I should be able to get 35s on with mild trimming.

 

[Tozan]

Just bought a 09 ltz 4x4. I want to run 285/60/20-305/50/20 bfg ko2’s or maybe more aggressive Toyo mud terrains.
I plan on doing a air ride delete and need help figuring the best setup to go with.
I don’t mind spending money to go with a suspension lift , but I’m wondering if a quality level kit, new shocks , coils is good enough for what I need.
Also wondering what the ride difference is between suspension lift or level kit/ shock coil/upgrade

With your choice in rim size it sounds like you are not planning much off road or at least nothing to rough so, a level kit should be good enough.

 

[Jason in DLH]

Just bought a 09 ltz 4x4. I want to run 285/60/20-305/50/20 bfg ko2’s or maybe more aggressive Toyo mud terrains.
I plan on doing a air ride delete and need help figuring the best setup to go with.
I don’t mind spending money to go with a suspension lift , but I’m wondering if a quality level kit, new shocks , coils is good enough for what I need.
Also wondering what the ride difference is between suspension lift or level kit/ shock coil/upgrade

I just wanted to mention that you can do a couple fender tricks in the front to run larger tires and/or more aggressive wheel offsets. The first is to cut the plastic backing, heat, and remold the front (of the front fender liner):







(I have a 2” wheel spacer on).


And here’s good instructions on how to do the rear:

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

Just mentioning all this in case you find your tires rub a bit.

 

[Murfs66]

You will need to get familiar with the hack saw if you plan on running stock height with 305's you will get rub and just when you thing you don't have any you will back up in a certain angle and have more. Depending on the list you want you can run a decent 33" or a 35" with no rub. For a 2" level kit you can run a 33", but might have a little rubbing. A 5" is the way to go for a little lift and some nice tires and no worries.