98 k2500 lift

[maverick_935]

Has anyone raised the front end on their trucks and how? Did this make a difference on ride and if so, good or bad?

I searched but mostly found newer trucks listed.

[Robyn]

The sky is the limit.
Just turning the torsion bars will get a little but this is not the way to go.

The 4x4 stores have some very wild kits that will get your truck up to the moon if you like.
These kits come with all the hardware to do it right and end with a rig that drives good too.

Best

Robyn

[6.5 Detroit Diesel]

I turned up the torsion bars quite a ways and thought that I was riding in truck loaded with rocks and no suspension across a washboard. It's nasty to go further than a few turns. Lift is the best way to go.

[ThumperTDC]

I tightend the torsion bars on my truck, only enough to level it out. Once you tighten them you are supposed to go get your front end alighned, but I haven't made it that far yet.

[Robyn]

The big issue with turning up the tension on the bars is that the rides get brutally hard and the A arms are then traveling in an area that is outside there nornal "Center" zone.

The alignment goes all sour and the travel is compromised too.

The lift kits for the IFS suspensions have all the needed brackets to drop the A arms down the desired amount as well as the spacer to drop the rear torsion bar mount the same amount.

There are brackets for the steering tie rods to drop all this stuff too.

The lift procedure on an IFS is a great deal different than on a straight axle where the only real concerns are the drag link and the drive shaft.

On the Older rigs as long as you have the proper angle on the drive line and a reasonable amount of spline in the slip yoke your fine there.
The drag link is the other area and the usual procedure is to use a steering arm on the LH side that has been modified to raise the attaching point for the drag link back up to a more normal location.

The IFS must also see the front gear box assembly dropped too so that the half shafts are running within the joint design limits.

A properly lifted IFS is quite a piece of work.

My 92 that I just got has a very nice lift of 6 inches in the suspension.

There is a buttload of parts though that become very vulnerable if the thing is going to be used in rough service off road.

Here is a link to a good article. http://www.4wheeloffroad.com/techarticles/suspension/131_0509_gm_truck_ifs_lift_kit/index.html

As is pointed out in the above linked article, these lift kits although fairly well designed are not the total answer.
GM was looking for a sweet cushy ride as a number one on the list Item and the 4x4 ability fell far down the list.

The Half shafts must be run in their happy spot or their strength goes out the door.
The better way for off road durability is to swap in a 60 series dana straight axle with a high pinion so that the drive line angle stays within reason.

Now if your little trail monster is going to stay on the pavment most of the time then one of many lift kits are fine.

Most of us dont thrash our trucks to the point that these kits or the original components will fail.


Have fun.

Robyn

[maverick_935]

I find that right now the suspension is not soft and it sits low on the front. I don't see any problems.
When you hit a manhole it almost makes the truck shudder.