[updated:LAST EDITED ON 16-Apr-02 AT 10:46 AM (EST)]Has anyone heard of Truckin Suspension lift kits. It appears that you can buy directly from the manufacturer. They have a 9.5" suspension lift that is priced pretty resonablely. Has anyone heard good or bad things about them??? What all does the kit come with and what all will I have to buy seperately or change because of such a big lift?? I do have an email into the company to see what all it comes with.

And lastly, if I do go with this what rim / tire combo should I go with??

Thanks,

 

I have never heard of them, do they have a website?


*****

 

Me either! As for the tires and rims I personnaly would go with at least a 38 x 15.5 on a 12 inch rim!
Just my .02 worth!

 

They "say" that they are the Americas newest aftermarket suspension manufacturer and online wholesaler/dealer. Their website is http://truckinsuspension.com/ . I am still waiting to see what all there kit comes with.

 

>What all does the kit come with
>and what all will I have to buy
>seperately or change because of
>such a big lift??

if you go anything over 8" you will start to get into the custom fab stuff.... and it gets quite expensive..... DON'T buy any advice that tells you differently..... it will be a dangerous adventure if you do. although some ppl have run without and have had success, everyone of them says their trucks have never seen the dirt..... nor speed bumps, nor potholes..... i think you get the idea.

when lifting above 8" you will have to go to crossover steering, basically this is a setup that will move the steering knuckle from crossing below the leaf to above the leaf... this is about $1500 to do and i believe ORU is the only company that manufactures this setup.

then you have driveline angle issues.... it will depend on the angle, but you may have to end up cutting and rotating your axels into a better position... i am unsure of the exact cost of this, but assume that it will run 500-1000 per axel.

then you have drive shaft lengthening..... the front can be lengthened for around 200... the rear from what i understand should not be lengethened due to the stress that is put on that shaft.... this will run you about 600 for a new rear drive shaft.

shocks may be another issue... you may have to go to the valved shocks since std off the slef shocks may not be long enough... these will run you from 200 per shock up..... i have heard king shocks (who seem to be the best ones out) run in the 400-800 range.

so be prepared to drop some serious coin if you go above 8" in suspension!

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 16-Apr-02 AT 02:25 PM (EST)]>if you go anything over 8" you will start to get into the
>custom fab stuff.... and it gets quite expensive..... DON'T
>buy any advice that tells you differently..... it will be a
>dangerous adventure if you do. although some ppl have run
>without and have had success, everyone of them says their
>trucks have never seen the dirt..... nor speed bumps, nor
>potholes..... i think you get the idea.

I agree with Abendx. I have an Fabtech 11" full suspension (no body lift).

>when lifting above 8" you will have to go to crossover
>steering, basically this is a setup that will move the
>steering knuckle from crossing below the leaf to above the
>leaf... this is about $1500 to do and i believe ORU is the
>only company that manufactures this setup.

I don't believe I have that setup (I think mine is still below the leaf). I haven't had any problems with my steering.

>then you have driveline angle issues.... it will depend on
>the angle, but you may have to end up cutting and rotating
>your axels into a better position... i am unsure of the
>exact cost of this, but assume that it will run 500-1000 per
>axel.

They shouldn't have to cut or rotate your axles. The shop that did mine here in Vegas has angled pieces that they can put under the front leaf springs that connect to the spring pack to get different anlges if they need it.

>then you have drive shaft lengthening..... the front can be
>lengthened for around 200... the rear from what i understand
>should not be lengethened due to the stress that is put on
>that shaft.... this will run you about 600 for a new rear
>drive shaft.

I had both my front and rear drive shaft lengthend for $600 (that was for brand new driveshafts). If you look at my Misc. pics at my exhaust pic, you might be able to see my rear driveshaft. It came from the driveline shop powder coated black so it doesn't rust.

>shocks may be another issue... you may have to go to the
>valved shocks since std off the slef shocks may not be long
>enough... these will run you from 200 per shock up..... i
>have heard king shocks (who seem to be the best ones out)
>run in the 400-800 range.

Rancho makes some pretty long traveling shocks. I have the RS9000s (I don't have the part number) and they will work up to a 12.5" lift

>so be prepared to drop some serious coin if you go above 8"
>in suspension!

This is true!!!

As for a rim and tire combo, I too would reccommend a at least a 38" tire if you want to stay with a radial and if you don't mind a bias ply, you may want to check out a 38.5". In either case, I would stick with a 16.5x12 rim (if you go wider, you may run into some rubbing issues and may have to cut fenders). For the 38" radial, I would say go with the Parnelli Jones or Super Swmaper. A thing you may want to consider also is the true hight of the tire. The 38" Radial Swamper actually only measures about 37". The Parnelli Jones Dirt Grip ties is a true 38" (I think it measures 38.2"). The 38.5" Swamper Bias is said to measure 38.2". Here is link to a pic of the 38" Parnelli Jones tire with a 9" lift. It may give you an idea:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/29214421/29428114zzjykCYoMV

I'm not saying the Parnelli Jones are better than the Swampers, Abendx I too have the 39.5 Bias Swampers and love them, but I don't want someone to buy a set of tires and then not get what they paid for, (in my case). I ordered a new set of 38.5" Swampers thinking they would be a 38.5" tire. When I got it, they were too small (they looked more like a 37.5" tire) so I ordered a set of 39.5" Swamper tires. When they arrived, I had to pay a stupid $60 reshipping fee for Interco to ship them back their 37.5" tires that I was told was a 38.5" tire. Hope this info helps.
:-X11

 

oh i agree on the f-ed up tire size scam they have going.......

i was pretty pissed wen i figured out after a coupel fo thousand miles that mine were not 38"... i wanted to get the PJ's... but i was going to have to wait two weeks and they were an additional 100 each.... so i went with my first choice... the TSL's.

now... i think most every radial tire is rated bigger than they actually are... i rmrmber when i ran bfg's in the past, they were rated at 35 and really were 34's or less.. ????

bias ply is the ONLY way to go..... f these little 38" and below tires... if anyone wants mine (with 5000 miles on them) i will be willing to cut you a good deal! they are radials so they should go 40,000 miles!

i am ready when someone buys or these wear out to go to the real mans size tire..... 42's

i think that dude that was picking up on you chad in the othe rpost of yours might be fancy on me if he finds out i am getting those 42's... so u better watch out!

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 16-Apr-02 AT 03:08 PM (EST)]Abendx,

Maybe we could invite him down here for the motocross and drop him off at one of those "other" strip joints they have down here or he can go upstairs at the OGs. We can't leave out or fellow FTE members just because they like other things than we do.

:-X11

 

Chadrock...Are you saying that you do not have the cross over steering?? Just a factor steering setup??

 

I don't have the factory steering setup, I have the parts that came with the Fabtech lift, but the lift shop that did mine, did have to customize some parts. As for which components, I'm not sure, but I could find out. I just don't think my link is above the leaf springs. I'm also kind of confused as to which part Abendx is refering to. I could take a pic when I get home to show how mine is done. I'll have that pic later this afternoon.

:-X11

 

Thanks that would be great if you could find out what the customized and get a pic.

 

i am not talking about the fabtech dorped pitman arm nor the fabtech droped track bar bracket..... it is the bar that connects your pitman arm to teh knuckle on the wheel (drag link maybe???)... anyhow... with a crossover setup, this arm would not go from the pitman arm to the knuckle that is below the leafs as the factory setup is, but would go to a "new" knuckle that is placed at a point where the drag link (not sure of terminology) mounts to the axel above the leaf pack.

do a search on the "other" board for crossover steering and you well get a wealth of info from the likes of drew and others that i would consider the experts on big lifts (more than 8").

 

>i am not talking about the fabtech dorped pitman arm nor the
>fabtech droped track bar bracket..... it is the bar that
>connects your pitman arm to teh knuckle on the wheel (drag
>link maybe???)... anyhow... with a crossover setup, this arm
>would not go from the pitman arm to the knuckle that is
>below the leafs as the factory setup is, but would go to a
>"new" knuckle that is placed at a point where the drag link
>(not sure of terminology) mounts to the axel above the leaf
>pack.
>
>do a search on the "other" board for crossover steering and
>you well get a wealth of info from the likes of drew and
>others that i would consider the experts on big lifts (more
>than 8").

This is what I found out and Abendx is right, but this may clarify it a little. You do need the crossover steering if you have a lift that is solely a leaf spring lift larger than an 8". This does not mean a 8" spring lift with a 3" body or a 6" spring lift with a 3" hanger, it is an all spring lift larger than 8". So, I have an 11" lift, but I have only an 8" Fabtech leaf spring lift and a 3" Fabtech hanger kit (which relocated where the leaf springs connenct). Since I have only the 8" spring kit, no crossover steering was needed. All the parts they needed for my steering came with the Fabtech lift. I have pics in my gallery under "misc. pics" if anyone wants to take a look. So, if you are looking to go larger than an 8" lift, you may want to stick with the 8" spring kit and go with a body or hanger kit to get the additional lift so you don't have to spend the money to do the crossover steering. Hope this helps.

:-X11

 

chad... i have to disagree......

body lift aside... any lift over 8" will require the crossover steering..... if that weren't the case... i'd have 15.5" by this weekend!

8" springs + 4.5" hangers + 3" body.....

it is all in the suspension.... andthing other than a body lift will require it.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 16-Apr-02 AT 07:01 PM (EST)]The shops here in Vegas say its not required. Only if you go with a full spring kit. I agree that they consider a hanger kit suspension, but the shops here said that its not a matter of suspension, its a matter of the amount of lift from the leaf springs.

8" spring + 3" hanger = 11" suspension No crossover

6" spring + 4" hanger + 3" body = 10" suspension 3" body No crossover

9" spring = 9" suspension Crossover (due to all of the 9"s of lift being from the leaf springs themselves.

Like I said, my truck does not have the crossover, you can look at the pictures to varify, but I don't have any problems and the shops here in town say what I posted above???

:-X11