Author Topic: Rough Country 2" All Spring Lift Experience  (Read 20459 times)

Offline 85K10SB

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 39
  • Newbie
Re: Rough Country 2" All Spring Lift Experience
« Reply #30 on: March 20, 2016, 06:38:06 AM »
My brothers 78' has a 4" lift sitting on 35's for comparison

Offline 85K10SB

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 39
  • Newbie
Re: Rough Country 2" All Spring Lift Experience
« Reply #31 on: March 20, 2016, 06:43:37 AM »
One more

Offline Engineer

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1402
Re: Rough Country 2" All Spring Lift Experience
« Reply #32 on: March 20, 2016, 07:14:30 AM »
That is a beautiful truck.

I know the topic of this thread is settled but if it were mine I would only opt for a Skyjacker lift. Probably in the 6" range. Or maybe 8" and 35s. But I like a little more lift that most. Have smushed more than my share of fenders. The extra lift gives a little more margin for error when in the back country.
2002 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 8.1/ZF6sp RC/LB
2001 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 6.0/4L85E EC/SB
1997 Chevy Blazer 4x4
1994 Chevy K-2500 4x4 C6P 5.7/4L80E
1979 Chevy K-30 4x4 4sp 4.10
1977 Chevy K-30 4x4 4sp 4.10 454

Dad of an Eagle Scout, and a Life Scout

Offline 85K10SB

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 39
  • Newbie
Re: Rough Country 2" All Spring Lift Experience
« Reply #33 on: March 20, 2016, 07:24:06 AM »
Thanks I like it :)  I hear ya on altitude preference and these trucks look great up that high.  I just wanted mine to look "right" with 33s and this lift got me there.  If I was into off roading I would've gone with bigger tires and a taller lift but my truck is a cruiser/boat hauler so I kept it down where it's at.  I think I might do a partial transfer drop still.  With my short wheelbase and the NP208's short driveshaft there is a slight angle at the pinion.  Maybe I'm being OCD but I'd rather it was straight at the pinion.

Offline Greybeard

  • Frequent Member
  • **
  • Posts: 462
  • Newbie
Re: Rough Country 2" All Spring Lift Experience
« Reply #34 on: March 20, 2016, 12:42:24 PM »
My particular preference is round lights but I will admit that your truck is very very nice! AND it's a SWB, that is so much better.  ;D

I believe the lift on that truck is perfect! 

(I still can't figure out why the pre-81 trucks are considered 'square bodies' I don't see anything square about them. They aren't as rounded the pre-73's it's true, but definitely not square either. Not square like after the square lights anyway)

OK Thread jack is over...carry on.  ;)
I am what I am and I ain't no more!

Offline 85K10SB

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 39
  • Newbie
Re: Rough Country 2" All Spring Lift Experience
« Reply #35 on: March 20, 2016, 02:18:12 PM »
Ha ha!  Thanks man, I think it's perfect too.  Not too high for the tire size and not too low like nit was before.

Offline firefighter

  • Frequent Member
  • **
  • Posts: 462
Re: Rough Country 2" All Spring Lift Experience
« Reply #36 on: March 22, 2016, 06:46:31 AM »
It looks just right. Nice truck !!!

Offline 85K10SB

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 39
  • Newbie
Re: Rough Country 2" All Spring Lift Experience
« Reply #37 on: March 22, 2016, 06:50:49 AM »
It looks just right. Nice truck !!!

Thanks!  I'm still grinning about how it sits now :)  next step is replacing the tired tranny with a raptor 700R4, gotta save up the coin first though :-\  once that is done I'll start getting more power out of that 350...one step at a time

Offline blazer74

  • Junior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 786
  • Newbie
Re: Rough Country 2" All Spring Lift Experience
« Reply #38 on: March 22, 2016, 08:56:22 AM »
You don't want a straight pinion unless you change to a CV (constant velocity or  double cardigan) driveshaft.

You need to have equal angles at both ends of a single ujoint driveshaft. at each end with an absolute max of 3 degrees difference otherwise you will have vibrations and premature ujoint wear.

Dropping your TC depends on your driveshaft angles.

Nice truck, looks great!

Offline 85K10SB

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 39
  • Newbie
Re: Rough Country 2" All Spring Lift Experience
« Reply #39 on: March 22, 2016, 09:43:41 AM »
Thanks for the info on driveshaft angles.  I'm fairly certain my angle was greater than 3° before I put the lift in.  As it sits now there are no vibrations or anything, and that was at 70mph.  Time will tell if the u-joints are going to wear quicker

Offline Greybeard

  • Frequent Member
  • **
  • Posts: 462
  • Newbie
Re: Rough Country 2" All Spring Lift Experience
« Reply #40 on: March 22, 2016, 10:42:44 PM »
Don't forget that under load/braking the pinion end angle changes. So even when cruising at part throttle the pinion will be a bit higher than static. Any load in the truck will compress the springs bringing the pinion angle up also. Braking drops the pinion end angle down.

Back in the day it was not uncommon for folks to set the pinion angle straight at the driveshaft. I won't say whether they had issues or not, but a lot of them were that way. Times change and more information becomes available though. If a traction aid of some sort is used set the pinion angle and forget it. If not all the things I mentioned will effect the way the driveshaft works. The softer the ride the more twist/wrap the springs will allow. Soft springs wrap up badly. If torque and horsepower are in the trucks future, keep this in mind.

I had a 6" Trailmaster lift on my shortbox. I don't remember if I there was a shim used on the blocks to set the angle or not or if the blocks had an angle built into them that was close enough. I had no driveline problems that I remember up to 125 MPH. YMMV

The best way to set it is cut and reweld the spring perchs, a wedge shim is so much easier and cheaper however and will do the job well as long as you re-torque the axle u-bolts every hundred miles or less until they will not move any more during a re-torque. 
I am what I am and I ain't no more!

Offline 85K10SB

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 39
  • Newbie
Re: Rough Country 2" All Spring Lift Experience
« Reply #41 on: March 23, 2016, 05:25:57 AM »
Great post Greybeard...thanks for the info. 

Offline roundhouse

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1474
  • Newbie
Rough Country 2" All Spring Lift Experience
« Reply #42 on: March 23, 2016, 08:17:51 AM »
I added a 3.5 spring lift to my early bronco and added the wedge shims
The wedges actually made the U joints wear out faster
So I removed them

Every truck is different so drive it and see what happens is the best way
But for a 2" lift.  I really don't see any need for them

And your truck looks great !

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Offline 85K10SB

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 39
  • Newbie
Re: Rough Country 2" All Spring Lift Experience
« Reply #43 on: March 23, 2016, 04:14:25 PM »
I added a 3.5 spring lift to my early bronco and added the wedge shims
The wedges actually made the U joints wear out faster
So I removed them

Every truck is different so drive it and see what happens is the best way
But for a 2" lift.  I really don't see any need for them

And your truck looks great !

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the info and the compliment!  I'll drive it and see how it does.  Might take a while though, I only drive it about 1500 miles per summer.  Off topic but I found it interesting: it had a bad u joint when I got the truck in 07' and much to my surprise it still had the plastic injected for cap retention.  Makes me wonder if the odometer never rolled over.

Offline enaberif

  • Junior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 810
Re: Rough Country 2" All Spring Lift Experience
« Reply #44 on: March 23, 2016, 05:22:16 PM »
5 or 6 digit odometer? if a 5 it has rolled at least once.