1999 Suburban 1500 4x4 suspension project

[gtagamet]

I'm about to start a suspension upgrade for my 99 suburban and wanted to get some thoughts before I do. I've researched the kits from $900 to $5k and not sure what I need....

My goal is a solid offroad performer but I don't think I need the 4.5" wider stance or 14" of travel that I get from the high end long travel kits from Dixon and others like it. I'm thinking 4" lift, with a great set of shocks to go with it - maybe something like the rough country kit? Generally speaking I like to drive rutty, sometimes silty Baja roads. Ideally I want to build a truck that will handle those dry, rutty conditions at speed. So I don't need the hardcore solid axle swap but I'd like to get the right kit for my typical road conditions. Anyone have any comments on which direction I should be going?

I'll be sure to start a project thread when I get rolling. Thanks for the input.

Gtag

 

[rayra]

Whichever lift you go with I suggest you beef up the spindly tie rod ends, especially if you'll be driving off-road 'at speed'. ~6000-lbs+ on IFS

You're also going to want some shocks that can handle that weight and are also engineered not to fade as fast.

There's also a type of lift out there that also drops the front differential itself by about an inch, which will help with CV angles.

 

[Hank_DeHoyos]

I have a BDS 6in lift on my 94 Blazer and I think it was $2,150, it can be torqued down to 4in if that's what you would like. BDS is owned by Fox Shocks and the BDS Shocks are really beefy, and ride really nice on our gravel roads here in South Texas, which are often are abused by oilfield rigs and machinery.

The FOX 2.0 Shocks also fit the GMT400/800 Platform I think. I'd look into those as well.

 

[gtagamet]

Thanks for this. Researching "CV angles" has opened up a whole new level of misunderstanding and leads me to the conclusions that A) Rough Country is garbage B) This is not a vanity upgrade - I need excellent parts and an excellent installer who will make sure I get that angle and other parts of the install right. Tie rod upgrade is also very good info. The BDS 4.5" kit looks perfect for me.

Anyone know any good installers for this stuff in LA?

 

[justcuz]

The thing that kills the Chevy front axles are the angularity on the inner tripot joint, not generally the CV.

If someone could inexpensively make a kit with CV's on both ends for a Chevy, you could safely do 2/3 inches of lift and leave the differential up in the frame in the stock location.

First generation Ford IFS 4x4 uses a taller spindle than a Chevy and CV's at both ends of the drive axle.
I am going to try playing with some of that stuff on the front of my 1993 Suburban later this summer.

 

[Ghostwarrior]

any lift kits are good. u have to wise to spend what u are expecting to better performance. i have rough country 6" lift kit and it had no problem for 2 years, still running.. i m not into speeding in off road like west coast. i m from southeast.. u couldnt speeding these trails because alot of forest and sharp turns.. i have travel to west and saw alot of prerunners, i understand that they like to speeding in desert. has to beef up every suspension parts on whole front end.. if u use factory upper and lower control arms and ball joints, likely to bend or crack.. u have to upgrade or beef up.. it add the cost.. up to u.. thats what race trucks spend over $150k to keep it goes over 100+ mph and not break.. most lift kits only come to lift and lower the axle to correct angle, not for speeding.. it help to clear the oversize tire and centered angle when u go over the slope. like other say to beef up steering system, hes correct.. have to spend more on upgrade parts than lift kit alone.. good luck on researchs.. hope u have found right parts for your expectation..

 

[chilliwak]

Have you considered doing a solid axel swap for your rig? That would be a really good way to get a 4 wheeler and it usually can be done for cheaper than you think. as mentioned before BDS lift kits are well priced and solid. Lets see some pics of the kit or conversion you go with. Cheers, Chilli..

 

[arktrekker]

The plan on my '93 gmc suburban 2500 is to go with a solid axle swap on the front. After doing the research, it was the cheapest route to get where I wanted and take out the parts that tend to die when lifted. The kit I am using is the one from sky manufacturing

 

[1stDeuce]

I think Off Road Design is working on a SFA swap kit, but it'll be about 6" of lift, which IMO is an awful lot for a daily driver/expo rig... Many of the GM BDS kits are knock-offs of RCD kits, which are pretty well designed.
I'll second the thought that shocks are a HUGE part of the way any kit rides... I run my '06 GMC turned up about 1.5" in front, and with an extra leaf in the rear. Standard Bilstein 4600's keep it riding well, and with 265's or 285's, I've not had clearance issues anywhere I've been comfortable taking a 9k lb truck with camper on the back...

 

[Martinjmpr]

My biggest concern for a SFA swap is that AFAIK there is no such thing as a "bolt on" SFA swap. Any SFA setup is going to require cutting the frame, fabricating spring mounts, etc. Assuming that OP can't do the work himself (I don't think he'd be posting this if he could) that puts him at the mercy of whichever fabricator he chooses and has the potential for leaving him with a very expensive and unworkable setup, to say nothing of the time and money it would require.

By contrast, there are a number of manufacturers out there that make bolt-on IFS lifts for the GMT-400 trucks and many 4x4 shops are probably pretty adept at installing them.

 

[chilliwak]

Now thats a solid axel swap...



worth looking into....:Wow1: