Best riding lift kit

Summitsmoke403

Summitsmoke403

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Jul 24, 2013
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jacksonville nc
I have a 2004 cc bs and I'm contemplating buying a lift if I can find one at a good price and that rides smooth.

I've talked to a few guys and so far the best ride and the toughest have been rancho and rough country.


What are y'all running and how smooth are they just lookin for some good input?


04 Lb7 cc/SB new guy to the forum
 
TeaBagger2006

TeaBagger2006

Im a Garrett Nut Swinger
May 11, 2008
3,123
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Bis ND
too many variables to really say there is a best one, of course there are kits that are designed better than others or that are more visually appealing. i run a 8" fabtech kit with bilstein 5100 shocks, 4" bllocks in the rear. i currently have the bumpstops removed and the tbars are all the way down/out. no sway bar. the truck is a 3500 so the rear is extremely stiff. steereing geometry is not the best either. ive been having pitman arm problems but ti think its mostly due to the phat tires. the cognito non torsion bar drop its are nice but are more money. .......
 
Summitsmoke403

Summitsmoke403

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Jul 24, 2013
174
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jacksonville nc
I guess I should've labeled it as good lift kits, I only want to lift it 4" and throw add a leafs in the rears, I don't like the axle wrap you get from blocks


04 Lb7 cc/SB new guy to the forum
 
T

trevrosborough

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May 8, 2011
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If ur only after 4 inchs than most any 6inch kit will do with the torsion bars completely let out of it and ride like a dream I install kits on almost a weekly basis and if ur trying to save money I would recommend the zoneoffroad kits very nice kits also there parent company is bds suspension and the kits are almost Identical if u go with zone get the nitro shock up grade its worth it

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk
 
TLyons90

TLyons90

New member
Apr 22, 2013
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X2 on what TeaBagger said, my add in would be that rough county and rancho are nice lifts for the price of them... Personally Cognito, BDS, and what not are gonna be your higher in, best quality, best ride (depending on the shocks you get) lifts!
 
Summitsmoke403

Summitsmoke403

Member
Jul 24, 2013
174
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jacksonville nc
trevrosborough said:
If ur only after 4 inchs than most any 6inch kit will do with the torsion bars completely let out of it and ride like a dream I install kits on almost a weekly basis and if ur trying to save money I would recommend the zoneoffroad kits very nice kits also there parent company is bds suspension and the kits are almost Identical if u go with zone get the nitro shock up grade its worth it

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk
Click to expand...


Good to know! I'll be PM'n you soon!

I would love to get a cognito or BDS but I don't have the bank for those and I believe rancho and rough country have a reliable name, I've had them in my jeep wranglers and they worked fine I just figured i would ask you guys y'all have yet to steer me wrong!


04 Lb7 cc/SB new guy to the forum
 
H

Hot COCOAL

May the farce be with you
Jun 9, 2012
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:screwy:
:toilet_claw:

:eek:hgeez:

superswamper003 said:
Id say the best riding lift kit would be Cognito's stage 4 leveling kit which could get you around 4" of lift.
Click to expand...
a leveling kit is not a lift kit, maxed out it will provide close to 4" of height adjustment, more there for compensating for additional weight on the front end, such as a plow, however without that extra weight holding the front end down, bumps will be bone jarring on the complete opposite end of the spectrum of comfortable, and your front end parts will be out of their optimum settings and wear out much faster....if however you chose to run the kit at less than +1 1/2 inches it will ride smoother than stock

As far as 4" lifts go

Cognito makes a very nice lift available with the no torsion bar drop option:thumb:
Rancho makes a nice lift
And iirc...
Trailmaster and tough country make a nice 4" lift
Skyjacker makes a lift

I run a cognito 4" lift w/bilstein 5100's and the ride is supple and comfortable, personally the valving is a little too soft for me, if I had the coin I would've upgraded to the Fox shocks...;)

I used a DEAVER 2"mini pack in the rear and with the overload removed I have 1 1/2" of rake but it looks level, in hindsight a DEAVER 4" leaf pack might have been a better option, however, I have helper bags in the rear, so I don't have to worry about loosing my stance with a load on:D but I maybe would've preferred to have a tiny bit more rake

While allot of people will say they like and may prefer the ride of their truck with the torsion bar bolts removed, I personally don't like it at all, IMHO I feel like set up in this fashion our trucks feel like they are "numbed or slushy" feeling in the steering and responsiveness of the front end and just a tad bouncy...I feel like the torsion bars are there for a reason and need to be in the proper adjustment for the suspension system to function optimally, so IMO, I personally wouldn't remove the torsion bar bolts on a 6" kit, for daily driving duties anyways...

I know lots of guys do it, I'm not saying anything bad about it/them, just that I personally wouldn't...
 
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RENODMAX

RENODMAX

Dead Wrong
Mar 4, 2008
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I like the Tuff Country lifts. The shocks thay come with it suck but for the money you save you can buy new shocks. Zone is nice too. I wouldnt bother with Rancho skyjacker procomp or fabtech.
 
Summitsmoke403

Summitsmoke403

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Jul 24, 2013
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I want to put and actual kit on it rather than just keys for the simple reason of replacing ball joints every year, and I want the 4" lift Because I think it would have a nice tire/ lift look with 33's or 35's


04 Lb7 cc/SB new guy to the forum
 
superswamper003

superswamper003

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Aug 3, 2013
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Hot COCOAL said:
:screwy:
:toilet_claw:

:eek:hgeez:

a leveling kit is not a lift kit, maxed out it will provide close to 4" of height adjustment, more there for compensating for additional weight on the front end, such as a plow, however without that extra weight holding the front end down, bumps will be bone jarring on the complete opposite end of the spectrum of comfortable, and your front end parts will be out of their optimum settings and wear out much faster....if however you chose to run the kit at less than +1 1/2 inches it will ride smoother than stock

As far as 4" lifts go

Cognito makes a very nice lift available with the no torsion bar drop option:thumb:
Rancho makes a nice lift
And iirc...
Trailmaster and tough country make a nice 4" lift
Skyjacker makes a lift

I run a cognito 4" lift w/bilstein 5100's and the ride is supple and comfortable, personally the valving is a little too soft for me, if I had the coin I would've upgraded to the Fox shocks...;)

I used a DEAVER 2"mini pack in the rear and with the overload removed I have 1 1/2" of rake but it looks level, in hindsight a DEAVER 4" leaf pack might have been a better option, however, I have helper bags in the rear, so I don't have to worry about loosing my stance with a load on:D but I maybe would've preferred to have a tiny bit more rake

While allot of people will say they like and may prefer the ride of their truck with the torsion bar bolts removed, I personally don't like it at all, IMHO I feel like set up in this fashion our trucks feel like they are "numbed or slushy" feeling in the steering and responsiveness of the front end and just a tad bouncy...I feel like the torsion bars are there for a reason and need to be in the proper adjustment for the suspension system to function optimally, so IMO, I personally wouldn't remove the torsion bar bolts on a 6" kit, for daily driving duties anyways...

I know lots of guys do it, I'm not saying anything bad about it/them, just that I personally wouldn't...
Click to expand...

Thanks for correcting me
 
dirtyduramax05

dirtyduramax05

4 doors for more whores
Nov 23, 2013
66
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myrtle beach sc
i have a 9inch mcgaughys lift and it ride super nice but i didnt do the add a leaf in the back but i am thinking about it if not i may just like u did and do the helper bags
 
dirtyduramax05

dirtyduramax05

4 doors for more whores
Nov 23, 2013
66
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myrtle beach sc
that is the man reason i went with it and they make really nice stuff if you get a zone it does not drop the front diff a full 6inch on 4.5 so you have to turn your keys up to get the rest and buy the way i would not cut on a 2500 dollar front diff too save my life i know you dont want to hear this but dont go cheap on a lift to save money think about how much you have in the truck to start with better built better ride and all the above
 
H

Hot COCOAL

May the farce be with you
Jun 9, 2012
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dirtyduramax05 said:
that is the man reason i went with it and they make really nice stuff if you get a zone it does not drop the front diff a full 6inch only 4.5 so you have to turn your keys up to get the rest and buy the way i would not cut on a 2500 dollar front diff too save my life i know you dont want to hear this but dont go cheap on a lift to save money think about how much you have in the truck to start with better built better ride and all the above
Click to expand...

That bold print I highlighted in your post....

That's not good, that's actually bad...

By dropping the differential less than the lift amount puts the c/v joints in an "extended" position at static ride height.....it means once you do that, the front end components can/will NEVER be in an optimum setting, furthermore even removing the T-bar adjustment bolts and having the torsion bars completely lax, there will still be a 1.5" difference between the transfer case and the front diff.

And that's not all that great

Fwiw
 
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