Also, you can loan that tool from any autozone, pepboys ,oreilly etc. for free.
GMT-800 Suburban lift options?
- Thread starter Martinjmpr
- Start date
Also, you can loan that tool from any autozone, pepboys ,oreilly etc. for free.
justcuz
Explorer
Looking at those e-bay keys and the angle of the bolts on the Tahoe rayra posted, I wonder if he set his adjusting bolt in the wrong place on the Tahoe replacement keys.
I was just on Rock Auto and found those heavy duty Moog rear springs for $27.99 a pair!
I am going to order Z71 bump stops for my Suburban.
I was just on Rock Auto and found those heavy duty Moog rear springs for $27.99 a pair!
I am going to order Z71 bump stops for my Suburban.
BigTex
Observer
Post #215 in the "post suburban pics" thread shows my old 2005 with Ford keys, 2" eBay rear spacers, and 285/70s on 17x9 wheels, just for reference. I can't figure out how to repost the pic or I would. It rode and drove great, and didn't wear front end parts abnormally. By that I mean in 30K miles, I didn't see or feel any wear.
rayra
Expedition Leader
I think he did, because the angle of that bolt is crazy-wrong. and would certainly let one drive the key hard enough for 3+" but it has to be on the stops and riding like crap.
rayra
Expedition Leader
BigTex it looks great like that. A 2500-style stance in a 1500. Just what we're after.
To post any pic that's already on the web, just right click on it and say 'copy image location' and then past it with image tags on each end or use the little 'insert image' icon above the typing box and past the link in there.
Here i've deliberately put spaces in the bracketed tags so they don't work
[ img ]http://images2.snapfish.com/232323232%7Ffp54366%3Enu%3D9844%3E%3B67%3E257%3EWSNRCG%3D365%3B33%3A947348nu0mrj[ /img ]
And here's without the spaces
and the other
To post any pic that's already on the web, just right click on it and say 'copy image location' and then past it with image tags on each end or use the little 'insert image' icon above the typing box and past the link in there.
Here i've deliberately put spaces in the bracketed tags so they don't work
[ img ]http://images2.snapfish.com/232323232%7Ffp54366%3Enu%3D9844%3E%3B67%3E257%3EWSNRCG%3D365%3B33%3A947348nu0mrj[ /img ]
And here's without the spaces
and the other
Martinjmpr
Wiffleball Batter
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Yup, me too. It's going to have to wait a while because camping season is just starting but come September I'll be looking to jack mine up. Already got new wheels (dropping down to 16's will literally save me $200 in tire cost for the same size tires) so I'll get those cleaned off and ready. Should look pretty nice with a mild lift like that.
justcuz
Explorer
Martin,
I forgot what wheels you had, Z71's. Do you have the tire inflation monitor on yours? If you don't put those valve stems on your new wheels the warning light will stay on.
I have Yokohama Geolanders on my 1993, and Falken Rocky Mountains on my 2000. Both are 285/75x16's, neither has a real aggressive tread pattern but both do well in varied terrain and have worn well. I do rotate my tires every 10 to 12 thousand miles and usually get 50 to 60 thousand miles rom a set of tires.
I forgot what wheels you had, Z71's. Do you have the tire inflation monitor on yours? If you don't put those valve stems on your new wheels the warning light will stay on.
I have Yokohama Geolanders on my 1993, and Falken Rocky Mountains on my 2000. Both are 285/75x16's, neither has a real aggressive tread pattern but both do well in varied terrain and have worn well. I do rotate my tires every 10 to 12 thousand miles and usually get 50 to 60 thousand miles rom a set of tires.
Martinjmpr
Wiffleball Batter
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I do have the TPMS on my wheels and I'll have the sensors moved from the old wheels to the new ones when I get new tires. Same thing I did when I got my new tires on my 4runner.
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I'm assuming the TPMS sensors will fit on the new "old" wheels since they're factory wheels as well.
justcuz
Explorer
I looked at my torsion bar codes on the 2000, 6XL and 7XL. That is the second lightest bar you can have at 4626 torque capacity.
As a comparison my daughter has a 92 Z71 2 door full size Blazer here and it has GF torsion bars rated at 5826.
My 1993 Suburban has GH torsion bars rated at 7161.
My son has his 1993 extra cab shortbed light duty with him so I can't get the bar code from it.
To find out what you have/had from the factory, look at the white service replacement sticker in the bottom of your glove box.
The torsion bar codes are toward the end of the list and will have a 6 and 7 in front of the 2 letter torsion bar code.
Using the two letters of the code you can look up your torsion bars and determine their torque capacity. The most complete list I have seen is the "GM torsion bar 401" list.
I am not sure if torque capacity is the correct term, but it is obviously not spring or load capacity because even the XL torsion bars rated at 4626 would be an extreme spring rate or corner load capacity rivaling a 1 ton truck. So I am going to stick with torque capacity as a measure of torsion bar tension.
The "GM torsion bar 401" states that Tahoes and Avalanches and maybe Suburbans have shorter torsion bars in them. Possibly 2" shorter. My daughters 2004 Tahoe has XL bars in it also, so I will have to measure the length of my torsion bars in my 2000 when I work on the front suspension next week. If the XL bars are shorter, then the Ford keys may be my only lift option.
Oh and yes I am pretty sure you can have those valve stems swapped to the 16" wheels.
As a comparison my daughter has a 92 Z71 2 door full size Blazer here and it has GF torsion bars rated at 5826.
My 1993 Suburban has GH torsion bars rated at 7161.
My son has his 1993 extra cab shortbed light duty with him so I can't get the bar code from it.
To find out what you have/had from the factory, look at the white service replacement sticker in the bottom of your glove box.
The torsion bar codes are toward the end of the list and will have a 6 and 7 in front of the 2 letter torsion bar code.
Using the two letters of the code you can look up your torsion bars and determine their torque capacity. The most complete list I have seen is the "GM torsion bar 401" list.
I am not sure if torque capacity is the correct term, but it is obviously not spring or load capacity because even the XL torsion bars rated at 4626 would be an extreme spring rate or corner load capacity rivaling a 1 ton truck. So I am going to stick with torque capacity as a measure of torsion bar tension.
The "GM torsion bar 401" states that Tahoes and Avalanches and maybe Suburbans have shorter torsion bars in them. Possibly 2" shorter. My daughters 2004 Tahoe has XL bars in it also, so I will have to measure the length of my torsion bars in my 2000 when I work on the front suspension next week. If the XL bars are shorter, then the Ford keys may be my only lift option.
Oh and yes I am pretty sure you can have those valve stems swapped to the 16" wheels.
tdemontigny91406
New member
You can achieve a very decent lift for relatively cheap, Moog springs 81069 from amazon for around 60bucks. key and spacer kit from Amazon with T6 aircraft aluminum 1.5" coil spacers , 1-3" steel torsion bar keys + torsion bar tool and bilstein 5100 shocks are the go to usually very reasonable price, part numbers # (24-185783) for rear and (24-186643) for the front. This lift will allow space for 285/75/R17 no problems and if you want more you could always do a 3" body lift with body filler guards to allow for 35/12.5R20 if you wanted.
Bear in NM
Adventurer
Just,
I debated about whether to ask/update here or in the other thread, but this seemed like the better place.
I did the front keys on my 2002 Avalanche, and added a rear 1" spacer. Have the lift I want, but now I do need to stiffen the back, for loads. I am trying to do the "better" springs first, then will decide whether I need to add air. Not trying to get more lift, just more load capacity for my small motorcycle in the rear hitch, with the rest of my Av bearing full camping gear.
Per this thread, and the other one, you seem to have confirmed that the H2 springs in my Avalanche should stiffen the rear for load?
In doing a ton of research this morning, and trying to find these springs, here is what I found. First, the Moog 81069, by reviews on Amazon, appears to be a factory replacement. Reports there indicate they are for the Z71 package, which I have, and in my case might only restore the factory rate (Z71). For folks without the Z71 package, the reports are more lift, but no one discussed load.
OK, I could not find the part numbers you have above on GM Direct. Searching by 2003 H2, I found #25956182 and 183. More searching and another GM website indicates 15179496 may be replaced by this 25956182 & 183. So I am a little in the dark on this, and am contemplating using just the H2 search and going with what may be new part numbers. If you have any thoughts, I am all ears.
Otherwise, I may just cross my fingers and hope for the best. I would imagine if I decide to add air bags, I am probably going to have measure inner diameters of what ever I end up with, and consult the mfg. for the correct bags.
Thanks for all your help in this, and hopefully this might help others trying to do this.
Craig
Martinjmpr
Wiffleball Batter
Just FYI, this past weekend we put Z71 springs on the back of my '04 LT Suburban and the springs by themselves - with no spacers - gave me about 2 1/2" of lift.
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I'll post pictures and details later this week on the lift. Special thanks to Tom (ExplorerTOM on the board) for bringing the tools and the experience to get it done. :sombrero:
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I'll post pictures and details later this week on the lift. Special thanks to Tom (ExplorerTOM on the board) for bringing the tools and the experience to get it done. :sombrero:
