PLAN: LIFT THE TRUCK HIGHER SO 35-INCHERS WILL FIT PROPERLY
Projected changes that needed to occur:
Lift the front and rear ends of the vehicle about one-inch more
A. Lift front via torsion bar adjust
B. Lift rear via two 10mm trim packs (I did not want to change spring type due to the possbile effect on the ride quality.
C. We're guessing there might be some other adjustments needed but didn't know what they might be.
First up: We added two 10mm OME trim packers to each spring. These sit atop the rear springs and add 20mm if lift (about one inch). Since there's no spring change the ride is the same just one-inch taller.
Next: We re-adjusted the T-bars....first time was by sight in order to make the truck more level compared to the rear. (Less "rake") A road test revealed 24/7 front wheel lifting which is dangerous to your life and your CV joints as the lifted wheel would spin then instantly stop as it retouched the ground.
Last: Spare tire didn't fit with the OEM hitch. We removed the hitch and the 315 fit nicely. On the 100 the spare doesn't hang down as low as on the 80-series. Others have also found ways to further raise the spare from the ground.
We dropped the front about 1/4" inch at a time and kept road testing. We finally settled on what measured 2.75" above stock. To date, I've kept this height as it seems like the best compromise between Lift Height vs Suspension Down-travel (droop).
Here's the end result:
We luvved the look of the truck at the new height and with the bigger tires. Now we wondered how this change would effect our every day use of the 100. After days of driving, here's what we determined were "on-road" issues:
*Loss of some power. 35" vs 31" (stock) tires represent a 12% change in ratio. We noticed a slight reduction of "zip" from the red lights. We also noticed more downshifting on the highway though we still had plenty of passing power.
Solution: Regear the diffs to 4.88 which would be an almost bone stock ratio. To date, we have not done this. Cost for me is not worth it. Truck has the power though I wish I could regain the lost crawl ratio on the trails.
*At near full turn we experienced some mild rubbing in the front. It wasn't bad though it was enough that we figured it could mess up the tires.
Solution: We readjusted the front turn-stops. This took about 15 minutes via trail and error. once corrected it's rare for me to rub anything. Note: Some have added front wheel spacers to correct for this. Knowing the added stress spacers cause, I opted to not do this. Others who have, have not reported any added trouble with maintenance, that I am aware of. Here's a picture of the turn-stops (the little rubber stopper that hits the rim as the wheel turns):
Okay....so what about off-road?
Our experience off-road was incredible. The added size cut the difficulty factor by a pretty good level. Considering the 35-incher sticks out 1-inch farther out and 1-inch farther down it made climbing ledges and rocks more of a breeze. The bigger tires also swallowed the holes right up. We did notice two off-road issues:
1. On occassion, at higher speeds, the shocks will "top out" due to the lack of down-travel. The noise is irritating though after 70K miles there's been no added shock wear or trouble. It's not a "big" issue. It's an minor annoyance.
2. At full rear flex the rubbing was enough to bother me (others have lived with it). This we wanted to address. We took 2x2" steel and made spacers to lower the bump-stops (by 2"). The result was zero rubbing. While this did reduce some articulation, we felt the need to protect the tire outweighed the loss of flex. Future trail trips confirmed our decision though we did miss the extra droop that the lowered bump stops took away.
(We did end up finding a fix for this down the road!)
Pic:
Conclusion:
This is one modification I would not hessitate to recommend if the vehicle will be used on the trails. The added ground clearance, tire size, and patch size all made for big plusses in the rough stuff. It's taken the 100 to another height (pun intended) on the capability ladder.
If the owner does not plan on running difficult or extreme trails, then I'd stick with the 33" size. With 33's you'll not lose power or any articulation. Smaller tires are also easier on your other truck parts.
Here's a few action shotts right after slapping on the 35's:
NOTE: I've run the 100 with 315's now for about 80K miles. I'd never go back. Here's some added comments and observations:
*Gas mileage stays around 12-14 around town. About 14-15 on the highway. (I am a leadfoot)
*Power-wise I am still happy. If I ever wreck a rear diff then I will regear. Otherwise I'm good.
*I go through brakes a bit quicker, though stopping distances are excellent and seem near uneffected.
*I have had to have my front wheel bearings repacked 4 times.
*At 110K I had my 3rd steering rack put on.
*No CV leakage or breakage. I did have a CV go bad due to boot install error at the dealer. The CV's can handle the 35s and my off-roading trips have proven it.
What was next on the "upgrade list"? Not a whole lot. Here were my thoughts back then:
*Lockers? Dang....don't have to have them, but.....naw. We'll drive this thing as is. TRAC always seems to get me through! We have an 80-series for some "locker-only" trail.
*Rear bumper? Gotta have it! When will Slee have his out?
*What will make the truck flex better? Shocks? Arms? Will someone be coming out with a more aggressive lift sometime soon? 4"? 6"?