lift recommendation

[citadel]

fellas,


I dont really wheel hard.. light travels at best....
My 97 has 113k miles and I feel the need for a suspension change.
I am thinking about either the stock height OEM lift or the medium 2.5 lift.
I have a winchless ARB front bumper but no other armor. ONly other add would be an ARB 1/2 rack someday.
Any suggestions?
Looking for a better ride and a better look as well potentially...

 

[alkaline747trio]

Heavy fronts would be a given IMO since you have the ARB, medium's rear if you don't haul much or don't haul often, if you do haul a bunch of stuff or haul stuff regularly, get the heavy's. This lift would keep your belly off most objects, ride better than stock, and look better doing it.

 

[Capocaccia]

What Im doing (well, if my lift comes through for me) is doing the stock ride height and throwing a 1 inch spacer on top of that. That should be lifting me almost 2 inches since Im riding stock suspnesion on 130k miles.

 

[davegonz]

If you don't plan on adding much weight in regards to armor/drawers and don't plan to stuff it full of heavy camping equipment, I'd go with OME heavies up front (compensate for bumper and will give you a more level stance) and mediums in the back (won't give you a harsh ride when empty). I currently have heavies (850/863) all the way around and am happy with the setup, but do have a harsher ride when empty.

Have you made it out to one of our LSLC meetings? If not, you should try..we have a good amount of lifted 80's that you can check out.

 

[alaskacruiser]

850 front, 860 rear = level stance w/ ARB , good for light to moderate wheeling, and good ride comfort by not going heavy in rear if you don't need it.

 

[MyCrush]

During my x-country trip, I stopped in on SLEE in CO and went 2.5heavy on all corners, ARB front bumber. Prior to beginning the trip, I installed 33'' REVO's. It's my intention to get a HANNAH rear bumber when available.
I have logged nearly 9k miles since the SLEE install and my personal feel is that the ride is just awesome and not to tight at all. Yes, the rear is just a tad more elevated than the front,< I like the look actually>and when HANNAH gets installed it it will come down some in the rear.

 

[citadel]

I am concerned about the rougher ride with the heavy fronts.... no recommendations for the mediums on all 4's?

 

[Capocaccia]

With an ARB up front the heavys will feel like mediums due to the extra added weight. The spring rate will be better if you ran heavies because of the weight. Wit the mediums, it might be too soft.

 

[G-Cat]

I have your tucks twin with the addition of a Warn on the front. I have heavy fronts and medium rears with no spacers. OME castor correction bushings are installed.

It is my wifes DD and we both noticed a huge imrovement in handling and ride quality. We had a full-length ARB rack at one point and removing it did not change the ride...just the gas mileage!

The truck looks much better with this stance and, while it seemed like a huge difference at first, we can no longer remember the truck at stock height.

 

[KliersLC]

I have mediums on all four with no ARB, and IIRC, the Non winch ARB isn't all that much heavier than the stock setup ~50-60lbs. So...I think to myself....

Self, would putting a 6 year old child on the front of my vehicle cause it to sag a lot? Hmm. I don't think that it would. Therefore, Since the spring rate is the same on the heavies as the mediums (just a bit longer spring) get the mediums for comforts sake, and if the front is a bit lower than you like it, pick up a couple of spacers.

MHO,
Dan

 

[SUMOTOY]

Another option

I put air bags in front and rear, and can yield about 2in of adj travel. You can also run them at min for a little firmer ride than stock, with the stock ride height. Might be a decent alternative to putting in a set of springs. The fronts really help with the weight of the bumper.

Scott Justusson

 

[Tools R Us]

With an ARB up front the heavys will feel like mediums due to the extra added weight. The spring rate will be better if you ran heavies because of the weight. Wit the mediums, it might be too soft.

The spring rate is the same on OME front front coils, so pick the springs that will provide the lift that your looking for.

Beowulf's chart;

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showpost.php?p=469977&postcount=3

 

[alaskacruiser]

I have mediums on all four with no ARB, and IIRC, the Non winch ARB isn't all that much heavier than the stock setup ~50-60lbs. ... get the mediums for comforts sake, and if the front is a bit lower than you like it, pick up a couple of spacers.

MHO,
Dan

I have a non-winch ARB and OME 850 front, 860 rear and it sits just about perfectly level with no spacers. The ride is not at all harsh in the front (the spring rate is the same as the mediums as others have mentioned). I had the same ride quality concerns when thinking about heavies, but the heavies up front are just great- not rough at all.