Starting on my first mods, need suspension/lift recommendations (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Jan 15, 2022
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Location
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First, my apologies for yet another noob which lift/suspension thread… I am really looking for some recommendations from the form, because despite reading everything I could find, I am still nowhere close to making up my mind on what I want and honestly, feeling pretty lost.

My ultimate goal is to end up with a truck that I can take camping, do some off road trails(nothing too extreme), handle some Texas mud but still look fairly stock, almost sleeper like. This will be the car that I will likely keep until the wheels fall off and I want my kids to have fond memories of road trips with dad to be in this car.

Id like to end up with a 1.5” to a 2” lift, level out the truck but Id like to do it right. Basically, full kit. Control arms, leveling kit if needed, shocks/springs, etc. Basically, buy once, cry one.

I will likely be running a 32” tire (275/65/R18 on the OEM rim or if I change to a 17” rim 275/70/R17) and will not likely end up going over that for forceable future. I’d like to retain the quality of the on road ride if possible although it seems like everyone seems to be much happier with the on the road ride after they upgrade the suspension anyway.

So far, I’ve been looking at an OME 2” medium load and Dobinsons 2” medium kit but I know that there are other options out there.

All that said, I know that I am not a mechanic nor am I a professional off road driver. Id like to get some comments and recommendations from this group so I dont f it up.


TLDR; Noob wants 2” lift. Recommend a good one.

Thanks in advance!
V
 
Towards the end of your post, you made a hint that you're no mechanic. Are you planning on doing the suspension yourself?
Take a look at Jake's videos. They are entertaining and informative. I think he put a mild lift on his rig also and did it himself.
 
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Not at all. I'm going to find a shop to do the work. From what I hear, there are a few in dfw that are good.
 
I would recommend eibach kit. OME are stiff when not loaded. Eibach are somewhat adjustable up front and they also have adjustable height rear spring perch option. Bilstein 6112 front and 5116 rear would be another excellent choice at a bit higher price point.

Dobinson, OME and Ironman might have more spring options to compensate for weight but yours seems that it would stay fairly stock.

The much higher performance suspension would require much more maintenance. They also can be noisy with the heim joint instead of rubber bushing.
 
Great plan on wanting to make memories with the chillin’s…
I‘d suggest taking a hard look at what road trips, camping etc with kids and gear will add weight-wise.
A level truck empty will have a front-high rake when loaded with even a few hundred lbs of gear in the back.
Bike racks? Rooftop tent? The weight really adds up fast…
Perhaps building in a bit of rear-high rake, or doing stiffer springs,or maybe augmenting with airbags in the rear coils…
From personal experience, I’ve re-done suspension several times as weight and use-case changes. I wish I’d thought it through a little better initially.
Good luck, have fun.
 
Thats great
Great plan on wanting to make memories with the chillin’s…
I‘d suggest taking a hard look at what road trips, camping etc with kids and gear will add weight-wise.
A level truck empty will have a front-high rake when loaded with even a few hundred lbs of gear in the back.
Bike racks? Rooftop tent? The weight really adds up fast…
Perhaps building in a bit of rear-high rake, or doing stiffer springs,or maybe augmenting with airbags in the rear coils…
From personal experience, I’ve re-done suspension several times as weight and use-case changes. I wish I’d thought it through a little better initially.
Good luck, have fun.
Thanks! Thats great feedback that I didnt really consider. fully loaded car with the four of us would likely add extra weight in the rear. Maybe a 1.5 front and 2 rear would make more sense. I was going to use the medium springs option to allow for more added weight later but I didnt think about the normal operating load...
 
I have an Ironman FCP kit with the stock weight rating (0-110# above stock, front and rear). I've loaded it up with a back full of camping gear and 2 kids for weekend trips. Plus bikes, canoes, etc. It squats from around 1" of rake to maybe 0.5" or rake and rides exceptionally well. I also tow a 4,000# loaded camper with a weight distribution hitch and have no problem getting the GX level with no rake with the camper hooked up (usually we have stuff in the back too). With the WDH hitch dialed right is also rides great (will get a bit bouncy if the settings aren't quite right). My GX also has around 150# of armor on it (rock sliders and skids).

In summary - for a weekend-warrior/DD GX I would suggest against the heavier springs unless your GX is weighted down with stuff like a winch, RT tent, fridge and armor (bumpers, heavy skids, sliders, etc). The slightly heaver than stock springs should work just fine if you have a stock-ish GX that you are just loading down with normal camping gear.
 

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