Starting things off. New springs and shock

by **rz03LTZ** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 2:20 pm

If desided to start things off by replacing my front 83 springs with new 87s and BDS shocks. Are the 87s still available or does Moog have a similar set?

From what I've read, the Z71 springs and shocks in back will be a bit too stiff for me. So I'd like to replace my rears with the 87 rear shock and spring equivalents. Any suggestion what those might be?

Then comes new rubber. In leaning toward BFG AT 265-65-17s

Then comes the BDS 3inch lift a little later.

In the future I'll look at spacers, armours and bigger tires.

So what am I missing?

by **Moots1288** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 2:23 pm

I got 89s with bilsteins

by **rz03LTZ** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 2:27 pm

I'm worried the 89s would be too stiff. I'm not planning on a load of recovery equipment and a couple hundred pounds of bumpers and armour mush them down. This is a part time road warrior I'm building here.

by **Moots1288** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 2:29 pm

Ahh I see I see

by **DirtyBacon04** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:55 pm

Has BDS made a 3" lift now? I hope they fixed their design flaw with the upper bushing...

by **DustinC1989** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 8:07 pm

DirtyBacon04 wrote:Has BDS made a 3" lift now? I hope they fixed their design flaw with the upper bushing...

Nope.
Still 2" and still sucks. My fiancées brother used to work there and I have a friend that works there, they have both told me that unless you are part of a money making platform... They don't really care about you.
So unless you're lifting a jeep or something full size... Look elsewhere

by **rz03LTZ** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 8:14 pm

OK. Good to know. Until now I hadn't read anything quite so negative about the BDS lift. I thought I'd try and avoid the CV issues with the 3inch lift. But I guess its go hard or go home.

by **DustinC1989** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 8:22 pm

BDS has a poor bushing design and there "no fine print warranty"... has quite a bit of fine print...

All the problems I've read about CV's and the 3" lift have been people with the 3" lift AND bigger springs. And the ones I've seen that had only the lift had torn boots, can easily be fixed with silicone boots.

by **Opeth** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 8:33 pm

rz03LTZ wrote:OK. Good to know. Until now I hadn't read anything quite so negative about the BDS lift. I thought I'd try and avoid the CV issues with the 3inch lift. But I guess its go hard or go home.

Honestly.... The issue with the 3" lift is very minimal in regards to the cv's. I live in one of the snowiest cities in the United States and have only used 4wd once on main roads with my tires and lift. When I'm offroad I'm not going more than 10-15mph and don't feel any vibrations and my boots have not ripped. There are a lot of smart guys on this site, through trial and error we'll solve these little issues eventually. That's how we've gotten ourselves thus far. I'd say go 3" lift or radflo coil overs.

by **rz03LTZ** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 8:47 pm

The radflo coil overs. Big bucks I don't have.

I thought I'd be able to liberate about $5,000 for this but guess what... Not any more.

The coil overs sounded stiffer than I'd like from what I've read.

OK let's explore that for a minute. I used to drive an 88 Chev Silverado with a stock suspension. Then I moved to the 'Big City" and sold it. How would the 89's, Z71's or the coil overs compare with that for ride?

by **Moots1288** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 8:49 pm

I had the 89s with 2.5 lift in the front... They were stiff never had to much of a problem but as soon as I went with the 33s I topped out like crazy.. Right now I'm loving the radflo coilovers.. Great way to spend 1000$

by **Moots1288** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 8:50 pm

The radflos are stiffer but the shocks are built for those springs so you don't top out.

by **mikekey** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 8:58 pm

I actually like my BDS kit, and JamesDowning seems to have never had a failure in all the years he's running his setup.

I am awfully curious as to what the problem is that causes the actual failure of the bushing, there must be a common factor for those who have the failure and those who don't. Also another member has already shown that the same thing can happen with Mark's 3inch lift.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the advice was to not run 89's if you don't have armor (ie a steel bumper) on the front of your vehicle to keep it from topping out.

rz03LTZ wrote:OK let's explore that for a minute. I used to drive an 88 Chev Silverado with a stock suspension. Then I moved to the 'Big City" and sold it. How would the 89's, Z71's or the coil overs compare with that for ride?

Well a few of the sissies will tell you Z71's are too stiff for their bad backs. But honestly, it will ride like a truck. If you're used to riding in a truck then no biggie. I personally enjoy the Z71's. It firmed it up, but it's not too bad. And you gain an inch.

by **djthumper** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 8:59 pm

If you go with the radflo's you can adjust the ride height and not have to get other springs, struts and deal with the swap out of those components. Get the Z71's and see how it sets. If you want it taller adjust it and get spacers for the rear. I get compliments all of the time when they see the turning radius of our rigs even with the lift. Just the other day I made a U-turn behind a Tahoe and turned within his radius that he followed me to see what I had done to do that.

If the radflo's were out when I lifted I would have saved up a little more to get them then to get a few of the other parts.

by **DustinC1989** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 9:03 pm

Unless you are gonna have some weight on the front (Steel bumper, skids, etc) 89's might be a bit much.

$5000 is easily doable.

My current order list is
springs-15125885's (84's stock, hardly any lift and no lift after skid plate)
Marks 3" lift w/ 2" rear spacers
Z71 springs
Bilstein HD fronts
Bilstein 5125 rears

and that is WELL under 5k for the lift

difference with marks kit, if the bushing fails... its only $10 and can be picked up at almost any parts store. BDS... you have to order it from just them

by **DirtyBacon04** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 9:10 pm

Same thing happens to BDS. The problem is the disc on top of the bushing is too small and it cuts in to the rubber, eventually making it just fall off. Then the threads on the top of the shock just eat away at the spacer.

by **Opeth** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 9:19 pm

rz03LTZ wrote:The radflo coil overs. Big bucks I don't have.

I thought I'd be able to liberate about $5,000 for this but guess what... Not any more.

The coil overs sounded stiffer than I'd like from what I've read.

OK let's explore that for a minute. I used to drive an 88 Chev Silverado with a stock suspension. Then I moved to the 'Big City" and sold it. How would the 89's, Z71's or the coil overs compare with that for ride?

$5k? Holy crap, I don't even have that into mine with brand new rims and tires... Maybe $3.5k.

by **Moots1288** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 9:25 pm

5k is pocket change... Says me... Never

by **Opeth** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 9:33 pm

Moots1288 wrote:5k is pocket change... Says me... Never

Where you live, I bet you don't even bat an eye at $5k. Lol....

by **Moots1288** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 9:35 pm

Opeth wrote:
Moots1288 wrote:5k is pocket change... Says me... Never

Where you live, I bet you don't even bat an eye at $5k. Lol....

Haha yea nyc 5k is rent.. Maybe not that extreme

Offroad Trailblazers and Envoys