New user lift help!
 

Hey guys, new to the site (as of about 10 minutes ago).

I've got a 2005 Jimmy that I plan on lifting to fit 32's.
I know how much I have to lift in order to fit them without trimming... but what brands of suspension lift should be considered/rejected for the average do it yourself-er.

I read a couple lift kits require welding and torches and I'm trying to stray from all of that.

I plan on upgrading to the zr2 gears, but are there other things I should be aware of/look out for when lifting 2-4 inches?

Also! I WILL NOT be messing with my t-bars, I don't need any added wear that a suspension lift won't already do, plus sacrifice any more ride quality.

Any help is appreciated!
Thanks in advance!

Hate to tell you but you aren't going to fit 32's without touching your tbars. You will need a minimum of at least a 2" BL, some serious tbar cranking, and most likely some fender surgery to fit 32's. If you want a lift check out the new Rough Country 6" kit its the most cost effective of the larger lifts and it will allow you to run up to 33's. There's also the BDS 5" that should fit your 32's just fine. For a smaller lift there is the Rough Country 2.5" but even with that you aren't going to fit 32's without extra work.

it seems kinda hit and miss with this information.. I've checked a couple charts and sites that say 32's will fit with 2.5 lift, others say 4inch at least. It's gonna be a trial and error thing, but the lift will be first, then tires, so I can test fit them. I'll settle with 31's if I have to, but I know people (possibly even on this site) who have 32's with 4inches of lift with little to no issues.

It depends a lot on wheel offset as to what size tires will fit with certain lifts. Amount of trimming you are willing to do makes a big difference. If i was going to buy a lift to fit 32" tires, it would be this:
1995-2005 Chevy / GMC S-10 Series 4WD S-10 Blazer/S-15 Jimmy 5" lift kit 165H | BDS Suspension
Even with a 5" lift, you WILL need to trim the fenders if you plan to run a lower offset wheel. Stock offset wheels will work, I think.

No lift or Torsion Bar tweak
Torsion bar tweaking can gain you 1-1.5 inches. If you get more it means your torsion bars were sagging or low from the factory (typical with the Sport package).
205's (standard tire size)
235's (optional tire size)
30's should clear all but the ones with sagging torsion bars
31's should fit with minor trimming/reshaping, anything larger needs lift.

Tire Sizes with 2-3" of lift
31's should fit, if using stock wheels expect the tires to rub on the frame and sway bar at full lock
32's should fit with minor trimming
33's should fit with massive trimming

Tire sizes with 5-6" of lift
32's should easily clear, if using stock wheels expect the tires to rub on the frame and sway bar at full lock
33's should fit with minor trimming
35's may fit with massive trimming

Tire sizes with 7-8" of lift
33's should fit easy
35's should require minor trimming with 8 inch wheels, more if 10 inch wheels are used
36's would require massive trimming to be done.

9" lift (SAS)
37" tires should fit easy
38.5" tires may fit with a body lift or trimming.


I've seen this blasted all over, and with that said... I've seen other on specific off road sites that say 4" of lift is plenty for 32's.

I know it depends on the tire and how wide I want to go, a little rubbing won't bother me full lock, I just don't want rubber on metal contact while city driving and I hit a bump.

BDS has a good warranty plan, but they are expensive as ****, and I heard about 1/10th of the people HAVE to warranty their rear end do to sagging or leaky shocks.

Any other brands that are worth spending 2k on that don't have this rep for warranty use?

The list is pretty accurate, but doesn't take into account different wheel offsets. 9" lift won't fit 37s, I tried 36s with my 10" lift and it rubbed, but if I ran stock offset wheels I could with a lot of trimming.

I've had a 5" Trailmaster and it was OK, but the steering geometry was wrong, poor design. The ProComp is much the same design, I had to weld the brackets in to stop movement of the brackets. I've had BDS lifts in a couple trucks with no issues.

Thanks for the info, Diatia!

So you're saying with the right offset, I can avoid rubbing with 32's?

Anybody else reading shed some light?

If you were to use a wheel with the stock offset, you could fit 32s with some trimming. Keeping the tire pulled into the wheel well and lets the tire pivot ON the centerline of the ball joints rather than swinging AROUND the centerline of the ball joints. When the tire is out further it causes the tire to move fore and aft that usually causes clearance issues.

Gotchya, I'd like to keep the wheel close to center as possible.. wheel spacers and offsetting wheels would put even more strain on my suspension.

I think I might try an "in-between" tire like 275/75R15 or 265/75R16 (31.25in).

I really... REALLY don't want to get into trimming anything. My buddy works at firestone, so he'll be able to test fit them.

Without a lift I was able to fit 30x9.5" on my stock wheels..
I did the 2.5" Rough Country Suspension Lift and new wheels 15x8 4.5" backspacing now fit and 31x10.5" now fit. But had to do some fender trimming and at full flex they still rub. I am going to trim more. Id like 32s and I think I could run 32x10.5" if I added a body lift.