What is too much lift?

by **boda883** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 8:36 am

I am thinking of putting on a set of moog 81114 springs on and one guys said he got 3" of lift and someone mentioned getting too much lift too be careful what size lift kit to use. I am assuming because of the cv angles. But what is that magic number of too much lift?

YouTube Videos · by **Trail X** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 9:14 am

Good discussion topic.

There really is no magic number... you'll have to figure it out for your vehicle because every vehicle is slightly different. Everything has tolerances, motor mounts settle, etc.

Basically there are a few things to check for that indicate too much lift.

Not enough down articulation before reaching full front shock extension (this will just beat up your shock and bushings) (1" MIN, I'd say)
Upper ball joint cocked over too far (potential breakage point) (simple fix, flip UCA if it looks too extreme)
Maxing out the inner tripod joint of the CV shaft while at full downward articulation (this will either break your diff, disconnect, CV, or just lock you up)
Rear brake lines become extension limit (some work arounds exist for this)

I think that's basically it.

by **HARDTRAILZ** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 9:20 am

The 3 inch was likely before settling in.

I have a set of moog 14 springs to try with my 3 inch markmc kit whenever I get the chance to take it all apart. I have not had issues with the 88s, but with skids n bumper and winch I wanted to see how they were for a direct comparison.

by **JCrayton99** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 3:48 pm

I also have the moog springs I want to install with the 3" lift. Curious how this plays out

by **navigator** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 4:33 pm

from the info gathered in the thread below I think most expect roughly 2 inches(after settling) of lift over stock height if no bumper or armor are involved. If you already have your lift installed you can possibly jack up your TB and measure from the center of the hub to the fender and keep checking the height change until you get to binding(when rotating) or when the shock tops out. Once you find out that magic number you can work backwards with a margin of error to figure out how much lift you can use.

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3366&hilit=moog+spring

I would search for moog and read through all the threads and jack up the TB and get some measurements before I pulled the trigger.

by **boda883** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 8:36 pm

Is there any way yo doing something about the cv angles. The other three points james mskes seem to have some fixes already. So what range should I try to get to like 4" to 6" in the front. The back will be easy just have to match it to the front.

by **chevycrew** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 10:01 pm

Basically on cv angles you are looking at less lift, or lowering the diff. Possibly by lowering the engine.

by **The Roadie** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 10:36 pm

Or spending big $$ on custom high angle CV shafts.

by **TexTrail** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 12:06 am

Is the oil pan cast aluminum?

by **v7guy** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 12:15 am

Yes it is.

Roadie and chevycrew gave you the options.
None of them are easy or cheap, but it's the next step one of us is going to take if we're going bigger with ifs.
at this point I think it's well established with some relatively minor cutting and the body/suspension and spring lift you can wheel 35s.
With the radflos and some RCVs you could go further. But your looking at 3k to do it.

by **chevycrew** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 3:17 pm

Even if you can lower the diff 4 inches or so, you run into then needing to lower the control arms to restore those angles. I know people keep trying, but the stock suspension has limits. I fully think that 35s is the max.

by **HARDTRAILZ** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 3:28 pm

I think 36s can be done with some firewall adjustments...

YouTube Videos · by **Trail X** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 3:56 pm

Seems your issue there is that you also will be running into the frame limitations, right?

by **HARDTRAILZ** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 4:00 pm

Reducing backspacing will likely alleviate frame issue. my 35s barely touch the frame. I dont think except for once breif istant at tecore did they rub with4.5 BS. When I had 35s and 3.5 BS I did not hit frame.

by **chevycrew** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 4:40 pm

36s will lead to even more breakage tho. Realistically, ill bet I could get 37s on a tb for highway use.

by **HARDTRAILZ** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 5:40 pm

Agreed but driver is a big factor in breakage.

I think 36 irocs w less weight and more traction would create less breakage than heavy 35 guard dogs.

Prolly same actual size too.

by **v7guy** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 5:47 pm

I would imagine more breakage for sure. But leaving out the front lockright seems to have helped the front end live better with 35s. I would imagine it would continue to do so with larger sizes with the correct backspacing assuming someone was inclined to chop chop chop.

by **fishsticks** » Sat Nov 10, 2012 9:04 am

chevycrew wrote:36s will lead to even more breakage tho. Realistically, ill bet I could get 37s on a tb for highway use.

This. If I can get 35s on essentially springs only and a body lift, I'm sure 37s would fit. But that front end will be effectively made of glass. Remember to consider steering components as well as drive components.

Another vote for 35s being the functional limit.

by **HARDTRAILZ** » Sat Nov 10, 2012 12:41 pm

I ran 36s on the street for awhile. 37s are easily doable onroad.

by **v7guy** » Sat Nov 10, 2012 10:30 pm

fishsticks wrote:
chevycrew wrote:36s will lead to even more breakage tho. Realistically, ill bet I could get 37s on a tb for highway use.

This. If I can get 35s on essentially springs only and a body lift, I'm sure 37s would fit. But that front end will be effectively made of glass. Remember to consider steering components as well as drive components.

Another vote for 35s being the functional limit.

35s and bigger...
Other than tie rods... What worry is there with the rack and pinion/steering?
Obviously it's harder to turn and will wear the bearings in the rack faster. But I'm having trouble imagining other problems.

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