Offroad Trailblazers and Envoys

Info on Lifting my TB

BDS, ReadyLift, Smaxx... You name it, we know about it here.

by iGough13 » Tue Sep 25, 2012 9:34 pm

I have been talking to BartonMD about my front bumper fabrication. I am looking to get a 3" lift whether it be suspension or body.

Can I get some pros and cons on the two lift styles and which one would be better for Offroading, Mudding, and catching some air(For a badass FaceBook Picture).

I should've :search: but I wanted to get a personal thread going so that I can have track of what I do and who helps me.

Thanks,
Zac

Can a body and a suspension lift be combined?
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by Trail X » Tue Sep 25, 2012 9:56 pm

Noobish questions get noobish answers...

Start here! viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3060 (Seriously, a good start is there, pertinent information begins after "Basics of Lifting your Truck", but don't skip the first half either)
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by iGough13 » Tue Sep 25, 2012 10:01 pm

Thank you.

I am a noob. :facepalm:
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by navigator » Wed Sep 26, 2012 9:22 am

here is a thread where we had this exact conversation on BL vs SL
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1963&hilit=body+lift+vs
I don't think anybody won :-)
For some one might fit your needs over the other.

I don't know how things are now but at one time the 3 inch body lift was kind of slow for delivery and the suspension lift at least from MarkMC is usually really fast.

For me the suspension lift made sense because it gets more of my frame up out of the beach sand.
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by HARDTRAILZ » Wed Sep 26, 2012 9:53 am

Forget the body lift if you pln to catch any air. The leverage will be too much and the truck will never be the same. Ask AJ...or ask Mr. barton about trying to build a bumper after aj ramped his truck and nothing is straight anymore.
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by navigator » Wed Sep 26, 2012 10:13 am

the catching air topic aside....
if I were in the market for a lift and a bumper, I would likely go ahead and get the body lift and the bl bumper then later if you need more lift you can just add the suspension lift and not have to worry about the bumper again.
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by 06MidnightBlue » Wed Sep 26, 2012 10:27 am

If you intentionally catch air, you deserve what's coming to you
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by HARDTRAILZ » Wed Sep 26, 2012 10:41 am

06MidnightBlue wrote:If you intentionally catch air, you deserve what's coming to you

What does that mean? If thats what he wants...then it is his choice. Just cause you are scared to, does not mean he can not.
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by TangoBravo » Wed Sep 26, 2012 12:11 pm

navigator wrote:the catching air topic aside....
if I were in the market for a lift and a bumper, I would likely go ahead and get the body lift and the bl bumper then later if you need more lift you can just add the suspension lift and not have to worry about the bumper again.

:Iagree: It wouls suck to get a bumper made for a non body lift TB and then later decide you want to add the body lift then your looking at a new bumper again. I don't foresee any issue's selling a used non body lift bumper but your never going to get what ya payed. Really though it's all your choice, all we can do is offer our experianced opinions.
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by TangoBravo » Wed Sep 26, 2012 12:18 pm

HARDTRAILZ wrote:
06MidnightBlue wrote:If you intentionally catch air, you deserve what's coming to you

What does that mean? If thats what he wants...then it is his choice. Just cause you are scared to, does not mean he can not.

:Iagree: While I have no desire to jump my TB I do wheel it pretty hard and do brake stuff so it's not like Im in a place to say using a TB for anything other then what it's designed for is wrong or stupid because I often use mine for things that is was never really intended to be used for. But isn't that the point of this forum over the others? Because we are all messed up in the head enough to make other people look at us, and go seriously? Roadie took his voy to a stretch of the Rubicon, which even on it's easy section is far beyond stock GMT platform use and I think it's awesome he was able to do that.
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by Trail X » Wed Sep 26, 2012 1:08 pm

I have no problem with him getting air if he modifies his truck to handle it.

The problem exists only if he thinks that simply lifting a TB qualifies as proper modification.

Seeing as he's asking about the difference between lifts, he's prob not ready for the 'ropes course'...
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by iGough13 » Wed Sep 26, 2012 1:44 pm

I feel as if I took this out of hand...

I want the lift for some ground clearance, I want to be able to trail where I currently cannot.

And I don't know everything I need. I came to this forum for that exact reason.

I am not planning on some 6 foot jump. Just enough to clear the ground by a couple of inches. I won't even attempt this until I am damn sure that my Trailblazer can handle it.

Zac
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by v7guy » Sun Sep 30, 2012 3:21 am

The previous comments about a bodylift and the bumper needing to be built for it is a valid concern. I like to attempt to plan and then build once. Not always feasible, but it's something to keep in mind.

There's some good video of a trailblazer on 35s bouncing the front end pretty dramatically while climbing a hill. It even goes near full lock on the steering before a kaboom
The moral of the story is to take video and pictures, we love that stuff.
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by fishsticks » Sun Sep 30, 2012 3:18 pm

If you're referring to me.... that was an expensive bounce. I don't recommend doing that.

A few inches is fine. Bill has entertaining videos of him lifting tires and bouncing his way up some slickrock out in the desert, and I've had wheels off the ground more times than I can remember.
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by v7guy » Sun Sep 30, 2012 8:13 pm

Yeah, I was. It was a damn good video. Expensive and time consuming I'm sure, but still a damn fine video.
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by Moots1288 » Sun Sep 30, 2012 11:40 pm

Agreed
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by navigator » Mon Oct 01, 2012 8:55 am

When Zac said catching air, I thought he meant Dukes of Hazzard style.
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by iGough13 » Mon Oct 01, 2012 2:50 pm

I don't have anybody to wear daisy dukes... Hehe
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by navigator » Mon Oct 01, 2012 3:07 pm

yeeeeee haaaaaaaaw
"Please consider a search before posting. Folks on this site PIONEERED functional offroad use of these trucks."
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by HARDTRAILZ » Mon Oct 01, 2012 3:14 pm

BOOM Shakalaka
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