Autoblog

Gorgeous?!!! That is one of the ugliest things I have ever seen. I would have to tint the windows much darker before I drove that thing around so nobody would be able to see me behind the wheel.

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I love how these lifts always call for an inordinate number of shock absorbers...which serve no purpose whatsoever.

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Who give's a damn. And this is coming from an Avalanche owner. I mean, where is the ingenuity in that monstrosity. This is supposed to make me want to accessorize my truck. I don't think so.

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Doogs,

Good damping is everything when off-roading, and Fabtech's stuff most assuredly is designed for severe use. Trying to keep a heavy tire in contact with the ground while it's connected to a long-travel suspension setup is more about damping than it is about spring rate.

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That's a Chevy, not a GMC. You'd think a so called automotive website could get that right. I guess if it's not foreign then it just doesn't warrant getting the facts right.

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This isnt a gmc, unlike what the post says. This is a chevy.

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Yeah I've defended AutoBlog slip-ups in the past, but come on...posting a story about a "GMC" with a big bowtie on the front? This site is losing credibility fast.

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Guys, what can I say? I was trying to do too many posts at once and got confused. Sorry 'bout that. And to think I own both a Bowtie and a GMC. Jeez - this is indeed a new low for me ;)

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"I love how these lifts always call for an inordinate number of shock absorbers"

There only looks like 2 up front to me which I wouldn't call inordinate, but I know what you mean about ridiculous number of shocks. I think that was just an 80s thing, as I don't see that going on around these parts anymore. The other two bodies you see are reservoirs. I'd go with a single 3.0 versus dual 2.25s, but I don't think fagtech mass produces 3.0s and sometimes dual 2.25s are easier to mount.

"Good damping is everything when off-roading, and Fabtech's stuff most assuredly is designed for severe use"

I agree with the first part. The spring should only be used to get you at the proper ride height, the longer/softer the better. The rest is shock valving as long as you have enough volume to soak up the heat. While I give credit to Fabtech for making halfway decent mass produced kits, they are not made for severe use. I guess its all relative.

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there's a guy at my office (yes, office, in a suburb north of Dallas, not a lumberjack) whose daily driver looks a lot like that, except his also has a massive grill guard + winch, slightly larger tires i believe, roll-bars + lights, and a less cheap looking decal job. Next to that monstrosity, all the h2's and excursions don't seem that excessive.

the job is stressful, so we take it mudding every now and then in some nearby wooded areas for some relief. great fun.

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oh, yeah, next time someone complains that you have mistaken a gmc for a chevy, just paraphrase mitch hedburg:

GMC is the same as Chevy. Acid helped me to see through the bs.

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Keith - on closer inspection, there are two. Didn't notice they were remote reservoirs at first...but its Fabtech, so I just assumed the worst (four chromed shocks per tire).

Eric - I can't agree that good damping is everything in offroading...there are a ton of other factors (center of gravity, wheel travel, approach/departure angles, breakover, tire tread, tire inflation...), but it is important.

That said, this is a Chevy 3/4 ton we are talking about. With IFS. I don't know any serious offroader who would call that a long-travel suspension. All the damping in the world wouldn't keep you from going up on three tires in that thing. Hell, I think the Mazda I'm driving these days has more wheel travel.

I can only think of two instances where that much damping would be needed, even for those heavy 37's. First - high-speed, frat boy-style tearing through mud. Second - jumps. Of course, that pretty blue shock mount hoop would probably snap off under the stress of jumping...

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Beanspants1, thats exactly the point of building up your rig, it great fun. That idea seems to be lost to a lot of people who don't think people who like trucks are "car guys." Of course, there are a lot of poseurs with huge lifts and tires who think four-wheeling equals driving on a field every once in a while, but 4X4s are a legit hobby.

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Ok, it may look good, but where is the articulation. Those tires are in the body work as soon as they go up about 4 inches. Anything with a lift like this is made for crawling, not high speed stuff. I'm sorry but no IFS is ever going to crawl well. Granted I may be biased with a 96 ram with a dana 60 in the front. This is just for show, nothing more, no serious offroading is done with a crewbcab even it is a shortbed. Don't even get me started with traction bars on a big lift...

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Im not per say a Truck guy, But I do gotta say, that is a preatty kick looking ass rig.

Now I have some questions... Like, Why do all this on a long bed crew cab? I would of thought for Rock Crawling purposes it be better to modify a Regular cab, with a short bed. Also, if anyone is actually into Crawling and Mudding, what is the better system? Solid front axe, or Independant front Axe?

Finaly, It looks like they had to lower the front control arms mounting point to keep the chamber angle effective, Woulden't that cause possible hang up issues, and the possiblity of suspention dammage should the rig hit a appropreatly (depending on who's side your on..) placed rock or such?

Finaly, (since most of my questions are on the front suspention,) woulden't the same amount of dammage be just as likely on a truck mounted with a solid front axle given the same rock was met in the same manner?

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Just to clear the air/set the record straight, I once had a truck similar to this. It was only a 1500, and was on 7" of lift and 35" Swamper SSRs...but pretty close. Oh...and I only needed one shock per tire.

http://flickr.com/photos/belisarius/61232765/in/photostream/

I experienced firsthand the limited capabilities of a Silverado offroad. Basically...they can barrel through mud very well.

For trailrunning or crawling, look elsewhere, and fast. Which is precisely what I did.

http://flickr.com/photos/belisarius/61235929/

Looking back, the Silverado seems excessive and stupid. There was nothing I did on 35's that I could not have done when it was on 33's. The tires weren't the limiting factor, it was the size, the wheelbase, and the poor articulation of the IFS.

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"Like, Why do all this on a long bed crew cab?"

Haul all your gear, dirtbikes, toys and family/friends to wherever you want out in the desert without fear and without going 5 mph the whole way. Also, if any of your toys break out in the middle of nowhere or get stuck you have a capable chase truck. That said, I think this truck is overdone for that purpose but thats what SEMA is all about.

Nice trucks doogs! Chevys are good trucks but aren't the best platform for building an off road duty truck for any purpose that I can think of. I had a 93 f150 which is probably one of the best (along with the ibeamed ranger) platforms for building a relatively inexpensive desert truck. Man I miss that thing. Looks like you do the type of off-roading where shock fade isn't much of a problem. But even with King 2.5 remote reservoired shocks on my truck, a few miles of some serious play time resulted in me wanting more.

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#15
"Finaly, (since most of my questions are on the front suspention,) woulden't the same amount of dammage be just as likely on a truck mounted with a solid front axle given the same rock was met in the same manner?"

The problem is the solid axel will not hit as much stuff as an IFS rig. When a IFS rig lifts one tire, it shifts the center of the body down to articulate. On a solid axel the whole bar will lift. For crawling you need solid axels, or something exotic like the H1. You get a worse ride on road, which is why no light duty trucks have it any more Try taking a speedbump in a jeep Cherokee at a 35 degree angle at a little speed, and you will quickly see the issue with a solid front end. The last was the previous generation ram.

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So basicaly Your rig is in danger of rollover, and/or the Steering linkage being snaped?

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