We get asked about Lift Kits almost daily around here so we thought we would shed some light on the subject to help with your decision.
Stage 1
Body Lift: We, personally, wouldn’t own a truck without a Body Lift! Why? The main reason people install a Body Lift is so you can fit larger Tires, and while yes, this it true that you can accommodate up to a 40” Tire with the Factory (or close to the factory) offset wheels, the reason why it is at the top of our modification list is, for one, it makes the truck so much easier to work on; Getting to the Fuel Injectors, Glow Plugs, Turbo etc. is so much easier when the truck has a Body Lift. Another reason is that the truck runs cooler; By getting the Body up off of the powertrain you get a lot more ambient air flow around the engine and transmission. The Body Lift also gives you more ground clearance at the Rocker Panels for better off-road prow lessness. As mentioned before, the Body Lift will allow you to accommodate up to a 40” Tire with the Factory, Cepek Wheels or with wheels that have close to the factory offset.
You’ll not only gain another 1.5” of additional ground clearance with 40” tires but 40’s will also lower your RPM’s at highway speeds: A stock 96-97 Turbo Diesel Truck with 37” tires and 2.73 Gears runs around 2800+ rpm at 65-70 mph. That same truck with 40” Tires will run around 2300 rpm @ 65-70 mph. This lower rpm not only decreases the volume inside the cab but also puts the back in its powerband of 1500-2600 RPM; less heat, better fuel economy and, did we mention, easier conversations inside the cab.
We offer a few different varieties of Body Lifts and will explain the differences here:
Stage 1 Body Lift: The Lift is accomplished with 2” UHMW Spacers and longer, Grade 8 Bolts that are included with the kit. Made more for Humvee’s and early 92-93 Hummers with 3-speed Transmissions, the Stage 1 Body Lift includes everything you need to Lift the Truck.
Stage 1 Body Lift Complete: This is our most popular Body Lift for 94-04 model trucks as it includes everything you need to lift the truck but also includes the following:
Stage 1 Body Lift Kit (Complete Package)
Shift Linkage Kit: Corrects the Shift Linkage on a 4-speed (4L80E) Transmissions.
Steering Shaft Boot: A new Boot to replace the factory one that is likely torn or missing.
Steering Boot Relocation: Re-aligns the Steering Boot to the correct angle after the Body Lift is installed.
Radiator to Hood Seal: Stacks on top of the Factory Seal to properly seal the Hood to the Radiator.
LIFTED SEAL – RADIATOR TO HOOD
Stage 1 Frame Mount Body Lift: The Lift is accomplished by replacing the Factory Body Mount Brackets with our Body Mount Brackets that have the 2” of Lift built into them. This Kit is great if you would like to install a Rear Bumper on a Humvee. (as most Humvee’s do not have the Bracketry to bolt on a Rear Bumper.
Stage 1 Frame Mount Body Lift Complete: Includes everything you need to lift the truck but also includes the following:
2.5" Frame Mount Body Lift (Complete)
Shift Linkage Kit: Corrects the Shift Linkage on a 4-speed (4L80E) Transmissions.
Steering Shaft Boot: A new Boot to replace the factory one that is likely torn or missing.
Steering Boot Relocation: Re-aligns the Steering Boot to the correct angle after the Body Lift is installed.
Radiator to Hood Seal: Stacks on top of the Factory Seal to properly seal the Hood to the Radiator.
Stage 2
Suspension Kit: Generally, we recommend this Kit if you already have a Stage 1 Body Lift or if you are genuinely off-roading the Truck and need the additional Ground Clearance. This kit gives you 3 additional inches of ground clearance right out of the box without using larger tires and the best part is it is 100% BOLT ON! No cutting, drilling or welding is required for installation.
Unlike other, smaller kits on the market the RubberDuck 4×4 Suspension Kit keeps the ball joints at factory angles preventing premature wear/failure and prevents the ball joints from rubbing when larger tires are being used. The kit also allows you to align the truck within factory specifications preventing premature tire wear. And for those of you who went the cheap route and bought a competitors “Kit” that does not address the Ball Joint Angles, we do NOT sell the them separate from our Kit. This is not to “punish” you but during our extensive testing, we also found that there is a “Secret Sauce” in the design and thickness or our Spring Spacers which is why the Front Spacers are different than the Rear Spacers.
Since this Kit increases the Spring Rate of the Factory Springs, the truck will have a stiffer ride with the Factory Shocks. Therefore, we HIGHLY recommend that the Cepek Adjustable Shocks are used with this Kit. With the Dampening set all the way down on the Cepek Shocks, 90% of the ride quality will be regained.
