With 33-inch tires and a 3-inch...
With 33-inch tires and a 3-inch lift kit from Skyjacker, this Chevy 2500HD looks a lot nicer and ready to take on rough roads.
With the struggling economy and relatively high fuel prices, a lot of HD truck enthusiasts have been dialing down their original plans for giant lifts and monster tires. We're seeing many more sensible 3- or 4-inch lifts with 33- or 35-inch tires, and the bottom line is that these trucks look great and most definitely perform better than the teeter-totter rigs that are falling out of favor. We wanted to see what a 3-inch lift kit and 33-inch tires would do for a Chevy Silverado 2500HD, so we turned to Skyjacker Suspensions.
Skyjacker is a company that's committed to serious off-roading. Since the company's pioneering days in the early '70s, Skyjacker's field-proven expertise is suspension systems: lift kits and systems along with all the necessary components and accessories needed. Skyjacker likes to say that throughout the company's 35-plus-year history it has never backed down from its dedication to the pure passion of off-roading and never will. Located in West Monroe, Louisiana, Skyjacker is proud of the fact that it constantly tests its products in the harshest terrain.
So it was an easy decision to select a Skyjacker lift kit that included Nitro shocks and add in some Jesse James wheels and BFGoodrich tires. Take a look at how the lift kit is installed.
The stock Chevy 2500HD is...
The stock Chevy 2500HD is a capable machine, but with some carefully chosen aftermarket accessories, it can be quite an improvement.
The suspension of choice was...
The suspension of choice was a complete 3-inch setup from Skyjacker, including Nitro shocks. Skyjacker has been in the suspension business for more than 35 years and remains an innovator in offering complete knuckle kits for all current model trucks.
The first step is to remove...
The first step is to remove both front OEM skidplates located in front of and under the front differential.
Once the torsion bars were...
Once the torsion bars were removed from the rear crossmember, the torsion bar crossmember was taken off. With the crossmember gone, it was time to remove the torsion bars from the vehicle. From there the next step was to remove the front tires, front shocks, front sway bar endlinks, and then disconnect the tie-rod end from the steering knuckle.
Moving on to the next step,...
Moving on to the next step, it was time to disconnect the ABS line, brake line bracket, brake caliper, brake rotor, CV axle nut, and CV axle. Then the upper and lower ball joints needed to be removed from the steering knuckle. Once that was completed, the work turned to removing the spindle bearing from the steering knuckle and then the inner O-ring was taken out of the steering knuckle. Then it was on to removing the lower control arm and the front driveshaft.
Next was a fun step to make...
Next was a fun step to make some sparks fly. After locating the rear OEM two-piece differential crossmember, we ground off the welds so the crossmember could be removed. Once the grinding was done, we disconnected and removed the front differential and OEM bumpstops from the frame.
This step shows us installing...
This step shows us installing the new Skyjacker driver- and passenger-side differential brackets and attaching the differential to the new mounting locations using the OEM hardware.
The new Skyjacker front and...
The new Skyjacker front and rear crossmembers were next on the list of things to do. After that, we installed the front driveshaft and attached the lower control arms to the new Skyjacker crossmembers.
In this step we attached the...
In this step we attached the hub bearing assembly to the new Skyjacker steering knuckle, installed the new Skyjacker steering knuckles, and attached the upper and lower control arms to the steering knuckle. Note: This photo shows Skyjacker’s heavy-duty steering knuckle compared to the OEM knuckle.
Reinstallation of the brake...
Reinstallation of the brake rotor, brake caliper, and tie rod are shown above. With that done, we attached the brake line and the ABS line. After that, the driver- and passenger-side CV axles were installed.
Next, we installed the new...
Next, we installed the new Skyjacker front bumpstop relocation brackets and attached the OEM bumpstop to the bottom of the new Skyjacker bracket. Then we installed the front shocks and sway bar endlinks.
Now for some more minor grinding....
Now for some more minor grinding. We slid the torsion bars into the lower control arms and pushed forward to install the new Skyjacker torsion bar drop brackets. In this photo you can see us grinding off the rivets on the outside of the framerail.
Here we installed the new...
Here we installed the new Skyjacker poly bushings and sleeves in the new Skyjacker torsion bar drop brackets. Then we went on to attach the crossmember using the OEM hardware and reinstalled the OEM torsion bars on the crossmember.
These are the new Skyjacker...
These are the new Skyjacker blocks and U-bolts that will be installed for the rear lift.
The rear kit is a pretty easy...
The rear kit is a pretty easy installation.
We installed the new Skyjacker...
We installed the new Skyjacker 2-inch blocks and U-bolts as well as the new Skyjacker rear shocks using the OEM hardware. That was it as far as the lift kit goes.
305/60R18 BFG KM2 M-Ts were...
305/60R18 BFG KM2 M-Ts were a nice addition to the Jesse James Lawless wheels.
Go Rhino! Dominator II stainless...
Go Rhino! Dominator II stainless steel steps complement the tough look of this heavy-duty rig.
The ultimate setup for the...
The ultimate setup for the front came from Warn. This is the stainless steel Trans4mer setup and 9.5ti winch with a stainless steel winch carrier cover.
With the Skyjacker install...
With the Skyjacker install complete, you can see the results along with some other accessories that were added to make this HD ready to roll in style. With the setup complete, we took the rig out to play and the performance was excellent.