We’ve seen the monster lifts go the way of the dinosaur, and more moderate lifts have become the norm. McGaughy’s Suspension understands that, and the company just released a new 7-inch kit. McGaughy’s has made a suspension lift for the brand-new ’11 GM 2500 and 3500 HD two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive trucks. The kit lifts the truck 7 inches higher than stock and allows for up to a 37-inch-tall tire, with zero trimming. McGaughy’s designed this kit with safety in mind. The spindles are CAD designed to achieve the factory geometry and factory alignment specifications. The lift was installed at McGaughy’s headquarters in Fresno, California, on its ’11 GMC Sierra Denali 2500 HD. The parts for this install were powdercoated black, but note that they normally come from McGaughy’s in silver.
01. After removing the front...
01. After removing the front wheels and tires, the front crossmember was removed from the truck.
Also, there are several upgradable parts, including a dual shock hoop, Fox racing shocks, and boxed-compression struts. For this installation, we used the boxed-compression struts. To finish off the project, we also installed a set of 20x9-inch BMF S.O.T.A. wheels and 35-inch Nitto tires. Follow along as we show you how to increase the ride height without increasing the risk.
With the new lift and tires, the truck sits about 9 inches higher than factory. After leaping up into the truck, we took it for a quick shakedown to make sure nothing was rubbing and that everything was fine. The first thing we noticed was the truck rode better than it did from the factory. With the 35-inch-tall tires, there was absolutely no rubbing—even when turning on uneven terrain. It is possible to fit a 37-inch-tall tire. However, the tire would need to be 10 inches wide with 5-inch backspacing on a 20-inch wheel to eliminate the need for trimming.
02. Next, the brake rotor,...
02. Next, the brake rotor, caliper, and wheel hub were removed from the spindle and the spindle was unbolted and removed from the truck.
03. With access to the suspension,...
03. With access to the suspension, the front shock was removed.
04. Finally, the lower control...
04. Finally, the lower control arm was unbolted and set aside.
05. The next step was to...
05. The next step was to remove the differential crossmember. This will be replaced but uses the factory hardware.
06. After the lift is installed,...
06. After the lift is installed, the differential will sit in a lower position. To compensate for this, the driver-side differential crossmember bracket needs to be trimmed 4-1/4 inches. Then the differential can be disconnected and removed from the vehicle.
07. The lift kit from McGaughy’s...
07. The lift kit from McGaughy’s came with everything needed to complete the installation: new spindles, new front crossmember, new differential crossmember, torsion bar dropdown brackets, bumpstop extensions, compression struts, skidplate, differential dropdown bracket, sway bar endlinks, CV axle spacer, lift blocks, and longer U-bolts for the rear.
08. The first step in putting...
08. The first step in putting everything back together was to reinstall the differential with the dropdown bracket in place.
09. With the front differential...
09. With the front differential in place, the new, beefier differential crossmember was bolted in.
10. Next, the bumpstop extensions...
10. Next, the bumpstop extensions were installed and bolted in.
11. After installing the...
11. After installing the lower control arms in their new mounts, the lift spindle was lifted into place and bolted to the ball joints.
12. In order for the factory...
12. In order for the factory geometry to remain consistent after the lift, a CV axle spacer had to be installed on the driver side.
13. Here is how the new front...
13. Here is how the new front crossmember looks. McGaughy’s is known for making great-looking, extremely durable products.