Truck question: Spacers vs. Torsion bars?
You can't use spacers on the front end of the truck... The truck has the torsion bar front suspension, so where would you put the spacers? The torsion lift keys do exactly the same thing as cranking the bars. Save your money and just crank the bars for free. The lift keys usually will lift the front of the truck higher than the stock height of the rear, and will require an AAL (add-a-leaf) or small lift block. The mechanic is right, it does cause premature wear of the front components, mainly the ball joints and cv joints because of the increased angle that they are operating at. If you want it to sit level, just crank the bars. If I remember correctly the adjuster bolts require an 18mm socket. Make sure you turn each adjuster bolt the same amount (left 2 full turns, then right 2 full turns). After you turn them, move the truck forward and backward to allow the suspension to 'settle'. Don't go crazy with the lift and your front end components will still last a long time. Depending on amount, you may need an alignment. I didn't go wild, and I just watched my tires for wear... I never aligned my truck afterward, till I got new tires 30k miles later then had it aligned (it was within spec!).
Best way to lift a suburban?
You can find body lifts (2" or 3") for a couple hundred bucks. It lifts the body off of the frame to allow clearance for larger tires. Make sure you order the bumper relocation brackets so that the front/rear bumpers line up and look right. For 4 inches, you gonna have to get a kit. You may be able to find a good deal on one, but expect to pay about $1000-2000 depending on the manufacturer (not including installation costs). You get what you pay for, but a decent unit can be had for 1200+. Look at all of them (Fabtech, RCD, Rancho, Superlift, ProComp, Rough Country, CST). I know there are others out there that I'm forgetting about. The body lift will be the cheapest, but will not get you the 4" of lift that your wanting (unless you include the lift that the larger tires will get you). One thing you could do is combine the body lift with a short suspension lift like this one: http://www.superlift.com/Catalog.asp?P=3... This kit is the ONLY short lift that I somewhat like. Many people just crank the torsion bars or add the lift keys (the keys do the exact same thing). As the link states, it increases wear on the CVs and ball joints because of the increased angle that they are operated. This kit lowers the front differential so that the CVs are at a factory angle again, and the new upper a-arms help with the ball joint issues. The kit is half the price of a 4", but once again your not getting as much lift, and you get what you pay for. A rear/good 4-6" lift will include a ladder bracket that lowers the location of where the lower A-arms mount, so that ALL of the factory suspension components are at/near factory angles. The link for the kit above does not do this. It isn't a big deal but will look kind of goofy because the front tires will travel outward as the suspension compresses because of the geometry of the suspension.
How different is a jeep liberty and a jeep patriot?
Liberty is bigger and more expensive. Patriot gets better MPG, cheaper, more maneuverable. Definitely seems more economical than the Liberty. My stepmom drives a Mazda CX-5 series and likes it very much. Seems like with SUV's there are two types, smaller and more economical with better MPG and maneuvering capability, or bigger and with more off-roading. I would decide which way you want to go and then get something that fits into the right category for what you want. Ask how big the engine and what kind of power too, the Liberty had a nice kick.
Converting a coil-sprung vehicle to leaf springs in order to improve towing capacity seems pointless & a very retrograde step! It would also be a pretty major undertaking to fit leaf springs to a chassis designed for coils, even greater if the vehicle is of monocoque design!It'd be easy to obtain aftermarket rear coil springs that would achieve what you want, plus there are numerous passive & active systems that would do the same job. (From rubber 'spring assisters' to pneumatic systems).Leaf springs offer no advantage over coil springs, save for the fact that they act as their own axle location system.
About how much does it cost to put a lift on a truck?
For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/nABMl What kind of lift are you looking to do? A body lift, suspension lift, or a superlift? You'll need to figure out what, exactly, you'd like to do before you get started. Try asking the guys in a technical forum, as no one on Yahoo seems to be able to get their heads out of their asses when it comes to lifting trucks. Some of the forum guys will be able to help you figure out what's best for your situation and it'll be easier than back and forth edits on a Yahoo answer. Follow your heart, bro. Anyone who says lifting trucks is a redneck waste of time or penile compensation is jealous of how awesome your truck will look when it's done. Let them drive off in their tiny cars with their tiny dreams and tiny aspirations. You just roll over 'em and keep on truckin', buddy. No road is too rough!
That depends on the size and shape of the speed bump, the car you are driving and the condition of your car’s suspension.There are rolling speed bumps:These can usually be hit at whatever speed limit is available and usually much higher. They are low to the ground so a car with limited ground clearance should roll over and they have a gradual lift, so your suspension has time to react to the bump and your body will lift as your car goes over the bump.There are short, tall speed bumps:These really hammer you car’s suspension if you hit them too fast. Your car’s body doesn’t have time to rise up when you hit them fast so you can drag the bottom of your car on the speed bump if you have a car with limited ground clearance. Your suspension can take a beating as well, traveling to its limits and really bouncing everyone in the car.Then, there is everything else in between.Speed bumps can damage your car if you hit them too fast. The suspension isn’t normally made to adjust to sharp, fast, big bumps and those bumps can make the shocks bottom or top out, potentially causing damage to them. Too low a vehicle hitting too high a speed bump can damage parts on the bottom of your car. Chin spoilers are one thing that take a beating:the bottom of this car is only a couple of inches from the ground. It will hit speed bumps long before the wheels start to raise the body of the car to go over the bump. If you drive a car with limited ground clearance, you will always have to be on the lookout for speed bumps.
Can you install shocks without lifting up the vehicle?
Depends on the vehicle. The weight of the vehicle is held up by the springs. On vehicles that use shocks, most of the time they are removable without disturbing the springs, assuming you can access them for removal/replacement. On vehicles with struts, the spring is often attached to the strut and the vehicle must be supported before removal. Your neighbor's Z71 has shocks. The front of the truck is supported by the coil springs while the rear of the truck is supported by the leaf springs. There should have been plenty of room for them to slide under and replace the shocks without a jack. As always, before you attempt such a repair to your own vehicle, research the proper methods and tools required. Serious injuries have occured by people attempting repairs to their vehicles without the proper education/equipment.
Not to be too lengthy, and some great answers here. Just wanted to provide a bit of background. Years ago, when dealers ordered GM trucks (GMC and Chevrolet) when you ordered a 4wd truck, you could add the Z-71 option code, which was an OFF Road suspension. It included Billstein or Monroe shocks, skid plates under the tansmission and transfer case, and sometime, the G-80 EATON rear locking axle. The option became so popular, people soon started asking for trucks with the Z71 option. The Dealer would have to pull the invoice on the truck or review every window sticker on the lot. So, for ease of identifying, GM started putting decals on the trucks with the package. Eventually, the package became so popular they turned it into an entire trim level, even making it available on 2WD models. It was a very affordable option, considering everything you got for the price. However, many 4X4 trucks didn't have the option, and only said 4X4. Today, it doesn't necessarily mean what it used to, but originally, it was just an option, known only to dealers, for the off road package.
99 chevy tahoe 4inch lift kit?
4" prices will be similar to the 6", not much cheaper. There isn't much difference to the construction of the lift kit. If you shop around, you may find a kit in the $900 range. There are some 3" kits out there, but are usually junk. They really screw with the geometry of the front suspension and you will eat cv joints and ball joints. This also holds true for the 2" lift or leveling kits. I did come across this 2.5" lift from Superlift. It drops the front differential so that the cv angles remain within factory spec. It also includes new upper control arms for proper geometry. This kit uses the factory torsion bars (cranked up) so you actual amount of lift depends on how far you crank them. One problem I have with this kit is that you may run out of adjustment on the torsion bars before you reach the desired height, and will require new or heavier GVW torsion bars. The rear lift is NOT included, but you can pick up an add-a-leaf or block for $75-150. http://www.superlift.com/Catalog.asp?P=3...
I agree with Kai. It’s important to do the work yourself so that you know how to fix it when it breaks. I put the 4.5″ rough country lift on my XJ. I did it in the parking lot of my apartment complex over the course of a couple of days. The 3″ should be similar. That being said, installing a lift kit requires an impact wrench. (I wouldn’t try to do one without it) and a lot of other tools. If I had to do it again, I would want a garage, and a couple of friends to help me.