What is the best lift for 1-1.5 inches max

I tried searching this and keep getting run around with no direct answers.


I want to lift my off road about 1 inch to improve clearance on my 265/70/17 ko2. I don't want to run 285's or anything bigger honestly.

Looking to improve the ride as well.

Does this kind of lift exist lol?

Seems like people are getting 2 -3 inches out of 5100, and I really don't want that.

Willing to invest in Icons, Kings or fox if the lift won't go over 1.5 inches.

Any recommendations? Thank you

 

Bilstein 5100 set at .85

Avoid spacers or blocks

 

If you want to spend a ton of money then yeah sure go with Icon, King, etc. They adjust from 0-3 on average.

The people who say are getting 2-3 with 5100s are usually running aftermarket coils and just using the 5100s for shock only and setting them to 0-.85.

For example, if you take a set of 887/885/888 coils from OME and combine them with 5100s set at 0-.85 you will definitely get 3 inches.

5100 alone are the best bang for your buck. High quality stuff and you can upgrade the fronts/reuse them with lift coils if you change your mind wanting more lift.

 

5100's set at any spring setting above 0 will cause worse ride quality. A full setup with spring and strut is only way to raise it and improve ride quality.

I used blocks to retain the quality and tucked in my 32's with no issues. Blocks aren't always the worst choice and they aren't the best choice. Everything is compromise.

But I was like you and was struggling to find a small lift without preloading a spring. Ended up with a small level instated.

 

Thanks for the replies so far!

How much do shops usually charge to install just the 5100's all around?

4-5 labor hours?

 

Mine charged me $300 for the shock install all the way around and $70 for the alignment. Total time was 4 hours. That's in the Boston area.
Recommend you get an alignment when ever you screw around with the front struts.
My fronts are set at .85 and I have Sumosprings in the rear that gave me about 5/8 " lift in the back. When the 5100 settle out you will be very close to level.

 

This is sort of true, but a lot of it has do do with your intended use. It's actually a bit of suspension sorcery that's not well understood, and more often not very well explained. What you lose by adding preload is droop travel, which is more necessary for off-roading applications but has not much to to with on-road handling.

Your springs are already preloaded- this is why you need a spring compressor to take them apart. It's how much extra you can get away with that is key. Once you preload PAST the spring rate, then you start seeing on-road ride quality get severely compromised.
Let's just use simple imaginary numbers. Your taco puts 500 lbs of weight on a corner, and the spring rate is 500 lbs with a 5 inch long spring. (Totally unrealistic, yes, but it makes the math very easy!)

No Preload:
Full droop spring height (wheel off the ground) = 5 inches
Static spring height (wheel on the ground) = 4 inches
Lift= 0 Inches

250 LBS Preload:
Full droop spring height (wheel off the ground) = 4.5 inches
Static spring height = 4 inches
Lift= + .5 Inches

500 LBS Preload:
Full droop spring height (wheel off the ground) = 4 inches
Static spring height = 4 inches
Lift= + 1 Inch

750 LBS Preload:
Full droop spring height (wheel off the ground) = 3.5 inches
Static spring height = 3.5 inches
Lift= + 1.5 Inches
(and a bone shattering ride because it takes 250 lbs worth of bump before your suspension moves.)

So in this very simple example, a .5 inch spacer and a 250lb preload on my spring would yield the same "lift" but the spacer would keep the same droop travel for off-road. Both would feel roughly the same on-road.

 

Can you just do the 5100's in the front only to achieve a level stance?

 

Yes .85

I private messaged you btw

 

If you want to replace the rear should the shocks be set at 0? This is a old thread

 

2016