Before & After Lift Pics?

[Majoraslayer]

I'm really interested in lifting my 2003 Trailblazer EXT, but I seem to be running into a few issues on information.

Most of the knowledgebase I've run across comes from old posts from another forum, in some far off land no one can remember. I've gathered that the maximum lift a TB is capable of is 3" due to the front axle design. Also, I've seen the name "MarkMC" thrown around a lot.

A few questions I still have are:

1. What kind of cost am I looking at to install maximum suspension lift?
2. Is MarkMC still around selling these kits, and if so where can he be found?
3. What kind of effects does this have on handling? I've driven some squirrely lifted rides in my time, and I don't really want to weave all over the road with my daily driver.
4. What size tires have you guys installed on your 3" lifted TB's without any rubbing issues?
5. Will regular TB lift kits fit an EXT model? I can't seem to find any information on this anywhere.
6. Most importantly, I'd like to see some before and after pics of some of the lifts you guys have done, that includes lifts of any size as long as there is a before and after comparison. I'd kind of like to consider my options.

I definitely understand the desire to get rid of the factory rake. It feels like driving a minivan more than a 4x4 truck, and it seems particularly strange to have a 4x4 anything that sits so low to the ground. The EXT is the worst; one little rut at the wrong angle on a gravel road and you can easily bottom out.

Thanks for any help you guys can provide!

 

[68impalacp]

I would have to recommend checking into the sister site offroadtb. It will have a lot more before and after pictures for you as well as information regarding lifts. Be sure to search over there as well. Many of the questions you have, have already been answered.

 

[Majoraslayer]

Signed up and registered. Thanks for the referral!

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

1. What kind of cost am I looking at to install maximum suspension lift? $200 for rear Skyjacker Springs and $1100 for front Radflo Coilovers
2. Is MarkMC still around selling these kits, and if so where can he be found? His website is posted in most lift threads. He does sell them and is still active in supporting his products
3. What kind of effects does this have on handling? I've driven some squirrely lifted rides in my time, and I don't really want to weave all over the road with my daily driver. I can drive my family 80+ mph without an issue. Towed an enclosed trailer hundreds of miles at 75 mph with both children strapped in the backseat. Platform is quite solid when lifted
4. What size tires have you guys installed on your 3" lifted TB's without any rubbing issues? I never ran a 3 inch only, but 265 or 285 seems to have been done. ORTB has a lift chart available
5. Will regular TB lift kits fit an EXT model? I can't seem to find any information on this anywhere. They are same suspension
6. Most importantly, I'd like to see some before and after pics of some of the lifts you guys have done, that includes lifts of any size as long as there is a before and after comparison. I'd kind of like to consider my options. Look at my build thread. I think I even started a before and after pic thread previously

I definitely understand the desire to get rid of the factory rake. It feels like driving a minivan more than a 4x4 truck, and it seems particularly strange to have a 4x4 anything that sits so low to the ground. The EXT is the worst; one little rut at the wrong angle on a gravel road and you can easily bottom out. The front suspension design was the first to get an SUV without rollover warnings. Crappy for lifting but safe for soccer moms. Too bad its not as easy to remedy as the ridiculous stock torque management choking your acceleration off the line.

Thanks for any help you guys can provide! No problem.

Before:

After:

 

[Sparky]

theliftmeister.com

Get the 3" lift for sure. I did the 2.5 but had to buy new upper mounts, which by then I might as well have gotten the 3" lift!

I have Bilstein HD shocks up front and rear. Ideally I'd have something like the skyjackers in the rear so I could get the full rear suspension extension, but this works for now.

I have 265/75/R16 tires on my truck (32 inch). Firestone Destination AT. Not really done much offroad with it admittedly but they seem to do OK. If you have the 3.42 rear gear ratio you don't want any taller than this. Sometimes I wish I went with a slightly shorter tire like 31" because of my gearing.

If you run anything taller than about 30 inch tires, you WILL need either 1.5 inch spacers (also available from MarkMC) or aftermarket wheels with 4.5" or less of backspacing, or adapters if the bolt pattern of the aftermarket wheels is different. Our bolt pattern is 6.5 most other GM trucks are 6x5.5.

I've driven mine all over the place. A good alignment and no problem with handling. A recommendation is to do the control arm flip which helps put the upper ball joint at a better angle after lifting. Take the passenger side arm, flip it upside down, and put it on the driver side, and vise versa on the passenger side.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

I have Bilstein HD shocks up front and rear. Ideally I'd have something like the skyjackers in the rear so I could get the full rear suspension extension, but this works for now.

You dont top out the rear HD? I did with just the blocks that came with my original 2.5 lift.

I would definitely go longer than stock rear shocks right away or you will be wishing you did or spending more to do so. My skyjackers are already rusty and have not really seen winter so its hard to recommend them, but there are tons of options.

 

[High Voltage]

http://m.ebay.com/itm?itemId=141290179671
This looks like a great kit and is only a little more than Mark's body lift alone.
I'll post pics later.

 

[Sparky]

I already had the rear Bilsteins from when I replaced the stockers the spring after I got my truck. They aren't topped out at resting height and have some travel left, though not the ideal amount. For street and minor offroad they work OK.

If I was buying shocks at the same time I was doing my lift I would get HDs up front and something like the skyjackers in the rear. I wasn't originally planning on lifting 3 years ago when I got the HDs.

 

[Majoraslayer]

Thanks for all the responses! I'm thinking I'll probably keep my cost low and go with the 2.5" lift and level kit from Liftmeister. My tires are still brand new, so I probably won't upgrade them until down the road. A little more ground clearance and the aesthetic look of leveling it are probably all I need for right now.

I've noticed everyone tends to upgrade their shocks to the Bilstein HDs. Is that something that has to be done with a lift, or is it just an optional upgrade?

Someone also mentioned that the rake can be helpful when towing, since it levels out with weight in the rear. That was a good point, and I do pull a heavy-duty trailer with two ATVs regularly. So, hopefully to help I may upgrade my rear springs to the Z71's, since they're supposed to be stiffer.

 

[Snailblazin']

http://m.ebay.com/itm?itemId=141290179671
This looks like a great kit and is only a little more than Mark's body lift alone.
I'll post pics later.

I wish I would've seen this before I bought my lift kit,

HARDTRAILZ your TB looks comical in stock form, hard to believe it's the same truck. Sidenote: how do you like your led light bars for off-road use vs. halogen bulbs?

Best I could do for a "before and after". That is the only photo I have with the truck in profile and it's old as eff.

 

[Sparky]

Thanks for all the responses! I'm thinking I'll probably keep my cost low and go with the 2.5" lift and level kit from Liftmeister. My tires are still brand new, so I probably won't upgrade them until down the road. A little more ground clearance and the aesthetic look of leveling it are probably all I need for right now.

I've noticed everyone tends to upgrade their shocks to the Bilstein HDs. Is that something that has to be done with a lift, or is it just an optional upgrade?

Someone also mentioned that the rake can be helpful when towing, since it levels out with weight in the rear. That was a good point, and I do pull a heavy-duty trailer with two ATVs regularly. So, hopefully to help I may upgrade my rear springs to the Z71's, since they're supposed to be stiffer.

Honestly do the 3". If you do the 2.5" you'll still more than likely need new upper mounts, so price of 2.5" lift and mounts pretty much makes it a wash compared the the 3" lift. The 3" will be a tad easier to do (fewer pieces). I thought I could reuse my 2 year old mounts but being in a salty winter state of Ohio they didn't come apart after all and I had to cut them off. Really wish I had gotten the 3" lift at that point.

Bilstein HD is a good upgrade for even just replacing shocks on a stock height truck. Good balance of ride quality and firmness, not squishy feeling like the stock shocks are. If you're going through the lift process you should figure getting at least new front shocks anyway.

I don't have first hand experience with the Z71 springs but I've read they can be rather rough on an otherwise stock GMT360. They have a higher spring rate than our springs do.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

I love the LED bar(only have the 20 hooked up now). Couple pics in my build thread, but it outperforms the quad beams(HID lows and the high beams). Shoulda done this long ago.

You do the struts with the lift cause its kind of a pain to compress the springs and such, so while you are doing, do it all. Not required by any menas, but a proactive addition to the maintenance of the truck.

How far does your rear squat when towing now? You may want the z71 or you may not, but many love them for the extra lift and stiffnes, but i hated the ride and ditched them pretty quick.

 

[Majoraslayer]

As it is right now, the weight of the trailer basically eliminates the rake by dropping the rear to level with the front. Each of my ATVs, overestimating for a safety buffer, would probably be about 600 lbs each. My trailer is probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 1200 lbs, bringing it to about a maximum of 2400 lbs to tow.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

You could do airbags in the rear coils for towing only so you don't have rake constantly

 

[High Voltage]

Stock
.jpg]
2.5 suspension and 265's

3" suspension and 3" body 265's

3" suspension 3" body 315's

 

[Majoraslayer]

No offense to anyone else, but High Voltage, that is probably the most awesome Trailblazer I've ever seen.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

I think that one pic is in my driveway

 

[Majoraslayer]

It looks like my lift project is going to be on hold for a while; over the weekend the water pump decided life was just too much to endure and gave up, vomiting half of my expensive Dex-Cool all over the parking lot of the movie theater 40 miles away from home. So, I got slapped with a nice big tow bill, the cost of parts and fluid, and ton of scratches on my arms from the always-pleasant process of changing the water pump.

I don't know who designed that stupid fan nut, but whoever it was obivously hates GM more than Ford.

 

[07TrailyLS]

Voltage, is this the kit we discussed through PM last night that you couldnt post the link to? I'd definitely buy this thing no problem it seems legit but i would love to have a few positive feedbacks about the company and that specific kit before doing so. has ANYONE used this +6+5 body/suspension lift??

 

[BlazingTrails]

Stock

022308_1630[00.jpg]
2.5 suspension and 265's

IMAG0400.jpg
3" suspension and 3" body 265's

IMAG0438.jpg
3" suspension 3" body 315's

IMG_758588901225284.jpeg

Your Truck is Badass.

I think that one pic is in my driveway

It's not fair the 2 best off Road TB's is the same Area.......

 

[High Voltage]

Your Truck is Badass.


It's not fair the 2 best off Road TB's is the same Area.......

Thank you!

Kyle's is by far a better off road tb than mine! He has the area and the knowledge to use his as it's intended to be used. It has been there and done that!! I wish we were closer in distance!!!