How many here daily their lifted trailblazer? Still debating doing either the 2"inch or 2.5". Iv've been wondering since I have 240,000 miles if it would be more of a hassle and money pit lifting.
Daily Driving Lifted Trailblazer?
- Thread starter connorwallin
- Start date
Sparky
Member
- Dec 4, 2011
- 12,927
I daily drove my lifted Trailblazer when I had it. Wasn't a big deal. Had Mark's 2.5" lift, ran it for 2.5 years / 30k miles, if I had another GMT360 I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
djthumper
Administrator
gpking
Member
I've had Mark's 2.5" kit for almost three years, 40,000 miles mostly highway.
I took about a 0.5 - 1 MPG hit after installing the kit, but that is the only con.
(I more than made that mileage back with a PCM tune).
I know of at least 3 other lifted TrailBlazers in my county, so other people are doing it too.
I can't really say the on-road handling characteristics changed a whole lot because of the kit itself. Lateral winds maybe whip you a little harder. New shocks had a much greater impact on ride quality than the lift.
My steering feels different due to the caster being slightly out of spec though.
I like sitting higher and having the confidence to take on slightly more challenging obstacles off-road. For just $150 + $99 alignment + a day of installation, I've been really happy with the end result and it has served me well.
I took about a 0.5 - 1 MPG hit after installing the kit, but that is the only con.
(I more than made that mileage back with a PCM tune).
I know of at least 3 other lifted TrailBlazers in my county, so other people are doing it too.
I can't really say the on-road handling characteristics changed a whole lot because of the kit itself. Lateral winds maybe whip you a little harder. New shocks had a much greater impact on ride quality than the lift.
My steering feels different due to the caster being slightly out of spec though.
I like sitting higher and having the confidence to take on slightly more challenging obstacles off-road. For just $150 + $99 alignment + a day of installation, I've been really happy with the end result and it has served me well.
HARDTRAILZ
Moderator
- Nov 18, 2011
- 49,665
With the minimal lift you can do and the real lack of change to the truck overall it is no different driving one lifted or stock honestly. I DDrove mine for several years with varying lifts and dozens of different wheel n tire setups and with and without sway bars. No issues. If I did not commute 135 miles a day, I would still DD it.
gpking
Member
I didn't answer the question, though -- it depends on your intentions.
Do you plan to continue to daily drive it with only a lift? If so, even if you keep it for just 60k more miles, you're looking at less than $300 for the 2.5" lift if you DIY.
Such a small lift alone is more cosmetic than anything (that's not to say the 6" lift, spacers, and Nitto Grapplers on Chad Chadworth's mall-crawler aren't purely cosmetic).
But if it makes you happy, go for it.
Or maybe you plan to go all-out and build a dedicated off-road rig (by definition a money pit).
That's probably not recommended to DD given your current mileage, and the time, effort, and money to do so. But if you wanted to have it as a secondary vehicle for driving to and from trails and in bad weather, it certainly might be worth it.
I would plan to daily drive it with a lift as well as get bigger tires. I'm senior at high school depending on colleges, might sit for awhile or end up daily driving like I am currently.
Bow_Tied
Member
gpking
Member
↓ Good advice from Bow_Tied, I did my lift when I replaced my shocks and ball joints. ↓
I'm going to get a little OT here, but let me enlighten everyone:
I am a "super senior" in college and I can vouch for how overpriced it is. That is what they don't tell you when they're "selling" you a degree. They'll gladly tell you about all the FREE stuff, but won't disclose the fact that tuition continually rises year-to-year and, oh yeah, most people don't graduate on time (me included).
I'm an "inmate" in the University System of Maryland about to finish up my 2.5 year Bachelors sentence. I did 2 years in community college before that and I'm glad I did. It saved me about $20,000 versus an Associates degree from a university.
PA may be cheaper, but here on the other side of the Mason-Dixon, in-state tuition runs you $12,000 a year.
Off-campus rent is $6k-10k a year.
If you live on-campus, you pay $13,000 a year to live in a smelly dorm.
That's just your school expenses.
How about food? Insurance? Gas? Utilities? Recreation? Taxes? It all adds up quickly.
I've worked 2 jobs at a time my whole school career and I still couldn't make ends meet on my own.
Not to discourage you if your financials are right; some guys at my school daily $60k+ sports cars and fullsize trucks. Of course, they don't pay for it, but some people are lucky like that. No hate from me. But the reality is, if you're responsible for all your own bills, trust me, the cost of living and going to school today will come as a big shock.
I find that a lot of people, both old and young, are ignorant to how much of a financial burden today's students are under. I feel like the trade schools would have lines out the door if everyone knew.
Also, be aware, the parking spots usually don't seem to be designed for anything larger than a Toyota Echo. I struggle to open my doors in most spaces. Anything like wheel spacers, brush guards, etc. will make parking even more of a nightmare.
SnowBlazer
Member
Njg425
Member
How tall are those tires you're running? That looks like a more reasonable setup than most I see on ORTB.
Sparky
Member
- Dec 4, 2011
- 12,927
ORTB are more the full blown off road rigs. SnowBlazer and I have/had the more "for appearance only" lifts (though more ground clearance when hopping through snow drifts is always a plus).
My old 02 for reference.
My old 02 for reference.
djthumper
Administrator
SnowBlazer
Member
265/75/16 Ko2s. I do have wheel spacers as well.
My initial intent was to be able to daily it so I went with a mild set up. If I had to do it over, I'd get Mark's 3" kit just because they .5" difference is noticable.
Njg425
Member
Which word would you prefer I use? I just think his build is a good compromise between being able to drive it daily and making it a little more capable off road.
HARDTRAILZ
Moderator
- Nov 18, 2011
- 49,665
You really cant build one of these past being a good daily driver. It is just not feasible with the limitations of lifting these. 35s are still small tires when it comes to anything lifted. You can easily build a fullsize truck or jeep to DD with 37-40 inch tires.