Another Lifted M1008

[86M10086.2L]

Well, I finally broke down and lifted my 86 M1008. I always wanted a lifted pickup but debated it for practicality reasons. I came to the decision that I should do it, and if I hate it, I can always take it out and sell it. I used 4 inch Tuff Country HD springs up front. 3 inch blocks in back (for now) rear u-bolt flip. Skyjacker dropped pitman arm, Tuff Country 8000 series shocks, and skyjacker braided stainless brake lines. My truck was not happy with the 4 inch springs and stock brake lines. Future plans will be for a 4 inch shackle flip in the rear if the lift stays in. Here's a few picutres. She may not be the prettiest girl at the dance but you still smile when you wake up next to her in the morning.

 

[Croatan_Kid]

Cool! Now you can fit 39s!


I thought about the rear flip, but for the cost I'm just leaving my 3" blocks. If I had any more than 3" in the rear, I wouldn't use blocks though. Besides, when you do a shackle flip the rear axle gets moved forward. You can use zero rates to recenter it, but that's another inch of lift. I had considered a 2.5" flip with a 1" zero rate to get 3.5".


Like I said, too much money for not enough gains.



Looks good though! Any plans for crossover steering?

 

[84cucv1ton]

form what i little i know its worth it. i have a 80 k30 with blocks. did a flip and it rides better. flexes better to. pretty good way to go. cross over is nice to have. i hope to soon

 

[CCATLETT1984]

crossover is hands down the best for a lifted k30.

the shackle flip adds 4", you can get shorter bars for it so its only ~2" and that leaves you with the correct height after the 2" zero-rate.

 

[86M10086.2L]

Eventually I may go for the crossover steering, but for now this will do. I have the steering box brace waiting to go in. Need to order the sway bar kit so I can throw that back in. Hoping for a decent set of HMMWV 37's and beadlocks to fill up the wheel wells. May have to wait for a show to get them though as shipping has killed every deal to date.

 

[CCATLETT1984]

Do you notice a lot of body roll on turns? Most of the time with lifted springs, you dont need to put the sway bar back in. I happen to have the kit to do it, thought I was going to have to when i first lifted mine. Didnt need it at all.

 

[WillWagner]

I did the same lift on my '85, 1T crewcab. I pulled 20 thru 25 ft trailers with it and mild off roading, sand dunes and hard pack in the high dez witrh the fam. It worked good, good flexing off road, no roll on the street. The only issue I had was that after 2 or 3 years, the front springs sagged and went into a negative arch like the stock springs. The guy who bought it put x over steering on it and new front springs from a local spring shop. Too bad I couldn't have put the engine and trans package that is in my '06 into the '85. That would have been a cool truck. The stock sway bar stayed in it.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Looking good man. Time for some bigger tires to tame those gears.

Shackle flip = no stiff springs, no more axle wrap than stock, and no block iffiness (splitting, wiggling, falling out, longer U-bolts, etc etc etc) and every "negative" can be fixed simply.

 

[Croatan_Kid]

I'm not entirely sure, but I don't think you can use a swaybar with crossover can you?

 

[CCATLETT1984]

nope

 

[WillWagner]

It was ther when it and I parted. It isn't now

 

[86M10086.2L]

We'll see. I'm thinking of going with a very un-conventional setup of 9.00 x 16 NDT's. I forgot how cool looking they were until I got my M416 trailer. True they are bias plys with tubes, but I think thetrade off might be worth it. Plus they are @ 35 inches tall and fit on the stoock rims. Haven't decided yet. And they are cheaper in the spectrum of off road tires. I may do it just to be different.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

You might reconsider those NDT's. They don't get good reviews onroad. Even at speeds most MV's can do. Especially not in incliment weather either.

If you do go the 9.00-16 route consider some of the STA and others out there. Most are NDT-ish and/or old school traction type treads. CGarbee has a decent list of them on his M37 site.
For the effort though you can get some Q78-16 Swamper TSL's for similar prices.

 

[Croatan_Kid]

I agree, NTD tires do not like wet pavement at all! Sure, they would probably look killer, I would rather have something that's gunna work in every kind of terrain or weather.


While rather heavy, my 11.00R-16 XZls are quite nice!

 

[AJMBLAZER]

http://www.garbee.net/~cabell/tires.htm

There's CGarbee's tires page. Has some good information, if a few years old, about our current choices in 9.00-16.

If I recall correctly STA has a 10.5-16 now...but haven't seen it or heard much about it.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Just noticed that National Tire & Wheel is still selling Buckshot Radial Mudders in the 305/85R16 size. That'd be about a 36" tall tire but they're famous for being narrower than the listed 12", more like 10.5" . Price is decent and they are famous for wearing well.