Hi Chevy Forum,

Got a question I've been kicking around.

Have any of you had experience driving your truck on questionable terrain? The lady and I are road tripping cross country out of my 2018 Z71 1500 for quite a while, and I'm a little concerned about the ground clearance at the front bumper. It hangs down pretty low... and with the shocks, I'm worried I'm gonna tear a big ol' hole driving over an out of place rock or something. 6 or 8 inches of clearance at best.

I have the Midnight Edition which comes with the beefy Z71 Off-Road package, but do you think I need to get a leveling or lift kit for the front end? I know you can get them pretty cheap and I can throw them on myself but everything is really adding up with the trip and I'll also need a front end alignment as well...

If you do recommend lifting the front, what do you guys use? I've heard Motofab is alright?

Thanks a lot in advance!

JB

 

I've done lots of off-road driving in both Jeep CJ-5 and Chevy K-1500. I dont worry about the things that you do. At best you might install a front axle skid plate if you are worried about it. If you take really hard roads, you'll probably bend something.

 

...anything more that a seldom used gravel road or farmer field...stuffs gonna hit.

 

Yeap!

Took my Jeep CJ-5 down the Rubicon trail 10 times, back before the Jeep Corp blew up the worst parts of the trail in the later 1980's, so they could take VIP's down it. Now you can get a pickup down the thing. Had one dude take an old Suburban up the "little sluice box" one year. You should have seen what that burb looked like when he did make it out. Wish I had taken pcitures or video of that.

Back then most drivers were drunk on beer, when driving down the trail, and they'd hit rocks with no reason and bottom out. Had to winch them out lots of times.

 

That would have been a cool trip.

everything is a compromise. short wheelbase jeeps are great on the trail...twitchy on the highway....suburbans just the opposite.

 

I think I'm just gonna throw a skid plate on the front axel and maybe a bull bar... more-so just because why not.

Thanks for the suggestion Henry!

JB

 

I've found my solution!


Remove the valance / air dam completely and throw on:
https://mzoffroad.com/products/16-chevy-1500-skidplate-mza-c4-2?variant=21283275735120&_vsrefdom=googleads&gclid =Cj0KCQiAn4PkBRCDARIsAGHmH3csx29PM3h6Q3POBy-VFQA-bOFjvR-8E91ynPEFhAtLkLuiqyxrQC0aAv9oEALw_wcB

woof

 

Valance removed, before and after: https://ibb.co/album/e5PvgF
These "after" photos are before I shaved down a few more of the bolts sticking out and shortened the wheel well that can be seen hanging down in a couple photos.

This gave me at least 8 inches of additional ground clearance in the front (which by itself accomplished my goal), and personally I think it looks way more rugged. I still plan to add the Mazzulla skid plate or something similar - I like the flush.

Removing the valance and the metal bracket behind it, and shaving down bolts and wheel well, took about 90 mins start to finish - largely because it took me forever to figure out the right angle to efficiently get an awkward bolt out (covered by wheel well).

It has yet to be seen how much it affects my MPG but as long as it's not too bad that plastic valance will be sitting in my garage forever.