never thought i would be driving a Chevorlet ( long time ford guy here ) but i got a lemon of an explorer and broke down on me n got my Buddys 1996 z71 4x4 with 5.0 for $1500. High mileage ( 265000) and bone stock but great truck well maintained and driven by his wife for years and years. kindof making me wonder why i didnt get a z71 a long time ago! any way that being said im gonna start wrenching on her soon im thinking 2-3 lift and some tires. since the truck has high miles im wanting to do the least stressfull modifications i can.

so i guess my question is wich would be easier on my truck. a 2 inch suspention lift with just blocks and cranked tortion bars

or a 3 inch body lift

im also new to the 4x4 thing so please bear with my ignorance

not really trying to take her doors deep in mud or any thing just wanting to improve the stance

also on a side note, any thing i need to be careful about with a chevy with this many miles?

 

I wouldn't use just blocks. of the options you've listed and with you not wanting to bury it, I'd say go with the body lift. If your new to wheeling it's prolly your best shot at getting what you want (stance) while keeping the truck practical.

with that many miles on it you start changing tire sizes and whatnot it's going to strain the hell outta the running gear... You'll have u-joints and wheelbearings going in no-time if your start radically changing all the angles and sizes.

also your up in that mileage where things like transmissions and transfer cases can act up so keep that in mind.

with it being well maintained sounds like you've got a runner.

 

IMO with that many miles, keep it simple. Don't do to much to it. Crank the stock keys is just to level with the back and run some 285/75/16s all terrains on it and be done with it.

 

been thinking about it

are there any stock height "trail rated" spring and shock combos i could use ?

like i said im looking for stance but i also crawl back to sum river road trails every now and then nothing extreme

and as for tires i was thinking 32s tops on my stock 16s or maybe 31s on some 15s

that shouldnt put to much strain on drive train should it?

 

256,000? That thing looks pretty clean.

 

264,930 but yeah shes nice and clean, drivers cab is a bit rusted out. other than that interior is clean n every thing works. just want her to look a little "mean" now