Chevy Silverado 2500HD Fabtech Suspension

Chevy Silverado 2500Hd Lift Drivers Side View

When GM's HD pickups came out last year, fans of the General had good reason to rejoice. Two monster engines-an 8.1L gas V-8 with enough power to push your eyeballs into the back of your skull, and a 6.6L turbodiesel V-8 with enough torque to relocate your neighbor's house into the next county-were just two of the reasons why Chevy fans were rushing to their local dealers. Of course an Allison transmission bolted to those two engines, and a ton of hauling and towing capability, didn't hurt, either.

A drawback of the new HD line, though, is that lifting its independent front suspension is a bit more complicated than lifting a truck with a solid front axle. So at first, there weren't too many lift kits to be found for these popular trucks. However, all that has changed. Now there is a wealth of offerings from many manufacturers on the market.

One of the newest ones, and one that caught our eye, is from Fabtech suspension. Why did it pique our interest? First, it allows for 8 inches of lift while providing plenty of strength through its stout construction. Other nice features include the fact that no driveshaft modifications are necessary as long as you have the Allison transmission, and no steering centerlink changes are required. We looked in as Fabtech installed its 8-inch kit on a four-wheel-drive 2500HD Crew Cab. If 8 inches of lift is too much, Fabtech also sells a 6-inch kit. And if blue is not your color, black also is available. Follow along as we look at the highlights of the install and the results.

1. The first step is to completely remove the stock front suspension and differential from the vehicle. After the stock front suspension is gutted, this bracket, which holds the differential, must be cut off. So obviously, if your truck is leased and has to be returned in stock form, this lift isn't for you.
1. The first step is to completely remove the stock front suspension and differential from
2. Since the bracket is also part of the lower A-arm mount, a gusset is welded into place to give it strength.
2. Since the bracket is also part of the lower A-arm mount, a gusset is welded into place
3. With the welding completed, the new front crossmember can be bolted into position. It is constructed from 1/4-inch-thick metal for plenty of strength.
3. With the welding completed, the new front crossmember can be bolted into position. It i

4. The rear crossmember is another 1/4-inch-thick piece. It also bolts on with no welding or drilling needed.
4. The rear crossmember is another 1/4-inch-thick piece. It also bolts on with no welding
5. After the crossmembers are in place, this bracket, which helps to relocate the front differential into the proper position to eliminate driveshaft vibration, is installed.
5. After the crossmembers are in place, this bracket, which helps to relocate the front di
6. Another bracket attaches directly to the differential and helps to support the front of the diff case.
6. Another bracket attaches directly to the differential and helps to support the front of

7. With the crossmembers in place and the mounting brackets for the differential installed, the diff can be wrestled into place. This takes a bit of maneuvering; better plan on having two people to help move it around.
7. With the crossmembers in place and the mounting brackets for the differential installed
8. A stout 1/4-inch-thick skidplate is used to protect the front differential. Here you can also see the nice truss work that helps add strength to the crossmembers.
8. A stout 1/4-inch-thick skidplate is used to protect the front differential. Here you ca
9. Next, the stock lower A-arms are attached to the new crossmembers.

10. A support also attaches between the crossmembers to add strength.
11. Since the whole suspension has basically been moved downward, the bumpstops must also be relocated. This new mount accomplishes that, and allows the factory bumpstops to be retained.
11. Since the whole suspension has basically been moved downward, the bumpstops must also
12. The Fabtech suspension also includes these new tubular upper A-arms. A nice feature of the new arms is that unlike the stock arms, they use replaceable ball joints.
12. The Fabtech suspension also includes these new tubular upper A-arms. A nice feature of

13. Other key components of the Fabtech kit are these one-piece-cast drop-down steering knuckles.
13. Other key components of the Fabtech kit are these one-piece-cast drop-down steering kn
14. With the knuckles in position, the hub assembly, rotor, and brake caliper can be reinstalled.
14. With the knuckles in position, the hub assembly, rotor, and brake caliper can be reins
15. To further lend strength to the front suspension, these impact struts are installed.

16. This drop-down bracket is used to lower the torsion bars for proper alignment with the relocated stock lower control arms.
16. This drop-down bracket is used to lower the torsion bars for proper alignment with the
17. The owner of this truck also chose to install the optional dual-shock hoop system. With it in place, you have the option of running three shocks by also using the stock mounts.
17. The owner of this truck also chose to install the optional dual-shock hoop system. Wit
18. An exhaust modification is necessary to clear the front driveshaft. Here you can see where a small section was added to the exhaust to lower it a bit.
18. An exhaust modification is necessary to clear the front driveshaft. Here you can see w

19. Lifting the back of the HD is a lot simpler than lifting the front, as a 4-inch block and 2-inch add-a-leaf are used to supply lift. A bumpstop extension is also used to keep the springs from over-flexing.
19. Lifting the back of the HD is a lot simpler than lifting the front, as a 4-inch block
20. The owner of this truck opted to install a set of Fabtech's traction bars to help reduce wheelhop.
20. The owner of this truck opted to install a set of Fabtech's traction bars to help redu
The Tire And Wheel Combo
Since this particular truck was going to see plenty of pavement along with dirt, the folks at Fabtech chose 37x12.50R17 BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain KOs for their big Crew Cab HD. Wheel selection came in the form of super-strong forged one-piece Thunder II wheels from APP in the 17x9 flavor.
The Tire And Wheel Combo Since this particular truck was going to see plenty of pavement

The Results
On the street, the Fabtech-equipped HD rode quite firmly, but this was more due to the triple-shock setup, which definitely was overkill for the pavement. The Fabtech suspension uses the stock torsion bars, so a close-to-factory ride should be possible using just a single shock. If this was our truck, that's what we'd do.

On the trail, having 8 inches of lift and 37-inch tires really helped the approach and departure angles of the big Crew Cab HD. The ride was still quite firm though, as the triple shocks were just too much except for the biggest of impacts. We think a single shock on each front wheel would be a better deal.

SOURCES
Fabtech Motorsports 1000 Beacon St. Brea CA 92821 www.fabtechmotorsports.com	BFGoodrich Tires 877-788-8899 www.bfgoodrichtires.com
APP Forged Wheels 3333 W. Warner Ave. Santa Ana CA 92704 www.appwheels.com