We couldn't take it anymore. Whenever we looked at our buddy's '95 Chevy Suburban 1500, we got nauseous. We love Suburbans, but this specific rig was a pimped-out model, which included horribly bulbous fiberglass running boards and a repelling collection of chrome. It was time to bestow a little Four Wheeler love on this poor, citified truck. With that said, we constructed a simple plan that would improve the Sub's off-highway abilities and give it a whole new rugged look-all without spending a fortune.
Our first call was to the folks at Rough Country Suspension. They recently redesigned their 4- and 6-inch kits for the '88-'98 GM 1/2-ton and six-lug 3/4-ton trucks and SUVs. The new kits are quicker and easier to install, and among other things, the new design reduces the number of brackets significantly. We chose the 4-inch kit. This would allow us to fit up to 33x12.50 tires (the 6-inch kit fits up to 35x12.50s), which would help improve ride height without screwing up the rig's gearing.
Here are the contents of the...
Here are the contents of the Rough Country RCX kit. As you can see, the number of components is minimal. Parts quality is outstanding, and all of the components except for the shocks and links are powdercoated black.
We opted for a set of Dick Cepek Radial FC IIs. These are great all-around tires because their tread pattern is part all-terrain and part mud-terrain. With a self-cleaning tread, siped tread lugs, an extra-wide footprint, and Sidebiters for added traction and sidewall protection, they're great for the daily-driven rig that sees a wide variety of terrain. We mounted them on a set of rugged, 16x8 Allied Daytona five-spoke steel wheels-black, of course.
Before we installed the suspension, wheels, and tires, the owner of the truck began the transformation by removing the lame chrome wheel-lip moldings and the hideous running boards. He also removed the chrome front bumper and painted it black. He then mounted up a new Westin brushguard and Westin lights, which according to plan blend very nicely with the now-black bumper. We'll have a full install story on these two Westin products in the April '08 issue.
What follows is an overview of the installation of the major components in Rough Country's new kit.
1. Installation of the rear...
1. Installation of the rear lift is a relatively easy affair. The kit comes with 4-inch blocks, longer U-bolts, and a pair of Hydro 8000 shocks. We upgraded to the Rough Country Nitro 9000 Series shocks with 10-stage variable valving, chrome-hardened 9/16-inch piston rod and 1 3/8-inch bore. We also chose the optional longer sway-bar end links too.
2. Up front, the suspension...
2. Up front, the suspension was disassembled per the instructions. This is a good time to inspect and replace any worn items. Our Sub had a worn pitman arm and a worn idler arm, so those items had to be replaced. The first major step in preparation for bolting in the new components is to use a reciprocating saw to remove the driver-side lower differential mount (shown).
3. With the front differential...
3. With the front differential removed from the vehicle, the fins on the driver side of the unit are trimmed by about 1/4 inch. This is to create enough clearance so the diff doesn't contact the frame when it's relocated.
4. After removing the factory...
4. After removing the factory bumpstops, their respective mounts are removed from each side of the vehicle using a reciprocating saw. The bumpstop mount is then ground flush with the frame.
5. The new upper control-arm...
5. The new upper control-arm drop brackets bolt into the stock upper control-arm mounts. These rugged new brackets are made from 1/4-inch steel like all the rest of the Rough Country brackets.
6. The new torsion-bar drop...
6. The new torsion-bar drop brackets bolt directly to the frame. The factory crossmember that locates the torsion bars then bolts to the torsion-bar drop brackets.