4X4 S10 Lift Kits

[89-S-Dime]

Lift kits available for your IFS 4x4 S-series

Superlift 2" lift kit:
This kit comes with new torsion bar adjuster keys that attach to the rear end of the torsion bars. These load the torsion bars and determine vehicle ride height. Replacement tubular, upper control arms make realignment possible. For rear lift, the options are add-a-leafs and/or shackles. This lift is known to cause premature wear of CV boots, ball joints, idler arms and pitman arms due to the more severe angles created by the upper a-arms and t-bar crank. Although 2" to 3" can be achieved using this lift, that is the maximum and will increase wear.

Rough Country 2" lift kit:
This kit is very similar to the Superlift 2" lift. It also comes with new torsion bar adjuster keys to lift the front and new upper control arms. For rear lift it provides shackles. Also included are front shock relocation brackets and polyurethane bushings.

Trailmaster 5" lift kit:
This kit comes with differential drop bracketry which helps maintain factory C.V. joint angles. It includes new steering center link tie-rod extensions and shocks. However, because it utilizes stock upper a-arms, you need to cut them for shock clearance. Rear lift is achieved by relocating the leaf springs from bottom to top of axle. This lift is also not without problems, in some trucks there doesn't seem to be enough camber adjustment, which causes the insides of both front tires to wear VERY badly due to the tops of the tires are still laid in about 2.5 degree's. This is caused by the way in which drop brackets are mounted. If they are a fraction of an inch off it could cause this problem. The best correction is adding the upper control arms from the Superlift 2" or Rough Country 2" lift. Depending on the amount you go off-road, you will see premature wear of idler arms, pitman arms and halfshafts. If you use the kit with stock, cut upper control arms they may break.

BDS 5" & 6" lit kits:
These kits also use differential drop bracketry. However, instead of tie-rod extensions, a dropped center steering link is supplied as well as new upper control arms for appropriate shock clearance. Also included are brake line relocation brackets and one-piece front & rear cross members that increase frame rigidity and are locked together with a differential skid plate. Rear lift is achieved by rear spring over axle conversion.

Superlift 6" lift kit:
This kit comes with bracketry that lowers the factory upper & lower control arms 6". Both front & rear ‘legs’ of each upper control arm are captured by a single bracket then additionally strengthened with cross members. Rigidity is further increased by a unique belly-pan that connects the two lower control arm cross members. A new "dropped" centerlink and Centerlink Stabilizing System to support the centerlink, prevent premature pitman and idler arm wear. Front CV axle angles are addressed by lowering the differential 5 1/2". Rear lift is achieved by relocating the leaf springs from bottom to top of axle.


Body Lifts
are the cheapest way to lift your S-10; by lifting your S-10 you gain extra room for bigger tires. Pros of body lifts include stock ride characteristics and a taller stance. Some people don’t like body lifts because the frame is exposed, this can be corrected by installing Nurf Bars and Gap Guards. 2” body lifts are available for 84-04 S-10’s and 3” body lifts are available 84-94 S10’s and one company makes 3” body lifts for S-10’s up to 97 and this kit can be modified to work on late model S-10’s as well.


For more lift, you can do a solid axle swap. Most people opt to fabricate their own SAS. There is one place that provides somewhat of a SAS Kit and this would be Fabritech Motorsports

Fabritech SAS (Solid Axle Swap)
For 9 or 11 inchs of lift. It provides a Dynatrac Dana 44 that is setup externally like a Dana 30 Cherokee front end. For the rear, the kit includes nothing, as they recommend a spring over relocation and lift blocks. The front coils, steering, and brake lines come with the kit. You will have supply the front shocks, housing, and all the rear suspension components. The kit includes the following: Driver's and Passenger's Coil towers w/ bump stop assys., Adj. trac bar and adjuster, Coil tower support bar, Upper and Lower 4 link bars, Rear 4-link mounting brackets, Rear trans. x-member, Upper 4-link mounts, Coil retaining hooks, Front coils and brake lines, Pitman arm, Tie rod assy., Drag link assy., Bushings and Hardware. FYI-They DO NOT sell to individuals, only to 4wd/speed shops. For more info, see: www.setstr8.com

What tires will fit?


No lift or Torsion Bar tweak
Torsion bar tweaking can gain you 1-1.5 inches. If you get more it means your torsion bars were sagging or low from the factory (typical with the Sport package).
205's (standard tire size)
235's (optional tire size)
30's should clear all but the ones with sagging torsion bars
31's should fit with minor trimming/reshaping, anything larger needs lift.

Tire Sizes with 2-3" of lift
31's should fit, if using stock wheels expect the tires to rub on the frame and sway bar at full lock
32's should fit with minor trimming
33's should fit with massive trimming

Tire sizes with 5-6" of lift
32's should easily clear, if using stock wheels expect the tires to rub on the frame and sway bar at full lock
33's should fit with minor trimming
35's may fit with massive trimming

Tire sizes with 7-8" of lift
33's should fit easy
35's should require minor trimming with 8 inch wheels, more if 10 inch wheels are used
36's would require massive trimming to be done.

9" lift (SAS)
37" tires should fit easy
38.5" tires may fit with a body lift or trimming.

[SandBlastedS10]

Good info,
thanks for posting this.

[GeorgesBlazah]

Nice post, but I like to add to the Fabritech part. It is not sold anymore and it was overpriced junk.

[travy]

Thanks for the info.

My 2" body lift is in the mail coming to me as i post this

[yamaha405]

I vote for that to be a sticky!

[89-S-Dime]

Thanks........I wish I could edit the post........i have some things to add

[travy]

just add it in an other post

[Zeke]

So it seems like the SuperLift 6" kit is the best way to go???? Does that kit come with the brackets to lower the front diff?...or do you have to fab your own?

[travy]

Quote: Originally Posted by Zeke

So it seems like the SuperLift 6" kit is the best way to go???? Does that kit come with the brackets to lower the front diff?...or do you have to fab your own?

"best" ? nah, not really. it really depends on how you drive it around. and where you drive it. what kind of tires are you going for?

but it his the highest.

[Zeke]

Quote: Originally Posted by travy

"best" ? nah, not really. it really depends on how you drive it around. and where you drive it. what kind of tires are you going for?

but it his the highest.

Havent decided on tires yet.....still have alot of saving to do for the lift. I dont drive it much......well.everyday to work but its only 8 miles one way. Im wanting to go for the look of Goergesblazah(sp?)

I want it up there but dont want to have to replace a bunch of parts every few thousand miles either.

[GeorgesBlazah]

Lift kits, most of the time, do not cause the extra wear and tear on your truck. It is the tires/wheels you pick and how you drive it thats going to cause the extra wear.

[xenochromocript]

yah nice post. this is all the info i've ever wanted on lifts in one place. one good thing about the server going down is posts like this one that organize all the data into one place. i vote for a sticky too!

[TokoDragon]

I was thinking bds 5'' lift on a reg cab 4x4 with 31-32 inch tires no wider than 235 on stock rims, I'm willing to trade parts that come in the BDS kit for better ones, just want something relible and strong, I'm picking all my stuff out then just saving up for it, got $3000 saved up now (lol 6 months of saving) I hope I wont need any money to trade my 2wd in for a 4x4 s10, my 2wd truck should be a good down payment to keep my payments around the same they are now.
Was thinking of getting fabtech upper control arms, uniball ball joints etc.
I didn't want the Trailmaster because I didn't like the axle flip in the rear, but my friends jeep had a lift this way and it was pretty good.

[89-S-Dime]

Quote: Originally Posted by TokoDragon

I was thinking bds 5'' lift I'm willing to trade parts that come in the BDS kit for better ones

What better part are you talking about? I assure you the BDS lift kits are well made!

I didn't want the Trailmaster because I didn't like the axle flip in the rear, .

Then you won't like any of the 5-6" lift kits then because they all come with an axel flip in the rear

[insane3639]

also like to add superlift has a 6 inch

[89-S-Dime]

Quote: Originally Posted by insane3639

also like to add superlift has a 6 inch

It's listed above............nice kit

[89-S-Dime]

Quote: Originally Posted by yamaha405

I vote for that to be a sticky!

I second that

[insane3639]

I third that decision

[shiftit]

4th

[86MCSS]

and then

[Onimun]

sticky plz

[insane3639]

seriously this deserves a sticky

[orangesonoma]

done

[orangesonoma]

Quote: Originally Posted by 89-S-Dime

Thanks........I wish I could edit the post........i have some things to add

like what pm it to me and i can add it

[89-S-Dime]

Quote: Originally Posted by orangesonoma

done

thanks bro

[s_man692000]

Trailmaster 5" lift kit:
This kit comes with differential drop bracketry which helps maintain factory C.V. joint angles. It includes new steering center link tie-rod extensions and shocks. However, because it utilizes stock upper a-arms, you need to cut them for shock clearance. Rear lift is achieved by relocating the leaf springs from bottom to top of axle. This lift is also not without problems, in some trucks there doesn't seem to be enough camber adjustment, which causes the insides of both front tires to wear VERY badly due to the tops of the tires are still laid in about 2.5 degree's. This is caused by the way in which drop brackets are mounted. If they are a fraction of an inch off it could cause this problem. The best correction is adding the upper control arms from the Superlift 2" or Rough Country 2" lift. Depending on the amount you go off-road, you will see premature wear of idler arms, pitman arms and halfshafts. If you use the kit with stock, cut upper control arms they may break.


This is the one on my truck,I go offroading quite frequently,the best thing I did to avoid premature bushing wear was buy a set of poly's from LMC truck.

[89-S-Dime]

Just to save George and Crazy91S10 the trouble

[verbalkint99]

"No lift or Torsion Bar tweak
Torsion bar tweaking can gain you 1-1.5 inches. If you get more it means your torsion bars were sagging or low from the factory (typical with the Sport package).
205's (standard tire size)
235's (optional tire size)
30's should clear all but the ones with sagging torsion bars
31's should fit with minor trimming/reshaping, anything larger needs lift."

Can you correct a sagging torsion bar by cranking it out more, or is it a different part that is used on the sport models?

[GeorgesBlazah]

Yeah you can...Just watch your CV angles and that should give you a good idea of when to stop. You dont want too much of an angle on them. Check out a thread for torson bar cranking. There was a lil howto somewhere I thought.

[89-S-Dime]

Quote: Originally Posted by GeorgesBlazah

Yeah you can...Just watch your CV angles and that should give you a good idea of when to stop. You dont want too much of an angle on them. Check out a thread for torson bar cranking. There was a lil howto somewhere I thought.

[George Jetson]

95 S-10 4x4 4.3 5" BDS Suspension Lift on 32x11.50 BFG AT's
My 16 year old son and I (i'm a carpenter, not a mechanic) installed the kit ourselves in the driveway. Pretty straight forward for the most part. Took us about 30-40 hours. Here's a before and after, and a couple shots of what happens when you are 16 and zig instead of zagging in the dunes!

[George Jetson]