Hey y'all! I have some questions about coil spacers. For the 88-98 C1500's I've only seen 1 1/4" polyurethane spacers. Why are there no coil taller coil spacers like for the 99-03 GM's there's a 2" spacer? Are there any engineering design reasons for this or is it just lifting these trucks this way are unpopular so it's a supply and demand thing?

    If it's a supply and demand thing I'm wondering if I could either make my own spacers by buying some aluminum and machining myself some on my dad's metal lathe OR buy those 1 1/4" spacers and get a product like Herculiner roll-on bed liner and add maybe an extra 1/4" plus of  bed liner rubber to them. (I'll probably be buying a roll-on liner kit anyway)

hi.. you know there kould be a reason that they don't make them bigger but i guess you could call around..

the bed liner good idea hella good

I think the bedliner will wear off as the coil scrubs you spacer. I know herculiner is durable, but we are talking friction in the potential 1000/seconds rate if you are wheeling....  

I agree, eaven if you put it on right the liner will wear off quicker than you think. Then if you did put a quarter of an inch on your bolts will losten up wouldnt they and that dosnt sound safe.  

How about machining some billet aluminum coil spacers on my dad's lathe? I be happy to have anywhere from 1 1/2" to 2" instead of the offroad company's 1 1/4" poly-spacer.  

It just seems to me that 1"1/4" is there for a reason. More than that with a coil spacer will require changes to steering geometry as well as longer brake lines, etc.

1"1/4" will level a c1500 nicely and let you run 31x10.5x15 without a hint of rub....1"1/2" will be unnoticeable compared to 1"1/4". With a 2" the front will be higher than the back, then you will have to make a 3/4" block for the rear. Doesnt really seems worthwhile to me, because you will still likely be limited to 31x10.5 anyway (32x11.5 with rub).

the first time you go off pavement with a 2x4 truck, you will be wishing you had bought a 4x4. My k1500 in 2wd, with posi, tears the *** out of wet grass on a hill in 2x4, sometimes wont get up with out a run at it. In 4x4 it walks right up......your call.

Good luck.

Hey Quyonmob! I just got back from work. (I was on contract  for a month about 200 miles from home and internet)

Although 4wd sounds very cool and possibly quite usefull in inclement weather, like a vacation to Hawaii I don't think I'll ever be able to afford it...

I thought 2wd trucks are supposed to have 3" more lift between the front and rear axles (or wheel centerlines) making it have the back bumper 5-6" higher than the front bumper. Are stock trucks 2" higher at the wheel centers which'd make the back bumper only about 3-4" higher?

If so I might consider adding a 1.5" add-a-leaf to the rear and have a 1.25" coil spacer front lift. (I don't have a truck yet but I might have one soon) Comments? Suggestions?

Do automatic lockers in the rear cut down a truck's turning circle all the time or only when locked?(ie. under power)

I am not sure on the specifics of the front and rear heights of 2wd trucks. What i can tell you is that as you raise the front, the rear will compress as you are transferring more wight of the vehicle to the back. So a 1"1/4" coil spacer in the front, will likely compress the rear about 1/4".

If you are planning a lift, I would just add enough lift to the front to make the truck sit level, and give it the appearance of a 4x4, rahter than the 2wd with the a$$ end way up in the air.

Automatic (mechanical) lockers (ie, Detroit) lock both wheels together when ever power is applied to the rear axle. As soon as you touch the gas pedal, the wheels are locker together. You can coast with the wheels unlocked. Ther fore to answer you question, if you can do all your turning without touching a gas pedal, your turning radius will be fine, as soon as you touch the pedal, you turning radius will increase, and the tire on the inside of the turn will chirp or squeal.

I seriously think a locker would be a bad idea in a 2wd 1/2 ton truck (especially your GM) as the 10 bolt will explode really quickly.

Lockers can be very scary on wet roads and snowy roads. My burb had a detroit, and when it snowed, i had to use 4x4 to keep the truck straight.

If you can afford a locker, you can afford a 4x4! Buy a 88-98 GM k1500, put some 285/75/16's on it and you will be way ahead of the game, and have a truck you will be way happier with.

An 88-98 K1500 with 32's would be way more capable (and cheaper including vehicle cost and build cost) than a C1500 With a custom lift, a rear locker and 31" tires. 

Thanks for your ideas! The truck I'm interested already has almost brand new 31x10.5-15 a/t's on it... So a coil spring front lift (only) is best, that's what I thought too...

Tire chains are cheap, would it be much nicer to have those instead of a locker in a 2wd for conditions I could get stuck in? (snow, maybe mud)

chains are ok, but again, 4x4 is worth every penny.....you've gotta put the chains on BEFORE you get stuck....no good after!  

How would a 2wd with mud tires and a stock (are they open diffs?) diff be for staying unstuck in mud? I've seen people who run their 4x4's with all-season tires, no doubt because they have money and think a truck that says it's a 4x4 is unstoppable. Would a 2wd with mud tires be as good or better than a 4x4 with all-season tires. (Some factory 4x4's come stock with all-seasons!)  

I run BFG A/T's on my 4x4.....they will eat a 2wd drive truck with an open diff in the mud.

Mud tires suck *** on snowy roads in a 2wd truck too.

Stick with A/T tires on your 2wd.

Thanks quyonmob!  

I have a 97 silverado 2wd and i got a 4" spindle lift and 3" blocks in the rear plus a 3" body lift w 35" bfg muds. Does anybody know if there is any way to lift the front just a lil more without gettin coil spring spacers? I heard that they make it ride like crap. Yeah i know it aint no 4x4 but will bigger coil springs do it or what?