I went to the local tire shop and wanted to put 37" bfg km2 with new wheels on my stock 03 silverado crew cab 1500hd. They gave me a bid on everything I would need to do the job. I come to pick up my truck and they were complaining that the tires were not fitting with the lift they installed for some unknown reason. By the way they installed a rcd 6" lift kit then put an add-a-leaf in rear and new torsion keyways for the front. They claimed that this kit they installed should clear my tires without any issue but they do not. I could not even get the truck out of the parking lot because the tires were going to rip the back of my fenders off. So they stop me and have me pull the truck back in and they spend 5 hours more on my truck while I stand there and watch the chaos. They eventually just crank the torsion bars up until the upper control arm is under tension against the factory stopper. So now I have no suspension movement at all. All my ride is in the air in the tires. They say they dont understand what is wrong and im kinda up the creek. So here is my truck been sitting in my driveway for 3 weeks now because I will not drive it after the fun ride home which almost put the truck in the ditch a couple times since I think the front tires actually get air when hitting bumps since my suspension cannot move. My upper ball joint angle is so extreme that the boot ripped off and all the greese is sitting on my brake caliper now. I think the truck is totally unsafe to drive and am seeking legal help.

My question for you guys is what is wrong with this whole setup. Is it that my truck is a 1500hd? I noticed they put the kit for a 2500hd on my truck I contacted rcd and they claim the different between the two kits is very minimal. I have been hearing all kinds of idea's about what the problem is. One is the 1500hd body of truck sets lower then the 2500hd therefore you get less lift out of the kit. I heard the kits are not interchangable. Some places claimed that the spindles dont look like 6" spindles. I would like to know what the difference in the 1500hd and 2500hd trucks are. I measured some other trucks in town and thier 6" spindles measure the same. I have a friend with the same truck but 2500hd and have been measuring everything I can and cannot find any differences in the trucks. The kit just seems to have only lifted my truck 4" or so but the blocks in the rear are 4" and I have an add a leaf also. The front of the truck with torsion bars maxed out make the truck sit 1" taller then the back.

I can not find any good info on the 1500hd and can not find anyone that has a lift on one. I have never even seen another 1500hd truck anywhere. The tech at cognito said I would need a 10-12" lift on my truck to guarantee that the 37" tires would clear without rubbing and to assure a quality ride. This kit is considerably more expensive then the one I have but the tire store is going to have to pay the difference in the long run.

What do guys think of the cognito lifts and what can you tell me about the 1500hd what is different from the 2500hd and does anyone have a lifted 1500hd?
If anyone wants some great pictures of a total screwed up lift let me know I have plenty.  

yeah lets see some pictures, it would help. anyways the 1500hd and 2500 front ends are the same so i doubt your problems come from the wrong kit installed.  Your problem is trying to fit 37s on only 6 inch lift with chevy truck.  Chevy trucks dont have the best off road fenders so they will only clear 35s with a 6inc lift and you need at least an 8 inc lift to clear 37s under normal/ light off roadiing.  You would only need a 10-12 inc lift to clear 40s.  If you think you may have a 4 inc lift installed then find out exactly what you have cuz 4 inc lift will definitley not clear 37s.  I question the experince of the tire shop cuz no good installer would crank up torsion bars all the way just to barely clear the tires  

i would for sure like to see some pictures of your truck. and i really agree with Geo450racer no one would crank on the torsion bars that much.  

I will get a link to some pictures of my truck this weekend. Thanks for your interest.  

THE DIFF BETWEEN 1500HD AND 2500HD IS THE FRAME. THE 1500HD HAS THE SUSPENSION OF THE REG 2500. THE 2500HD HAS A 2" TALLER FRAME TO CLEAR THE MASSIVE 6.6 DURAMAX AND ALLISON TRANS. SO IF YOU HAVE 2500HD LIFT KIT ON YOUR TRUCK THEN YOU WILL BE 2" SHORT, THATS WHY THE TARDS CRANKED YOUR TORSION BARS.  

The previous posts of the amount of lift needed are correct.  You will need a minimum of 9" total, like 6" suspention and 3" body.  That will still be for only mild off road like geo450racer stated.  

well here is a link to some pictures of the great job they did. http://www.flickr.com/photos/19381793@N06/


thanks for the replies everyone  

wow they really fugded up your truck.  The photos did help.  Im guessing that they did install the wrong kit like prviously mentioned in the forum, that the 2500hd frame is 2 inc taller than 1500hd so that is probabley the problem.  I cant beleive the shop let you drive the truck home like that, seriously one look and the cv axle angles and they should have stopped and figured out whats wrong not crank up the torsion bars and let you drive home.  You should make sure they pay for all the fixing they have to do and install the correct kit.  

wow that realy sux man if you can make them return your money just go with a cage solid axel swap. it is a compleat bolt on if you can find an 8 lug d-44
thay are prety comon and you wont have to deal with ifs problems. by the way the d-44 is agood and cheep axel. i got one once for $300 in good shape3  

I guy at work has the same 03 silverado as me but his is the 2500hd and is totally stock. That is where I get all my measurements from now. Today I measured the frame on his truck and found some small differences but not in the height. The only major difference I can see is past the rear bump stop all the way to the rear bumper is smaller but the rest of the frame is the same. It is mostly an 8" frame and up front by the upper control arms is 6.5". My truck measures the same. The body mounts look the same etc. I really want to believe that there is a 2" height difference in the frame but cannot confirm that. If anyone knows exactly what is different please post. I need to find the exact screw up for the legal battle ahead, lol. One measurement that seems really off is from the ground up through the center of wheel to bottom of fender is 39.75" on his truck and 47" on my truck. That doesnt add up to me. I went from stock to 37" tires and 6" lift plus they put in keyways and turned torsion bars all the way up. I was expecting my truck to be alot higher then that. Something is really wrong with all this. Thanks for all the post.  

Any new updates?  

Had a lawyer send the place that lifted the truck a letter with a bid to fix it etc. Now we wait as my truck sits in driveway undrivable.  

Your measurements indicate only a 4" suspension lift.  I hope the legal route works out for you.  

wow!!!
my uncle has a rcd on his 03 2500hd duramax with 35's I couldn't imagine trying to get 37's under there without a body lift also. seems the only thing the shop did wrong is let you drive it home that way. I think you need more lift or goto a 35" they probably did what you wanted. maybe it is a 4" lift. RCD claims just that, a 6" will clear 35's with trimming, they recommend 33's  

well first off I did not go to the place asking for anything but lifting my truck to clear 37" tires. it is up to the experienced shop to tell me what I need to make that happen. they gave me a bid a week before I got the job done with everything needed to clear that tire and wheel combo. how is it the consumers fault that they do not know what they are doing? I specifically told them 37" tires and it says right on the bid bfgoodrich km2 37" tires, I would not spend that kind of money to get 33 or 35's so my truck can look like the other 100 trucks in my town. hell I had 32" tires on it stock with a few cranks on the torsion bars. there wil never be a body lift on any truck I own so that option is out.