In our little niche that we like to call the custom truck world, there has been very little advancement in the technology that truly changes the face of the scene. Ten years ago, if you brought home a brand-new '92 Silverado 2WD and were looking to alter the suspension with off-the-shelf components, you were pretty much limited to a 4/6-drop in one direction and a 3-inch body lift in the other. Beyond that, you would have been looking to custom shops to tear into your ride, which isn't really what most of us want to do immediately after driving off the lot.
Luckily, for us, the manufacturers have come pretty far over the years. On the low-down side of the spectrum, such names as Airlift and Air Ride Technologies come to mind; they've revolutionized the sport of truck customizing, and now you can lay out your brand-new truck in a few days with a store-bought kit. When it comes to 2WD lifting, there is only one company that has not only revolutionized the sport but created its own genre: Fabtech Motorsports.
For the past 15 years, Fabtech has incorporated off-road racing technology into the design of its suspension systems as well as state-of-the-art CAD (Computer Aided Design) and CNC (Computer Numeric Control) equipment. Coupled with rigorous quality control, this helps Fabtech to design and build performance suspension systems at levels of quality above and beyond the demands of off-road enthusiasts. With the release of the '99 Silverado, Fabtech set out to create an updated line of suspension systems that held up against the early C1500 systems.
The new 6-inch Ultimate Suspension system uses upper control arms, coil springs, and front and rear shocks to increase travel by 4 inches combined with 3-inch lift spindles for the ultimate combination of ride, performance, strength, and appearance.
In the rear of your vehicle, you have the option of running blocks, add-a-leaves, or a combination of both. The 6-inch system allows for 35-inch tires to be run without interference for some serious off-roading or flexing on the highway.
We chose 16x8-inch chromed Weld Evo Renegade wheels for their shine and durability and wrapped them with LT315/75R16 Pro Comp Mud Terrains. Follow along as Chris of the Custom Truck Shop (the new retail store from L&G Enterprises) installs the Fabtech system on a 2000 Silverado.
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Here's the L&G Silverado in all its bone-stock-ness. The crew must have been excited about
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The Fabtech 6-inch Ultimate kit comes complete with upper control arms, ball joints, spind
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We also used the recommended Fabtech Performance shocks for both front and rear.
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Once the Silverado was up on the lift, the wheels and tires were removed, and Chris began
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Next, the brake and ABS lines were unbolted from the spindle and unclipped from the upper
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Chris hung it from the sway bar with a zip tie.
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The sway bar endlink was the next to go and, once unbolted, was pulled out through the low
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After the top bolt, the two bottom bolts of the shock were removed, and the shock was drop
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With the jack in place under the lower control arm, the upper and lower ball-joint bolts w
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Now the jack was slowly lowered until the coil could be pulled out. Use caution on this st
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The two upper control arm bolts were removed, and the arm soon followed.
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This obtrusive piece of metal was the next to go. It's where the upper control arm use to
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The new bumpstop and bracket fit in place lower and farther out than the old one. Once in
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Once drilled, the bracket was snugged in place with the provided hardware.
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Although all of the pieces are provided, the Fabtech control arms come unassembled. First,
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Next, the steel sleeves were greased and pressed into the bushings.
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Finally, the grease fittings were snugged onto each end of the control arm.
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Now the Fabtech control arm could be installed using all of the stock hardware.
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The new upper ball joint was installed onto the control arm with the provided hardware.
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We now moved to the floor where Chris removed the three bolts that secured the spindle bod
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Once off, the backing plate had a lip that needed to be flattened before attaching the new
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Loctite was applied to each bolt before the spindle/hub assembly was reassembled.
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The Fabtech coil was fit into place, and the lower control arm was carefully raised with
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Now the spindle assembly was set over the ball-joint bolts, and the nuts were installed.
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The upper and lower nuts were then tightened down and torqued to factory specs. A cotter p
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Before the caliper could be mounted, a section had to be ground down for clearance.
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The caliper was test-fit on the spindle, ground down a bit more, and then bolted into plac
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The brake line bracket was relocated from the top of the old spindle to the back of the Fa
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Fabtech's Performance shock was then bolted into place.
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Finally, the sway bar endlink was reinstalled in its stock location. After Chris got the o
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Photo A: We began the rear block and U-bolt install by removing both of the rear shocks.
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Photo B: We began the rear block and U-bolt install by removing both of the rear shocks.
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With jackstands under the rear axle, the nuts were removed from the U-bolts, which were th
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Photo A: Using our handy lift, the truck was raised 5 or 6 inches to make room for the 4-i
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Photo B: Using our handy lift, the truck was raised 5 or 6 inches to make room for the 4-i
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We dropped the truck down while maneuvering the axle into place under it. When everything
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The spring plates were slid over the bolts, followed by the new washers and the Nylock nut
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Chris then cut off the excess threads of the U-bolts. A good rule of thumb is to leave eno
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Also on the Sawzall's list was this pesky brake line bracket bolt that protruded into the
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The new shocks were then bolted into place with the stock hardware.
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Chevy makes a pretty nice factory alloy these days, especially when compared to past attem
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After a quick mount and balance, Chris bolted up the new rolling stock.41. Once the Silver
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The finished product! Lookin' awesome!