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.
Here's the L&G Silverado in...
Here's the L&G Silverado in all its bone-stock-ness. The crew must have been excited about the lift because they already put a Got Sand sticker on the quarter glass.
The Fabtech 6-inch Ultimate...
The Fabtech 6-inch Ultimate kit comes complete with upper control arms, ball joints, spindles, bumpstop brackets, coils, and a block and U-bolt kit for the rear.
We also used the recommended...
We also used the recommended Fabtech Performance shocks for both front and rear.
Once the Silverado was up...
Once the Silverado was up on the lift, the wheels and tires were removed, and Chris began the disassembly by unbolting and smacking the tie rod end loose from the spindle.
Next, the brake and ABS lines...
Next, the brake and ABS lines were unbolted from the spindle and unclipped from the upper control arm, then the caliper was unbolted and pulled off of the rotor.
Chris hung it from the sway...
Chris hung it from the sway bar with a zip tie.
The sway bar endlink was the...
The sway bar endlink was the next to go and, once unbolted, was pulled out through the lower control arm.
After the top bolt, the two...
After the top bolt, the two bottom bolts of the shock were removed, and the shock was dropped out.
With the jack in place under...
With the jack in place under the lower control arm, the upper and lower ball-joint bolts were loosened, and the sledge was again commissioned to break the spindle loose.
Now the jack was slowly lowered...
Now the jack was slowly lowered until the coil could be pulled out. Use caution on this step. A coil spring compressor would work well.
The two upper control arm...
The two upper control arm bolts were removed, and the arm soon followed.
This obtrusive piece of metal...
This obtrusive piece of metal was the next to go. It's where the upper control arm use to bottom out during its downward travel.
The new bumpstop and bracket...
The new bumpstop and bracket fit in place lower and farther out than the old one. Once in place, a hole was drilled for the bolt.
Once drilled, the bracket...
Once drilled, the bracket was snugged in place with the provided hardware.
Although all of the pieces...
Although all of the pieces are provided, the Fabtech control arms come unassembled. First, the four bushings were lubed with the provided grease and pressed into place.
Next, the steel sleeves were...
Next, the steel sleeves were greased and pressed into the bushings.
Finally, the grease fittings...
Finally, the grease fittings were snugged onto each end of the control arm.
Now the Fabtech control arm...
Now the Fabtech control arm could be installed using all of the stock hardware.
The new upper ball joint was...
The new upper ball joint was installed onto the control arm with the provided hardware.
We now moved to the floor...
We now moved to the floor where Chris removed the three bolts that secured the spindle body to the hub.
Once off, the backing plate...
Once off, the backing plate had a lip that needed to be flattened before attaching the new spindle, so we flattened it.
Loctite was applied to each...
Loctite was applied to each bolt before the spindle/hub assembly was reassembled.
The Fabtech coil was fit...
The Fabtech coil was fit into place, and the lower control arm was carefully raised with the jack.
Now the spindle assembly was...
Now the spindle assembly was set over the ball-joint bolts, and the nuts were installed.
The upper and lower nuts were...
The upper and lower nuts were then tightened down and torqued to factory specs. A cotter pin was used on the new upper ball-joint nut.
Before the caliper could be...
Before the caliper could be mounted, a section had to be ground down for clearance.
The caliper was test-fit on...
The caliper was test-fit on the spindle, ground down a bit more, and then bolted into place over the rotor.
The brake line bracket was...
The brake line bracket was relocated from the top of the old spindle to the back of the Fabtech unit.
Fabtech's Performance shock...
Fabtech's Performance shock was then bolted into place.
Finally, the sway bar endlink...
Finally, the sway bar endlink was reinstalled in its stock location. After Chris got the other side all caught up, we turned our attention to the rear.
Photo A: We began the rear...
Photo A: We began the rear block and U-bolt install by removing both of the rear shocks.
Photo B: We began the rear...
Photo B: We began the rear block and U-bolt install by removing both of the rear shocks.
With jackstands under the...
With jackstands under the rear axle, the nuts were removed from the U-bolts, which were then pulled off the axle.
Photo A: Using our handy lift,...
Photo A: Using our handy lift, the truck was raised 5 or 6 inches to make room for the 4-inch blocks to slide into place.
Photo B: Using our handy lift,...
Photo B: Using our handy lift, the truck was raised 5 or 6 inches to make room for the 4-inch blocks to slide into place.
We dropped the truck down...
We dropped the truck down while maneuvering the axle into place under it. When everything was solid, Chris dropped the new U-bolts into place.
The spring plates were slid...
The spring plates were slid over the bolts, followed by the new washers and the Nylock nuts. They were then buzzed on and torqued to Fabtech's specs.
Chris then cut off the excess...
Chris then cut off the excess threads of the U-bolts. A good rule of thumb is to leave enough threads to equal the thickness of the bolt you are cutting.
Also on the Sawzall's list...
Also on the Sawzall's list was this pesky brake line bracket bolt that protruded into the shock mount. It needed to be trimmed so the wider-bodied Fabtech shocks fit without any clearance issues.
The new shocks were then bolted...
The new shocks were then bolted into place with the stock hardware.
Chevy makes a pretty nice...
Chevy makes a pretty nice factory alloy these days, especially when compared to past attempts, but it still doesn't hold a candle to the highly chromed Weld Renegades we were about to bolt up. And we think the 35-inch Pro Comp Mud Terrains would kick the factory rubber's butt in a fight, don't you?
After a quick mount and balance,...
After a quick mount and balance, Chris bolted up the new rolling stock.41. Once the Silverado was back on the ground and rollin' hard, the staff at the Custom Truck Shop couldn't help bolting on a few more of their goodies. For a relatively stock truck, this thing looks awesome.
The finished product! Lookin'...
The finished product! Lookin' awesome!