1. Superlift 5”-6” system includes everything you need to lift the truck in one (pallet-sized) box. It consists of front and rear crossmembers, a belly pan, steering knuckles, differential drop brackets, compression travel stops, anti-sway bar links, CV axle spacers, torsion bar crossmember drop brackets, shocks, and all the hardware required. For rear lift (not shown), you have the option of blocks, a block and add-a-leaf combination, or complete replacement rear springs.

2. Once the truck is secured on a lift or a set of jack stands, the disassembly process can begin. You’ll need to unload and remove the torsion bars, which requires a special tool. Since we want to get straight to the good stuff and the steps are all detailed in the detailed instruction manual, we’re not going cover much of the teardown. In a nutshell, the shocks, lower control arms, differential, CV axles, knuckles, sway bar links, and compression stops all have to be removed. The upper control arms and centerlink can remain in place.

3. Once the necessary components are removed, it’s time to break out the plasma cutter or torch in order to cut off the driver side lower differential mount. Again, this is normal for all Chevy 6” lift systems. The cutting needs to be fairly precise and is just one more reason to leave installation to a pro.

4. To replace the material that was removed with the differential mount, Superlift provides a plate that can be trimmed and then welded into place. The reinforcement is necessary in order to maintain the strength of the mount for the rear leg of the lower control arm, which shares the same mounting point with the old differential mount. This is really the hardest part of the whole installation, and the technicians had it knocked out in about half an hour from cutting to finish welding.

5. There is also a bit of differential modification to be done. The driver side upper differential mount must be cut off, and this can be done with a cut-off wheel, a portable band saw, or even a hacksaw. Superlift offers return-to-stock brackets for both the frame and differential should you want to remove the kit at some point in the future. This is also a good time to install the Superlift bracket (shown already in place) that incorporates the new mount; be sure to torque the bolts properly to avoid warping the differential housing.

6. With the trimming done, it is time to start hanging parts. The front crossmember goes in first, and as you can see, it slides in to the original lower control arm mounts on the frame and lowers the attachment points for the lower control arms 5 inches.

7. After hanging the passenger side differential drop bracket, the diff housing itself can be bolted back under the truck. Note that the new differential mount (arrow) now attaches to the Superlift crossmember.

8. The rear crossmember attaches to the factory lower control arm mounts just like the front. It can take a bit of maneuvering with the lower differential mount to get everything set up just right. Superlift purposely left some extra space in the crossmember mount for the differential to make lining things up easier. Once in place, the slack is taken out with a spacer.

9. The belly pan is next on the agenda. As you can see, it simply bolts in place between the two crossmembers. It is also contoured to maximize ground clearance and made out of 1/4” thick steel...no more worries about damaging anything on the front suspension during your next off-road adventure.

10. When you compare a factory knuckle (left) with the replacement knuckle (right), you’ll notice the new knuckle has a longer neck (A) to span the increased distance between the upper control arms (in the factory location) and the lower control arms (relocated 5 inches downward). When comparing the tie rod boss of each knuckle (B) you can see that the boss on the Superlift knuckle has been raised to compensate for the lift. As a result, there is no need for a replacement centerlink and all of the factory steering linkage is retained.

11. Before installing the knuckles, you’ll need to swap over the wheel bearing assembly and dust shield from the original. This is a simple three-bolt procedure, but make sure the hub and dust shield are indexed exactly the same way as they were on the factory knuckle.

12. The next step is wrestling the knuckles and control arms together. Sharp-eyed readers will note the brand new upper control arm on this truck; the original was replaced because the upper ball joint was toast. Be sure you check the condition of the ball joints during the disassembly because now is an excellent time to replace them if there is any slack. Chevys are notorious for having worn out ball joints.

13. Once the control arms are attached to the knuckles you can reinstall the CV axles. This kit increases the track width of the vehicle about 3” overall, so it’s necessary to install these machined aluminum spacers between the shafts and the differential. New, longer bolts are included.

14. The last major hurdle for the front suspension is installing the torsion bar crossmember drop brackets. These are located directly below the original mounts and attaching them requires drilling four holes per side. The factory crossmember can then be bolted in to its new, lower location.

15. With the major components in place it’s just a matter of attending to all the details. Attach the replacement anti-sway bar links (shown here being installed), connect the tie rods to the knuckles, reposition the ABS wires and brake lines, then tighten all the hardware following the procedure in the instructions.

16. The final step before loading the torsion bars is installing Superlift’s trick compression travel stops. GM designed the compression stops to be an integral part of the overall spring rate; believe it or not the stops are often touching the lower control arms when the truck rolls off the assembly line. Compression stop clearance is critical to maintaining proper road manners, reducing torsion bar fatigue, and preventing the spongy ride as well as the “dive” under braking that these trucks are known to exhibit after a lift. The reason is that every other suspension kit does not address compression stop clearance, which leads to a sagging front end and the other characteristics we just mentioned. Superlift’s replacement stops, which are really more like rubber springs, are designed to act just like the factory stops and therefore contribute greatly to this kits excellent ride and handling characteristics. Stop clearance is adjustable via spacer plates (arrow).

17. The final step on the front is loading the torsion bars. As we mentioned, this kit is adjustable from 5” to 6” of lift, and ride height is determined by where you position the torsion bar adjuster bolt. You will need this special torsion bar puller tool to load the bars, which can be rented at some parts stores.

18. Rear lift is fairly straightforward; your choices include blocks, a block and add-a-leaf combination, and complete replacement rear springs. Each method has its advantages and price structure. Since this vehicle is going to be used on-road and the owner wanted to retain the factory load-carrying capacity, lift blocks were chosen. Other items in the rear include replacement shocks, compression stop extensions, a brake line drop bracket, and even an E-brake cable bracket.

19. The finished front end looks clean and smooth as well as stout enough to take on just about anything we care to throw at it. The owner also chose to add the optional stainless steel skid plate, which adds a nice finishing touch. Superlift also offers an upgrade to its new Superide Select Series shock, which are manufactured by Bilstein.