Will this lift fit my k5/jimmy?

[82jimmy]

Hey guys, so i’m planning on lifting my 82’ jimmy sierra classic and mainly want to go for an 8 inch kit. There are only a few options with the only one of my liking being the BDS suspension 8” lift kit with the nice fox shocks. My only concern is the products title says it’s only for 3/4 ton trucks. I’m planning on sticking with my 10 bolt axles as i won’t be doing any crazy off-roading or wheel/tire set up. Will that lift fit my jimmy? When i check vehicle fitment on the BDS website it says the lift will fit my jimmy but it’s obviously not 3/4 ton so any help, comments, advice, other options? Advice for reinforcing my 10 bolt axles? Thanks!

 

[82jimmy]

Description also says it only fits the rear 56 inch eye to eye leaf springs so i will be double checking that as well.

 

[nvrenuf]

Yes and no, the front springs and hardware will fit your Blazer HOWEVER, the rear u-bolts and 56" springs will not. The rear u-bolts will be for a 14 bolt which has bigger axles tubes than a 10 bolt and Blazers have 52" rear springs.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Why an 8 inch lift? That is an extreme amount of lift for a vehicle that won't be off roaded in a manner that warrants that much lift. 2 inch lift is plenty, 4 is more than enough.

 

[PrairieDrifter]

A blazer is not the choice for big lift and a street driver. It'll ride like crap. You'll be doing u joints every month lol

 

[82jimmy]

Why an 8 inch lift? That is an extreme amount of lift for a vehicle that won't be off roaded in a manner that warrants that much lift. 2 inch lift is plenty, 4 is more than enough

it’s not about wanting the functionality of a lift it’s about achieving a certain look

 

[82jimmy]

A blazer is not the choice for big lift and a street driver. It'll ride like crap. You'll be doing u joints every month lol

i guess i’ll get good at changing u joints then haha . I’m trying to do it the right way and i’ll do upgrades until it rides right . This isn’t my daily either i’m not too worried about extreme use on suspension . that’s why i’m on here asking for advice on achieving that lift properly!

 

[82jimmy]

Yes and no, the front springs and hardware will fit your Blazer HOWEVER, the rear u-bolts and 56" springs will not. The rear u-bolts will be for a 14 bolt which has bigger axles tubes than a 10 bolt and Blazers have 52" rear springs.

thank you! i did not want to change my rear axle maybe i’ll have to go for another option of lift . I might also just upgrade to a 14 bolt instead of wasting the money on the 10 bolt. I haven’t seen any advice on how to make them sturdy for a lift

 

[Tonimus]

It looks like both the 6" and 8" BDS kits come with lift blocks. I'd suggest calling them to see if you can get parts to make a 8" K5 kit.

 

[82jimmy]

It looks like both the 6" and 8" BDS kits come with lift blocks. I'd suggest calling them to see if you can get parts to make a 8" K5 kit.

thats a great suggestion i’ll keep in mind thanks !

 

[Zelph]

For this use I suggest doing a combination of a suspension lift and a body lift. Say like a 4 suspension and 3 body lift.
If not rock crawling and you don’t currently have a gov lock, the 10 bolt will suffice.

 

[nvrenuf]

I agree that if it's just a street driven, looks cool type of build an open diff 10 bolt will last a long time. The factory Gov Lock locking differential is extremely light duty and fails easily which in turn takes out other parts.

Going with a tall lift you'll likely need a CV joint at the tcase and then cut & turn the diff to rotate the pinion up, that should fix any lift vs driveshaft angle problems. Whatever you do, don't drop the tcase crossmember! Some folks do this in an attempt to relieve the rear driveshaft angle but it worsens the front angle and sometimes causes the frame to crack at the bolts (depending on how it's done, abuse, etc).

In addition to the lift, consider things like steering box braces and the XJ steering shaft mod. Crossover steering is a great mod but not always necessary, especially for a street truck. All of those can noticeably improve and tighten the steering feel. If you stay with push/pull steering be sure to get enough corrective parts, you want the drag link to be very close to horizontal.

 

[Rumbledawg]

i guess i’ll get good at changing u joints then haha . I’m trying to do it the right way and i’ll do upgrades until it rides right . This isn’t my daily either i’m not too worried about extreme use on suspension . that’s why i’m on here asking for advice on achieving that lift properly!

build your dream and who cares if you only street drive it.
just look at slammed trucks that can't make it over a speedbump without re-arranging their sheet metal. i wouldn't exactly call that practical either. hate it when people say don't build this or build that, number 1, it's not their dime so why do they care, and number 2, who in hell wants to drive what everybody else is. you can build a pavement scraper or a monster truck and they can be just as good as anything else if you do it right. i have found most nay-sayers against big lifts don't own a big lift truck, can't afford to build a big lift truck, don't know how to build a big lift truck, or have read (usually online) that big lifts suck or don't work.
i also have a 8" lifted sq that i can run threw 3 ft of mud or drive down to mc dicks with zero issues and haul my camper and 17 ft quad trailer with it at the same time as well and can still put most modern trucks on the trailer with it. was it cheap? for me, not bad cause i build my own rigs.
for the rear lift as mentioned those springs and hardware won't work, but if you want to keep the 10b axle, i would suggest you look at some 4" shackle flips, some 3" blocks, and a 1" zero rate to center your axle cause of the flips. this is what i have been running for 20+ yrs, except for the zero rates, the pick-ups usually sit a little higher in the rear so the zero's were not needed. to center my axle i used cut-out fender flares.
i would strongly suggest cross-over with an 8" 'er, and again, don't believe everything you read online. off road, on road my rig steers with 1 finger. you will need longer brake lines, a cv front driveshaft with some massaging, and to keep it happy, get a lengthened hi-angle slip yoke for it. body lifts suck, you will end up with a stubby t-case lever that will now most likely be un-able to hit all ranges cause of sheet metal interference. not to mention losing half your shroud, a cheesy way to lengthen your gear shifter rod and a ton of crap now hanging low looking like poo.
i will say you have not picked the best truck for a mondo lift, so it will take some work. i happen to drive GM's original land battleship, so lifting big was not as intricate.

can't daily drive a lifted truck? ok, if the "experts" say so....

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big trucks can't handle?...ok, if the "experts" say so....

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big trucks can't get out of their way?...again, if the experts say so. this ferd something didn't even rate a half throttle jump...

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big trucks can't do-aww screw it, 8 tons (camper and quad trailer on) of heavy metal coming down a 8% for 4 miles...notice the mountains, it's where i live. 8-15% grades anywhere from a mile to 20 miles long is the norm around here...also notice i can look a rig driver in the eye, a great safety feature, instead of becoming part of an accident, i can see over everyone and have time to react and not become part of the accident

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