I have an 88 pickup with a 22re and 5 speed, I was told it has a 4.88 rear gear (never verified but it for sure is a super low rear gear). It's IFS. It was a hunting truck in the everglades so to fit the 31 inch firestone m/t's that it had they turned the torsion bars up and added 3 inch blocks in the back. The suspension on this truck is so ungodly hard. It handles turns like a dream though lol. I need to get rid of the blocks in the back and the torsion bar lift for the sake of my back and teeth.

So my question to y'all is, what brand or specific lifts do you guys run/recommend. It's already 3 inches above factory ride height and I quite like that height. I am aware that I'd have to lower the front diff so that I don't massacre my local Advance's supply of CV axles. I'm not doing any crazy offroading with this truck but I do go bear hunting and some light mudding/offroading. Any input would be very appreciated. I got a heated shop now so it's time I have some fun with my stuff.

 

My 88 had IFS with 31's, 4.56 gears and Detroit Tru-Tracs. No lift blocks in the rear but it had lift springs and it rode like a fork lift. I eventually SAS'd it and put 63" Chevy springs in the rear. I don't carry loads so I wanted flex and a good ride. I re-arched my Chevy springs and just use a two leaf pack. It flexes great and rides like a Cadillac. IDK what to tell you for the IFS front but get some longer springs in the rear. You can go longer 3rd gen springs, F150's or the Chevys. Easy to do and you will be happy. I'm parting out my 88 now and the springs are still here. Sounds like you are in cold country though and I'm in AZ.

Good luck with your truck and please follow up with whatever you decide to do.

 

I'd prefer not to solid axle swap it, I know they are better in almost every scenario but, SAS'ing this truck would just rub me the wrong way and I think a SA would be way overkill for what I do. I'm interested in the chevy rear leafs though. I'm not too knowledgeable on chevy trucks so what should I look for when trying to find the leafs? Is it just '63? What kind of lift did you get out of those leafs?

I don't live anywhere terribly cold, I live in SW Virginia. I always get hung out to dry during the winter with my parents' unheated garage because I'm still in highschool and I work as much as I can during the summer to try and support the 4 ill-chosen projects that litter the garage and backyard so I always end up working on everything and fixing it during the winter. I finally found a garage that needed someone who could do basic fabrication and welding for some frame patch work and he liked me enough to keep me around and work with my school schedule.

I will definitely keep this thread updated with what I do end up going with, I'll even add pictures. I was looking into https://www.yotashop.com/lift-kit-to...95-fbifs-2-dd/ for the front lift, the 2 reviews mention KYB lift shocks so I would probably end up getting them as well. You think that lift is worth the money?

 

The stock length rear springs are just too short for the 84-88 trucks and the harsh ride is a common complaint. Just going to the 89-up rear springs is an improvement but the F150 and Chevy 63's are popular enough that you can buy swap kits.

When I first did the Chevy rear spring swap I still had IFS with aftermarket torsion bars but no front lift "kit". I was running 31" tires and it was the perfect combination for them. It rode really nice. There's plenty of writeups on many forums and you can buy the install kits from places like Sky's Off Road, Ruff Stuff, Low Range Off Road and others.

One thing that can delay your install with the Chevy springs is the bolt sizes. I found out the hard way that different years had different bolt sizes when I got some new take off springs from a 2017 truck and the bolts I was using for earlier springs didn't fit. I've had 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton spring packs and both work. I make the spring packs the way I like them to ride. I didn't need the overload leaves either. You would need to set your up the way you want them. I used 3 leaves at first and when I went crawler all I have is 2 leaves. No lift blocks.

I tried removing leaves from the stock springs and was not happy but it may be worth a try before you invest in longer springs. IDK what Chevy or F150 springs from the junkyard go for these days so you'll have to do your research and compare to other bolt in spring options. My son's stock 91 Toyota pickup had slightly longer springs than my stock 88 and it rode better but not nearly as nice as the longer Chevy springs.

Good luck with your projects.