Fabtech 83-88 on 96 for mild prerunner?

[luke norman]

Im looking at starting my prerunner project very shortly, im only 18 and a recent college grad, and will be starting work the 29th, so funds will be tight untill about half way through next month so thats the projected start date. Im looking at the fabtech 4'' kit, they are for 83-88, so i want to know if they will fit a 96, i dont mind a bit of fab work with mounts as long as i dont have to modify the beams, as well will they hold up for a mild preruner? im going to be going with a coil over shock setup, maybe bilsteins, or fox 2.0's, and for the rear, the re arched 64'' chev springs, and still debating on the shock setup, but will be replaced by a 3 or 4 link during the winter of 10/11, or spring of 11. So basically, will the fabtech kit be a good startign base, or should i just go with the threat kit? once i start, money wont realy be so much of an issue so im open to ideas and input.

 

[prerunin554]

Fabtech has a coilover kit? If its a mild prerunner as you say/want then you really shouldn't need coilovers. Just get longer radius arms and bend the beams. There are some basic trucks out there built dirt cheap and handle like a dream. On the other hand, Threat makes an awesome product.

 

[luke norman]

No its not a coilover kit, but intend to swap out the coilbuckets and coil springs with custom mounted coilovers, http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Fabt...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories thats the setup i was going to use as a base, i would be able to purchase them now and come the better part of next month start to purchase the rest of the stuff i need.

 

[luke norman]

Ok so here is my current suspension plan, if it will work that is.

Front
Fabtech 4'' lift beams(but extended 4''), with 4'' lift coils
Fabtech radius arms
Bilstein 7100 12'' shocks with resy's
Custom coil bucket and shock tower

Rear
64'' chevy conversion with same shocks as front

But i do have a few questions, if i cut the beams and extend them between the rad arm bolt and were the spindle mounts, i shouldnt have to bend the beams anymore seeming there already bent should i? Will the bilsteins work in the front or should i try and find a different setup? the thing is the setup is only going to be used untill mid way or towards the end of the summer, then i will be going with coil overs, and will decide on the beams at that time, and as well a 3 link from threat with coilovers as well for the rear.

But mainly my question for now is will this work combo work together enough for a mild prerunner?

 

[fx2prerunner]

check out autofab

 

[bikenweed]

If you're going to run 4" lift springs, 12" stroke shocks will be waaaay too big. Heck, 8" stroke shocks will be too big. I know because I tried some 4" springs on my mild prerunner, and they were tiny. Spend your money right and just go for the Threat kit.

I've got some Skyjacker 5.5" lift springs with some 2.0x8" Fox reservoir shocks all hung from Camburg coil buckets, attached to some 3" extended/bent Threat arms and Threat radius arms/tranny x-member. Front end handles very well with that set up, and I can re-use the heimed radius arms/x-member/i-beams if I do ever want to go to coilovers. Coil springs don't handle half bad, and they sure are cheap and easy.

 

[Bryan22]

also with ur truck being a 96 you're gonna need the spindles the older beams. With the older forged beams the balljoints are in the beams, the cast beams have balljoints in the spindle, they won't interchange. also if i were you i'd just keep my eyes open for a better quality used setup. this radius arms look whimpy, kinda doubt they'd hold up to anything more the a mild cruise through the desert.

 

[ES894x4]

is fabtech not making parts that fall apart now? if not your wheels might fall off at the micky d's drive through haha