Right-Sized Lift: McGaughys 7-Inch GM Suspension Lift Kit
We’ve seen the monster lifts go the way of the dinosaur, and more moderate lifts have become the norm. McGaughy’s Suspension understands that, and the company just released a new 7-inch kit. McGaughy’s has made a suspension lift for the brand-new ’11 GM 2500 and 3500 HD two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive trucks. The kit lifts the truck 7 inches higher than stock and allows for up to a 37-inch-tall tire, with zero trimming. McGaughy’s designed this kit with safety in mind. The spindles are CAD designed to achieve the factory geometry and factory alignment specifications. The lift was installed at McGaughy’s headquarters in Fresno, California, on its ’11 GMC Sierra Denali 2500 HD. The parts for this install were powdercoated black, but note that they normally come from McGaughy’s in silver.
Also, there are several upgradable parts, including a dual shock hoop, Fox racing shocks, and boxed-compression struts. For this installation, we used the boxed-compression struts. To finish off the project, we also installed a set of 20x9-inch BMF S.O.T.A. wheels and 35-inch Nitto tires. Follow along as we show you how to increase the ride height without increasing the risk.
| 01. After removing the front wheels and tires, the front crossmember was removed from the truck.
With the new lift and tires, the truck sits about 9 inches higher than factory. After leaping up into the truck, we took it for a quick shakedown to make sure nothing was rubbing and that everything was fine. The first thing we noticed was the truck rode better than it did from the factory. With the 35-inch-tall tires, there was absolutely no rubbing—even when turning on uneven terrain. It is possible to fit a 37-inch-tall tire. However, the tire would need to be 10 inches wide with 5-inch backspacing on a 20-inch wheel to eliminate the need for trimming.
