| Four inches of lift may not seem like much, but it's perfect for the enthusiast where multi-weather driving and utilitarian work demands are more important than trying to be a parking lot stud on the weekends. In all, the Silverado did exactly what we hoped it would do and we did it with as little change as possible.
It's not always best to admit, but many of the lifted suspension installations we do in the magazine see more time on the road commuting and looking cool than they do getting tossed around in the dirt. Unfortunately, the form has taken the center stage with function merely a backup singer in the song. It's high time to change that. Many of you have trucks that get used for their designed purpose, and see just as much time on as off the road—basically, a true balance of work and play. We are turning the focus your way with this new project.
Teaming up with Auto Anything, this 2011 Silverado will serve as the perfect blend of tough looks with tough performance to match. Used for hunting adventures, including heading to the duck blind, tracking down a buck, and driving to the deserted fishing hole, the owner makes no excuses for getting his truck dirty. Auto Anything is used to handling any and all custom truck requests and was eager to help find the solutions to make Project 12-Gauge a multipurpose pickup.
Certainly a suspension lift was a major necessity and not one that would ride too high or negatively effect ride comfort. We found the perfect fit in Ready Lift's SST line of offerings. Ready Lift's goal was to provide a true lift kit that was completely bolted on; no drilling, cutting or welding required. This system significantly increased ground clearance while allowing for tire sizes up to 33-inch on aftermarket wheels. Completing the first part of our utilitarian transformation was 275/60R20 Falken Rocky Mountain A/T tires from Discount Tire Direct and 20x9-inch BMF S.O.T.A. wheels in the company's popular Death Metal finish.
| 4. It was necessary to lubricate and assemble the bushings into the Ready Lift control arms before mounting them in the Silverado using the stock hardware. The control arms came with the ball joints already pressed into place.
With the added inches from the suspension lift, Auto Anything recommended electronic PowerSteps from AMP Research, which would help ease ingress and egress for all passengers. When the boards are in the retracted position, they become barely noticeable and stay out of harms way while traversing through brushy areas that the truck would regularly see. AMP Research also had the perfect solution for getting into the bed with its BedStep and BedStep 2. Both units flip down or retract with the nudge of a foot. Exactly what a true multipurpose truck needs. No fumbling and no fuss trying to make these accessories work. To help give the truck a rugged look and to help keep mud from covering the planned vinyl wrap, we also ordered a set of Bushwhacker fender flares. They look good, are easy to install, and are pretty darn tough.
Auto Anything came to our rescue and had everything shipped to us at competitive prices and with fast shipping. Street Trenz, located in El Cajon, California, set aside all of our parts until we were ready to get them installed, and then had the lift, wheels and tires, flares, and AMP steps ready to rock in barely 5 hours. Check out the images and give the companies sourced a call should you have questions about products for your ride.
