The Silverado 3-inch body lift is a great way to give your truck a taller and better look.
Although there are other ways to lift your vehicle, body lifts are considered cheaper and easy to install.
In this article, we will discuss the pros and cons of installing a 3-inch body lift and how to install the modification yourself.
Without any delay, Let’s start the discussion.
What is Chevrolet Silverado 3-Inch Lift?
If you do not know what a lift kit is, a lift kit is an upgrade or modification done to a vehicle that helps lift the vehicle higher.
The modification could either be done on the suspension or the body itself.
We will be focusing on the 3-inch body lift.
A Chevy Silverado with a 3-inch body lift is an upgrade done on the Chevy Silverado trucks.
This upgrade helps lift your truck’s body high while the other parts of the car, like the suspension, wheels, and lower frame remain the same.
The 3-inch lift works by adding space to the main body of the Chevy Silverado truck, which makes it look bigger and taller.
There is no need to worry about the truck’s performance when having this type of upgrade.
The 3-inch body lift does not affect the general performance of the truck.
Silverado 3 Inch Lift Before and After
Having a 3-inch lift on Chevy Silverado will bring a tremendous change to your truck, not just in the physical view of your car but also in the performance of the car.
The effect of the modification solely depends on the type of Chevy Silverado you have.
We will analyze and compare what it is like to have a chevy Silverado without a 3-inch body lift with a Silverado with the 3-inch body lift modification.
Before The 3 Inch Body Lift
Knowing your Chevy Silverado will give you a great insight into what gain the modification will bring to your vehicle.
First of all, we said earlier that the effect of the modification depends on the type of Chevy Silverado you have.
So, we will also be analyzing some Chevy Silverados like the Chevy 1500, 2015 Chevy Silverado, and others.
01. Height of the Vehicle from the Ground
An important factor is the height of the car you are driving.
Knowing the height will give you knowledge of what height gain your vehicle will be getting from the modification.
There are different models of the Chevy Silverado, and they all come with varying body heights.
The body height of a Chevy 1500 stands at 73.7 inches, the 2017 Chevy Silverado stands at 74.0 inches, and the 2015 Chevy Silverado has a body height of 73.8.
Although the height differences between these trucks are not much, it important to know them before the modification.
02. Tires
An average Chevy Silverado truck uses a 255/70r17 tire size of 31.06 inches in diameter and 97.56 inches in circumference size.
The truck can not accommodate a bigger tire.
If you are using an older Chevy Silverado truck, there is a high possibility that the tires will begin to rub against the vehicle’s frame.
There is not enough space for the tire to move freely. If this is the case for you, you can consider having a body lift.
03. Off-Road Capacity
When it comes to off-road usage, not all Silverados are built for that, except you want your truck damaged in ways that you would not be able to imagine.
However, newer Chevy truck models come with features that make them nice for off-road use.
Silverado trucks like the Chevy 1500 are not great for off-road use, and this is because the truck is built to have a long and lower body.
When moving off-road, the bumper will easily touch down, and also, the tires will begin to rub on the car frame causing damage to it.
After 3 Inch Body Lift
Now that you understand what a Chevy Silverado specifications are before the modification, you can understand what changes the modification will bring to your chevy truck.
Here are some of the features that your chevy Silverado will get from a 3-inch body lift.
01. Body Height
A 3-inch body lift on Chevy Silverado is a great way to make your Chevy truck look bigger and taller.
The modification will help add more height to the truck by raising its body, not affecting its ground clearance.
If you do not know the ground clearance, it is the space between the truck’s lower frame and the ground.
The truck’s body is lifted by 3 inches, and this is achieved by increasing the height of the front of the Chevy Silverado and then making even the height of the whole body.
02. Allows for Larger Tires
Unlike the regular chevy truck before the modification, the modified truck allows for tires bigger than the 255/70r17.
The modification allows for more gaps between the tire and the truck’s frame.
This gap allows you to fix your dream tire.
Also, the gap between the tire and the truck frame will help solve the problem of your Chevy truck tire’s continuous rubbing against the body frame.
03. Bumper Alignment
A 3-inch body lift will cause a gap to appear between the bumper and the body.
The modification functions by lifting the truck’s body away from the frame.
It will cause a space to be created, allowing for a bigger tire.
A custom fab bracket can remove the gap between the frame and the truck’s body.
What this does is it will lift the bumper with the truck’s body, allowing the bumper to align properly.
There are other features of the Chevy Silverado with a 3-inch lift that makes it stand out from other types of lifts, which include :
- It is cheaper to install
- It gives space in the engine area for more modifications
- It prevents lower sagging problems
Does a 3-Inch Lift Make a Difference in Chevrolet Silverado?
Yes, the 3 Inch lift makes a difference to your truck.
Depending on the Chevy truck you have, having a 2000 Silverado 3-inch lift or a 2017 Silverado 3-inch lift will give your truck the significant change needs.
The modification shows its dominance in its suspension, ground clearance, and general height.
It is not necessary to have a 3-inch lift on your Chevy truck, but if you are looking to change the look of your truck, then you should try the modification.
It makes your truck look taller and more exotic.
Also, it adds to your off-road experience.
If you are using an older model of Chevy truck and you are not enjoying the off-road experience, you should try the 3-inch lift.
The modification gives your truck a suspension lift that lifts all the truck’s parts. It also allows for larger tires.
This suspension rise will allow you to have a better off-road experience.
With this modification, you can drive your truck in any terrain.
So, having a 2015 chevy Silverado 3-inch lift kit installed on your 2015 Chevy is totally worth it.
Installing Process of 3-Inch Lift In Chevrolet Silverado
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to install a 3-inch body lift:
- Open the bonnet and then proceed to remove the clips from the radiator cover.
- Remove the bolts from the grill
- Then pull from below to release the grill
- Detach the 4 clips from its plastic cover, which are fastened to the bumper
- Unplug the lights
- Then detach the bumper reinforcement
- Then proceed to remove the bumper from the truck
- Remove the wires from the firewall
- Remove the upper radiator hose and the overflow hose
- Remove the shaft belt
- Make sure to lock the steering will and mark them
- Remove the skid frame and then disconnect the emergency brake
- Loosed all cab bolts on both sides of the driver and passenger from the body mount
- Remove all bolts from the mount
- Then you can now lift the truck’s body using a jack stand or hydraulic jack lift.
- Install the body spacers and apply thread lock
- Repeat on the driver’s side
- Reconnect the engine wire to the firewall using supplied round extension bracket
- Reconnect other parts that have been disconnected
- Proceed to unplug the license plate light if your truck has one
- Remove the bolt that connects the driver and passenger side frame that mount the bumper to the frame.
- Remove the receiver hitch’s bolt and then remove the bumper.
- Loosen the six-bed bolts and remove the bolts one at a time.
- With a jack stand, raise the passenger’s side slowly.
- Then install the body spacers and then proceed to bolt properly
- Then reinstall the bumper with factory bolts
- Lower your truck and take it for a drive.
Watch this video to visualize the whole process of the Silverado 3-inch body lift before and after
Related FAQs
Is a 3-Inch Lift Worth It?
Yes, the 3-inch lift is worth it if you look for the best off-road experience.
The 3 inches lift the suspense by 3 inches, which enables your truck to climb rocks or any obstacle that may come it’s way.
It gives the truck a great look, making it appear taller and more majestic.
It also improves the vehicle’s general performance.
Is a 3-Inch Body Lift Bad
No, the 3-inch body lift modification is not bad for either the physical look of the car or the general performance.
It is a good modification for your vehicle that increases the performance of your truck while also enhancing its physical beauty.
As long as the modification is done properly, you do not need to worry about anything.
Although you can do the modification, we recommend that a professional give you top-notch service on your truck.
Should I lift My Truck 3 Inch?
Depending on what you want from your truck, a 3-inch lift could be a good idea.
If you want to take your truck into the wild and explore, this modification will be great for you.
Also, if you are looking for an upgrade that will allow you to fix larger tires, then the lift will be perfect for your truck.
It is important to consider what you want for your truck before you get this modification installed in your truck.
Also, your type of truck will determine if the 3-inch lift will be suitable for your truck.
Final Thought
Now you know all the pros and cons of installing a 3-inch lift kit in your Chevrolet Silverado.
Now that you understand the Silverado 3-inch body lift body and after the modification.
It will be easy to know if this modification is suitable for your truck.
We are sure you understand which is best for your truck.
Also, the step-by-step guide will help you to install the 3-inch body lift on the truck easily.