I'm not talking much. Just 2-3", enough to put a little bigger wheels and tires for a not so stock look. I will eventually have a fifth wheel, but currently have a travel trailer that's not heavy enough to worry me about. Right now I have 265's on it with stock rims.

THANKS!
Mark

Any amount of lift will affect towing as in handling of the truck and with bigger tires it wont pull as easy. If you are a person who can tow fine now without worrying about things all the time you will be fine and it will be just like getting used to driving a diff truck once your used to it you will probably think towing with a stock truck feels funny.

I just found this on the Cognito site. I would rather go with a "leveling system" than a lift (I think). I'm fine towing anything, I just don't want to kill it just because I want it to look better. Would this be a better choice? I also don't know the specs on my PYO wheels as far as weight limits and how much they weigh, so I can compare them to aftermarket wheels.

2001 - Present GM 8-Lug 2" - 3" Leveling System
For the GM 01-Present 8-Lug vehicles, including the 1500HD, 2500, 2500HD, 3500, 2500 Suburban/YukonXL/Avalanche, and Hummer H2.

http://cognitomotorsports.com/store/media/images/UPPER_CONTROL_ARM_KIT_8LUG.jpg


http://cognitomotorsports.com/store/media/images/PIC_LEVEL_THUMB.jpg

I have that kit on a 2500 Gas 6.0 with 33x12.5R18 Toyo M/Ts and I do some towing and I would swap out the 3.73 for 4.10 if I was going to tow often, mind you thats on a gas truck with not nearly the torque of a Dmax.

How big of tires are you going? You can tow anything if you gear it right, lots of guys on the forum are towing with 35/37"s tires with 4.56 gears, with nearly stock power and minimal fuel economy loss from the posts I have read.

I wouldn't go any bigger than 305's. Just something a little different. My travel trailer is only 7500 GVWR. It's a 27 footer, but no slides. I want to get something with slides for my family and 3 dogs. I don't know whether it will be a fifth wheel or bumper pull, but it needs to be bigger.

The Keystone Laredo is 10200lbs dry. Length:36' 0", Slides: 3, Sleeps: 4 people. I most likely wouldn't go any bigger than that. I also don't want to be too tall to pull a fifth wheel. Bags are probable, but that will be another thread.

Mark

You can tow anything if you gear it right.

I'm sure you didn't mean it like this, but this is a bad attitude to have about towing.

The most important thing you need while towing is HANDLING, followed by BRAKING, and lastly power.

Lifting a vehicle can adversely affect it's handling, adding larger tires adversely affects braking (more rotational mass to stop). A lot of the decision comes down to what you are towing, if it is enclosed there will be a huge surface for wind to catch and cause the "tail to wag the dog" a lifted truck will have a far diminished ability to control the load because of it's higher center of gravity, body roll, and huge tire sidewalls. If you are towing heavy and have large tires it will take more to stop it.

I drove a friends 2008 Cummins Mega Cab with a 6 inch lift out to Wyoming pulling an enclosed 28' bumper pull with 4 sleds. I was white knuckled about half the way, that truck swayed all over the place and had a loose feel to it, I blame the lift mostly. My truck (with no lift) would've been night and day difference, it tracks straight and stays planted.

These are the reasons I cringe when I see some car pulling a trailer or a small truck, it may get it there and bring it up to speed but can you handle it and stop it? My friend with a TDI Jetta wanted to put an enclosure on his 2 place sled trailer and still pull it with his Jetta, I quickly talked him out of it for this very reason, that enclosure would catch wind and throw him into a ditch.

Good info! Thank you! I think I have decided to just do the Cognito leveling kit. My wife also let me know that she doesn't want it any higher for ease of her and the kids getting in and out. 305/60-18's? Wider , but shorter sidewall.

Mark

Oops. Wife got wind of the plans eh? What's the saying, "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission"?

Sounds like plans are set, but just to throw this out there, a body lift can be a good option in your situation. Since the hitch is bolted to the frame, the frame only move half the diameter of the increase in tire size, so not very much. Just make sure you do a real body lift, not some hockey puck variety. Get the gap guards to cove the gap in the wheel wells, and pick a step that will cover the exposed frame under the cab.