Jerrod Jones
Former Editor, Off Road
Hello 21st century! Finally someone has come out with some Chevy IFS stuff that actually strengthens the truck. How many years has it been since GM introduced fullsize IFS trucks? Fortunately for us, Rough Country has taken the leap and has not only brought us a top-quality suspension system with some outstanding features, but also some much-improved replacement CVs to actually address the fact that we're going to be sticking a decent-sized tire on the truck. Those factory CVs are OK with 32-inch tires, but you start sticking on 35s or 37s and you're gonna be snapping those little chicken bones.
We got a firsthand look at what makes these complete kits so appetizing for a Chevy guy while installing a 6-inch version (8-inch kits are available as well) on an '06 Duramax truck at Pick-Up Parts in Mission Viejo, California. Besides the CVs, Rough Country is also offering a ton of nice little touches in its kits that make them stand out in a long line of suspension manufacturers today.
Now, we know that you're probably not going to be setting up this kit yourself, so don't use this story as directions for installing the equipment since we're just highlighting the cool benefits and features you gain. Besides, Rough Country provides complete instructions with full color images which make us wonder why so many other instructions for wizmos and thingamobobs don't follow suit.
We always like to pick the brain of the wrenches in install shops to see what their opinions are on IFS suspensions, since they're the ones usually putting these kits on, not the owners. They see so many go through their doors that we feel there's no one better to really tell you what's the best kit for your truck. We asked Justin Sagert and Adam Blattenberg of Pick-Up Parts what they thought of Rough Country's kit, and how it compared to other suspensions they've installed.
Justin and Adam had nothing but positive things to say throughout the entire install. In fact, cursing was kept to a minimum as all parts were there and went on as they should, in only six hours (once the stock suspension parts were pulled).
Editor Comments When we called Rough Country for a kit for Pick-Up Parts to install, they went directly to their stocked shelves and pulled a kit, just as a customer would get it when ordering. There was no special packing or a "checked" box that made sure to have all the pieces, so we know we were getting the same experience that any other customer was getting. We're not going to name names, but sometimes the parts we get for testing are "special" test kits or prototype units that are not what the normal consumer is going to see, which makes us fume a little bit.
And in fact, there was a problem with our kit and 11 others Rough Country had recently packaged and shipped: The links between the factory lower A-arm and the N.T.D. arm were for an 8-inch kit and not the 6-inch kit. The really cool thing was that Rough Country contacted us and had the new links in our hands before we could even figure out we had the wrong pieces. Rough Country's tracking systems were able to spot the problem and find what kits were sent where and resolve the issue before anyone had time to complain. As far as customer service goes, well, that's a class act in our opinion. They contacted us (not the other way around) and had the links to us in less than 24 hours.
