My next biggest question is if you do the bucket swap and use a Gen 1 spring. What is the best route for ride height?
Because the Gen 1 spring is shorter I'm pretty sure this would lower the front of the truck with the bucket swap.
To gain ride height you would have to use either:
- Aftermarket Gen 1 springs like Geisers or Eibach's
- Use the Gen 2 perch collars
- Or a RPG / SDI top hat with lift built-in
You definitely want to use a Gen 1 spring for the diameter, higher rate(then gen 2) and length. Use the gen 1 top hat assembly to match. You don't need to use Geiser or Eibach springs, the rate of the oem Gen 1 spring is fine. You may want new ones if yours are sacked out or badly rusted. The Eibach are actually 'lifting springs' and you don't need that. The gen 2 fox shock is longer, so your truck will sit about 1 1/4 inch higher. The gen 2 shock does not have any perch collars like the gen 1, so run it as-is, and never ever, ever run any kinda top hat spacers or lift kits, they'll cause all sorts of geometry problems and axle cv joint bind. I really do think we all should run the weld-in Evil Offroad front limiting strap kit, on any gen 1, because we're topping out on our shocks, some the springs hit the UCA, and/or cv bind. Unfortunately, they're out of business right? Kicking myself for not ordering that kit when I wanted it 2 years ago...