What Size Lift Do 35-inch Tires Require on a Chevrolet Silverado?

There are myriad reasons why you might want to put 35-inch tires on your Chevrolet Silverado. 

Larger tires allow for increased ground clearance, improved traction, and enhanced towing capacity.  

Installing larger tires typically requires installing a lift kit.

What Size Lift Do 35-inch Tires Require on a Chevrolet Silverado?

The best size lift to fit 35-inch tires on your Silverado is a 4- or 6-inch lift. Keep in mind, lifting a vehicle usually requires additional modifications to the vehicle’s shocks, steering components, and speed sensors. Installing a lift can be costly and cause damage to your vehicle if not done correctly. 

For a hassle-free way to lift your tires, use a lift kit. Read on for tips on how to lift your Chevrolet Silverado.

The Basics

Before you make any modifications, you need to know the specifics of your Silverado truck. The average tire size of a Silverado is 255b/7OR17 112 S or 17 inches. 

Replacing your tires with 35-inch tires could double the size of your tires.

The size of your truck’s tires varies depending on the year, so it’s crucial to know the dimensions of your tires. 

Before You Lift Your Silverado:

• Make sure you’re using the right lift for your vehicle. 
  • This is largely determined by your car’s weight. 4-inch lifts work, but 6-inch lifts typically work better.
• Make sure you’re comfortable with the lifting process.
  • There’s no shame in not knowing how to lift your vehicle yourself. Consider hiring a professional mechanic if you aren’t entirely comfortable with the process.
• Consider how you plan to use your truck. 
  • Do you plan to use it for heavy-duty work or commuting to and from work? Knowing how you plan to use your vehicle will determine what configuration is right for you.
• Consider your budget. Focus on time and money.
  • This goes beyond simply purchasing a lift kit. How much money can you spend on this project? How long can you spend on this project?

These suggestions can save you time and money!

How to Lift Your Silverado Truck

Once you’ve determined the dimensions of your current tires, you’re ready to get started.

Lift Kits

You’ll need to buy a lift kit if you want to lift your truck yourself.

A lift kit raises the suspension or body of your vehicle to give it a higher profile. 

When buying lift kits, consider the height and type. For height, look for 4 or 6 inches. For type, look for body or suspension lifts.

Body Versus Suspension

Truck owners who frequently drive off-road or tow heavy loads tend to prefer suspension lifts because they allow for much bigger tires.

This improves drivetrain clearance. 

Suspension lifts are more expensive than body lifts, but they provide greater height, control, and ground clearance. 

You should invest in a suspension lift kit if it works with your budget.

Other Necessary Modifications

You’ll need to make other modifications to ensure a 6-inch lift kit will fit on your 35-inch tires. These modifications include: 

• Taller Shocks
• Steering Components
• Speed Sensors
• Regearing

Taller Shocks

Shocks play a huge part in dictating your truck’s performance in off-road conditions like dirt and mud.

Larger-bodied shocks will provide better cooling and off-road control. To function properly, your shocks must be taller than your truck.

Steering Components

After you lift your truck, you’ll need to re-adjust your steering components. 

The steering knuckles and control arms will likely need to be lengthened. They may even need to be relocated for your truck to operate properly.

Speed Sensors

Do not forget to reset the speedometer after changing tire sizes so you know how fast you’re going.

Other sensors rely on the vehicle’s speed, so resetting the Silverado’s speedometer will ensure your truck is ready to perform.

Regearing

Tires with a greater circumference take longer to go the same distance as your original tires. 

Higher (numerically lower) rings and pinion gears have the same effect. 

When compared to factory tires, larger tires reduce the engine’s RPM at all speeds. In turn, this hurts your vehicle’s fuel economy. 

Installing lower (numerically higher) rings and pinion gears can solve this problem. 

You should anticipate having to regear if you choose a tire that is more than two inches larger than the standard for that vehicle.

Advantages of Lifting your Silverado Truck

Lifting your Silverado truck by 4 or 6 inches results in:

• Increased Curb Appeal
• Improved Safety in Extreme Weather Conditions
• Improved Ability to Perform Heavy-Duty Tasks

Increased Curb Appeal

Lifted trucks with big tires look great! Since the look is popular amongst truck owners, a lift could increase your vehicle’s resale value.

Improved Safety in Extreme Weather Conditions

Lifting a truck also elevates the driver. This results in increased peripheral vision so drivers can see farther down the road and detect hazards earlier.

On top of that, lifting a vehicle raises its headlamps, so the driver can see more of the road in front of them. Imagine that you’re pointing a flashlight at the ground. 

The higher you hold the flashlight, the more you can see. 

This is especially important when it snows. Increased visibility will keep you safer on the road.

Improved Ability to Perform Heavy-Duty Tasks

If you frequently use your truck to perform heavy-duty work, such as hauling or towing, then lifting your truck can improve your truck’s performance.  

Disadvantages of Lifting your Silverado Truck

Lifting your Silverado has several benefits. 

Even so, lifting comes with drawbacks. These drawbacks include:

• Worse Gas Mileage
• Voided Warranties
• Additional Cost

Worse Gas Mileage

Increasing the size of your tires tends to decrease the fuel economy of your truck. This is because of physics…heavier tires, increased resistance, etc. 

Voided Warranties

Some car dealerships will void your warranty if you modify your vehicle. Lifting your truck is a significant modification. 

Therefore, you should investigate how lifting your vehicle will affect your existing warranty.

Additional Cost

Lifting your truck can be hard and expensive, especially if you don’t know how to do it. 

If you’re thinking about installing 35-inch tires on your Silverado truck with a 6-inch lift, then make a budget and stick to it.

Otherwise, you might bite off more than you meant to chew. 

Conclusion

Raising your vehicle’s suspension allows you to install bigger tires. Bigger tires improve your truck’s load rating, so you can haul heavier objects over longer distances.

You should use a  6-inch lift to raise your Silverado.

A 4-inch lift will also work, but you’ll have to make some adjustments to use them most effectively.