In our first installment of Project Ronix Rig, we installed a SnugTop XTRA Vision cap, Shocker Motorsports clear mudflaps and Bushwacker flares onto an '07 GMC Sierra Classic. The exterior was starting to get some attitude, but we wanted to make sure the truck turned every head it passed by and the quickest way to do that was to add some air between the crew cab and the ground. After doing some research on different lift kits, our search ultimately ended at Cognito Motorsports and their 7- to 9-inch front lift system for eight-lug GMs.

What lead us to the Cognito kit were a few different things. We wanted to run American Racing's 18x9.5-inch chrome new Chamber wheels with Cooper Tire's 35x12.5-inch Discoverer STT without any clearance issues. By having 7 inches of lift as opposed to 6 inches, it allowed us to run a 9.5-inch wide wheel instead of a wheel 8 inches wide.

Because the truck is headed on a long road trip, longevity was also key. The Cognito kit drops the front differential on 4X4s a full 7 inches, avoiding severe CV axle angles that could lead to premature failure. It also includes new spindles that keep the upper control arms in the factory location, spreading the arm by 7 inches. This provides more leverage for larger wheels, reducing the strain on ball joints and increasing their life. Retaining the upper control arm mount with the spindles also eliminates the need for dropdown brackets on the upper control arms and cutting off the factory bump stop perches.

Even on a stock truck, GM's pitman and idler arm design causes premature wear. Cognito includes their patent-pending Pitman/Idler Arm Support Kit that fixes the problem in their 7-inch lift system. According to Cognito, the support system works by double-capturing the studs that protrude from the pitman and idler arms, which the center link connects to. At the same time it still allows the studs to pivot on their own axis, which is needed when the steering system is turning. This Cognito Motorsports system provides the support needed to prevent the center link from rocking forward and backward in the vehicle.

The rest of the kit is well thought out, including other valuable pieces like compression struts, subframe connectors to prevent bending of lower control arm mounts and a design that retains the mount on the front differential, making it easier to return the truck to stock. Other than a cut to the frame and a few holes needing to be drilled, the system is a bolt-on with no welding required.

Though the lift system comes standard with everything we mentioned above, we did decide to upgrade a few different things. We fitted our Sierra with Cognito's tubular upper control arms, complete with bolt-in upper ball joints. The new upper control arms relocate the bump stop and correct the ball joint angle to avoid premature wear. Our other upgrade was Cognito's dual shock hoop kit that allows us to run a pair of King Off-Road Racing Shocks at each corner up front.

Shocker Motorsports in Bakersfield, Calif., performed the install for us in a day. About 15 minutes into the drive home, it was already apparent that the Cognito/King Off-Road combination was a good choice. The steering was noticeably tighter thanks to the Pitman/Idler Arm Support Kit and the Cognito suspension design combined with the King shocks provided no sacrifice in ride quality. In fact, the overall consensus after we drove around the newly lifted truck for a few days was that the ride quality actually increased. With the exterior done, next on the agenda is adding some power to Project Ronix Rig.

Expect to see that soon.

1. Lift up the vehicle and remove the front wheels. Remove torsion bar adjusting screw. Using a torsion bar unloading tool, unload the torsion bar and remove adjuster nut. Remove tool then slide the bar forward into the lower control arm. Repeat for the other side, remove the torsion bar crossmember bolt from each side of the crossmember and remove. The torsion bars can be removed from the lower control arm. Make sure not to mix up front to back and left to right, as they will need to go in with exactly the same orientation.	2. Remove upper and lower shock fasteners and discard shocks. Retain the hardware if you're using a single shock setup. Extended brake lines aren't needed for the kit, but if removed they might need to be rerouted. If so, the rubber brake line can be pulled through the steel bracket for better fitment.	3. Unbolt the CV axle from the diff on 4WD models by removing the six bolts holding it onto the differential end. Using a thin chisel, pry the axle stud cover cap from the spindle hub and remove the large nut on the spindle end of the axle. It can now be removed from vehicle. Repeat for the other side.
4. Remove tie rod end nuts on spindle. Using a pickle fork and hammer, dislodge tie rod from spindle. Pull the tie rod down and hit the spindle casting with a hammer to dislodge taper seat. Also remove both anti-sway bar links which connect the anti-sway bar to the lower control arms.	5. Unplug the ABS wire sensor from the wire harness terminal near the top shock mount. Also remove the clamp from the frame. The wire will need to be rerouted once the lift is installed.	6. Unbolt the brake line bracket from the top of the spindle and the bracket at the upper control arm. Remove the brake calipers by removing the two mounting bolts. Secure the caliper from the front bumper bracket using a bungee chord. Remove the two clips from the wheel studs on the rotor, discard and pull of brake rotors.
7. Loosen the upper ball joint nut, but leave it engaged by a few threads. With the spindle assembly hanging from the upper control arm, hit the spindle with a large hammer on the boss that surrounds the upper ball joint stud to dislodge the taper seat from the upper control arm. Remove assembly. Since we upgraded to the Cognito upper control arm, we also removed the factory UCA by removing the factory bolts and eccentric washer holding it in place. They will be reused.	8. Remove the front differential skid plate. Remove all four bolts holding the anti-sway bar to the frame and then flip the anti-sway bar end for end. On 4WD models, unplug the differential's electronic coupler and breaker hose, then unbolt the front driveshaft from the differential yoke.	9. Remove the lower driver side bolt holding the diff to the back of the rear lower control arm pocket. Support the bottom of the differential with a transmission jack. Once supported, use a reciprocating saw to cut the back of the driver side lower control arm rear frame pocket, allowing room for the differential to drop without hitting the frame. Loosen, but don't remove upper driver side diff bolt. Loosen, but don't remove two nuts from the studs on passenger diff mount and lower the differential safely.