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A
blow-by-blow report on
what's involved in lowering
a light truck
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Although today's vehicle
manufacturers do a more than
credible job at suspension
geometry and achieving the
right height, vehicle
buyers often feel the need
to alter the ride height of
their trucks.
Two-wheel-drive trucks are
lowered or slammed by
many enthusiasts.
Four-wheel-drive vehicles
are often raised or lifted.
The lifted 4x4 is a story
for another time. Here we'll
deal with lowering street
vehicles.
Enthusiasts insist that
their expensive custom
wheels and fat tires look
better when they fill the
wheel wells. Some say that
lowering helps achieve a
better ride, better
handling, or that it simply
makes the vehicle easier to
get in and out of. It's
debatable whether lowering
improves handling. Sometimes
yes. Sometimes no. Mostly it
boils down to appearance.
Lowered trucks simply look
better. And lowering is
in.
Getting Down
Though it may be tempting to
just jump on the bandwagon,
there are a few things you
need to consider. Suspension
modifications can sometimes
void the factory warranty
relative to the vehicle's
suspension-related
components. The best plan is
to contact an authorized
dealer to determine exactly
how the warranty will be
affected by your suspension
changes. Warranty policies
vary from make to make.
Also, be advised that when a
light truck's suspension has
been modified it is
imperative that the wheels
be realigned. Because the
modifications have altered
the suspension geometry,
it's a safer bet that wheel
aligment has also been
adversely affected. A wheel
alignment will correct any
problems and prevent undue
tire wear. |
Another important
consideration is deciding
how much to lower the
vehicle. Professional
lowering kit installers are
advised to tell customers
that too much drop (more
than 3 inches in front) can
make a light truck tough to
drive. If the vehicle has an
air dam in front it may
bottom out, scraping the
road on bumps, driveways,
and railroad crossings.
Too little ground clearance
can make a truck less fun to
drive. The best bet is to
find a happy medium, one
that enhances the look of
the truck while retaining
good handling and a
comfortable ride.
The Flip Kit
With that said, the
following is a step-by-step
installation of a drop kit
and of suspension air bags
from Bell Tech of Fresno,
California. Contrary to my
conservative advice, we used
Bell Tech's 5/7 drop kit to
radically lower a '98 Chevy
crew cab dually (five inches
in front and seven inches in
the rear). For this
installation, performed by
Mike Ibold of Dealer's Sport
Truck and Automotive, Los
Alamitos, Calif., we used
Bell Tech's C section brace
to help reinforce the frame.
Installing the section brace
requires notching the frame
rails at the rear so that
the axle can be raised up
and the leaf springs
relocated below the axle,
rather than above the axle
which is the stock
positioning.
Relocating these components
results in a considerable
lowering of the rear. We've
driven this dually about
1,000 miles since the drop
kit install and we're
pleased to report that the
ride and handling are
excellent. Yes, we must be
careful at driveways and
railroad crossings lest we
scrape bottom, but the truck
sure looks good - like a
good custom should. The
following photos show
highlights of the
installation. |