Lowering your S10 Part 1 & 2 - Page 2

Tuteuk · #11 07-01-07

BEFORE YOU DROP YOUR S-10, MEASURE THE DISTANCE FROM THE TOP OF THE FENDER LIP, TO THE CENTER OF THE WHEEL, THEN DO THE SAME AFTER THE DROP SO YOU CAN MEASURE EXACTLY HOW MUCH YOUR DROP GAVE YOU.

Need to know how to drop your dime??? Well read on and find out.

First, you will need to know the different components that you may need to change.

Spindle
The spindle is the chunk of metal that holds your front tires on. A drop spindle’s knuckle is raised 2” higher therefore lowering your ride 2” by the tires.

Coil Spring
The coil spring is what holds your truck up. It is a coiled piece of metal (hence the name) that sits in a pocket between your frame and lower control arm.

Front Shocks
Shocks are the dampening aspect of your ride. In the front, they run through the middle of the coil spring and absorb the energy that you receive while driving on the road

Leaf Spring
Like the coil spring in the front, in the back, the leaf spring holds the ass end of the truck up. It is a pack of metal things (usually 3-4) that goes from your frame, to your axle, and then back to frame again.

Rear Shocks
These do the same thing as the front shocks only they run from the bottom of the axle up to the mount on the frame.

Drop Blocks
Not part of your suspension now, but may be part is drop blocks…these blocks go between the axle and the leaf spring pack to raise the axle up therefore dropping your ride.

Bump Stops
Bump stops are what prevent your frame and suspension from coming in contact with one another and stop the irritating sound of metal hitting metal.

Now that you are somewhat familiar as to what parts you will be dealing with, let’s move on to different ways to drop your ride to different heights. A drop is referred to as a x/y drop where x is the drop in inches of the front and y is the drop in inches of the back.

Here are the drop components that you have available to work with:

1”, 2”, and 3” Drop Coils
2” Drop Spindles
1”, 2”, 3” and 4” Drop Blocks
3” Drop Leafs

As you can see from the parts…the maximum drop that you can achieve on your truck is a 5/7, which is pretty low…only a few inches from being bagged.

Now that we have all of the parts out of the way, let’s look at the FAQ.

FAQ:

Q: Who should I buy all of my parts from?

A: That is totally up to you dude/dudette. But remember quality comes first, not price. Some sites to check out include summitracing.com, jcwhitney.com and sporttruckdirect.com. You can also check out some of the vendors/dealers on the forum and they may be able to get a good price on some quality items.

Q: I just lowered my truck 3” in the rear with blocks and now my driveline vibrates. I have an extended cab dime, what’s up with this?

A: There is a very simple answer for this. All x-cab dimes that are lowered in the rear 3” or more need to have an angle built into the block or need 2* taper shims to correct the drive line geometry.

Q: Isn’t there a company that makes 3” drop Lower Control Arms (LCA’s)?

A: Yes, DJM makes them, but I do not recommend them, others may. They do compromise your ground clearance, making your lower spring pocket 3” closer to the ground and if you ever decide to switch to ‘bags, you need to ditch them and get stock arms and go with spindles to layout. A lot of people that I have talked with regret getting them, although there are some who like them. The choice is yours.

Q: What is a good manufacturer of drop parts?

A: IMO, Western Chassis (not Chassis Tech, two different companies), BellTech and DJM are good companies with good products. Others have gone with other companies such as AIM/Chassis Tech (same company) and had good luck and some people have had bad luck. AIM has a very shady past and unless you live in the Phoenix, AZ area and can drive to pick up your parts, I would suggest staying away from them.

Q: I read somewhere that Chassis Tech makes 5” drop blocks. Are these okay to use?

A: Once again, Chassis Tech is a very shady company and I personally wouldn’t trust any blocks over 4”. If you must have a ride that is that much lower, simply pull a leaf on your pack and get an 1.5” more for free.

Q: Which leaf do I pull to get that 1.5”?

A: You will want to pull the second longest leaf.. This will give ya 1 – 2”, depending on how old the truck is. Click here for a nice how-to

Q: I just lowered my truck in the front with coil springs and it sits a little lower on the driver’s side than the passenger side, why?

A: A little known fact to newbie dime owner’s is that the driver’s side of some trucks are built to lean about ½ – 1” lower. To correct this issue, BellTech makes a spring spacer that you stick up between the coil and the upper spring mount. Any BellTech distributor should sell them. The part number at Summit is BEL-4930.

Q: I’m a little confused on what BellTech part numbers I should be looking at to lower my ride. Could you tell me the correct ones?

A: Well since, I don’t know what type of engine you have, I can’t really help you, but you can go to Bell Tech's Web site by clicking here to find out.

Q: How much will a shop charge to drop my ride?

A: A drop is one of the easier things to do to your ride if you have the right tools, but if you don’t, a shop will approximately charge you $100- 300 depending on the type of drop and what needs to be done.

Q: I just got my drop blocks in the mail and I noticed they are angled. Why and how do the sit in the truck?

A: Bell tech makes 2" and 3" blocks that include a 2* taper and other companies make 4" blocks with a taper as well. This taper is to allow driveline geometry correction. The blocks should sit with the taller end of the block towards the rear of the truck.

Q: I just lowered my truck 4" in the rear and now I keep bottoming out. What can I do to fix this?

A: This is a very common problem with drops that are 4" or more in the back. The solution is very simple. Cut off your bumpstops and/or brackets. Try cutting off just the bumpstop first. This is simple, just use a sawzall or a hack saw and cut if off. However, if you are still bottoming out, you may want to consider either new bumpstops, or cutting the bracket off all together. Click here for the how-to on that

Q: Will my driveshaft be a problem with my drop?

A: That depends on your truck. Some have problems and some don't. Although it seems that the regular cab trucks seem to have more problems than x-cabs. The only thing you can do is take measurements before and after and see where you are at to see if you have to have your driveline shortened

Q: Couldn't I just cut my coils in the front to drop it?

A: Yes, you could, however I wouldn't recommend it. Coils are made to specifics, so when you cut them, you are decreasing their effectiveness. Drop coils are made diffently and are made with different spring constants, making the ride as close to factory as possible.

Q: Do I have to replace my shocks when I drop my truck?

A: If you drop you truck with Spindles or Blocks, you do not necessarily have to replace your shocks, as you are not changing the distance between the mounting points, but for better handling, most people go with aftermarket shocks.

Q: What is a notch and do I need one?

A: A notch is something that is made in your frame above you axel or in your gas tank x-member above your driveline. You will not need one on your gas tank x-member unless you are bagging...then you will need one. As far as one over the frame goes, if you lower the back 2", take the bumpstop off (hacksaw, sawzal); 3"-4", take the bumpstop and bracket off, click here for a how-to; 5" or more and you will need a 2.5" C-notch.

Q: I have an Xtreme right now and I want to drop it somemore. Have any tips?

A: Sure, why not? To start off with, your X has aprox. a 1.5/1.5 suspension drop. That is a combo of ZQ8 leafs in the back, and coils in the front. If you want to lower it, I would suggest a 2" drop spindle up front and 3" drop blocks out back. You won't need new shocks, although you will have to take off your bumpstops (see question above this). Good luck.

Hope this helps.

87wildside · #12 07-02-07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tuteuk

A: A notch is something that is made in your frame above you axel or in your gas tank x-member above your driveline. You will not need one on your gas tank x-member unless you are bagging...then you will need one. As far as one over the frame goes, if you lower the back 2", take the bumpstop off (hacksaw, sawzal); 3"-4", take the bumpstop and bracket off, click here for a how-to; 5" or more and you will need a 2.5" C-notch.

Screw that link, This one is better