Spring too close to Frame?

[iamdub]

I'm running the spohn track bar also and it was a simple install.

I couldn't get my grinder in far enough to cut the backside of the bumpstops bracket, even with a 7.5" blade on it. Ended up cutting most of it with a sawzall and bending the piece back and forth until it broke off.

My swaybar isn't parallel to the ground after lowering it, but I've looked and can't seem to locate shorter sway bar end links for the rear. Where can I find them?

Now that you mentioned it, I did bend mine down to access the back side. I cut outside and inside simultaneously with the sawzall until I was close to the fuel tank, cut the outside with the grinder, then beat a chisel into the cut slot to open it enough to get my pry bar into it and bend it down. I may have trimmed more off the outside wall for more room to get the grinder in there, but I was able to reach the back wall with the cut-off disc.

How much are you lowered in the rear? There may be others, but all I know of are the DJM links with the offset designed into them to shift the sway bar to the right side about 1".

If yours isn't at that much of an angle, it's probably okay as-is. Maybe not 100% optimal, but okay. Unless someone chimes in with shorter stock replacement links, I'd suggest sectioning out the stock ones if you or a friend can weld.

 

[Da90]

What panhard do you recommend?

I believe there are only two available for our rigs- Spohn and another one. The Spohn is straight and the other curves out away from the differential to provide clearance for those with an aftermarket reinforced diff cover. I'd imagine them all to be about the same price and they should all be fairly equal in quality and performance since they're a simple device designed to do one thing. I may have imagined it, but I thought I saw a Spohn for sale in the classifieds forum. I have a Spohn I picked up off the classifieds here. It took maybe 20 minutes to install.

I was having similar issues. Also experiencing limited help after buying a similar kit then having the same customer service experience. I have my 2006 completely tore down and redoing the kits. I am also cleaning up the frame where I did the free travel mod.

Here are a few pan hard options that I ran across.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[groundscraper]

I'm running the spohn track bar also and it was a simple install.

I couldn't get my grinder in far enough to cut the backside of the bumpstops bracket, even with a 7.5" blade on it. Ended up cutting most of it with a sawzall and bending the piece back and forth until it broke off.

My swaybar isn't parallel to the ground after lowering it, but I've looked and can't seem to locate shorter sway bar end links for the rear. Where can I find them?

I had the same struggles cutting the bump stop bracket. I need to go back in there and clean it up some more. The damn gas tank is just too close.

 

[BrainDead]

Now that you mentioned it, I did bend mine down to access the back side. I cut outside and inside simultaneously with the sawzall until I was close to the fuel tank, cut the outside with the grinder, then beat a chisel into the cut slot to open it enough to get my pry bar into it and bend it down. I may have trimmed more off the outside wall for more room to get the grinder in there, but I was able to reach the back wall with the cut-off disc.

How much are you lowered in the rear? There may be others, but all I know of are the DJM links with the offset designed into them to shift the sway bar to the right side about 1".

If yours isn't at that much of an angle, it's probably okay as-is. Maybe not 100% optimal, but okay. Unless someone chimes in with shorter stock replacement links, I'd suggest sectioning out the stock ones if you or a friend can weld.

I installed a belltech 2/4 kit a couple weeks ago and didn't notice the bar was angled. Last week I picked up a set of eibach F&R bars and when installing them I noticed how bad the angle was so I started looking around on here. I found this post and started looking at rockauto. I believe the stock links are about 8" and the ones off of an 00 burban are just older 5.

https://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/cheap-shorter-rear-sway-bar-links-for-lowered-suvs.17590/

Going to measure mine tomorrow and see if it will work.

Why do I need to offset the sway bar to the right?

 

[BrainDead]

My bad, the 00 burban is too long, the 99 escalade is shorter, the stock links are 10", the 99 escalade is 6.5"

Going to measure mine tomorrow and will report back

 

[iamdub]

I installed a belltech 2/4 kit a couple weeks ago and didn't notice the bar was angled. Last week I picked up a set of eibach F&R bars and when installing them I noticed how bad the angle was so I started looking around on here. I found this post and started looking at rockauto. I believe the stock links are about 8" and the ones off of an 00 burban are just older 5.

https://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/cheap-shorter-rear-sway-bar-links-for-lowered-suvs.17590/

Going to measure mine tomorrow and see if it will work.

Why do I need to offset the sway bar to the right?

With large drops, the passenger side arm of the swaybar hits the panhard bar frame side mount. The DJM end links are shorter to coincide with the drop so the arms are (more) parallel to the ground and also shift the bar to the right 1" to provide clearance.

 

[iamdub]

My bad, the 00 burban is too long, the 99 escalade is shorter, the stock links are 10", the 99 escalade is 6.5"

Going to measure mine tomorrow and will report back

Take a peek under there with a tape measure and see where the arms would be if you were to swap those links. If they'd interfere, you're gonna have get the DJM ones.

 

[BrainDead]

Take a peek under there with a tape measure and see where the arms would be if you were to swap those links. If they'd interfere, you're gonna have get the DJM ones.

So I finally had free time to climb under and get some pics, unfortunately they're too large to post here. I compared the new shorter bars to the existing ones and if I install them, the swaybar will hit the panhard bar mount. But the 1" shift from the djm bars wouldn't clear it either. So I think I'm going to have to shorten my existing bars maybe an inch or two and live with it. I'm assuming that as long as the swaybar isn't more than a 45 degree angle to the frame it should still do its job?

 

[iamdub]

So I finally had free time to climb under and get some pics, unfortunately they're too large to post here. I compared the new shorter bars to the existing ones and if I install them, the swaybar will hit the panhard bar mount. But the 1" shift from the djm bars wouldn't clear it either. So I think I'm going to have to shorten my existing bars maybe an inch or two and live with it. I'm assuming that as long as the swaybar isn't more than a 45 degree angle to the frame it should still do its job?

Odd that the DJM links wouldn't shift it enough. Speaking of, the 1" shift was more of an estimate. It's probably a little more than that. Other than those links, we and I'm sure a thousand others have the same rear drop +/- some. Did you account for the sway bar being bolted to the far outside of the DJM link? I'm just trying to figure out what you have going on here cuz this is a known problem with these rigs and the DJM end links are known as THE solution across the board. It not working on one vehicle makes me concerned that there may be something out of whack under that vehicle. If yours was wrecked badly enough to bend something along these lines, I'm sure you'd know it and would've mentioned it.

The links shifting the bar to the right ~1" apparently works for much more than a 4" drop- this one's 'bagged.

The further from parallel the bar is, the less effective it is due to the loss of leverage. I'd double check everything about them DJM links before going through all the hassle of modifying some other incorrect links to make it "fit" but still not really "work" like it should. Not when there's a bolt-on correct solution.

 

[BrainDead]

Based on this photo I took today those links are going to be pretty close. But I'll call djm and see what the distance is that shifts the bar over. And no frame damage or major wrecks

 

[iamdub]

Just squeezed under mine with it resting on the ground. I've never tried that since the drop but it lead to some interesting sights. I've only seen the location of the sway bar with the Tahoe hanging off the lift with the suspension at full droop.


This pic is kinda under the sway bar, looking upward and forward a bit. At ride height, the sway bar is almost next to the panhard mount, but clears it plenty. It may be closer to the shock than the panhard mount:

This one shows how close the curve of the bar is to the bolt head of the shock extender that's bolted to the factory shock mount. No evidence of contact despite my spirited cornering:

To give you an idea of how far the bar is shifted:

This is the money shot cuz it shows how on-point the DJM links are. The bar threads the needle in the gap between the panhard mount and shock while being parallel or nearly-parallel to the ground:

 

[Doug118]

I’ve had an issue with my DJM links from day 1. I even had to remove the bolt that bolts the shock bracket on and weld it to the axle. You can see in the bottom of the first picture, the sway bar practically sits over the bracket on the axle

 

[Doug118]

And yes the links are installed correctly

 

[iamdub]

And yes the links are installed correctly View attachment 238959View attachment 238960

That's cuz you have like 10" of drop on a kit designed for 3" to maybe 5" of drop at most.

 

[Doug118]

That's cuz you have like 10" of drop on a kit designed for 3" to maybe 5" of drop at most.

7” but okay. So you’re telling me if you dropped your truck 1” lower, it’ll hit?

 

[kbuskill]

That's cuz you have like 10" of drop on a kit designed for 3" to maybe 5" of drop at most.

7” but okay. So you’re telling me if you dropped your truck 1” lower, it’ll hit?

I have the same issue as Doug... sway bar rubbing the bolt. I think mine has found a happy compromise though... it doesn't appear to be getting any worse... lol

 

[BrainDead]

Just squeezed under mine with it resting on the ground. I've never tried that since the drop but it lead to some interesting sights. I've only seen the location of the sway bar with the Tahoe hanging off the lift with the suspension at full droop.


This pic is kinda under the sway bar, looking upward and forward a bit. At ride height, the sway bar is almost next to the panhard mount, but clears it plenty. It may be closer to the shock than the panhard mount:

View attachment 238532


This one shows how close the curve of the bar is to the bolt head of the shock extender that's bolted to the factory shock mount. No evidence of contact despite my spirited cornering:
View attachment 238533


To give you an idea of how far the bar is shifted:
View attachment 238534


This is the money shot cuz it shows how on-point the DJM links are. The bar threads the needle in the gap between the panhard mount and shock while being parallel or nearly-parallel to the ground:
View attachment 238535

Picked up the djm kit #2007, on a recommendation from the owner at djm, which has the sway bar end links and trailing arm relocation brackets, I'll get it installed this weekend and report back on the results.

Another question for the experienced peeps on here, how long are your links for the air ride shocks? I have adjusted mine twice, once to the belltech recommended length and a second time even shorter, but my compressor kicks on every time I start it up to raise the ass end and it rides like a truck. Is it just trial and error to adjust them where they need to be or is there an actual length that they should be at?

 

[kbuskill]

Picked up the djm kit #2007, on a recommendation from the owner at djm, which has the sway bar end links and trailing arm relocation brackets, I'll get it installed this weekend and report back on the results.

Another question for the experienced peeps on here, how long are your links for the air ride shocks? I have adjusted mine twice, once to the belltech recommended length and a second time even shorter, but my compressor kicks on every time I start it up to raise the ass end and it rides like a truck. Is it just trial and error to adjust them where they need to be or is there an actual length that they should be at?

It is normal for the auto leveling compressor (ALC) to kick on when you first start the truck, it is a self test. Also when you shut the truck off you should hear the exhaust valve on the ALC open and let some air out then close, then open and close... it will dump air out several times.

 

[iamdub]

Picked up the djm kit #2007, on a recommendation from the owner at djm, which has the sway bar end links and trailing arm relocation brackets, I'll get it installed this weekend and report back on the results.

Another question for the experienced peeps on here, how long are your links for the air ride shocks? I have adjusted mine twice, once to the belltech recommended length and a second time even shorter, but my compressor kicks on every time I start it up to raise the ass end and it rides like a truck. Is it just trial and error to adjust them where they need to be or is there an actual length that they should be at?

I don't know how much the ALC picks up the rear on a 100% stock vehicle when first started, but I wanna say it's only like 1/2". Whatever it is, you have to have your links at such a length that the sensor is at the angle that the ALC system is looking for. It's putting so much air in the bellows to lift the rear because it's trying to put it back to the height that it's programmed to. It doesn't know you have lowering coils, it thinks you're loaded down with weight and it's squashing the rear down. All that extra air makes it really firm. You just need shorter links. Every vehicle is different so it's difficult to give a one-size-fits-all length for the links. If it were me, I'd jack up the rear to the height it was before the drop and mark the sensors. Then, with the vehicle parked, at it's lowered height and air bellows not inflated, disconnect one end of the sensor links so you can see how much it needs to be shortened for the marks you made to line back up. Don't shorten it quite to that point because it's supposed to lift the rear a little (1/2"?) as part of the spring rate for stability. You can always shorten the link more if needed.

Before I lowered mine, I used a silver Sharpie to make a mark on all the sensors. After I'm done with lowering and am satisfied with where it's at, I'll make links that will realign those silver marks I made. I don't want the ALC "undropping" my Tahoe.

 

[iamdub]

7” but okay. So you’re telling me if you dropped your truck 1” lower, it’ll hit?

Mine's around 4"-4.25", so I'd have to drop it about 2" before it'd hit. Judging by my pic in post #31, 2" more drop would put the sway bar right around the top of the bolt head. With the suspension articulation and body movements from normal driving, it'd be sure to contact and rub at least the top of the bolt head. With 3" more drop than where I'm at currently, it'd likely pretty much rest against the bolt head and grind on it while driving.


How centered is your rear end? You may have to shift it a little to the right if it's still contacting, if that wouldn't be putting it too much off center or causing clearance issues elsewhere.