Getting Autoride Lower.

[NORCAL SS]

IM TIRED OF THIS!!!! Getting Autoride Lower.

On my escalade i have the 2/3 belltech kit with 5305 coils and thing rides great. no complaints at all everyone that sits in it says the same.................but I have a problem its called to much gap lol


So next thing is going to be the traiblazer lowering springs in rear and I will see how it goes. I tried to lower the back of my escalade more with teh 5305 coils and the ride just suffers to much and since the trailblazer coils sit lower im hoping that I can get just enough air in the bags to keep the ride good. If I can get 1 inch in the rear (and I mean my truck not me) and keep the great ride as I have now im all for it.


In front is a no brainer pull struts apart and machine them to give me another 1 inch drop.


Rear current set up is
DJM TRAILING ARM RELOCATORS
DJM SWAYBAR ENDLINKS/RELOCATORS
DJM SHOCK EXTENDERS
SPOHN DEL SPHERE PANHARD BAR
DJM REAR SWAYBAR

I have tHE spohn del sphere adjustable lower control arms I just want to do all mods piece by piece to see how ride is changed. Currently truck handles so good!!


On 305 35 24 right now front is like at 34.5 and rear at 35.

33.5 /34 would be perfect.

 

[KMeloney]

Tony -- How do you think the ride is suffering after trying to get the rear lower? Did you shorten the links to 2.5"? Or, did you not go any lower than 2.75"? Just like to know what you tried and what the result was.

35" in the rear sounds odd WITHOUT the spacer in there. Did you keep the spacer in? Or are you not able to go lower even with it out?

 

[NORCAL SS]

I was at 34.5 with no spacer and 285 45 22s and I have the rear links set at 3 inches and no spacers. I went to 2.25 truck came down over 1 inch just ride was not good at all much to soft.

Due to the tb springs sitting lower I can adjust the links shorter and still have the same amount of air I have in the shocks as now since more air will be needed to bring the truck up due to the springs sitting shorter.

My main concern is getting the truck to sit lower and ride great and If I feel it does I will offer a package for the autoride trucks that will do a 3/5 drop and still keep the truck riding great.


The setup right now that I have in the truck is by far the best riding/cornering tahoe/yukon/escalade ive been in hands down that has autoride and lowered 2/3.

 

[KMeloney]

Ok. So, you DID get the links below 2-1/2", and didn't have a problem with the links themselves, right? I just want to know, since last time you and I talked, you didn't think you could safely go below 2-1/2" without the rods pulling out or something. Sounds like that wasn't a problem after all. Is that right?

If so, I'm definitely going to drop my links to 2-1/2" as soon as I have a chance.

 

[NORCAL SS]

Ok. So, you DID get the links below 2-1/2", and didn't have a problem with the links themselves, right? I just want to know, since last time you and I talked, you didn't think you could safely go below 2-1/2" without the rods pulling out or something. Sounds like that wasn't a problem after all. Is that right?

If so, I'm definitely going to drop my links to 2-1/2" as soon as I have a chance.

My links are at 3 inches now from center to center with no spacer and its fine. I would pull the spacer out before you do anything else becuase if you keep the spacer in there and try to adjust the shocks you will have a lot less air in there and in turn making the ride worse.

i can go 2 inches if i wanted to since I have a teh djm rear hardware kit which changes a few things and gives a better ride.

 

[KMeloney]

My ride always gets WORSE when the compressor airs up. Always. So, I want shorter links and LESS air.

HOW did your ride get worse? Softer sounds better to me, because when I have too much air in the shocks, the ride gets tight (which is fine on smooth roads) and shakes the truck harshly over bumps.

When there's LESS air in the shocks, the ride is a little more vague, but there's no harshness or hard shakes.

Do you think I just haven't experienced TOO LITTLE air in the shocks yet?

 

[NORCAL SS]

you have the spacer in thats the problem. You need to pull the spacer out then go from there.

 

[KMeloney]

I drove my truck home 5 minutes yesterday afternoon, and it rode great. I pulled into my driveway, and with the truck still running, I got out and measured the rear fender height, and while doing so, the truck aired up 1/2" (I watched it go up against the measuring tape).

If I pull the rear spacer, the static height of the rear of the truck will drop 1". Doing nothing more to the autoride links, the truck will now think it has to make up an additional 1" in ride height -- so, it's going to air up the truck another 1" AND that extra 1/2" I experienced when I pulled in the driveway, right?

If that's true, and I already don't like the ride when it airs up 1/2", then it's REALLY going to go to shit when it airs up another 1", right?

Tony, you're losing me here. I know we talked on the phone, but I think it's good to get the info out HERE so people can refer to it.

Let's nail this down once and for all.

For me:

Spacer IN + NO air up = great ride with rear @ 34-3/4"

Spacer IN + air up = harsh ride with @ 35-1/4"

That tells me that the more the truck rides on the springs, the better (SOFTER) the ride. Maybe the truck corners better on smooth roads with more air in the shocks, but on city streets I want the ride to be smoothed out over the bumps, and not shake the truck and me like it does after it has aired up. And, along with the harshness being a problem, I DON'T want the added rear ride height.

I've got to believe that with the spacer OUT, I'll be at a no-air-up height of @ 33-3/4", right? That's too low (compared to the front). So, I'd have to set the autoride links to bring the back up some. Won't that be the same amount of air going in the rear that made the ride too harsh with the spacer in? What am I missing here??

 

[NORCAL SS]

it will not drop 1 full inch. The autoride shocks keep it up. prob come down 1/2 inch by pulling 1 inch spacer out. I put the tb springs in last night in my truck and truck came down 1/2 inch. Pulled the airline off and the truck maybe came down 1/8 of a inch.

I then pulled the shock off the extender bracket and truck came down 1.75 inches (33 at the fenderlip looked killer) The autoride shocks are keeping it up at this point. These autoride shocks have the air adjustment and the internal adjustment that keeps the eye out on where those linkages are. Ill cut my linkage tonight more since thats whats needed to bring it down some.

 

[KMeloney]

it will not drop 1 full inch. The autoride shocks keep it up. prob come down 1/2 inch by pulling 1 inch spacer out. I put the tb springs in last night in my truck and truck came down 1/2 inch. Pulled the airline off and the truck maybe came down 1/8 of a inch.

I then pulled the shock off the extender bracket and truck came down 2 inches. The autoride shocks are keeping it up at this point. These autoride shocks have the air adjustment and the internal adjustment that keeps the eye out on where those linkages are. Ill cut my linkage tonight more since thats whats needed to bring it down some.

Damn, you're up early, Tony! haha

Ok, so, by disconnecting the shock, it sounds like you've found that the shock itself, holds the ride height up, too, correct? So, I'm not REALLY riding more on the springs when the truck isn't aired up -- but, it just feels like it, correct? If that's true, then it still sounds like I have a better ride situation when there's no air-up vs when the truck airs up, and that the optimal amount of air in the shocks (for me, at least), is when the truck doesn't air up.

Here's something worth getting to the bottom of, I think: Is there ever a situation where the compressor runs and puts air in the shocks but the ride height DOESN'T also go up? Seems to me that every time I hear the compressor run, the truck RAISES. So, when it DOESN'T run, and the ride is good, then I have to believe that the shocks still have "enough" air in them to ride well -- just not enough to raise the truck and make the ride ******...

 

[NORCAL SS]

What happened on my ****** ride when i cut the links down is that i torqued the rear swaybar brackets in the air and caused bind which I didnt think about till last night. The compressor just throws in enough air to have it in there not that much to lift it up a lot. The main thing is the valving in the shock. last night when i pulled the shock off and let the air out of the shock i still couldnt even push it up with my hand to make it collapse at all.

Just pull your spacer out you will be fine. I kept my stock links at 3 inches and pulled my spacer and rode fine

 

[KMeloney]

What happened on my ****** ride when i cut the links down is that i torqued the rear swaybar brackets in the air and caused bind which I didnt think about till last night. The compressor just throws in enough air to have it in there not that much to lift it up a lot. The main thing is the valving in the shock. last night when i pulled the shock off and let the air out of the shock i still couldnt even push it up with my hand to make it collapse at all.

Just pull your spacer out you will be fine. I kept my stock links at 3 inches and pulled my spacer and rode fine

I don't want to cut my brackets off, though... Sounds like I'd need to.

 

[NORCAL SS]

You dont have to cut off your bumpstop brackets just pull the spacer out and keep the autoride links at 3 inches from center/center and you will be fine

 

[bodymccannx]

Great thread here. Tony, your level of knowledge and willingness to share it is amazing! I know that this thread alone has cleared up some of my questions. Re: the DJM hardward kit - how much would installing that alone lower the rear?

Mark

 

[NORCAL SS]

Great thread here. Tony, your level of knowledge and willingness to share it is amazing! I know that this thread alone has cleared up some of my questions. Re: the DJM hardward kit - how much would installing that alone lower the rear?

Mark

the djm hardware kit just give a better ride and cornering is improved due to adjusting trailing arms and swaybar angle.

Doing the kit wont really lower that much maybe 1/4 inch but it lets you adjust the autoride links more if needed since rear wont come down as far so you can adjust them shorter without worrying about them pulling out when you lift the truck up.

 

[KMeloney]

You dont have to cut off your bumpstop brackets just pull the spacer out and keep the autoride links at 3 inches from center/center and you will be fine

Where do you think that will have the rear sit on my truck, before and after the compressor kits on?

Won't the shocks' TRAVEL be hurt if I pull the spacer? Will the shocks bottom out on big bumps?

 

[NORCAL SS]

your making this way to complicated. Just pull the spacers out like i said keep the center/center on the autoride links at 3 inches and you will be fine.

---------- Post added at 09:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:28 AM ----------

im going to switch back to the 5305 coils tonight since most people are running that coil on this truck I want to work with what we have to get it lower.

If worse comes to worse ill just put the resistor in for the autoride shocks and go with the belltech street performance shocks.

 

[JennaBear]

Good info Tony!

 

[KMeloney]

your making this way to complicated. Just pull the spacers out like i said keep the center/center on the autoride links at 3 inches and you will be fine.

Maybe, Tony -- but lots of others have these questions, too. I'm just trying to understand how this all works. AND, I don't have the capabilities to "just pull the spacer," so I'm trying to see if I think it even makes any sense for me to consider pulling the spacer, based on my height and ride quality requirements.

Consider these questions not "What should I do?" but rather "How does all of this work?" Those are two different questions. Don't get me wrong -- you don't owe me answers on this or anything else -- so, if my questions are getting old, no problem. I appreciate all of your insight and help thus far.

 

[NORCAL SS]

Maybe, Tony -- but lots of others have these questions, too. I'm just trying to understand how this all works. AND, I don't have the capabilities to "just pull the spacer," so I'm trying to see if I think it even makes any sense for me to consider pulling the spacer, based on my height and ride quality requirements.

Consider these questions not "What should I do?" but rather "How does all of this work?" Those are two different questions. Don't get me wrong -- you don't owe me answers on this or anything else -- so, if my questions are getting old, no problem. I appreciate all of your insight and help thus far.

im on 24s
i have rear swaybars
I have del sphere set up in rear
My ride is going to be stiffer and still rides fine.

set the links to 3 inches pull the spacer then go from there. Stop typing questions and get under there pull those suckers out. With all these questions your asking you could have pulled that spacer out already..... 10000x lol

i will ban you if you ask anymore questions on this subject unless you pull the spacers out or ill just have hulk hogan come to your house and pull the spacers out.... without using floor jacks.