My Drop Experience - 2 Years Later

[Boomer73]

I had the drop I detailed in this post: http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26086. It was installed in January 2011 so I had it just a little over two years. In the last six months the ride has gotten progressively worse to the point of dangerous at times. That combined with the fact that I need to sell the Tahoe and replace it with a Suburban or Yukon XL meant that it was time to do something about it.

Given that I was never completely satisfied with the ride even when the drop was new, I decided that I would put the original factory spindles, springs, and end links back on and replace the original shocks with new factory shocks.

When we got the drop kit off, it was obvious the Belltech Street Performance shocks were completely shot. Turns out they had a two year warranty and I took them off about three weeks too late to take advantage of that but my guess is they were blown at about the 18 month point based on how bad the ride had gotten. Kinda pathetic I think given that they had about 20-25k miles on them.

So I put the factory parts back on with the exception of the shocks. I used KYB Gas-A-Just shocks (kg5040 in front and kg54341 in rear). The ride is better than the factory ride and better than the drop ride, it just doesn't look as good as the drop did.

I have a few minor cosmetic and maintenance issues to address and then the truck is available for sale at KBB "good condition" value. It has 91k miles.

 

[Red_Raider]

Always liked the NNBS GMC wheels. Clean lines and not overly flashy. GLWS

 

[Alex33]

Sorry to hear it didn't turn out the best. A bit of an off topic question, what size tires do you have on ur wheels?

 

[magicbus]

I find it kinda funny when people put the biggest drop available on a vehicle that was engineered to be a high profile vehicle and then complain that it doesn't ride like factory. It's the same story as the people with crew cab trucks that want their system to bang like the one they heard in their buddy's tahoe but don't want to sacrifice any space or cut holes for speaker boxes to pass through the bed into the cab. You have to make sacrifices in customizing, it's just the way it is.

 

[M Hankel]

I had the drop I detailed in this post: http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26086.

When we got the drop kit off, it was obvious the Belltech Street Performance shocks were completely shot. Turns out they had a two year warranty and I took them off about three weeks too late to take advantage of that but my guess is they were blown at about the 18 month point based on how bad the ride had gotten. Kinda pathetic I think given that they had about 20-25k miles on them.

I've NEVER had good luck with Belltech shocks and I've tried them quite a bit over the last 20 years. I would never recomend them simply because they just don't seem to last IMO.

Mike

 

[Boomer73]

I find it kinda funny when people put the biggest drop available on a vehicle that was engineered to be a high profile vehicle and then complain that it doesn't ride like factory.

Yeah man. It's hilarious.

The issue - if you actually read my post - was primarily that the shocks were blown in short order. The problem was less to do with the drop than with the crappy parts. I suspect that the shocks were not properly matched to the springs. Of course when I asked about spring rates before I purchased I was told it was a "secret". You can go to any supplier of performance suspension components and they will tell you the spring rates and if they are progressive or linear. Go to a BMW or Porsche or VW forum - they will talk to you about spring rates until you want to kill yourself. The only reason it's a secret is because the springs are too weak for the load and the shock then takes a beating and fails prematurely. Buyer beware.

 

[Goodinblack]

What "secret" springs were you running?

 

[NORCAL SS]

all the aftermarket companies (belltech/djm/eibach etc) for the trucks don't release it like they do for the cars unless something has changed recently.

 

[M Hankel]

Go to a BMW or Porsche or VW forum - they will talk to you about spring rates until you want to kill yourself.

That mad me laugh.... so true!!

Mike

 

[Boomer73]

What "secret" springs were you running?

Whoever makes the Trailblazer springs NORCALSS sold me.

---------- Post added at 03:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:13 PM ----------

all the aftermarket companies (belltech/djm/eibach etc) for the trucks don't release it like they do for the cars unless something has changed recently.

Why don't they release it? It makes a huge difference to know if you have 200lb linear springs or 900lb progressive rate springs. How do you match a spring to a damper without knowing its rate - especially on a drop? If you reduce the ride height by 3" you need to increase the spring rate enough to compensate for the loss of travel to keep off the bump-stops (even if you cut the bump stops which really you shouldn't have to do if the spring rate/damper combo is proper). If you reduce the bump travel by 50% how much do you have to increase the spring rate to only hit the bump-stops the same amount as stock? I'll bet a dollar its not 50% more than stock which is more than any "sport" spring increases the rate over stock. On top of that you have to add enough additional spring rate to compensate for the specific driving conditions and driver's driving style and in the case of trucks and SUVs whatever cargo you routinely carry (kids, groceries, tools, luggage, pets, whatever) and pretty quick you are tripling the original spring rate and that's just a starting point. If you don't, the dampers are going to blow their guts out in short order. Well, guess what happened? The dampers blew their guts out in short order.

I'd like to see someone try a set of very high progressive rate coilovers with double adjustable dampers and some kind of camber adjustment on one of these vehicles. I suspect the spring rate that would be necessary on a 3/5 drop would be well over 1000 lbs and 1200-1500 wouldn't surprise me.

 

[NORCAL SS]

no matter what spring rate you get at a 4 inch drop abotu you only have 1/2 inch space of movement you will need to cut the bracket off the frame for any ride quality.

qa1 rear springs with double adjustable shocks work well but costs a lot and when i mounted mine outside the frame rails handles better also

 

[Boomer73]

My brackets are cut. Do you get any rubbing of those coilovers against your tires?

 

[Goodinblack]

Black paint on rotors looks sooo good.

 

[b4z]

Thanks for the review. I have been wondering about this just from a common sense perspective. Lowering a truck a lot with lowering springs is going to maker it ride hard and cut suspension travel. So the manufacturer has the make the decision on which way to go. Super stiff hard riding springs to keep it off the bump stops or softer better riding springs that require the free travel mod.
Something has to give and it looks like its the shocks.
And I am not a fan of progressive springs. I have dealt with them on third gen camaros and new GTOs and they are an all around bad idea.
I need to talk to NorCal about our '04 tahoe.
We put LTZ 20s on and the ride is not good so I am reluctant to lower it......but that wheel gap drives me nuts.
The other part of it is that the gmt800s simply don't have the structural rigidity of the 900s so a stiffer suspension is looking like a bad idea.

 

[lowAZhoe]

Thanks for the review. I have been wondering about this just from a common sense perspective. Lowering a truck a lot with lowering springs is going to maker it ride hard and cut suspension travel. So the manufacturer has the make the decision on which way to go. Super stiff hard riding springs to keep it off the bump stops or softer better riding springs that require the free travel mod.
Something has to give and it looks like its the shocks.
And I am not a fan of progressive springs. I have dealt with them on third gen camaros and new GTOs and they are an all around bad idea.
I need to talk to NorCal about our '04 tahoe.
We put LTZ 20s on and the ride is not good so I am reluctant to lower it......but that wheel gap drives me nuts.
The other part of it is that the gmt800s simply don't have the structural rigidity of the 900s so a stiffer suspension is looking like a bad idea.

u have something else going on if you put on ltz 20s and the ride is not good. my wife and i both have ltz 20s on our 01 and 03 tahoes. been on since stock height. one is 2/4 and other is 3/6. both ride great stock or lowered.

 

[NORCAL SS]

Thanks for the review. I have been wondering about this just from a common sense perspective. Lowering a truck a lot with lowering springs is going to maker it ride hard and cut suspension travel. So the manufacturer has the make the decision on which way to go. Super stiff hard riding springs to keep it off the bump stops or softer better riding springs that require the free travel mod.
Something has to give and it looks like its the shocks.
And I am not a fan of progressive springs. I have dealt with them on third gen camaros and new GTOs and they are an all around bad idea.
I need to talk to NorCal about our '04 tahoe.
We put LTZ 20s on and the ride is not good so I am reluctant to lower it......but that wheel gap drives me nuts.
The other part of it is that the gmt800s simply don't have the structural rigidity of the 900s so a stiffer suspension is looking like a bad idea.

00-13 have the same exact rear end set up from front a arm mount to rear

 

[b4z]

u have something else going on if you put on ltz 20s and the ride is not good. my wife and i both have ltz 20s on our 01 and 03 tahoes. been on since stock height. one is 2/4 and other is 3/6. both ride great stock or lowered.

Thanks for that. I'm going contact NorCal SS in a few and see what he recommends. We are running 275/55-20 bridgestones which tires are you guys running?

---------- Post added at 10:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:32 PM ----------

00-13 have the same exact rear end set up from front a arm mount to rear

Sent you. Pm.

 

[Screwd up 6]

Very interesting read. I wonder if you would have been happier with belltech spring in the back. I think they are suppose to be softer than djm.

 

[digitalfiend]

Hey Tony,
What amount of travel do you have *after* the rear bracket is cut off?

What's your take on the shock issue that the mod is detailing here? I'm about to purchase your 4-5/5-6 drop kit for my 2004 Tahoe, but the details in this thread make me wonder if there's a better shock to go with besides belltech.

no matter what spring rate you get at a 4 inch drop abotu you only have 1/2 inch space of movement you will need to cut the bracket off the frame for any ride quality.

qa1 rear springs with double adjustable shocks work well but costs a lot and when i mounted mine outside the frame rails handles better also

 

[NORCAL SS]

this kit he has is the old version.

My kit includes the belltech shocks along with a totally different spring that i specd out.