Spring too close to Frame?

[groundscraper]

I installed the Belltech 5305 rear spring kit on my wife’s ‘13 Yukon for a 3 inch drop. I was inspecting the springs today and noticed the driver’s side spring was too close to the frame much more so than the passenger. I don’t hear any rubbing, but it seems too close for comfort. Is this normal or might the spring be seated incorrectly? It looks like it’s correctly seated.

 

[OR VietVet]

Are you sure the rear axle is not shifted to the driver's side for some reason? What is the actual measured distance difference. Also check the distance in front of each rear tire and the back of the tire to make sure axle is square in the frame. You may have a different thrust angle as well for some reason. I would assume, I don't like to do that, you have crawled under there to make sure the springs are installed correctly in the perches.

 

[groundscraper]

I’m not sure if the axle had shifted or not. I did crawl in there and moved the spring around and adjusted it a bit. It gave me a bit more clearance, just not as much as the passenger side. Right now the spring is about 1/4” off the frame.

 

[Tide]

I’ve had the same issue with my Escalade. Mine was actually rubbing for a couple weeks until I realized what the issue was. It was recently on a lift and I noticed how close it was to hitting it once again.


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[iamdub]

I installed the Belltech 5305 rear spring kit on my wife’s ‘13 Yukon for a 3 inch drop. I was inspecting the springs today and noticed the driver’s side spring was too close to the frame much more so than the passenger. I don’t hear any rubbing, but it seems too close for comfort. Is this normal or might the spring be seated incorrectly? It looks like it’s correctly seated.

I always thought those coils gave at least a 4" drop. Did you measure before and after to know for sure? How does it ride? Did you do the free travel mod? Shorter shocks or extenders?

As for your axle location issue, it's because you need an adjustable panhard bar. The bar swings in an arc as the suspension cycles up and down, so the body is pushed or pulled side to side. The panhard is set to have everything mostly centered with the vehicle at its stock height. When you lower it, you're holding the suspension in a position as if it's compressed so the swing of the panhard has the body pulled to the side more than at stock height.

See how the tires are centered then not centered in the fender wells as the suspension cycles? An adjustable panhard will let you lengthen or shorten it to re-center the axle at the new ride height. I have a Spohn panhard on mine with a ~4" rear drop.

If you can weld and wanna save some cash, you can cut your stock panhard, center the axle at ride height, overlap the two halves of the bar (you'll be shortening the bar to center the axle) and weld it back together.

 

[groundscraper]

Thanks for the replies. I actually didn’t get to measure since I started working on it pretty quickly. I bought this kit from Tonys website and it’s supposedly a 3” drop if you add the spacers, which I did. I did do the free travel mod and have shock extensions that come with the kit

 

[iamdub]

Thanks for the replies. I actually didn’t get to measure since I started working on it pretty quickly. I bought this kit from Tonys website and it’s supposedly a 3” drop if you add the spacers, which I did. I did do the free travel mod and have shock extensions that come with the kit

I'm kinda shopping for some 5305 coils and can't get any straight answers as to what they actually drop. I'm seeing reports of anywhere from 3-6 inches with and without spacers. I don't understand where people get their figures from cuz that's a lot of variance.

The spacers are 1", so this tells me the coils alone should drop it 4". Does it ride softer than stock?

 

[groundscraper]

The ride is about the same as stock. Maybe a bit stiffer, but not much.

 

[groundscraper]

I’ve also tried to get a hold of Tony since I bought the kit and then today but he has not answered

 

[iamdub]

The ride is about the same as stock. Maybe a bit stiffer, but not much.

This is surprising. You have Autoride and/or a functioning Autolevel system? I don't mean to bombard you with these questions. It's just that I've been researching this so much lately and most of the info I'm finding is outdated, incomplete or blatantly inaccurate. I really appreciate your feedback.

 

[iamdub]

I’ve also tried to get a hold of Tony since I bought the kit and then today but he has not answered

He's usually fairly prompt through text- within a day or so, max. He may be preoccupied with holiday/vacation obligations.

 

[groundscraper]

This is surprising. You have Autoride and/or a functioning Autolevel system? I don't mean to bombard you with these questions. It's just that I've been researching this so much lately and most of the info I'm finding is outdated, incomplete or blatantly inaccurate. I really appreciate your feedback.

I do not have auto ride. I have the SLE model so pretty much the plain jane suspension. I was actually kinda surprised too, but I honestly don’t feel like the ride changed all that much. I’m just worried a little about one spring being closer to the frame, but what you explained makes sense. I just didn’t expect it to get that close. It’s clearing better after the spring adjustment just not as well as the passenger side.

 

[iamdub]

I do not have auto ride. I have the SLE model so pretty much the plain jane suspension. I was actually kinda surprised too, but I honestly don’t feel like the ride changed all that much. I’m just worried a little about one spring being closer to the frame, but what you explained makes sense. I just didn’t expect it to get that close. It’s clearing better after the spring adjustment just not as well as the passenger side.

Thanks for the info.

I'm running rear coils from a Jeep Wrangler and they're pretty fat. They're close to the frame, but haven't touched, even with my spirited driving. I have the axle close to being centered with my Spohn panhard bar, but it's still a few millimeters off. I'll dial it in soon.

 

[Tide]

This is surprising. You have Autoride and/or a functioning Autolevel system? I don't mean to bombard you with these questions. It's just that I've been researching this so much lately and most of the info I'm finding is outdated, incomplete or blatantly inaccurate. I really appreciate your feedback.

I’ve got the autoride system. It might have stiffened things up ever so slightly.

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[iamdub]

I’ve got the autoride system. It might have stiffened things up ever so slightly.

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1) You need to do the free travel mod

2) You need an adjustable panhard

3) It may be the angle of the pic, but it looks like you might can get clearance on that driver's side spring if you rotated it 180°.

4) Did you get shorter links for your ride height sensors?

 

[Tide]

1) You need to do the free travel mod

2) You need an adjustable panhard

3) It may be the angle of the pic, but it looks like you might can get clearance on that driver's side spring if you rotated it 180°.

4) Did you get shorter links for your ride height sensors?

That’s an old pic. The spring has been reset and now it barely clears. We’ve had this discussion before about the drop changing the angles of the suspension.

Asked the two install shops I dealt with to do the free travel and both just looked at me confused as shit. It was a nightmare getting this done, at the end of the day I needed to get it done and wheels turning again. I need to watch the videos on it again and I’ll likely give it a go myself.

I would have a panhard bar if tony recommended it from the get go. Told him I wanted the best kit to lower the rear and this is what I got. He might be the go to person for this but his customer service could use some improvement.

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[iamdub]

That’s an old pic. The spring has been reset and now it barely clears. We’ve had this discussion before about the drop changing the angles of the suspension.

Asked the two install shops I dealt with to do the free travel and both just looked at me confused as shit. It was a nightmare getting this done, at the end of the day I needed to get it done and wheels turning again. I need to watch the videos on it again and I’ll likely give it a go myself.

I would have a panhard bar if tony recommended it from the get go. Told him I wanted the best kit to lower the rear and this is what I got. He might be the go to person for this but his customer service could use some improvement.

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I vaguely remember that discussion, but glad you at least got it clearing. An adjustable panhard would re-center the axle and ensure you have clearance. I put the adjustable panhard on mine long before I dropped it, but had it set to the same length as the stock piece. After I dropped the rear 4+ inches with some Jeep TJ coils that (I believe) are a little wider than the Belltech 5305 and McG 3" drop coils, I still had clearance before adjusting the panhard to re-center the axle.

I guess you never carry much weight in the back or hit any big dips/humps, otherwise you'd have a rough ride in the back when the axle hits the bump stop. I did the free travel mod long ago in preparation for the drop and I just cut off what was below the frame. The side pieces of the bracket are still welded to the frame. I'd have to drop the fuel tank to cut off the inside driver's side piece but I have absolutely no reason to bother. The extra thickness from the bracket piece remaining in place doesn't cause interference with the spring I'm currently running. If I end up with some 5305s and they rub, then I'll reassess.

Replacing the panhard bar is as simple as changing a tire and cutting the bumpstop brackets off takes about 1-2 hours with a cut-off disc on a grinder. I used a recip saw for a lot of the cutting just so I could cut both sides at once but switched to my "scalpel" (the cut-off disc) when I got near the fuel tank. I have pics and description in my build thread if those would help to give you ideas.

I don't know how familiar or comfortable you are with such tools, but it's a fun way to learn! You can even use a cheap grinder from Harbor Freight for the job.

Did Tony's kit come with, or did he ever recommend the DJM offset sway bar end links? What about shorter AutoLevel sensor rods?

 

[Tide]

I vaguely remember that discussion, but glad you at least got it clearing. An adjustable panhard would re-center the axle and ensure you have clearance. I put the adjustable panhard on mine long before I dropped it, but had it set to the same length as the stock piece. After I dropped the rear 4+ inches with some Jeep TJ coils that (I believe) are a little wider than the Belltech 5305 and McG 3" drop coils, I still had clearance before adjusting the panhard to re-center the axle.

I guess you never carry much weight in the back or hit any big dips/humps, otherwise you'd have a rough ride in the back when the axle hits the bump stop. I did the free travel mod long ago in preparation for the drop and I just cut off what was below the frame. The side pieces of the bracket are still welded to the frame. I'd have to drop the fuel tank to cut off the inside driver's side piece but I have absolutely no reason to bother. The extra thickness from the bracket piece remaining in place doesn't cause interference with the spring I'm currently running. If I end up with some 5305s and they rub, then I'll reassess.

Replacing the panhard bar is as simple as changing a tire and cutting the bumpstop brackets off takes about 1-2 hours with a cut-off disc on a grinder. I used a recip saw for a lot of the cutting just so I could cut both sides at once but switched to my "scalpel" (the cut-off disc) when I got near the fuel tank. I have pics and description in my build thread if those would help to give you ideas.

I don't know how familiar or comfortable you are with such tools, but it's a fun way to learn! You can even use a cheap grinder from Harbor Freight for the job.

Did Tony's kit come with, or did he ever recommend the DJM offset sway bar end links? What about shorter AutoLevel sensor rods?

What panhard do you recommend?

I’ve got a sawzall that should do the trick... I need to pickup a grinder for the portion near the tank though.

I have yet to carry much of a load in this so far. There are times when I hit large bumps on the freeway that I get a little jolt in the back. I imagine it’s bottoming out when I feel that.

It did not come with the DJM sway bar links. It did come with sensor rods and those were adjusted as needed to get the drop where we wanted it. Hell I think that’s what they are called. I could be mistaken.


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[iamdub]

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’ve got a sawzall that should do the trick... I need to pickup a grinder for the portion near the tank though.

If you have no other use for a grinder and it'd just sit around after this project, borrow one or grab a cheap used one on Facebook market or craigslist or get one from Harbor Freight. My one word of advice is to get a trigger/paddle switch instead of a regular slide switch. If one with a slide switch jumps out of your hand, it can stay on and do some property and/or personal damage. Grinders have plenty of uses so they're not so bad to keep around and might be worth your investment. If buying new, maybe go with a middle-of-the-road one such as the Bauer 64742. Don't even look at the cut-off discs from HF, though. I'm a fan of the strength and longevity of the DeWalt DW8062. They're a pretty good deal when bought in bulk. Don't forget safety glasses, face shield, and heavy gloves.

I have yet to carry much of a load in this so far. There are times when I hit large bumps on the freeway that I get a little jolt in the back. I imagine it’s bottoming out when I feel that.

That jolt is how bottoming out feels. Carrying passengers and hitting them same large bumps at speed may make those passengers piss blood for a week.

It did not come with the DJM sway bar links. It did come with sensor rods and those were adjusted as needed to get the drop where we wanted it. Hell I think that’s what they are called. I could be mistaken.

The ALC (Automatic Level Control) system will try to air up the rear to get it back to its ride height because it thinks it's loaded down. This will "un-drop" it as well as make it ride really firm. The shorter links keeps the system operating within its normal range so you maintain your drop and ride quality.

You may not need the offset sway bar end links that shift the bar over 1" for clearance. But you may need shorter links if your bar is too far from being parallel with the ground.

 

[BrainDead]

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.




If you have no other use for a grinder and it'd just sit around after this project, borrow one or grab a cheap used one on Facebook market or craigslist or get one from Harbor Freight. My one word of advice is to get a trigger/paddle switch instead of a regular slide switch. If one with a slide switch jumps out of your hand, it can stay on and do some property and/or personal damage. Grinders have plenty of uses so they're not so bad to keep around and might be worth your investment. If buying new, maybe go with a middle-of-the-road one such as the Bauer 64742. Don't even look at the cut-off discs from HF, though. I'm a fan of the strength and longevity of the DeWalt DW8062. They're a pretty good deal when bought in bulk. Don't forget safety glasses, face shield, and heavy gloves.




That jolt is how bottoming out feels. Carrying passengers and hitting them same large bumps at speed may make those passengers piss blood for a week.




The ALC (Automatic Level Control) system will try to air up the rear to get it back to its ride height because it thinks it's loaded down. This will "un-drop" it as well as make it ride really firm. The shorter links keeps the system operating within its normal range so you maintain your drop and ride quality.

You may not need the offset sway bar end links that shift the bar over 1" for clearance. But you may need shorter links if your bar is too far from being parallel with the ground.

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?