What's the easiest way to lower the front THE LEAST amount?

[KMeloney]

So, the bottom line is that my truck (with the rear lowering springs) rides like a dream when the autoride DOESN'T kick in. That is, when the truck is riding on just the springs and shocks with no additional airing-up from the autoride compressor, it's just awesome.

Thing is, it's just a hair too low in the rear under those circumstances.

I'm wondering what the least intrusive, most easily returned to stock, best way to get just a minimal amount of lowering in the front (1"?) is. This way I can get the stance just right without airing up the rear.

Thoughts? Thanks!

 

[Sweet_N_Low]

Cheapest? Keys!!
Easiest adjust? Lowering struts, 0.5" increments to 2" up or 2" down

 

[Modded]

Cheapest? Keys!!
Easiest adjust? Lowering struts, 0.5" increments to 2" up or 2" down

Not gonna work, he has Autoride.

I think the easiest way is to do some type of modification the air link rods.

 

[KMeloney]

Cheapest? Keys!!
Easiest adjust? Lowering struts, 0.5" increments to 2" up or 2" down

Sweet N Low -- No keys on the '07+ trucks! But thanks for the response.

Modded -- I was under the impression that the autoride links are only found in the REAR of the truck, and act to only raise the rear, since that's the only part of the truck where weight can be added. Are there also links up front?!

 

[NORCAL SS]

pm me if you have a machine shop its easy.

 

[KMeloney]

PM sent, Tony. Thanks.

 

[Modded]

No they are in the front too. I bet bending them like people do in the rear will help lower it a bit.
Or you can go ahead and go with a 2/4 drop spindle coild drop!!
You know you want too!

 

[KMeloney]

No they are in the front too. I bet bending them like people do in the rear will help lower it a bit.
Or you can go ahead and go with a 2/4 drop spindle coild drop!!
You know you want too!

Yeah, I do want to. Haha

So, where are the front ones located? And couldn't I just make new, shorter ones for the front like I did for the back? I didn't know there were front ones, too...

Oh -- When the compressor kicks on, is it filling each of the four shocks the SAME amount? Or does each shock get different amounts required to level the truck at each corner?

 

[Modded]

The front ones are kinda hard to see, they are near the strut mount.

And when the compressor turns on I THINK it fills front and back, not side to side, or both. So basically, the fronts fill the same amount side to side, and the rears fills the same amount side to side.

---------- Post added at 03:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:38 PM ----------

Here is the Autoride front suspension.
I circled around the air link assembly and put little red circles along the air link rod so you can see it easier.

 

[Modded]

I would type all that and forget to post the pic haha.

 

[red02chevy]

McGaughy's makes a coil relocator for the Auto Ride struts and I think you can lower it .5" at a time.

 

[KMeloney]

Modded -- Thanks for that diagram. That really helps a lot.

Red -- I'll look into those, too. At the moment, I've been trying to get more info on the Belltech springs that Tony recommends (they're part # 12463).

---------- Post added at 12:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:17 AM ----------

McGaughy's makes a coil relocator for the Auto Ride struts and I think you can lower it .5" at a time.

I can't seem to find pics of this, either. Have a link to this thing so I can see what we're talking about?

Any idea which would offer the better ride? I know that the rear Belltech springs are awesome. If the fronts are anything like the rears, then I'd be inclined to go that route.

 

[KMeloney]

McGaughy's makes a coil relocator for the Auto Ride struts and I think you can lower it .5" at a time.

Ok, I've since found pics of what you're talking about (I think). Found Belltech ones, but they must be pretty similar.

Anyway, it sounds like my options are these:

1. Make my own SHORTER front autoride links, and see if that gets the front down a little. (Will it? Anyone have experience with this?)

2. Swap out the front springs for Belltech springs #12463 (per Tony). Sounds like all else stays the same with this option -- but, wouldn't I have to shorten the front links??

3. Use strut relocators, per Red. Looks like all else stays the same, but that the relocators change the position of the strut, and allows for 1" of drop. How would the ride be with this? And, wouldn't I also have to shorten the autoride links?

4. Use drop spindles. This I really know nothing about. Do these spindles simply take the place of the factory spindles? Is there any adjustability here, or does it drop the front 2", not more, no less? Are any other parts needed along with the spindles? And CAN you use these with autoride?

I'm kind of confused on which route to go here, folks.

Again, my criteria is:

1. Not more than 1.5" or so of drop in the front.

2. Keep/improve the ride.

3. No cutting of factory parts -- must be able to be returned to factory.

4. Gotta keep autoride.

Thanks for the help, folks.

 

[red02chevy]

Here's a crappy picture of the coil relocators. I have mine set at 2" but you can do 1", 1.5" or 2" of drop with the provided spacers. I was running drop coils with this setup before and was horrible. These keep a factory ride and are super easy to install. I've done over 5 sets of these with zero problems.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[KMeloney]

Red -- so that I understand, you're recommending relocators that move the factory springs to acheive 1" of drop? And NOT using Belltech's lowering springs with the supplied spacers to get 1" of drop? Do I have that right?

Also, I'm dense I suppose, but I'm not sure what I'm looking at in that pic. Which part of the set up is the relocator?

Thanks!

 

[NORCAL SS]

machine groove in shock lower. cheappp

 

[KMeloney]

Thanks, Tony -- but I don't think that's an option for me.

Sounds like it's either lowering springs, or these relocates with factory springs.

Assuming that both will give me the 1" I'm looking for, which will give the best, most comfortable ride?

 

[NORCAL SS]

2 inch drop on the autoride with springs i don't like but 1 inch no issues.

try the mcgaughys see how that works out.

 

[KMeloney]

2 inch drop on the autoride with springs i don't like but 1 inch no issues.

try the mcgaughys see how that works out.

McGaughtys? I'd rather stick with Belltech, as I really like the ride from the rear springs. If the fronts are anything like the rears, I'd go with Belltech.

Still not clear to me which provides the best ride. Lowering springs, or the relocators...

Keep it coming, folks. Thanks!

 

[KMeloney]

I'm going to go with the McGs and see how it does. I've got to think that at only 1", it should be the way to go.

Thanks, folks.