2006 RCSB 4x4 Lowering Help
 

Hey, I just picked up a "new" truck to use as a work commuter. It's a 2006 Chevy Silverado 1500 Regular Cab Short Box 4x4.

The previous owner said it had a "3 inch lowering kit" installed when he bought it new, but he removed it to try and make it sell quicker. Lifted trucks are more common in these parts than lowered.

He gave me all the spare parts but I'm trying to figure out what I'm actually sitting at now, and where I'll be with the parts I have.

Current measurements from center of hub to fender is 22" on all four corners. Fender to ground is 36.5" up front and 37" out back rolling on some worn out 275/55r20's.

The front has the stock Green keys and the back has a 2" block. He did leave the lowering shackles in there though and are set on the top bolt hole (lowest height).

Pics of current set-up:

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The box of spare parts has two sets of keys:

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The ones stamped Keyway 06 are the lowering keys that he removed, online they say they're good for 2-3" of lowering. The other keys look like GM part #'s but not sure what they're off of. Indexing looks the same to the lowering keys though.

I'm not looking to spend any money on it other than a wheel alignment and it still has to be somewhat practical. So the most I can get out of the back is to just pull the 2" block, but what about the front? Can I decrank the stock keys enough or should I go ahead and swap in those lowering keys too?

If I end up with measurements around 20" from hub to fender, what kind of drop is that? 2/4??? I'll also need to replace the tires, wondering if a fresh set of 275/55r20's will fit becuase those in take-offs are plentiful in local classifieds... or should I stick to 275/45r20s?

Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Decranking the stock keys should get you level with the back if you remove the blocks.You will need new U-bolts for the back and will have to trim or buy aftermarket front bumpstops on the front. This is what I did on my truck

Would this truck of had blocks from the factory? If so, then I'll actually have drop shackles plus the block removed which must be 3-4" of total drop from factory. Will de-cranking the stock keys be enough to get the front end down? Or will I need the lowering keys as well?

U-bolts were just replaced, hopefully they're salvagable...

Here's some pictures of the current suspension so you can see what I'm talking about:

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Yes the 4x4 trucks have the 2'' block from the factory, and when you remove them there wont be enough threads on the u-bolts to tighten them...get a set for a 2wd truck . You should be able to get the truck level with the existing keys and remove the rear blocks.

Well I've decided to book it into the shop early next week, trying to find a rental place locally that carries the torsion bar unloading tool seemed impossible and I've heard too many horror stories about broken c-clamps... I know the owner of the shop so he's only charging me an hour or so to swap the keys and pull the blocks. It's where I would be getting it aligned anyways.

In the end it should be around a 2/4 drop, do most of you guys have the front/rear fenders at the exact same height or slightly higher in the back?

What size tires on 20" rims do you recommend?

Most times the rear will sit roughly 1/2" higher than the front. I've always kept the factory tire sizes but have heard of many people going to 305/50/20's even on stock rims with no problems.

Thanks, I'll advise the shop to drop the front 1/2" lower than the rear when they install the keys. I'll see what kind of clearance I have on the bald 275/55r20's before making any decisions on tires.

You can also check the 285/50/20. Those are easy enough to get and are about 1/2 smaller height wise than the 275/55/20 if they rub.

Here's a ton of info from our "stickies".

https://www.performancetrucks.net/fo...ur-4x4-490689/