Hey guys, starting to get the itch to lower my new truck. I think I want to stay with the control arm route so I can convert it to coil over some time in the future and use a full length shock for better ride. What brand are you guys using? My last truck had DJM and I had no issues, so I'm looking to go that route again. Wanting to go 3" to start so I can still have a decent tire on it without sacrificing ride comfort. Any small shops that I'm overlooking? I'm hoping Atomic (Richard Wayne) comes out with a set of coil over brackets like he has for the 99-13 models eventually.

 

Truck is a 2014 Silverado crew cab. Cast iron arms. tire now is a 285/45/22 which I know will fit on a 3/5 or 3/6 drop

 

I'm not sure on the control arms or coil overs but here's what I know/plan on doing with mine eventually

Easy way to do the front and retain stock length strut/shock and keep the ride is do a 2" drop spindle and cut a tiny amount off the stock front coil spring. I cut one half, of one coil, off the top of my front springs. Which is really nothing, it only took .6 inch off the coil spring length, and what ever length you change at the coil/strut multiplies by 1.6 at the wheel. So it lowered the front of my truck an inch.

I want to go lower eventually, and be down 3" in the front too and keep stock length for good ride like you do. So that's why I went the route I did. Have the stock spring so I have stock ride, and I have bilsteins, with my cut coils and bilsteins it rides far better than stock actually. When I do spindles I'll be able to keep all that good ride and alignment adjustability too. Win win win.

After looking and looking I've decided I wan't to do a 3/6 so it will be level. To do a 6" on the rear you need a flip kit (that's a 7" drop out of the box) and a 1" lift shackle. If you want it to be at 5" in the rear you have to cut the front leaf spring hangers off the frame and weld or bolt on new ones, the stock ones are welded on. That's part of the reason I said screw that, I'll go 6 in the rear.

Recklez suspension knows their **** and they lower tons of late model gm trucks. I called them and they said after going through several brands they recommend the max track brand front spindles because they have the least amount of alignment issues with them (being able to get the truck in spec when lowered) and I can't remember which brand flip kit they like for the rear. I have it written down at work though. They have a specific shock they recommend for the rear that I also have written down at work and part numbers. I personally am gonna take their word since they drop trucks all day every day and have for years with excellent reviews. The sell lowering parts ala carte too if you want to pick your parts. They said with the parts line up they use the trucks align very well and ride excellent.

I'll update you tomorrow with the flip kit and shocks they recommended.

 

What model of Bilsteins? i think i’m going to go ahead and upgrade front shocks knowing i can reuse them when it’s dropped. I have also decided to use the DJM kit like I did with my 06. I’ll get their 3/5 kit and probably set it at 3/6 for simplicity. from there, it’s easier to eventually lower it with coilovers than to worry about raising it. it’ll be a couple weeks before i buy the kit but i’m stoked. the IHC kit has been recommended to me a lot also, but i’ve been told to worry about how weak their welds and arms are. they had a few batches for awhile that were too long and caused them to lose a ton of turn radius.

 

I have the 4600 series, since I didn't need the ride height adjustable set which is the 5100.


The shocks that recklez told me to use are the belltech 2210ff for a flip kit drop.

And it looks like I forgot to write down which flip kit they recommended, I think it was mcgaughy's. But you can always call them, they have a techline to help people out and their techs actually answer the phone and are real easy to talk to.

 

yeah the FF series is the street performance. tons better than the nitro series. i had the 2208’s I think on my 06. stiff for sure. think i might just get by with some decent rear shocks and go ahead and convert the rear to a vertical style with a traction bar or 3 link

 

That would be flipping sweet

 

I have a local guy that just did a 3 link on a 2014 for billets. Pretty simple. Easiest would be a shock relocation and some traction bars to avoid axle wrap. Might go that route first though even though I can't break these 285/45/22's loose lol

 

Sounds bad ***, and expensive.

I don't like leaf springs but there are some seriously fast rigs out there still using them and the ride is good so I will just keep mine and add some traction bars at some point to keep the wrap down, the wrap aggravates me and I think it is contributing to my WOT vibration I get at 60-70 mph. It's super light and only happens at WOT so I think pinion angle is causing it/wrap.

I'd love to have a multilink etc, but i'd rather put the money into buying a 6.2 personally

And lol at spinning the 22's, get it tuned and it shouldn't be a problem. I could bake my 20's with ease and I also have no problem spinning the 24's, even with the baby dick 5.3

 

For anyone in the thread looking for ideas also, I'm deciding to do it right the first time. Drop will be in the 3-5" adjustable range which will consist of McGaughy 2" spindle and paired with a set of coilovers from Twisted Metal Workz. Not sure I'm allowed to post a link for non sponsors or not but it's an easy google search. The rear will end up being a single flip kit and raised 1" with a shackle paired with Belltech SP shocks for now until I save the coin for shock relocation and bars. I think this will be the best route for my goals.