I have plans on givning my truck a mild drop of 2/4. Tha cheapest place I found to do it locally charges me $500 using a DJM drop kit. I think is a pretty good deal since the kit itself retails for almost $400. However, several of my friends have taken their trucks over to Mexico and gotten the same drop for $50. This is done without any kit. For the rear, they drop it 4 inches by dearching the leaf springs. For the front, they drop 2 inches by worming up the springs and pressing them to get them to shrink. I drove my friends 03 chevy after taking his truck over to Mexico and the truck seems to drive ok. the suspension seems stiff compared to mine but that was tha only difference. $50 bucks sounds very tempting but I know there has to be a catch to this. I need you guys opinions on this. Should I go for it or just do the more expensive drop using the DJM kit on this side of the border. Thanks in advance...

File

 

Did you say say warming up the coil springs??Trust me...you dont want to do that.I did it once on an s-10 i once had.Road like crap,but worse,I think it weakins the spring.When I removed my heated springs they were no longer straight up and down but curved.There is also probably a chance the spring could break.I am a firm believer in doing things right when it come to dropping a car/truck.Gotta figure in the saftey issue also.Drop kits are so cheap now compared to what they once were.Just doesnt make sense to cut corners on it.Just my .02

Randy

 

I'm with ranwalk spend a little more and do things the right way as with the DJM you will be much happier in the long run. As he said with the safety factor also heating the springs will also weaken them.

 

Dude...just think about it.
Any 2/4 drop of any company (DJM, Hotchkis, Belltech and so on) will run you about $400 to $600...
Then someone tells you to go to Mexico cuz they do it for $50?
Yes, there is a catch.
This is your suspension (i.e. what your truck is riding on)
Would you buy tires because someone told you they sell em in Mexico for $2 a piece?? Hell no!!
De-arching your leafs I guess you could do...
But heating the springs is not only a cheap way to do it...its dangerous.
You have an '01 and an '02 Sierra?
I know you spent some good money on those nice trucks, why would you skimp on the suspension?

 

Heating the coils changes their tensile strength and makes them VERY dangerous. I've had friends who've had heated springs snap--it ain't a pretty sight.

Pony up the extra ducketts and get the truck dropped correctly. You'll be much happier in the long run.

 

After reading all these posts AGAINST the mexico deal hopefully you have decided to go with the more expensive but real way to lower your truck.

Spend the extra cash and get your truck lowered the right way, I definitely recommend going with the hotchkis suspension though. You and your truck both deserve the safest and best

 

I am convinced I am going to drop my truck here on this side of the border using the DJM kit. I really appreciate you guys saving my *** from this costly mistake. I owe you guys sevaral rounds of beer.

 

You could do the Belltech 2-4 drop for about $300 using 2" drop coils instead of the control arm route. I switched from the DJM control arm back to the factory control arm and 2" drop coil spring. It is a much smoother ride IMO. Stylin' Concepts carries Belltech, but I'm sure if you did some searching you could find a cheaper price.

 

Heating any sort of metal up changes the properties of the metal unless it is done EXACTLEY the same way it was odne the first time. When heating the springs it may them very soft or very hard depending on how you heat and cool them. Besides mixture of the metal that is in the springs is made for the ride that it has put onto it. Like they're not gunna use like pure aluminum on a semi it just won't hold it. Besides if you don't compress them right you will lose the right spacing and how the spring compresses whenever it is put to the test. I would definatley suggest to go with the kit. Those people know what they're doing. You can also get money out of them much easier from them then a small mexican shop. If he's only making $50 off what he's doing then he probably can't pay for you a new Sierra.

 

I wouldn't use djm i had there kit and wasn't very happy with it. I would use the hotchkis setup and down the road you can add their swaybars and you will have a very nicely handling truck.