Drop was straight forward, and the truck still rides great:)
-Josh
MagnumPower
06-16-2009, 07:06 PM
looks good! any plans for wheels?
Is the back lower than the front?
LaidNeon
06-16-2009, 07:07 PM
very nice, what kit did you use??
jdustu
06-16-2009, 07:18 PM
I think I'm actually gonna get the wheels painted black...something like a satin black. Once I do that I'm gonna take the badges off too. I also want to add my company logo and website to the truck somewhere, but we've been photoshopping some stuff and I'm not thrilled with anything yet.
The front is definitely lower, we've got some pics with a tape measure(before/after) somewhere. I didn't take the pics, so I'll have to wait until my buddy uploads them.
It's Mcgaughys deluxe kit, sorry for the misspell in the title.
plumcrazy73
06-16-2009, 07:21 PM
Do your company logo on the hood! and a small one replacing the Rams head on the tailgate or have them done about the size of the ram on the sides and the tailgate
mydak
06-17-2009, 08:47 AM
Any issues with the install? Any warnings to the rest of us? How long did it take? yada yada yada.
jdustu
06-17-2009, 09:03 AM
Any issues with the install? Any warnings to the rest of us? How long did it take? yada yada yada.
Naw, it was pretty easy. I'm not exactly a novice when it comes to this stuff, but one of my buddies came over to help me and he basically did the whole job:D He's a mechanic, so I just got out of his way and let him do his thing.
We did it over at my brother in law's place because I don't have any tall jacks, so we spent literally an hour looking for tools, and we took a 45 minute break to eat some burgers. We got started at about 12:30 and got done at 5, but realistically we spent about 3 hours on it.
Make sure you have a decent sized pry bar, you can wedge it to put pressure on the tie rods and spindles to keep the bolts from spinning when you take of the nuts. You'll need a 3/8" drill bit(and a smaller bit for a pilot hole) for the track bar re-locator, and you'll need a die grinder with a cut-off wheel to take off the bump stop cups. Having a 4 extra washers to fit over the bolts for the rear sway bar links wouldn't hurt either(3/8" I believe).
mydak
06-17-2009, 11:45 AM
Good info! Thanks. I just went with the basic kit (Can't wait for it to get here :( ) springs front and back. Wasn't real keen on removing the stock spindles as of yet.
BTW, checked out your company website. You do some awesome work! What ya charge for one of those things? Any plans to do a hot rod 09 QC type body? :D
jdustu
06-17-2009, 12:42 PM
Good info! Thanks. I just went with the basic kit (Can't wait for it to get here :( ) springs front and back. Wasn't real keen on removing the stock spindles as of yet.
BTW, checked out your company website. You do some awesome work! What ya charge for one of those things? Any plans to do a hot rod 09 QC type body? :D
Thanks man:) Prices are all over the board, everything I do is one off so it really depends on the project. If you have an idea for something, I can always shoot you a quote.
I don't do much with late model stuff, but I may have to do a slammed 4th gen:rck:
mydak
06-17-2009, 03:28 PM
If it is a slammed QC LET ME KNOW the price.
mydak
06-18-2009, 06:03 AM
Naw, it was pretty easy. I'm not exactly a novice when it comes to this stuff, but one of my buddies came over to help me and he basically did the whole job:D He's a mechanic, so I just got out of his way and let him do his thing.
We did it over at my brother in law's place because I don't have any tall jacks, so we spent literally an hour looking for tools, and we took a 45 minute break to eat some burgers. We got started at about 12:30 and got done at 5, but realistically we spent about 3 hours on it.
Make sure you have a decent sized pry bar, you can wedge it to put pressure on the tie rods and spindles to keep the bolts from spinning when you take of the nuts. You'll need a 3/8" drill bit(and a smaller bit for a pilot hole) for the track bar re-locator, and you'll need a die grinder with a cut-off wheel to take off the bump stop cups. Having a 4 extra washers to fit over the bolts for the rear sway bar links wouldn't hurt either(3/8" I believe).
Just got my kit. Where did you drill for the track bar re-locator?
jdustu
06-18-2009, 08:33 AM
Just got my kit. Where did you drill for the track bar re-locator?
When you fit it up over the old bracket, you'll need to use the 3/8" hole on the side of the re-locating bracket as a guide to put a hole through the old one. It basically just creates a spot to bolt the two together. I also had to use a 1/2" bit to ream out the main hole on the back of the old bracket, because they didn't line up perfectly.
bob1340
06-18-2009, 01:55 PM
Drop was straight forward, and the truck still rides great:)
-Josh
Your truck looks really great! Looks more like it should than what factory looks like.
When you say "still rides great" how does it compare to stock?
I had a '02 QC I installed the Hotchkis drop on. This was springs front and rear plus new sway bars. Although it hugged the road like nobody's business, the ride was considerable harsher and it bottomed out at the drop of a hat. If I lost 10-15% of the ride quality I could probably stand it. But this stock ride is just super nice. But the 4X4 high stance is no good. I do plan on air lift bags in the rear for added weight carrying ability.
How much did the ride suffer?
jdustu
06-18-2009, 02:00 PM
Your truck looks really great! Looks more like it should than what factory looks like.
When you say "still rides great" how does it compare to stock?
I had a '02 QC I installed the Hotchkis drop on. This was springs front and rear plus new sway bars. Although it hugged the road like nobody's business, the ride was considerable harsher and it bottomed out at the drop of a hat. If I lost 10-15% of the ride quality I could probably stand it. But this stock ride is just super nice. But the 4X4 high stance is no good. I do plan on air lift bags in the rear for added weight carrying ability.
How much did the ride suffer?
I was afraid of the same thing. I can live with a pretty rough ride, but this truck's stock ride is so nice I got spoiled. To me, the dropped truck literally feels stock. Someone on here had done it and thought it was a lot rougher, but I haven't gotten that at all. Granted, I haven't driven it a bunch since the drop, but so far I'm beyond happy.
bob1340
06-18-2009, 03:18 PM
I was afraid of the same thing. I can live with a pretty rough ride, but this truck's stock ride is so nice I got spoiled. To me, the dropped truck literally feels stock. Someone on here had done it and thought it was a lot rougher, but I haven't gotten that at all. Granted, I haven't driven it a bunch since the drop, but so far I'm beyond happy.
Good news. Have you measured how much rear spring travel there is now?
jdustu
06-18-2009, 04:59 PM
Good news. Have you measured how much rear spring travel there is now?
Do you mean the difference between the new bump stop and the frame? The spring rate is different, so I don't think any comparison will do much.
bob1340
06-18-2009, 06:40 PM
Do you mean the difference between the new bump stop and the frame? The spring rate is different, so I don't think any comparison will do much.
I understand the spring rates are different. I was wanting to know how far the suspension can travel before it bottoms out. I am guessing they use the new airlift foam bump stops? This is what I heard anyway.
The bump stop is mounted to the frame on a stock set-up, is this different? I figured the new bump stop just fits in the same spot as the old one.
What is the distance (approximately) between the bump stop and bump stop "pad" where it contacts?
The reason I ask is, most who have the Ground Force say it rides perfect, but it is a 3" rear coil. I would rather have the 4" coil. The spindels can be mounted and the rear springs can be Ground Force if need be. I do use my truck to haul weight once in a while and like my '02 I will install air lift bags for this.
jdustu
06-18-2009, 06:45 PM
I understand the spring rates are different. I was wanting to know how far the suspension can travel before it bottoms out. I am guessing they use the new airlift foam bump stops? This is what I heard anyway.
The bump stop is mounted to the frame on a stock set-up, is this different? I figured the new bump stop just fits in the same spot as the old one.
What is the distance (approximately) between the bump stop and bump stop "pad" where it contacts?
The reason I ask is, most who have the Ground Force say it rides perfect, but it is a 3" rear coil. I would rather have the 4" coil. The spindels can be mounted and the rear springs can be Ground Force if need be. I do use my truck to haul weight once in a while and like my '02 I will install air lift bags for this.
I gotcha. I'm not sure, my buddy took the truck into his dealership for an alignment today, I can pry get you a measurement tomorrow.
The bump stop is different. It looks like polyeurathane, and it mounts on the axle, basically opposite of how the stock set-up is. The stock foam stops pop out, and the cups are cut off.
bob1340
06-19-2009, 10:32 AM
I gotcha. I'm not sure, my buddy took the truck into his dealership for an alignment today, I can pry get you a measurement tomorrow.
The bump stop is different. It looks like polyeurathane, and it mounts on the axle, basically opposite of how the stock set-up is. The stock foam stops pop out, and the cups are cut off.
Thanks. I do think they use either a Air Lift bump stop or the same material as the Air Lift unit. It actually compresses quit a bit and eliminates or at least slows down the clunk-clunk-clunk you hear from regular rubber or poly bump stops when they bottom out. I did not know they mounted to the axle though.
jdustu
06-19-2009, 03:22 PM
Thanks. I do think they use either a Air Lift bump stop or the same material as the Air Lift unit. It actually compresses quit a bit and eliminates or at least slows down the clunk-clunk-clunk you hear from regular rubber or poly bump stops when they bottom out. I did not know they mounted to the axle though.
There's about 1 1/2" between the top of the stop and the bottom of the rail. Any you're right, the stop doesn't feel like poly, it's something else.
bob1340
06-19-2009, 03:51 PM
There's about 1 1/2" between the top of the stop and the bottom of the rail. Any you're right, the stop doesn't feel like poly, it's something else.
Wow, That is worse than my '02 Hotchkis setup. I'll need more than 1.5 inches of travel. When I crawled under my truck to look at the stock suspension I figured this would be the case. For as tall as the stock truck sits, there is little room for give under there.
The only thing I can think of is if they indeed use the Air Lift bump stops the actual travel would be another inch or so.
They are actually called "cells"
Do they look similar to the picture?
Maybe not the brackets, but the cells or bump stops themselves?
jdustu
06-19-2009, 08:22 PM
Wow, That is worse than my '02 Hotchkis setup. I'll need more than 1.5 inches of travel. When I crawled under my truck to look at the stock suspension I figured this would be the case. For as tall as the stock truck sits, there is little room for give under there.
The only thing I can think of is if they indeed use the Air Lift bump stops the actual travel would be another inch or so.
They are actually called "cells"
Do they look similar to the picture?
Maybe not the brackets, but the cells or bump stops themselves?
Don't forget... that's 1.5" of UPward travel. Most of the movement a suspension does is DOWNward.
Watch a car drive over a pothole. The car stays level, the tire goes DOWN to meet the road surface, then back to normal.
When I slammed my '99 I had about 1" of front clearance before the bumpstop, and I think I bottomed out once... on a NASTY dip at WELL above the speedlimit. It's really not that bad having 1.5" of upward clearance
