Lowering tow vehicle

Taller box sides = more cubic feet of cargo space to blow your horn about in your fancy brochures.

it's pretty easy, raise the trailer. Lower the truck and you run the risk of driveline vibration, excessive wear and a bigger repair bill if something goes wrong.

bpounds wrote:
I would never lower a truck. Raising the fiver is the correct answer and it is done everyday.

One of the things I was thinking about is if I did mess with the suspension of the truck and something did happen to any drivetrain component, would the manufacturer void the warranty. If I made a modification to the fw frame and the frame failed, have I also voided that warranty.

I would never lower a truck. Raising the fiver is the correct answer and it is done everyday.

Mcgaughys

tegu69 wrote:
Thanks for the responses, some things to think about and I only found one place that makes the shackles for the 2011-2013s with no reviews. Ron.

What place did you find?

Thanks for the responses, some things to think about and I only found one place that makes the shackles for the 2011-2013s with no reviews. Ron.

tegu69 wrote:

Chuck_thehammer wrote:
when you lower the suspension.

check rear end angle. otherwise you will damage the U-joints.
replace rubber bump-stops. with shorter urethane ones.

my Ram is 2 inches lower in the front.. and 4 inches lower in the rear. done 8 years ago.

and If you change is more than 2 inches .. you need to get different shocks.. as they are also used as a travel limiter...

Thanks, that's a good point about checking the rear end angle, but I wonder; If you lower rear 2" and put weight on to lower it another 2", for a total of 4", would that be the same as putting more weight that would equal 4" on an unmodified truck.
If I lowered front the same amount as the rear, I would imagine that the angle would remain the same.

Not the same as more weight. More weight would deflect the front and back of the spring, keeping the pinion angle similar. Lifting one end of the spring up changes the angle. It's not just broken u-joints but the vibration you may end up with if the pinion isn't parallel to the transmission output. People go through great pains to correct that with shims. I would want shims if one hanger were changed.

tegu69 wrote:

Chuck_thehammer wrote:
when you lower the suspension.

check rear end angle. otherwise you will damage the U-joints.
replace rubber bump-stops. with shorter urethane ones.

my Ram is 2 inches lower in the front.. and 4 inches lower in the rear. done 8 years ago.

and If you change is more than 2 inches .. you need to get different shocks.. as they are also used as a travel limiter...

Thanks, that's a good point about checking the rear end angle, but I wonder; If you lower rear 2" and put weight on to lower it another 2", for a total of 4", would that be the same as putting more weight that would equal 4" on an unmodified truck.
If I lowered front the same amount as the rear, I would imagine that the angle would remain the same.

the U-Joint issue.. is to CHECK.. most of the time .. all is good.. but if you do not CHECK . your truck might be a little different.. and BANG.. a broken U-joint on the road with a trailer..

when you change from FACTORY... need to check rear axle with springs removed.. and lift axle assembly UP for interference .. to prevent damage , when you hit big dips and chuck-holes...LOADED... KNOW THE LIMITS..

I have seen the rear axle assembly broken on the side of the road... rear axle hitting bump-stops till bump-stop where GONE.. and then the rear axle was hitting the metal frame. till axle housing broke.

regarding the universal joint at the rear axle .
yes, that was a concern , after i had the longer shackles installed .
the angle that the u-joints had to travel in each rotation is greater .
in actual practice after 11 years that has not been a problem .
the rougher ride is the major downside .
i had a local 4WD modification shop do the change shortly after i bought my pickup new .
had i known before i spent my money , i would have chosen to alter the Front leaf spring brackets instead .
because i use a snug top canopy on my truck , my access to the bed is only over the tailgate .
in the stock height the bed access is higher than it needs to be for easy access .
i am not a fan of 1500 pickups ( for towing) , which are lower .
i am a fan of diesel pickups which are higher and rougher riding .
i have kept this diesel gmc 6 years longer than any of the 6 new pickups that preceded it .
if i ever decide to replace it , i will modify the front supports of the leaf springs to lower the pickup .