Is it for perfromance reasons that people lower their trucks or is it just for looks? Im thinking about dropping my rear 2". Is it worth it?
Why lower a truck?
- Thread starter NJ_LLY
- Start date
Lower center of gravity, less wind resistance, and better for traction. The lower it is also the straighter it will go when launching
Paint is right on the money. I'd like to add the foo foo reasons.
it looks cooler if you live in the "concrete jungle"
When you enter and exit parking lots/hit speedbumps at an angle it doesn't beat you to death as bad because your closer to the axle center.
it looks cooler if you live in the "concrete jungle"
When you enter and exit parking lots/hit speedbumps at an angle it doesn't beat you to death as bad because your closer to the axle center.
I disagree. at least in my case i noticed a bit rougher ride a bit more bounce on the freeway and the axle is alot closer to the bump stops. air bags are a good idea with any amount of weight towing. other wise the axle hit the stops pretty easy. truck does corner alot better. spring clamps actually helped with the bounce some on my truck.
If you lower and add bags like I did, your ride will suffer greatly. I have talked to Pac Brake and they suggest to get a single sleeve bag, that way you will get a little more axle movement. If you order a PacBrake bag kit, and specify a single sleeve bag instead of convoluted, they will exchange it at no additional charge. Same weight carrying capacity. They did this for me for a customer of mine after I told them about my ride quality.
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I have the convoluted bags on my truck, and when I stop spending money on stupid refrigerators ($2500
) and Guns, I will look into swapping out my bags for the single sleeve bags. My customer has no complaints about his ride whatsoever. Mine sucks...
I lowered mine with shackles in the rear because I was tired of dropping and raising the torsion bars every time I went to the track. Now I leave them down all the time. My ride didn't change at all - still all the same springs. No difference in towing either. With traction bars, the truck lowered, 2" rear spacers and 305 tires it corners much better than stock.
I have 3" drop shackles on my truck and I did it to level the truck and for handling reasons. The ride is rough especially with monotube shocks.
How are shackles changing your ride quality? You have the same weight on the same springs. This isn't the first truck I've put longer shackles on (some to lift and some to lower) and the ride quality was never compromised. The lifted ones were more top-heavy and didn't corner as well and the lowered ones cornered better. Traction bars preloaded will make the back ride rough.
Take a spring. Compress it. It becomes stiffer. Spring rate is the same but it's like having it flexed out. You lose travel and it wraps the rear of the leafs about 5". Your putting the spring way further into it's operating capacity than without a shackle. Your truck corners better due to a stiffer rear. Less body roll comes with that too
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if you lower it too much then there can be issues, but a 2-3 inch drop you should be ok, you will go through tires faster though.
i have to agree with othergirl the spring rate in no way or form is changed with a shackle things that are changed is you are now closer to the bump stops, spring angle, and the point were the shocks bottom out , some shocks have progresive valving that it gets stiffer as the travel goes down . this may be what others are feeling . my truck rode the same after the shackles . but rides much better now
i would apriciate the info . my logic and understanding of suspension doesnt seem to grasp it ,my verdict still stands , but am always wanting to learn more.
When you put longer shackles on it the spring is compressed more because it has to go higher up to mount which would make it ride stiffer...This is my thinking towards it. My truck rides way stiffer then it did with stock shackles.