2003 Tahoe with mcgaughys drop, rear sits higher than front?

[iamdub]

It was a mcgaughys kit, do they provide a spacer for rear in box in 2010 for a 3/5? I’m 90% sure no spacer in rear but never know I guess....


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Oh yeah, I didn't factor in that detail. I don't know about McG having a spacer as that's more of a BT thing. I don't think McG even has such a spacer.

Kinda just grasping at straws here to figure out what's going on with your not-so-dropped drop. I mean, it just doesn't look like a 5" rear drop. For that matter, the front doesn't look like a 3" drop. From that pic, I'd guess it to be a 2/2. Stock for stock, the GMT800s tend to sit lower than the GMT900 and I'd imagine yours should have virtually no gap, if not slightly tucking with a 3/5. The back for sure should at least be level with the front. This is why measuring before anything is done is so important.

Grasping at another straw, there's a chance the front WAS dropped 3" and the shop cranked the T-bar to lift it back up a little to help with tire clearance and/or to make it easier to align. Although, assuming the front was dropped with spindles (2") and a coils (1"), the suspension would only need to be adjusted for that 1" drop from the coils and there's plenty of adjustment for that with the stock parts. None of this says anything for the back, though.

Any chance you can find some part numbers or markings on the rear coils? Maybe post pics of the setup? Do you know what that 3/5 kit was supposed to consist of?

 

[iamdub]

wait, shock extenders? Am I wrong or is that the problem? if you got the right shocks for your drop, why are you using extenders?

Shock extenders wouldn't cause the rear to be held up. Most drop shocks are about 3" shorter than stock, so they're good for a 3" drop. With a 5" drop, even that 3" shorter shock would be compressed 2", which is a significant amount of lost travel. The extenders relocate the lower mount 2" lower so it's like the 3" shorter shock is on a 3" drop so it has it's full range of travel.

If the shock was bottomed out and holding up the rear at all times, it would ride like a wagon and surely, after 8 years, they'd be visibly damaged and making noise.

 

[Slammedchevy01]

Oh yeah, I didn't factor in that detail. I don't know about McG having a spacer as that's more of a BT thing. I don't think McG even has such a spacer.

Kinda just grasping at straws here to figure out what's going on with your not-so-dropped drop. I mean, it just doesn't look like a 5" rear drop. For that matter, the front doesn't look like a 3" drop. From that pic, I'd guess it to be a 2/2. Stock for stock, the GMT800s tend to sit lower than the GMT900 and I'd imagine yours should have virtually no gap, if not slightly tucking with a 3/5. The back for sure should at least be level with the front. This is why measuring before anything is done is so important.

Grasping at another straw, there's a chance the front WAS dropped 3" and the shop cranked the T-bar to lift it back up a little to help with tire clearance and/or to make it easier to align. Although, assuming the front was dropped with spindles (2") and a coils (1"), the suspension would only need to be adjusted for that 1" drop from the coils and there's plenty of adjustment for that with the stock parts. None of this says anything for the back, though.

Any chance you can find some part numbers or markings on the rear coils? Maybe post pics of the setup? Do you know what that 3/5 kit was supposed to consist of?

Thanks! Appreciate the help as it all a guess of what could be!

I believe the front is 3” as I ran 305/35/24s and 305/40/22 and if any lower would have rubbed just want to level out rear and add sand helpers.

Front is keys/spindles and rear springs/axle relocaters/axle brackets.

I did add shock extenders to help the angle and running bell tech SP shocks, may need to go under to look for part # but they were for a 5” drop.


Kit used:

https://www.suspensionsuperstore.co...uto-ride-3-5-deluxe-drop-kit-mcgaughys-33049/







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[iamdub]

Yeah, I keep saying coils for the front as I'm stuck in GMT900 Land. But, the same applies- a 1" spring drop (torsion bar is your "spring") is easily alignable.

There's no other way to drop the rear other than with coils. Based on the pics you posted, I just don't see that as being a 5" drop. If you were to jack up the frame 5" from where it sits now and step back to take a look, I bet it would be way higher than what it was when it was stock.

It's like they installed the wrong coils in the rear, like a 2" or 3" drop coil. Or maybe the older kits never actually yielded their advertised drop? Or maybe it's more like 5" on a long body (Suburban or Yukon XL) from the extra weight?

All I can suggest is to first try to verify what springs you have in the rear so we all can have an answer to your mystery. Then, if you wanna drop it more, get a different 5" inch drop coil, such as the the Belltech TBSS one. From what I hear, those are sometimes TOO much drop for some people and they end up adding the BT spacer to pick it up an inch or (as I'd do) use load helper bags to pick it up and increase the spring rate as it tends to be a soft spring. This is probably why that BT kit comes with the spacer and is advertised as a "4-5 inch rear drop kit". It's to cover them for the potential and maybe likely variance. Every vehicle sits differently due to a slew of factors. What one needs to sit a certain way when lifting or lowering may not be necessary for another.

 

[Slammedchevy01]

Yeah, I keep saying coils for the front as I'm stuck in GMT900 Land. But, the same applies- a 1" spring drop (torsion bar is your "spring") is easily alignable.

There's no other way to drop the rear other than with coils. Based on the pics you posted, I just don't see that as being a 5" drop. If you were to jack up the frame 5" from where it sits now and step back to take a look, I bet it would be way higher than what it was when it was stock.

It's like they installed the wrong coils in the rear, like a 2" or 3" drop coil. Or maybe the older kits never actually yielded their advertised drop? Or maybe it's more like 5" on a long body (Suburban or Yukon XL) from the extra weight?

All I can suggest is to first try to verify what springs you have in the rear so we all can have an answer to your mystery. Then, if you wanna drop it more, get a different 5" inch drop coil, such as the the Belltech TBSS one. From what I hear, those are sometimes TOO much drop for some people and they end up adding the BT spacer to pick it up an inch or (as I'd do) use load helper bags to pick it up and increase the spring rate as it tends to be a soft spring. This is probably why that BT kit comes with the spacer and is advertised as a "4-5 inch rear drop kit". It's to cover them for the potential and maybe likely variance. Every vehicle sits differently due to a slew of factors. What one needs to sit a certain way when lifting or lowering may not be necessary for another.

Thank you!! I’d rather have too much drop as I found the airlift helper kit for $80 so I’d def go that route to pick it back up and if I hauled people. Guess I’ll look into rear springs, rides great but would like level or somewhat level.

Good to know not a lot back there to guess on, didn’t see a spacer and bell tech SP2210FF are being used which seems like correct shock.

Just weird, we bought the kit and done at buddies shop so I know they used the right springs but yea looks like 3”ish to me in rear.


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[BADRIDES]

This is what mine looks like with Belltech spindles on front and 3 inch McGaughy drop springs in rear. 285-45-22 inch tires

 

[iamdub]

@Slammedchevy01, is the part number on either of your coils still legible?

 

[Slammedchevy01]

@Slammedchevy01, is the part number on either of your coils still legible?

I’ll crawl under there tomorrow and see, is it usually just stamped on a coil?


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[iamdub]

I’ll crawl under there tomorrow and see, is it usually just stamped on a coil?


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On the McG coils I have, the number is printed on one of the coils in white ink/paint. IIRC, it's on one of the middle coils.

 

[Slammedchevy01]

Perfect I’ll look for part#.

Whats the best 5” coil for rear? May as well upgrade since these are t giving me the full drop!


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