Growing up doesn't have to suck

[Rocket Man]

Which springs? He had springs designed? AFAIK, he designed a kit with coils from by DJM or Belltech for the rear drops over 3", 4-5", I believe. By "designed", he was allowed to purchase the drop coils exclusively/individually from that maker to sell in a special drop package he assemebled for these rigs. Otherwise, the coils could only be bought in some other kind of kit. Also, the coils are just Trailblazer drop coils that drop the Tahoe much more due to the increased weight, unless we're talking about a different coil. I don't think he engineered and developed a one-off coil.

Regardless, I've been driving it progressively harder as I get the alignment and panhard dialed in and I feel everything is settled in. With plenty of experience throttle steering many vehicles, I have a solid seat-of-the-pants feel for lateral dynamics and I'm not feeling anything questionable yet. Actually, I'm thinking the springs may be firmer than I previously thought. But, I'm fine with that since I want this fat pig to feel stable and sure-footed through turns. Straight line dragging is cool and all and I crave acceleration, but lateral Gs is where it's at.

Fair enough. When Tony talks about “his” springs he makes it sound like he had them made. IDK, I just went with Belltech because I wasn’t dropping it that much, plus I kept self leveling with Bilstein-made air shocks I bought from Arnott back when you could still buy them. Seems that springs made for a lighter vehicle wouldn’t be the best way to drop it more just by compressing them further due to more weight but what do I know. Good to hear those are working out for you.

 

[iamdub]

Fair enough. When Tony talks about “his” springs he makes it sound like he had them made. IDK, I just went with Belltech because I wasn’t dropping it that much, plus I kept self leveling with Bilstein-made air shocks I bought from Arnott back when you could still buy them. Seems that springs made for a lighter vehicle wouldn’t be the best way to drop it more just by compressing them further due to more weight but what do I know. Good to hear those are working out for you.

Yeah, he uses that terminology as a marketing tactic- to reinforce that if that's the style/amount of drop you want, it is available exclusively from him. So, it actually IS "his" kit. He's not misleading anyone at all. He's actually saving people the hassle and disappointment of buying a mass-produced drop kit only to achieve less-than-optimal results. Belltech or DJM isn't gonna warranty their Trailblazer drop coils being used in a much heavier vehicle, even if they work perfectly fine. With Tony's arrangement with them, they sell more coils and it's Tony's name that's on them.

I completely understand and agree with what you're saying. Getting more drop by using an overly (dangerously) soft spring is like people running rubber band tires on stock wheels as their method of "drop". What I got out of the TJ coils defies everything I was expecting, which I why I say I'm pleasantly surprised with the results. If it were a 4" drop but felt like a '67 Continental, I surely would NOT be "pleasantly surprised" and I wouldn't have kept them.

They're barely compressed more than the application-specific McG 3" Tahoe coils. With both laid on the ground, side-by-side, the TJ coil is about an inch shorter. I got 2.5" drop from the McG coil and 4" from the TJ coil, so it's only compressed 1/2" more than the McG coil. It's nowhere nearly as overloaded as the 5305 coil would be, which ends up having 2-3 coils bound together. Maybe the TJ coils are a harder metal? The wire diameter is only .3mm thicker than the McG, and that could just be thicker powdercoating.

 

[iamdub]

If there are any engineer types that wanna crunch numbers to try to determine capacity:

Stock coil-
Height: 16.25"
OD: 5.5"
Wire D: .594"
Total coils: 8
Active coils: 5.75


McG coil-
Height: 12.75"
OD: 6.313"
Wire D: .60"
Total coils: 5.75
Active coils: 4


TJ coil-
Height: 11.75"
OD: 6.75"
Wire D: .61
Total coils: 6.5
Active coils: 4.25

 

[wjburken]

If there are any engineer types that wanna crunch numbers to try to determine capacity:

Stock coil-
Height: 16.25"
OD: 5.5"
Wire D: .594"
Total coils: 8
Active coils: 5.75


McG coil-
Height: 12.75"
OD: 6.313"
Wire D: .60"
Total coils: 5.75
Active coils: 4


TJ coil-
Height: 11.75"
OD: 6.75"
Wire D: .61
Total coils: 6.5
Active coils: 4.25

I’m a lazy engineer. Here is the answer sheet.
http://www.racingsuspensionproducts.com/spring rate.htm

 

[kbuskill]

I’m a lazy engineer. Here is the answer sheet.
http://www.racingsuspensionproducts.com/spring rate.htm

So stock coils are at 263lb/in

McG coils are at 250lb/in

TJ coils are at 202lb/in

Pretty interesting.

Note... if you cut 1 coil off the TJ springs you would essentially be at stock spring rate of the Tahoe.

 

[iamdub]

I’m a lazy engineer. Here is the answer sheet.
http://www.racingsuspensionproducts.com/spring rate.htm

Cool!

So stock coils are at 263lb/in

McG coils are at 250lb/in

TJ coils are at 202lb/in

Pretty interesting.

Note... if you cut 1 coil off the TJ springs you would essentially be at stock spring rate of the Tahoe.

This is per spring, correct? So I lost 122lbs of capacity? Doesn't feel like that much of a change, or maybe 122lbs isn't so much. The lower C/G and poly sway bar bushings probably compensate for most, if not more than the 61lb softer corner support. No worries, those Airlift bags have that covered, with about 878lbs to spare.

If I got the drop I was supposed to out of the front, cutting that one coil might be an option to get a little more drop and match the stock spring rate. It'd be a 4/5 drop with numerically identical stock ride and capacity.

 

[BADRIDES]

3.25"/4" drop:
View attachment 235370

I like this look and drop with maybe a little shorter tire.

 

[iamdub]

I like this look and drop with maybe a little shorter tire.

Thank you. I'm satisfied with it. I let the whole drop amount discrepancy go. It rubs badly enough as it is so 1/2"-3/4" more drop would just be that much more clearancing needed. Considering the lucky fluke of results from the experimental rear coils, I should be satisfied with the stance.

If I were to do shorter tires, it'd be on the 22s. But they ride stiff enough as it is.

 

[iamdub]

Tahoe's in the garage and work van's in the shop since I had to some work in it today.

Since the temp and humidity was nice and I had some time, I decided to start on the caps I'll use to seal the holes when I remove the roof rack.

Sanded off the mold flash and texture.
Before:


After:


Wiped each cap down with Prep-All and pressed it into a hole in a box top:


After 3 light-medium coats of primer, aiming down and in front of them so the underside of the caps gets coverage:


This is probably as far as I'll get today. I want the primer fully cured before I sand them with 2000 grit.

 

[wjburken]

Tahoe's in the garage and work van's in the shop since I had to some work in it today.

Since the temp and humidity was nice and I had some time, I decided to start on the caps I'll use to seal the holes when I remove the roof rack.

Sanded off the mold flash and texture.
Before:
View attachment 236492

After:
View attachment 236495

Wiped each cap down with Prep-All and pressed it into a hole in a box top:
View attachment 236493

After 3 light-medium coats of primer, aiming down and in front of them so the underside of the caps gets coverage:
View attachment 236494

This is probably as far as I'll get today. I want the primer fully cured before I sand them with 2000 grit.

Those should blend it very nicely. Are you happy with the fit of the tree rivets?