Alright, so I'm fairly new to the Tahoe game, and obviously new to this forum. I'm in the middle of a front suspension rebuild (new Moog control arms with bushings and ball joints installed). I also installed a Belltech lowering kit, part number 753SP, which includes 2 inch spindles, 3 inch springs (but I installed them without spacers for a 4 inch drop), rear shocks and lowering struts. I read the instructions carefully and have quite a bit of automotive experience, so I don't think I was in over my head. But I've run into an issue now that this thing is completely together and back on the ground.
I wanted to drop the front a total of 3 inches. 2 inches with the spindles and 1 inch with the strut. According to the Belltech instructions, that means I was supposed to use one 10mm ring and 2 8mm rings to get one inch lower. I was heartbroken when I let the jack down and the truck looked like it was barely 2 inches lower than stock. The back is exactly where I want it, but the front is way high.
I did install the Belltech offset upper control arm bushings (aka alignment kit) that came with the 753SP kit. I read on here that some people need them and some people don't, so I figured it wouldn't hurt anything to install them…just for the record, they were a pain to install.
I really don't want to tear this thing back apart and disassemble the struts again to change the spacer configuration. So, here's the only reason for the issue that I can come up with...did I do the wrong thing by tightening the control arm bolts while the suspension was drooped? Would the new bushings be strong enough to hold the truck up? I have not driven the truck, but I didn't assume it would settle because I'm running the original springs. Do I need to drive it before I take it back apart? Or am I missing something else?
I wanted to drop the front a total of 3 inches. 2 inches with the spindles and 1 inch with the strut. According to the Belltech instructions, that means I was supposed to use one 10mm ring and 2 8mm rings to get one inch lower. I was heartbroken when I let the jack down and the truck looked like it was barely 2 inches lower than stock. The back is exactly where I want it, but the front is way high.
I did install the Belltech offset upper control arm bushings (aka alignment kit) that came with the 753SP kit. I read on here that some people need them and some people don't, so I figured it wouldn't hurt anything to install them…just for the record, they were a pain to install.
I really don't want to tear this thing back apart and disassemble the struts again to change the spacer configuration. So, here's the only reason for the issue that I can come up with...did I do the wrong thing by tightening the control arm bolts while the suspension was drooped? Would the new bushings be strong enough to hold the truck up? I have not driven the truck, but I didn't assume it would settle because I'm running the original springs. Do I need to drive it before I take it back apart? Or am I missing something else?
