JStevens311

You don’t think 18s will look kind of small on your truck?

jersey250

They are the factory xlt rims. In the future I will go bigger probably a 20-22 incher but I want to drop it first then take it from there. I want to get the suspension and the air bag setup dialed in first.

rojizostang

I have slam air bags on the back of mine also.

be aware, with the djm 3" arms and then dropping it more beyond that with whatever method, you will encounter interference with your steering linkage and the control arms. the dust covers on the steering rack on my truck are torn where they contact the arms when the suspension is compressed downward. I was unaware this could be a problem. the last time i took everything apart (to replace control arms bushings..another long story) i took a die grinder and smoothed the edge of the arms where the boots make contact to keep any more damage from occurring, but too little too late. the positive side though is that they're just dust covers, it's on the bottom of them, and no contact has been made with the steering control rods themselves.

i tried sealing the tears with self adhesive waterproof tape but it didn't hold up. also i'm not sure how long you've had the djm arms on your truck, but pay attention to the bushings. mine were over tightened and starting oozing so to speak so i replaced them.

also, if you're going lower than 3" you're probably going to need to slot the holes for the control arms perches to be able to restore enough camber, which also creates problems with keeping the front end in alignment, from a standpoint of keeping the bolts tight enough without damaging the poly bushings. slotting the holes will probably remove the little detent for the camber washers to rest in that helps keep the bolts where you want them, which is what lead me to having mine tack welded in place after alignment. this was done actually on the advice of the djm tech i spoke to about keeping the front end in alignment. I personally skipped the camber bolt kit and went for the tack weld option.

here's a random thought...i had the belltech lowering springs and struts in the front, and it was a pretty harsh ride. in addition, the struts would sometimes bottom out which is what probably led to two of them failing.....another long story...

all in all, i love the way the truck looks, drives and handles, however it has been a lot of work keeping it this low and maintaining everything sufficiently. If i were to do it again, i would probably stop at a 3" drop in the front and try to be happy with it. the next truck i buy...i'm leaving it alone...maybe......

now, out to the garage to figure out what's rattling in the front end when i turn to the right

jersey250

I want to use the belltech struts with lowering springs, because if you take out all the spacers of the belltech struts you have to modify the bolt holes. thats why i want to use the combo of springs and struts so the spring will essentially lower the truck and the belltech strut will be close to stock height minus 1 ring. im hoping that will prolong the struts life.

rojizostang

well that's a combo i didn't try....djm arms, belltech struts and springs...

it may give you the the front end travel required to keep from bottoming the struts, but i still think you will have quite a lot of negative camber without slotting the holes. the ride will be fairly stiff however as i tried the belltech springs as mentioned. with the stiffer springs though you may be able to avoid moving around the wiring harnesses and modifying stuff in the wheel well to keep the tires from rubbing, so they may be a bonus in that regard.

just keep an eye on your steering boots

jersey250

i thought with the djm arms they maintained the same steering/alignment geometry all that changed was that the strut sat 3 inches lower

rojizostang

you know i believe you're right, at least as far as the lower control arms are concerned. i slotted the holes when i was running the stock control arms and assumed it was still needed with the djm arms also. i didn't think that though.

if you're going a full six inches though, using drop springs and struts, you could possibly need to slot the holes, i'm not sure.

i'm going to post a couple of pics showing my ride height, plus the clearance issue with the steering control rods and boots. any method, i think, that moves the rest of the suspension lower, besides the lower arms, will cause a reduction in clearance with you steering components....this much i'm sure about. pics in a few minutes.

i forgot to mention i don't run any spring isolators also

rojizostang

pics

jersey250

My 2010 is very different from the 2011-2014 when I installed the djm arms I never had to cut my tie rod ends.

rojizostang

tie rod ends haven't been cut...what i'm saying is the clearance between the steering rod coming from the rack, not the tie rod end, and the control arms itself diminishes as the front goes lower. the dust boot rubs on the arms.