LOWERING FOR AN AGRESSIVE STANCE
DJM's 2x3 drop kit with torsion bar keys saves the ride and is easy and inexpensive…
Story & photos by Marshall Spiegel
During a recent resurrection and beautification of his faithful '01 Tahoe, the customer sought a very mild drop to achieve a more attractive, aggressive stance. At the customer's favorite accessory shop, FA Motorsports in Huntington Beach, CA, owner Andy Barger suggested the installation of DJM's 2X3 drop kit which lowers the front by re-indexing the torsion bars with new torsion bar keys. "This DJM kit drops the front with torsion bar keys and the rear with coil springs," explains Barger. "Frankly, it is an easy install and it is relatively inexpensive for the customer. This guy didn't want to put his Tahoe in the weeds. He simply wanted a mild, inexpensive drop that would leave his vehicle with a more attractive stance. And most importantly, all the reports we'd ever heard on this 2X3 DJM kit and our own testing indicated that the stock ride quality was retained after the installation." Unfortunately, the installation of a new, frame lift at FA Motorsports had not been completed by the time the Tahoe was to be lowered. Therefore, the install had to be accomplished on the company's platform lift. Although installer Josh Bailey got the job done quickly and efficiently, the installation of the DJM drop kit would have been considerably easier on a frame lift. The Tahoe went from 21 inches in front before the install to 19 ½ inches after the install, a drop of 1 ½ inches, and from 22 inches in front to 18 inches, a 4-inch drop in the rear. And as we anticipated, the stance was greatly improved and the ride quality and handling were not adversely affected. Check out the accompanying photos that show the highlights of the installation.
 #1. The DJM kit includes coil springs; trailing arm brackets; sway bar end links; torsion bar keys; all necessary hardware and installation instructions. |
 #2. FA Motorsports owner Andrew Barger began by measuring the rear ride height of the Tahoe from the center of the wheel to the fender lip at 22". |
 #3. The front ride height before the drop kit installation measured 21". |
 #4. The ride height of the '01 Tahoe was not exactly stock when it arrived at FA Motorsports and it did not have an aggressive or appealing stance. |
 #5. After disconnecting the left and right sides of the sway bar, technician Josh Bailey prepares to remove it. |
 #6. Next, Josh pulls off the shackle bolts from the sway bar. |
 #7. He then completely removes the sway bar from the vehicle. |
 #8. The stock bump stop is removed. |
 #9. The lower shock mount on the driver's side is disconnected. |
 #10. The driver's side rear wheel is removed |
 .#11. At this point, the stock spring is removed. . |
 #12. Here's a comparison of the stock spring (right) and the shorter, more compressed DJM lowering spring. |
 #13. Josh installs the lowering spring on the driver's side. |
 #14. The stock bump stop is cut to work on the lowered Tahoe. |
 #15. Josh shows us the stock bump stop, essentially cut in half |
 #16. The shortened bump stop is installed. |
 #17. The connecting rod is reinstalled. |
 #18. The lower shock bracket is installed. |
 #19. The driver's side rear wheel and tire are reinstalled. |
 #20. Josh then loosens the trailing arm bolts. |
 #21. The lower trailing arm is connected into the new bracket. |
 #22. Josh relieves the tension on the passenger side torsion bar. |
 #23. He then takes the tension off the torsion bar on the driver's side |
 #24. Josh raises the front slightly with a "bottle" jack |
 #25. He then removes the stock torsion bar keys and re-indexes the torsion bars with the new DJM torsion bar keys. |
 #26. Measuring the new ride height indicates a drop of 1 ½ inches in front and 4 inches in the rear. |
 #27. Although the DJM lowering kit resulted in a very mild drop, the '01 Tahoe exhibited a greatly improved stance and retained its ride quality exactly. |