4x4 lowering kit found

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4x4 lowering kit found

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Blazer >> Modifications >> Suspension Tech >> Lowering Tech >> 4x4 lowering kit found

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4x4 lowering kit found - 3/21/2008 7:18:05 AM

guitarman

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Joined: 3/16/2008
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I'm lowering my 4wd 03 blazer and I've been having a hard time finding a kit to drop my truck 3/3. Needless to say I found a great kit that I'll be installing as soon as it arrives. The kit is made from Belltech and will cost you $324.41 and can be found at performancecenter.com. The kit includes a 3" lowering leafspring for the rear and torsion keys for the front and also instructions on how to adjust the torsion bolts and how to install the leafspring. After buying the kit you also need to buy Belltech front and rear drop shocks, I got mine from spooled motorsports.com @ $40.95 per shock. This might not be the cheapest way to drop a 4x4, but this is probably the easiest way instead of trying to piece different parts together to do the drop. Also with this drop I'm going with 20" rims with a radius tire 245-40-20, this will keep my stock radius the same.
Belltech 3" drop kit part number 3916 @ performancecenter.com

Post #: 1

RE: 4x4 lowering kit found - 3/21/2008 9:43:02 AM

WolfPack

Posts: 2468
Joined: 10/30/2007
From: Raleigh, NC
Status: online

Wait so for $324 all they do is give you new leafs and torsion bar keys? Then you still have to buy 4 shocks @ $160?

1) That doesn't sound like a very complete 'kit' performancecenter is hustling

2) $480 seems wicked expensive for a drop

Granted I've never priced out a drop, but still...dang...

Edit: Can you not just put 3'' blocks under the rear leafs? Or does being a 4x4 eliminate a 3'' block in the rear.

< Message edited by WolfPack -- 3/21/2008 9:49:31 AM >

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2000 Blazer 4d LS 4x4 - 265/70/15 General Grabber AT2s - Hunter Brush Guard - Surco Roof Rack with IPF 868s - 1.5'' Shackle + Tbar - 2'' BL

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Post #: 2

RE: 4x4 lowering kit found - 3/21/2008 11:01:59 AM

TripleBlackBlazer

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No you can put a 3" drop block on the rear of a 4WD. I would go with ones that have the pinion angle included. Torsion keys are useless for the front. If I had the money I'd prefer a lowering leaf spring than a block though. Also, there's a vendor on here that gives a percentage off your shocks if your order is over $100. autoshockwarehouse I think? You don't need Beltech shocks, any good quality drop shocks will do.

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RE: 4x4 lowering kit found - 3/21/2008 6:28:52 PM

guitarman

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Joined: 3/16/2008
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Once the kit arrives and I drop my truck I will let you guys know how the ride is. The torsion keys aren't "useless" because the only way to lower the front of a 4x4 blazer is to adjust the torsion bar bolts, you could probably use a socket on it I guess but I believe the keys were made for a reason, maybe proper adjustment? The keys are just a tool used to adjust the torsion bar bolts, or am I mistaken? I went with belltech nitro drop shocks because from what I've read on several different web sites they got the best reviews for lowering a 4x4 blazer. You could lower a 4x4 for cheap with blocks, but I've heard of bad experiences with blocks def go with the leafspring.

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Post #: 4

RE: 4x4 lowering kit found - 3/22/2008 8:15:24 AM

WolfPack

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Joined: 10/30/2007
From: Raleigh, NC
Status: online

Youre mistaken. The torsion key is the triangular-ish piece that the torsion bar goes through at the crossmember under the drivers seat. The bolt pushes up or lets down on the side of the triangular-ish key, which twists the bar up (lift) or lets it unwind (lower). You can do the same with the stock key with a simple socket wrench and bit of muscle. You only go with a new key to adjust farther than the stock key (which is usually bad for lifting). It might be a bad way to drop as well...It'll pretty much bottom out the front suspension. The lift shocks might help, but the rides going to be pretty harsh I would imagine.

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2000 Blazer 4d LS 4x4 - 265/70/15 General Grabber AT2s - Hunter Brush Guard - Surco Roof Rack with IPF 868s - 1.5'' Shackle + Tbar - 2'' BL

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Post #: 5

RE: 4x4 lowering kit found - 3/22/2008 1:36:17 PM

agent305

Posts: 148
Joined: 9/13/2006
Status: offline

i dropped my 2000 4x4 2 yrs ago with the belltech kit. i did the keys, and the 3" blocks.

i matched the oem key up with the belltech one and there was only the slightest different in shape.

if you do the blocks, you may havta cut the rear bump stops. when i dropped mine, it was sittin on them.
i had to cut 3 and a half inches off of mine. i went and bought new oem ones, just in case i ever wanna raise it back.

also in the front. i bought the energy suspension bump stops, cuz the ones that came with the kit were useless.
so the energy ones, i also had to cut.

all this was to prevent the tire from hitting the fender.

with my truck anyway, the ride is much better than factory.

it is a lot more than 3/3 though..
well not a lot more, its more like a 4.5 /5

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Post #: 6

RE: 4x4 lowering kit found - 3/22/2008 11:02:13 PM

guitarman

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Joined: 3/16/2008
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Well, needless to say the kit is on the way and I'm having a custom shop installing it and they know I want a 3/3 lower. I doubt a kit would say it will lower 3" in the front with the torsion keys if it actually won't lower the front 3" with the keys because that would be false advertisement and belltech would have had lawsuits over that matter and belltech is a pretty profound name in the auto industry for making good products. I'm lowering my 4x4 not lifting it and I am replacing the factory shocks with belltech drop shocks sized for a 3" drop. My truck wouldnt bottom out in the front with the key replacement, I would have to drop it like 5" for it to "bottom out" and not replace the factory shocks. As for the rear the kit comes with a lowering leafspring not blocks. I'm sure the ride will be lowered 3/3 and it will be smooth and not harsher than it is now. A lot of people are loweering the fronts of there 4x4's by replacing the keys and then adjusting the bolts if needed for the 3" drop. Some people even adjust there front by loosening the front torsion bolts as loose as they can get them, barely sitting in there so how is you think that replacing the keys to give proper adjustment would be worse than just winging it Wolfpack? How would you lower the front of your 4x4 if not by adjusting the torsion keys or bolts?

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Post #: 7

RE: 4x4 lowering kit found - 3/23/2008 6:25:54 AM

agent305

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you can drop the front with the factory torsion keys more than 3"
im pretty sure the belltech replacement keys just enable it so you can get an alignment after? maybe im wrong.

as far as bottoming out, id worry more about the tires hittin the fenders.
thats the problem that i had, but i fixed it with the bump stops

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Post #: 8

RE: 4x4 lowering kit found - 3/23/2008 7:00:57 AM

guitarman

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thanx agent305

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Post #: 9

RE: 4x4 lowering kit found - 4/8/2008 2:40:51 PM

1artist

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Joined: 4/8/2008
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keyways work! It allows you to rotate the torsion bar to the right position.The hex cutout is the trick,that guy don t know what he s talking about. My friend dropped his truck by removing the front axel and installing hydraulics and got a smoother ride by installing a accumulator with the hydrylics. Easy install just beef up shock bracket.

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Post #: 10

RE: 4x4 lowering kit found - 4/12/2008 6:26:58 PM

blazin 320

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Joined: 4/12/2008
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i just lowered my 95 blazer using 3" blocks in the rear and using the stock keys in the front and got a 3" drop in the front the ride is so much better than stock height only took about a hour and a half to do with basic hand tools you do need to cut the bump stops and a toruqe wrenchto get the u-bolts torqued down to specs

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Post #: 11