Lowering Blocks 101......

[Tx Firefighter]

I have been messing with the Suburban's stance lately, trying to get it to sit properly.

I needed a couple of extra inches lower in the back. I decided to use a set of lowering blocks, and since lots of folks have asked me lowering block questions before, I decided to photograph the process.

Here's how I did it for $24.80 and a few hours of work.

First, you need the supplies....

Take one of your stock U-bolts to a spring shop and have them make you a pair that are 2 inches longer. If yours are messed up beyond recognition, tell the spring guy you need a pair of 3/4 thread, 24 inch long U-bolts for a 3 inch axle tube. He'll know what to do.

My shop charged me $21.80 for a pair of them, and made them while I stood there and watched...

[Tx Firefighter]

Next, you need a piece of 2 inch square tubing at least 14 inches long.

Make sure and get thick wall tubing.

Mine is an old fence post or something. It weighed 10 pounds, and my scrap yard sells for .30 cents a pound, so it cost 3 bucks.

[Tx Firefighter]

Lay the holes and length out with a Sharpie marker....

[Tx Firefighter]

Drill the holes next.

Notice, I use plenty of clamps. I don't like sudden suprises when working in the shop.

[Tx Firefighter]

The finished block....

[Tx Firefighter]

Then, everything gets a quick trip to my paint booth.

Yes, jealous guys, I have a paint booth. It's a 6 foot tall Davidson with a nice rack made of square tubing.

Also, notice only the highest quality paint products were used too.

[Tx Firefighter]

Now, install them and bask in your creativeness.

Your truck is now 2 inches lower in the rear.

You don't need to worry about short shocks or shock extenders with this either. The shocks are unaffected.

It's a winning deal. Much cheaper than buying a lowering spring when you decided you need 2 inches lower. One inch would also be a possibility if you could find some one inch stock to use instead.

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Is that a pinion angle shim under the block?? Very good write up and cheap...

[Tx Firefighter]

FrenchBlue, that is a shim you're seeing, but not a pinion angle shim.

I'm using an ECE susper track bar on this truck. It mounts between the axle and the trailing arm on the right side, so they give you the shim for the left side to make up for the bracket on the right side.

I hope this is clear, what I'm saying...

By the way, I set the axle pinion angle when I welded the axle saddles to the rearend. That's a 75 model leaf spring axle that I ground clean and converted to coil spring saddles for this truck.

[powell72]

Tx, is there an interference issue with the block and the right side panhard mount? I remember having a problem with that on one of my other trucks. Maybe I made the right block a little too long in the back.

[Tx Firefighter]

No interference at all.