Ok. Got the new tires and wheels on the X, already the handling is much better. The 295/45/18's stick pretty good. Now time for the supension work.

I want to drop it 2". I know that Bell Tech makes a kit but have heard the the shocks give a rough ride and Bell Tech will not sell their springs seperatly.

How about Eibach? Any others out there to consider? I don't mind a tight ride but don't want it too rough either.

Sway bars will be installed as well. Hotchkiss or Helwig?

 

HeirBorn, you didn't mention whether you had a 4X4 or 4X2. Also, if you had air suspension or not.

I have a 2000, 4X4, NO AIR suspension. I went with the WMS drop kit 2.5/3. It offers variable rate coils which are very close to factory load capability. This helps alot with towing. The Belltech offers a straight coil. The WMS kit also comes with bump stops and alignment kit, not sure if the Belltech does.

You can use the factory shocks, and don't need shorter. But I went with Bilstein. I like a firm ride, but it's not too firm for the wife & fam.

I also went with the Hotchkis front / rear sway bar. With 305/50/20's, its like riding on rails.

Awesome ride! Just my .02 cents.

 

Our X does not have the air ride system in the rear. It is a 4x2. I also pull a 21' Ski Centurion, but don't think a 2" drop is going to effect it very much and hopefully the rear won't sag too much.

 

I have pretty much the same setup as 00expo. But I still
have the origional rims. The WMS 2" drop is a pain to install but well worth it. I wouldn't call it riding on rails, but it's better. The
sway bars make the biggest differance.

Rich

 

I'm looking at the Hotchkiss kit. I'm really not happy with the body lean, as well as the side to side rocking over bumps. Does the Hotchkiss cure these problems?

Will I also need new shocks? If I lower the truck slightly, can I still use the same sway bars and shocks?

Thanks,

Alex

 

I was wondering how your truck handles with the Hotchkis front & rear anti-swaybar kit? Is the ride noticibly more firm/stable 'round the curves? I see you're from LI. Did yu order from a local shop & where did you go for the install (or were you able to tackle it on your own?).

Thanks!

Ash

 

Ordered from truckperformance.com ~$500.
Installed with help from father, around 1hr each. (air tools)

Made a huge improvment in ride. About the same as the shocks.
The truck still sways too much, but I'm not sure what else to do.

Anyone have any ideas on how to make the ride firmer?

Thanks
Rich

 

For a better ride, after you did shocks/anti-swaybars/2" drop you may want to consider going with a larger wheel, like 20"s. I know a neighbor of mine who has a Yukon, all stock but has 20" wheels. He said the ride difference was amazing. He no longer leans excessively or gets screeching tires if he takes a turn too quickly (heck, my truck's tires sometimes howl if I take a corner from a stop with "moderate" acceleration).

I have the stock 17" on my truck. I just ordered BFG A/T TKO's. My IDEAL situation is to have those on in the winter and 20"s on for the rest of the year, but 20"s are $$$$ when you consider the price of tires for them!

With a 2" drop, a larger wheel would look sweet IMHO.

BTW, do you have the 4 corner LLS? I'm not familiar with the expy's suspension variations... If I have the LLS, does the airbag setup replace shocks or the springs?

Thanks!

-Ash

 

I must be slow, I don't understand how having a bigger tire would help with body roll. Is it because the 20" tires have a lower profile? I understand how they help with heat and they look nice, but the rest remains a mystery. Can anyone please take the time to explain this to me before I spend big $$ on bigger tires and rims. BTW, I don't have LLS. Not a big fan.

Thanks
Rich

 

Well, the way I understand it (anyone please correct me if I'm wrong here) is that the lower profile tire has less sidewall and "gives" or "flexes" less in a turn when compared to a tire with a greater sidewall height.
For example, a 265/70 17" wheel has about 7.3" of sidewall where as a 275/45 20" wheel has a 4.87" sidewall. Plus if you go with a high-speed rated low profile tire, you get more of a "flat" tread pattern (the tire cross section looks more squared than rounded) which will flex less during a turn.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that what you are experiencing may not entirely be due to "body roll", but the overall "leaning" that you feel may in part be attributed to the tires.

Regards,

Ash

 

wow, I just got a price on 20" tires and rims. I'm going to
have to get permission from the boss for this one. It's way more coin that I can launder from my "allowance". I guess I'll have to
slow down for awhile. Thanks for the info.

Rich