HOW TO Low Tahoe | Installing a Belltech Suspension 4/5 drop
By Kevin Whipps
September 03, 2020
Switch Suspension Takes a Unicorn and Makes It Better
If there’s one truck that Chevy owners lust after it’s the two-door, two-wheel-drive Tahoe. Why? Well for one, it just looks cool. It’s shorter than a shortbed truck and it has more room for people. That, and it’s not easy to find—like unicorns. GM didn’t make a lot of them and, as a result, people want them that much more.
So, what do you do if you have one? You lower it, naturally. That’s exactly what the crew at Switch Suspension had in mind for their Tahoe. And to do that, they went to Belltech Suspension for a 4/5 drop. It comes complete with springs, shocks, hangers and a bolt-in C-notch, so there’s nothing you have to worry about later. By the time you’re done, your Tahoe will be that much closer to the ground and lookin’ sharp.
Here you have it—the stock suspension for a full-size Chevy truck. You’ve seen one of these before, right? Of course, you have.
Teardown began with taking off the front rotors and calipers.
Once the spindle was removed from the upper and lower control arms, the stock spring and shock came out. Then in went the new 2-inch drop springs.
The 2-inch drop spindles went on next, which will bring the total drop up front to 4 inches. Not too shabby.
Now the brakes and rotors could be mounted back up, and the SUV was ready for its new shoes up front.
With the rear end supported on stands, the leaf spring packs were unbolted and set aside.
Now there’s another problem: the factory bumpstop. That thing’s gotta come off, otherwise there’s no room for the notch.
The bumpstop mount is held in place with rivets, and they’re tough to remove. The easiest way? Start by cutting an “X” pattern or horizontal stripes into the heads with a cut-off wheel
Start by cutting an “X” pattern or horizontal stripes into the heads with a cut-off wheel. Then you can knock off the rest with an air hammer.
Once the pattern for the C-notch is laid out, holes are drilled in the corners. This way the frame won’t have a starting point for a crack, like it would if they were straight cuts.
Now the notch is cut out with a cut-off wheel.
With the notch held in place by hand, all of the holes are marked on the frame. That way, they know where to drill.
Once the holes are drilled out, the C-notch is bolted in place and a new bumpstop installed.
The new hangers get installed at this point, too. The same nasty rivet removing process applies here, so get your air hammer ready.
With a fresh set of American Racing Novas bolted up, the Tahoe was now good to go for daily driving. Well, until the guys at Switch decide to bag it, anyways.
Sources:
Belltech Suspension300 W. Pontiac WayClovis, CA 93612800-445-3767www.belltech.com
Switch Suspension2340 W. Broadway Road, Suite 105Mesa, AZ 85202800-928-1984www.switchsuspension.com