Static drop done right, from mild to laid out
Lowering a truck is real fabrication work and we treat it that way. A static drop changes ride height at all four corners, which means it also changes bump stop clearance, driveshaft angle, brake line length and shock travel. Do it with parts that were engineered together and it rides better than stock. Do it with a set of cut coils and a torch and it rides like a wheelbarrow.
Drops are described front/rear: a 2/4 means two inches down in front and four in the rear, and 3/5 and 4/6 go further. Front drop comes from lowering springs, drop spindles or a strut and coilover setup. Rear drop comes from shackles and hangers first, then flip kits, and a C-notch in the frame when the axle needs somewhere to go on compression.
We build McGaughy's and Belltech-class kits on C10s, OBS Chevys, Silverados, F-150s, Rams, Tacomas and Ridgelines, plus lowering springs on cars and SUVs. 2WD and 4WD both. There are a lot of shops in Denton County that will lift anything and will not touch a lowered truck. We are not one of them, and lowered owners get the same rack time and the same written quote.
The common static drops. 2/4 keeps a factory-ish stance and full usability. 4/6 needs a C-notch and careful bump stop work. We will tell you honestly what each one costs you in daily driving.
A flip kit moves the axle above the leaf spring for four to six inches of rear drop. Past that the axle hits frame, so we notch and box the rail properly.
The cleanest front drop on trucks that offer them. A taller spindle lowers the truck without touching spring rate or travel, so ride quality and alignment range stay close to factory.
One to three inches out back, bolt-on, and the least invasive rear drop there is. Good starting point on a work truck that still has to haul something on the weekend.
A lowered truck on factory-length shocks rides on the shock's internal stops. We fit correct-length dampers from Fox, Elka or the kit manufacturer so the shock controls the travel you actually have.
Lowering springs and coilovers on sedans, coupes and crossovers too. Same rules apply: correct shock length, corner-balanced ride height, and a full alignment before it leaves the shop.
Riding on the bump stops. This is the number one reason lowered trucks ride badly. Drop the frame four inches and you just removed four inches of compression travel, so every driveway apron slams the axle into the stop. The fix is trimming or replacing the stops with progressive polyurethane and confirming clearance at full compression with the springs out, not guessing at ride height.
Driveshaft angle and carrier bearing vibration. Flip the axle over the springs and the pinion angle rotates with it. On a two-piece shaft the carrier bearing height is now wrong, and you get a 45 to 60 mph vibration that people blame on tires for months. Shims, a carrier bearing drop bracket and a pinion angle check with a digital gauge are part of the job, not an upsell.
Cut coils and heated springs. We see it every few months: someone took a torch to the front coils to save money. The spring loses rate unevenly, the truck sits crooked, and the metal is annealed so it sags again in a year. It is also the front end of a vehicle that stops in traffic on 377. We replace them, we do not re-cut them.
Brake lines, ABS wires and exhaust. Lowering a rear axle four inches puts slack in the wrong places and tension in others. The soft line at the axle housing can end up pinched against the frame at full droop, and the ABS harness gets stretched on the flip. Exhaust over the axle usually needs to be re-routed or notched. Every one of those gets checked on the lift before the truck goes back on the ground.
A 2/4 on most half-tons is a genuine daily driver. A 3/5 is livable with correct bump stops and shocks. A 4/6 starts asking questions about driveway aprons, speed bumps and the parking garage at DFW. We would rather build you a 2/4 you enjoy than a 4/6 you regret, and we will say so before we take the deposit.
Lightly, yes, with a caveat. You have less suspension travel, so a loaded bed or a tongue weight that used to be fine now sits on the stops. If you tow regularly, a 2/4 with correct shocks and a helper setup is about the limit we recommend. Tell us what you actually pull and we will build around it instead of around a photo.
Yes, and for the same reason a lifted one does. Dropping the front changes camber and toe immediately, and on spindle drops it moves caster as well. A lowered truck that pulls or wears the inside edge off a set of Toyos was never aligned at the new height. Every drop we install goes on the rack before you get the keys back.
It ranges widely, because a shackle-and-hanger rear drop and a notched 4/6 with new spindles are not the same job. Fabrication time, shock choice and whether the truck needs driveshaft work all move the number. We look at the vehicle, price the parts, and hand you parts and labor in writing before anything is ordered. Door labor rate is $150 per hour.
Our shop is at 4020 Trey Ln, Unit B in Argyle, and we work on trucks from Argyle, Flower Mound, Bartonville, Copper Canyon, Justin and Northlake, plus Denton, Roanoke, Trophy Club, Keller, Haslet, Highland Village and the wider Metroplex within about fifty miles.
Open Monday to Saturday, 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Closed Sunday. (940) 240-1958
More of what we do: Truck Bumpers · Wheel Alignment · Winches & Recovery · Off-Road Lighting · Running Boards & Steps · Tonneau Covers · Brakes · Diesel Service · Vehicles we service · Fleet service
Authorized dealer for all 42 brands below.
Authorized dealer for every brand listed above. Running something that is not on this list? We can source and install almost any major aftermarket suspension, wheel, tire or accessory line — give us a call and we will price it out.