Another Happy customers SSR Suspension Swap

[NORCAL SS]

This truck had less than 10k miles and customer said felt so sloppy so I went to work on his suspension combo which I have on many of these trucks.

Items used
Front belltech drop struts
front stiffening plate from mike
front left coast 32 crossmember
center of truck did the thicker 4 bolt bar under the tank
rear put in kw rear drop springs with helper bags (he tows)
1 inch lifting rear belltech spacers
rear belltech street performance shocks

here is the stock pic you can see rear rake


here is the kw rear springs with 1 inch spacer and helper bags (no psi in bags)



I finished up late so sorry no pics of front but with the drop struts by belltech it sat 5/16 lower than stock with 2 16mm spacers in. In rear the kw springs with the 1 inch spacer sat about 1 inch lower than stock. Just enough to get rid of the rake and not the slammed look.

RIDE QUALITY
Im sure the owner will chime in but ride quality is better than stock or any eibach set up ive done. I first did the rear suspension and had him drive it around and right away just by doing that he was amazed how well it cornered and felt. He has a big trailor he will be towing with so the helper bags will more then take care of that. Also if down the road he wants to go lower he can by pulling spacer out.

Front with the belltech struts ride is much better. More responsive and much nicer then eibachs on a stock strut. The ssr front springs mated to the belltech sp shocks is just hands down the best (unless you go with the coilovers)

We did the LC 32 crossmember along with mikes plate and its really good in front.

Next thing that we might be doing is the DJM rear swaybar I helped design with djm.

[NORCAL SS]

This truck had less than 10k miles and customer said felt so sloppy so I went to work on his suspension combo which I have on many of these trucks.

Items used
Front belltech drop struts
front stiffening plate from mike
front left coast 32 crossmember
center of truck did the thicker 4 bolt bar under the tank
rear put in kw rear drop springs with helper bags (he tows)
1 inch lifting rear belltech spacers
rear belltech street performance shocks

here is the stock pic you can see rear rake


here is the kw rear springs with 1 inch spacer and helper bags (no psi in bags)



I finished up late so sorry no pics of front but with the drop struts by belltech it sat 5/16 lower than stock with 2 16mm spacers in. In rear the kw springs with the 1 inch spacer sat about 1 inch lower than stock. Just enough to get rid of the rake and not the slammed look.

RIDE QUALITY
Im sure the owner will chime in but ride quality is better than stock or any eibach set up ive done. I first did the rear suspension and had him drive it around and right away just by doing that he was amazed how well it cornered and felt. He has a big trailor he will be towing with so the helper bags will more then take care of that. Also if down the road he wants to go lower he can by pulling spacer out.

Front with the belltech struts ride is much better. More responsive and much nicer then eibachs on a stock strut. The ssr front springs mated to the belltech sp shocks is just hands down the best (unless you go with the coilovers)

We did the LC 32 crossmember along with mikes plate and its really good in front.

Next thing that we might be doing is the DJM rear swaybar I helped design with djm.

[Greg Ducato]

Nice job Tony!

[NORCAL SS]

thanks greg. I wish more of the guys would post up their trucks that I've done here but many members just lurk don't post.

[xs-cash]

very simmular to mine.
i used bel-tech kit
hotchkiss sway bars
mikes stiffening plate & steel lower rad support
trailblazer stiffening plate
its alot lower & much stiffer than before, i'm pretty sure the springs have settled over time, its pretty low now.

[20056speed]

Greetings,
I am the owner of the Yellow SSR as seen above. I would like to thank Tony at NorCal SS for his excellent quality of work and his superior knowledge regarding the upgrading of my SSR suspension. The Belltech shocks are great, not too stiff and not too soft. Much better than stock shocks. They give a perfectly controlled ride. The shocks combined with Mike from AZ frame stiffening plate, the LC32 crossbar and 4 bolt trailblazer crossbar have transformed the SSR to a new level. The SSR's reaction to freeway expansion joints is minimized as the excellent performing shocks are allowed to do their job as a result of the frame flex being reduced or should I say eliminated. Turn-ins into corners are quicker and more precise. The SSR has a flatter and more stable feel and has reduced twist or sway to road imperfections. The actual suspension travel feels as if it has been increased while the frame stays level. The new upgrades Tony just installed have greatly increased my overall satisfaction with the SSR and is now more intuitive and takes less effort to drive as a result of not having to deal with the sway and flex of the stock suspension.
The Belltech rear spings and rear shocks offer a superior ride. The ride is more controlled with less bounce, yet not any stiffer at all, maybe even softer. The reduced rake look is perfect for my taste. Not too high and not too low. I highly recommend all of the upgrades as noted above. I also included Mike from AZ steel radiator support and ZO6 radiator fan. Call Tony with any questions. He is a great guy and knows his stuff. Thanks.

[MnMsToy]

Your ride looks great 20056speed

[RUN ROD RUN]

Dang nice looking ride you got 20056speed.

Tony, How much of a drop do you get with the front belltech drop struts? On your list of items used, nothing is said about replacing the upper control arms. Didn't you once preach about the danger of lowering an SSR due to the angle of the ball joint?.

[NORCAL SS]

Originally Posted by RUN ROD RUN

Dang nice looking ride you got 20056speed.

Tony, How much of a drop do you get with the front belltech drop struts? On your list of items used, nothing is said about replacing the upper control arms. Didn't you once preach about the danger of lowering an SSR due to the angle of the ball joint?.

on any ssr truck I do 1 inch or more in front I change out to my mofidifed version of the djm a arms. Same goes with the trailblazers.

The front drop he wanted to keep it close to stock but I got about 5/16 to 3/8 of a inch of drop out of it which was perfect.

I've done more ssrs here suspension wise then anyone on the net and never have had one ssr upset with a kit I sold them or installed.

And i still will preach the balljoint angle at a 1 inch drop here.

1 inch drop on a truck look at the balljoint angle


and here is same truck pass side with the djm uppers in Fixed and much better cornering.

[MnMsToy]

Originally Posted by RUN ROD RUN

Dang nice looking ride you got 20056speed.

Tony, How much of a drop do you get with the front belltech drop struts? On your list of items used, nothing is said about replacing the upper control arms. Didn't you once preach about the danger of lowering an SSR due to the angle of the ball joint?.

IMO, the danger is real. Anyone that has lowered the front 1" or more should get it checked out.

[NORCAL SS]

Originally Posted by MnMsToy

IMO, the danger is real. Anyone that has lowered the front 1" or more should get it checked out.

im just trying to be real with people here esp when it comes to aftermarket springs/lowering the ssr.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Chevy didn't just throw this truck together and let the ride height come out where it may. There was a lot of engineering involved looking at the ride height, wheels, suspension, steering, chassis, and how they all work together. Anyone making changes should also be looking at how they work together, as NORCAL has done. Your life may depend on it.

[NORCAL SS]

we just lifted the front to about stock with 2 16mm spacers sat about 1/2 inch lower than stock. Thru the 8mm spacer in and we are pretty close to stock.