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03 SS 2/2 drop


DKSS

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Yesterday I finished up my Belltech 2/2 lowering kit (Keys and Hangers) I bought for my 03 SS. I've read on here that a lot of people go that route.

 

In all the articles I read no one mentioned the pure night mare of changing out the rear hangers. I really anticipated the front keys being the headache. I was wrong. I had those changed in 30 mins or less. The rear hangers was 4 hours.

 

The rear hanger bolts were seized into the leaf spring bushing and the factory hanger like I have never seen in my life. Being from the Midwest these trucks see everything. Humidity from all get out to crazy cold and salt and sand on the highways. I'm sure these contributed to a lot of my issues. If I ruined the rubber bushing in the hanger no big deal. But with my box still on the truck the last thing I wanted to do was change the rubber and sleeve in the leaf spring or change the leaf spring altogether.

 

That being said I wanted to share what I learned (if anything) from this deal and maybe it could help someone else.

I dropped the receiver hitch down to get the bottom hanger bolt out. I used a half inch impact and worked the bolt back and forth till it finally broke loose. I took the bottom bolt out and with the truck on a jack and then I let it down to let the leaf spring rest against the box.

For the top bolt I had to drop the spare tire down. Then my impact would just fit between the box and the frame cross member. Once again I tried working the bolt back and forth with no luck this time. I got a long ratchet breaker bar and with my foot against the bumper started pulling and finally got it to move. Back with the impact I went until the bolt finally spun free. Then I got a BFH to knock them the rest of the way out. Going back together I used a significant amount of antiseeze when I put the bolts back in.

 

The truck looks amazing but I'm really starting to wonder if dinner with my mother in law wouldn't have been more enjoyable..........,..

Edited by DKSS (see edit history)
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  • 2 weeks later...

Yesterday I finished up my Belltech 2/2 lowering kit (Keys and Hangers) I bought for my 03 SS. I've read on here that a lot of people go that route.

 

In all the articles I read no one mentioned the pure night mare of changing out the rear hangers. I really anticipated the front keys being the headache. I was wrong. I had those changed in 30 mins or less. The rear hangers was 4 hours.

 

The rear hanger bolts were seized into the leaf spring bushing and the factory hanger like I have never seen in my life. Being from the Midwest these trucks see everything. Humidity from all get out to crazy cold and salt and sand on the highways. I'm sure these contributed to a lot of my issues. If I ruined the rubber bushing in the hanger no big deal. But with my box still on the truck the last thing I wanted to do was change the rubber and sleeve in the leaf spring or change the leaf spring altogether.

 

That being said I wanted to share what I learned (if anything) from this deal and maybe it could help someone else.

I dropped the receiver hitch down to get the bottom hanger bolt out. I used a half inch impact and worked the bolt back and forth till it finally broke loose. I took the bottom bolt out and with the truck on a jack and then I let it down to let the leaf spring rest against the box.

For the top bolt I had to drop the spare tire down. Then my impact would just fit between the box and the frame cross member. Once again I tried working the bolt back and forth with no luck this time. I got a long ratchet breaker bar and with my foot against the bumper started pulling and finally got it to move. Back with the impact I went until the bolt finally spun free. Then I got a BFH to knock them the rest of the way out. Going back together I used a significant amount of antiseeze when I put the bolts back in.

 

The truck looks amazing but I'm really starting to wonder if dinner with my mother in law wouldn't have been more enjoyable..........,..

 

Any before and after pictures??

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  • 6 months later...

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