Got the 2/4 Drop Done, and RT 22"S put on as well.

[a_guerrajr]

Didn't do the install myself.
Love the look
Ride quality went down, so i'm troubleshooting that based on everyone's claims of it riding "better". I did get the wobble issue around 75MPH, so Hellwig is in garage and ready to be installed. My steering feels a little weird and is very sensitive when going over road imperfections, seems to jerk. Ordered the shorter end links, so hopefully that resolves the issue. So i'm trying to make it ride better before i get annoyed of it. I'm running a BT shocks, i don't think the shocks are he problem, but i might pop stock ones on and compare(for the front). I will say that when i had it done i was running the stock 20"s with 275/60 and it didn't feel as bad now that the 22"s are on. But i'm not sure if it is because of that or because the kit settled. Maybe my alignment needs to be redone. I haven't don't the adjustable panhand bar, so perhaps the angles in the rear are really bad causing a ****** ride, could that be? Or is it the rear wheels not being centered anymore, they did push forward a bit. Maybe i need to compare with another lowered truck to see if mine is really that bad.

any how here are some pics:







Do you need an alignment after a drop?

 

[N1ck]

Looks awesome dude

 

[G-Truck]

Looks good ! I can tell you when I put the 22's on mine I noticed a difference in ride quality for sure . I think the lower sidewall makes you feel the road more .. I have a reg. cab . I wonder is it better or worse on a quad cab with the longer wheel base ??

 

[a_guerrajr]

I've had 22's before, and this just feels different, i feel like the truck it's self bounces too much.

 

[CannonBall10]

Sorry to hear of the ride issues, but damn she looks sexy!

 

[audio1der]

She looks MEAN!!!
Do you have any shots of the rear wheel in the well, to see how much it shifted the wheels forward? Looks as though some shorter end links would help for sure. I would not be surprised if the stock shocks rode better.

 

[PassivAggressor]

Theres no doubt that your truck rides rougher. The crew cabs ride like clouds stock. Compared to my short wheelbase rough riding single cab. Which, in my opinion, never rode good. I won't say the lowering kit makes it ride better, just more "controlled" if that makes sense. Your truck looks awesome by the way!!

 

[spymac]

My experience with the Belltech is that the ride quality/comfort suffers, but the handling and road feel is improved. I lowered my RCSB myself and it definitely needed a front end alignment. Before, the truck pulled to one side, after, the steering was dead on and no pull. I work in an area with poor quality roads (potholes, patches, cracks etc) and the ride quality was much worse after the drop. You can feel every bump in the road, notice every imperfection and have to get used to the lack of comfort. I do share your opinion of the steering on poor roads. Occasionally on very rough roads the steering feels disconnected or loose. The other side of town has nicer roads and the ride is much smoother, comparable to stock but a bit more of the road is felt. Handling has improved an I'm pleased with that. Steering feel has improved and inputs are more direct plus the chassis rolls less. It's quite a tradeoff but it all depends on what you want.

I felt that I did my research before purchasing the Belltech and I never got the impression that the ride was as bad as it actually is. I'm new to lowered trucks so I have nothing to compare to so its possible the ride is comparatively better than other platforms. I never got the death wobble I hear people talk about, likely because the panhard bar re-locator included with the kit fixed the angle of the bar. Like in your picture, the bar is flat and sits correct, I don't believe a adjustable bar will fix any issues, unless your axle is not centered and your tires are not even in the wheel well side to side. Like if one side sticks out further than the other. I did have trouble with tire balance so the front end shakes at freeway speeds, you can feel it in the steering. I've never taken it back for balancing since its only noticeable at 65-75mph and I drive in the city primarily.

I've sort of gotten used to the rough ride and decided to live with it. If I end up keeping this truck long term, I'll likely look into a costly suspension redesign to resolve all the issues I have with the ride.

Just my experience and thought I'd share, truck looks great and I hope you get all your issues worked out!

 

[CMil527]

Looks great!!

 

[a_guerrajr]

thanks for the input guys!

 

[jag1886]

Yes you need an alignment!! Anytime you increase rim size ride quality goes down.

 

[Ram3]

i like the way the truck looks but i guess its when you lower the truck everything is going to feel different. just my two cents ;-)

 

[a_guerrajr]

Yea.... i'm working on finding solutions.
Got some QA1 shocks coming for the rear.

 

[brad65ford]

similar experience as you also went with 22" SRT-10 wheels which are heavy as heck. Its the 22" versus stock super light weight 20" wheels bro. Been through this a few times with other guys on this thread.