As minitruckers we take pride in our rides and customizing them to match our personal tastes or interests. However, what happens when your truck goes under the knife for the 'bag job and body drop? How about body modifications or a sick paintjob. Don't forget about the interior or stereo work. It all comes down to either, you find a ride for weeks on end, or you find a daily driver that will get you around while your pride and joy undergoes it's modifications. But we are minitruckers and for some reason it runs in our blood that we drive a customized ride, even if it is our daily-driver. So, what can we do without shelling out thousands of dollars on a clean daily-driver? Instead of fabricating a custom suspension for your truck, a static drop is a simple and easy way to get a truck closer to earth without spending a ton of money.
With this in mind, DJM Suspension developed a complete line of hi-tech and properly engineered suspension components to give your mini the mild drop you desire. We wanted to see what these products were all about, so we headed over to Devious Customs in Riverside, California, to witness the install of a 3-inch DJM drop kit on a '07 Toyota Tacoma. For more information on this or other kits available, contact the companies listed in the Source box.
1. After the truck was placed...
1. After the truck was placed securely on the lift, Cody removed the front wheels. This allowed him to remove the brakes caliper, tie rod, and swaybar.
2. Next, Cody removed the...
2. Next, Cody removed the tie rod followed by the spindle itself. Our Toyota has a two-piece spindle so in order to separate the lower ball joint form the spindle we had to remove the two bolts securing the upper part of the spindle to the lower.
3. Once the spindle was out...
3. Once the spindle was out of the way, we removed the upper control arm. It was set aside because the factory ball joints will need to be installed into the new arms.
4. To take out the lower control...
4. To take out the lower control arm (LCA) Cody removed the bolt holding the strut to the LCA along with the cam bolts.
5. Before installing the new...
5. Before installing the new arms, we needed to remove the rubber boot covering the ball joint and the retaining clip. Then we could press the ball joints out of the factory arms and press them into the new arms. This is accomplished using a shop press.
(6 and 7) With the ball joints...
(6 and 7) With the ball joints in the new control arms, we reused the retaining clip that keeps the ball joint from working itself out over time. Then the rubber boot was filled with grease and installed along with the retaining spring that holds it to the ball joint.
7.
8. The final step before installing...
8. The final step before installing the arms on the truck, is to thread the zerk fittings into the arms.
9. Reinstalling the control...
9. Reinstalling the control arms is just the opposite of tear down. The alignment cam bolts are reinstalled but not tightened and the strut is bolted in. Then Cody installed the upper control arm and tightened the bolts down. We left the bottom arm bolts loose so after the wheels were back on the truck we could adjust the alignment to get it close enough to make a test drive and not destroy the tires.
10. Next comes the lower part...
10. Next comes the lower part of the spindle. It's attached to the ball joint and secured, then the top half can be bolted to the lower portion of the spindle and torqued down to factory specs.
11. Finishing off the front...
11. Finishing off the front end, Cody reinstalled the tie rod, sway bar, rotor, brake caliper, and the wheel sensor. All castle nuts received new cotter pins, except the castle nut on the top control arm; it is a special cotter pin that could be reused.
12. Cody started off by supporting...
12. Cody started off by supporting the rearend under the axle tubes, and also under the driveshaft, keeping the axle from rolling forward. Then he removed the rear shocks.
13. Next, Cody removed the...
13. Next, Cody removed the factory U-bolts. These will not be used again as DJM has supplied longer ones in the kit.
14. Once the rearend is free...
14. Once the rearend is free from the leaf spring, the angled 4-inch lowering blocks were placed in between the leaf spring and the axle.
15. There is a pin on the...
15. There is a pin on the top of the leaf spring pack, and one on the top of the lowering block. These pins are used to keep the rearend from sliding back and forth on the leaf spring, once in the proper location tighten the U-bolts.
16. Finally, the replacement...
16. Finally, the replacement shocks that come with the kit are installed. Even though the mounting point is in the same location and the stock shocks will still fit it is recommended to change them out. These shocks have been valved specifically for a lowered application.
**Special note: the DJM kit...
**Special note: the DJM kit comes with a C-notch that we opted not to install. If we were planning to use the bed to haul heavy loads we would install the C-notch for the extra clearance to keep the axle from hitting the bottom of the frame.
The Tech Lowdown
Parts Used: DJM Suspension 3-inch front /4-inch rear Toyota Tacoma lowering kit
Parts' Cost: $659.96
Company: Stylintrucks
Contact Info: (800) 586-9713, stylintrucks.com
Installation: Devious Customs
Contact info:(909) 947-1800, deviouscustoms.com
Approximate Installation Time: 5-1/2 hours
Skills required: General mechanics
Difficulty Level: 3 of 5
Tools used: Intermediate mechanics tools, impact gun, shop press