2007 Chevrolet Tahoe Static Drop - Tahoe On The Down-Low

Part One: Drop The Front
1. Start by removing the brake caliper. In lieu of an impact, a breaker bar will come in handy for loosening the brake caliper bolts. GM uses thread-locker on these, so they can be a bit of a bear to break loose.

2. With both caliper bolts removed, you can now pull the caliper off of the rotor. Have a milk crate or something handy to support the caliper. Never let it hang by the brake line. Now disconnect the weatherpack connector on the ABS harness, which is secured on the brake line bracket (shown).

3. The rotors are secured to the hubs with a single machine screw. You will need a Torx T-30 driver to remove it.

4. Use an 18mm socket to loosen the upper ball joint nut, but do not remove it. Back it off 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch. Then, use a sharp blow from a mallet to pop the taper loose. Repeat these steps using a 24mm socket on the lower ball joint.

5. You will also want to remove the tie rod end at this time. Repeat the same steps as with the ball joints, returning to an 18mm socket. Once you have knocked the tie rod loose, you can finish unthreading the nut and remove the tie rod end from the spindle.

6. Before removing the spindle, it is a good idea to remove the hub. Doing this with the spindle still on the truck will give you more leverage for removing the sometimes-stubborn hub mounting bolts. With the rotor out of the way, you can begin removal of the hub from the spindle. It is secured with three 15mm bolts. With the bolts removed, the hub and brake dust shield should simply pull out of the spindle.

7. You will now be left with a bare spindle between the control arms. Now's a good time to remove the lower shock mounting bolts.

8. Finish removing the ball joint nuts. You may need to use a combination wrench in addition to a 6mm hex key to prevent the upper ball joint from spinning. The lower ball joint will require an 8mm hex key. Note the gap between the upper ball joint and the top of the spindle in this photo.

9. Be sure to have a firm grip on the spindle when removing the nuts from the ball joints. You definitely do not want to drop this thing on your toe.

10. With the spindle set aside, you can now turn your attention to the upper shock mount. The shock is secured to the chassis with three 18mm nuts on studs. These are easily accessed from the engine compartment with a deep-well socket and a long extension on a ratchet. With the shock and spring assembly free of fasteners, you can remove it. You may need a prybar or large screwdriver to get the bottom of the shock clear from the lower control arm.

11. The spring needs to be compressed before it can be removed from the shock body. Care should be taken here to ensure that the compressors are properly seated and will not pop loose. It goes without saying that this could cause some serious bodily injury. Make the job a little easier on yourself by greasing the threaded rods of the compressor to lessen friction.

12. This 15mm nut secures the upper spring retainer and, thus, the spring. Loosen and remove this nut only after the spring has been sufficiently compressed. You'll know this is the case when you see a gap begin to form between the top coil of the spring and its corresponding rubber seat. Note the order in which the components come apart, so you know how to replace them.

13. The spring in the foreground is the McGaughy's 2-inch lowering coil.

14. Once the shock is dressed with the new spring, remove the compressor and reinstall the assembly in the truck.

15. Here is a comparison of the stock spindle on the left and the McGaughy's 2-inch drop spindle on the right. You can easily see that the hub mounting flange has been relocate 2 inches higher, resulting in an equal suspension drop. Take some time to mask and paint the spindles before installation to prevent corrosion.

16. The raised hub location means that the top mounting bolt would interfere with the upper ball joint. McGaughy's solves this by using an M12 stud in its place. Be sure to apply Loctite to the threads prior to torquing it to 75 lb-ft.

17. Hang the spindle on the ball joints and tighten the nuts. Also, reattach the tie rod end at this time. Note: The McGaughy's spindles require a minimum wheel diameter of 17 inches. Some wheels may require grinding of the lower ball joint to clear the inner rim. This truck has factory 20s, so it was not an issue here. After the upper ball joint is tightened, you may notice that the rubber boot does not contact the top of the spindle. This is normal with the McGaughy's piece.

18. The brake dust shield will need to be trimmed to clear the brake caliper. A good pair of snips or a grinder will make short work of this. With the dust shield trimmed, place it and the hub on the spindle, taking car to route the ABS sensor harness through the shield as shown. It's also a good idea to coat the hub/spindle interface with waterproof grease, which will make future disassembly a little less of a headache. Use the supplied nut on the M12 stud and two factory bolts to secure the hub.

The brake harness bracket needs to be fastened using the supplied self-tapping bolt (above). With this step complete, reinstall the rotor, caliper, and wheel.