The '07 Chevy Silverado with its new sheetmetal and a base price of $17,815 (as advertised on www.chevrolet.com) for a 1/2-ton, standard cab shortbed is destined to be a big seller. One thing that might turn off potential buyers is the stock ride height of 22-1/4 inches in front and 25 inches in the rear. Not everyone will want their truck to look like an off-road vehicle, especially the fans of lowered stuff.
To offer the marketplace an option, DJM Suspension of Gardena, California, has created a line of six different drop kits for the new Silverado. These kits cover the full range of lowering, from a mild 2-1/4x3 drop, all the way down to a 4-1/4x7 drop. We chose to use the 4-1/4x6 kit because we can get away without using a C-notch. As always, the DJM engineers' primary consideration was to produce lowering kits that would not adversely affect the Silverado's excellent ride and handling.
DJM's new 4-1/4x6-inch drop kit for the '07 Silverado is a pretty deep drop, which will dramatically change the stance of the truck. The front drop is achieved by installing specially engineered upper and lower control arms with a new sway bar endlink. The rear drop comes via a flip kit and new hanger brackets. One thing to note is the '07 pickups have a brand-new front suspension. The front coils have been replaced with front struts, just like the Tahoes, making the installation much easier.
There is one challenge you will encounter when you get to the rear of the truck. General Motors, in its infinite wisdom, positioned the fuel tank way too close to one of the leaf spring bolts, making the removal of said bolt difficult, to say the least.
The obvious approach to this problem is to remove or loosen the gas tank and a section of the exhaust system, so that the leaf spring bolt can be removed. Removing the gas tank is laborious, time-consuming, and expensive. DJM offers a quick, easy technique by removing a few elements, such as the U-bolt, the leaf spring center bolt, and the brake lines. Then, with the help of a floor jack, you can move the axle sideways, just enough so the leaf spring clears the axle and allows for removal. The following photos show exactly how the DJM approach gets the job done without the need for removing the gas tank and offending exhaust system components.
To further simplify the job and make it as easy as possible, the all-new kits from DJM come complete with ball joints installed and all components ready. However, to prevent damage in shipping, the zerk fittings for lubricating the twin-tube sleeves are not screwed in place at the factory. Therefore, the enclosed directions require the installer to simply screw the zerk fitting into the pre-drilled holes and add lubricant through the zerk fittings.
The installation of the DJM 4-1/4x6 drop kit is relatively straightforward. The result is a modified ride height of l8/l9, leaving the Silverado slightly higher in the rear, but with a greatly improved, more aggressive stance and unaffected ride and handling.
What's In The Box?
When you get your box from DJM, you will find everything you need to complete the job, minus the major tools. The arms are constructed out of 1/4-inch wall DOM tubing and are redesigned with a drop pocket, which lowers the truck without modifying the factory struts or spindles. They come ready to go with the ball joints and urethane bushings already installed. The rear brackets are constructed out of 1/4- to 3/8-inch plate steel and feature a hammer-tone powdercoating like all the other components. The kit features a lifetime warranty, and DJM technicians are standing by if you have any questions during your install.
 1. The stock ride height of...  1. The stock ride height of the '07 Silverado, measured from the center of the wheel to the lip of the wheelwell, was 22-1/4 inches in front and 25 inches in the rear. |  2. After jacking the Silverado...  2. After jacking the Silverado up, the installer removed the wheels. With the rolling stock out of the way, he could unbolt the tie rod end and the strut bolt. |  3.The lower ball joint nut,...  3.The lower ball joint nut, along with the hardware holding the control arm (inset), was removed, allowing the arm to come off. |
3a. |  4. Before the new DJM lower...  4. Before the new DJM lower arms could be installed, the technician needed to thread in the zerk fittings and pump in some grease. The inner sleeve was thoroughly lubricated by hand to make sure everything would move freely. | 
4a. |