Pedders vs Eibach vs McGaughy Lowering kit?

I am hopefully getting my 08 LT1 Tahoe tomorrow and I want to lower it ASAP, I also plan on purchasing 22" rims for my ride.....and I didn't know which lowering kit to choose? Does anyone know what the major differences between these kits are? Recommendations? Any other kits out there that I should look at?

Will I need a camber kit?

Thanks in advance!

what size lowering kit are you looking into?

I'm thinking 2/3 drop...if that means 2" in the front and 3" in the rear. I've seen a few pics on this forum with Pedder drops but some look lower in the front than others. And I heard some kits come with spindles....whats the difference of dropping your front with spindles vs springs only?

Sorry for sounding like such a noob...but this is a big switch coming from honda/acura world to the Chevy world. :confused2:

you could pm peddarsman, he is very informative

Groundforce does a 1.5/2.75 drop if you're looking for something a little more subtle. Nothing extra needed for the install.

KillerStudio said:

I'm thinking 2/3 drop...if that means 2" in the front and 3" in the rear. I've seen a few pics on this forum with Pedder drops but some look lower in the front than others. And I heard some kits come with spindles....whats the difference of dropping your front with spindles vs springs only?

Sorry for sounding like such a noob...but this is a big switch coming from honda/acura world to the Chevy world. :confused2:

Click to expand...

If you have some time, i would recommend reading:

http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/47055_suspension_lowering_guide/index.html

It will help you out a ton! i suggest spindles vs springs. I am considering two options.

1. Kelderman air suspension. it gives me a ride adjustment of 5"
2. Mcnaughty's 2/3 kit. Spindles up front and springs in the rear.

But i'm leaning more towards the 3/5 kit.

#1 will be more expensive, maybe in the $3K once installed range. I'm doing all the research now and trying to find someone to sell me the kit. but that's my price guesstimate! #2 well under $700 and that's on the high side. Take into consideration what rims you are buying make sure you get a +30 offset. so they don't stick out, and check your tire size so you don't rub when turning after your drop if you get a big drop. You may have to shave your inner plastic fender walls. With a smaller drop like the ground force, i think you'll be fine.

We sell Eibach and Groudforce daily with very good results and easy install, especially for the price...

i would suggest the 2/3 spindle kit from mcgaughys. the spindles will keep the factory ride and as for the rear with only a 3" drop coil you'll be fine, id try to keep the factory shocks and just run the shock extenders. the toxic/aftermarket shocks are no comparision to the OEM ones. the only other shock thats worth buying is a custom FOX racing shock thats setup custom to fit the yukon/tahoe. & that shock witll run you about 140 each

Is there really a big difference between dropping the front with spindles or springs? Which is easier to install?

Thanks!

huge difference IMO
aftermarket coils have a different spring rate which means a different ride,
spindles just relocate the area in which the center of the hub is.

also swapping coils is much more work. and requires a spring compressor. spindles is the 3 nuts, 8 bolts i believe oh and of course you have to take your lug nuts off. its so simple you can use a simple tool set and do it in your driveway along w/ a jack and jack stands

Are the shock extenders necessary? I droped mine two in the rear just to level it and I have the shock extenders but I never put them in.

The Pedders Kit is very nice. It contains higher rate lowering springs all around, as well as Front Struts, Rear Shocks, Sway bar Bushings, Ride Leveling Rods, and Front End Link Bushings

You can check out the write ups that a few of the members here have made, it's not only a much better look, but a much better handling suspension than the OE system.

Any questions can be directed to Frank (the pedders man) or myself.

Thanks to those that have chosen Pedders for their Trucks.
Rob

Thanks for the help guys...I went and ordered the McGaughys 2/3 drop kit. I will let you guys know how it is once I get it. I ordered the kit before getting the truck.... I'm hoping to get the Tahoe today.

Well i will probably be ordering the McGaughy 2/3 kit as well. talked to the local shop who sells Kelderman, and it will be right under $6,000 for the air ride kit. Yeah, wife shut me down hard on that one. She about fell out of her chair!! hahaha, ohh well, maybe in a year or two the prices will come down. Unless i can find someone to do a custom install.

The question is, why in the heck would someone spend thousands of dollars on some elaborate spindle equipped lowering kit just to retain the "factory ride?" For that matter, why spend $6k on an air system unless you really really want that ultra low look once you park it (because, trust me, you'll be rubbing so much while driving as to be unusable at those extreme drops)?

Honestly, whose to say that the "factory ride" is all that great anyhow? Afterall, the factory is looking for a ride that will generally work fine in a majority of different situations, not one nessessarily optimized for handling, breaking, or under accelleration.

I'm on the Pedders kit now. I'm currently using the front and rear drop springs along with the Big Bore GSR Shocks in the rear. Let me tell you, it blows the factory ride away! And I haven't even gone to the full kit yet (front and rear sway bar bushings or the front struts). So far the items I'm running are a fraction of what spindles and/or air ride would cost. Plus I can keep upgrading little by little, adding new components of the kit all while keeping the bank account happy.

Again, the "factory ride" is not nessessarily the best. My ride has definately improved since my Pedders install. I'm confident I have the best handling z71 Suburban around. If its this good now, I can't wait to feel the ride once I'm fully upgraded!

See my official review of the Pedders equipment here:

http://www.tahoeforum.com/showthread.php?t=5383

i didnt know that kits with spindles cost thousands of dollars.... my entire kit cost under 700 shipped to my door... maybe your looking at spindles that are gold plated or something. and its really more preference on how you want it to ride. if you bought an SUV then you would expect it to ride like one. MY OPINION is that if i wanted it to ride like a sports car then maybe i would have bought one. MY OPINION is also that id want it to ride smooth and float like a cadi. i personally do not know what you mean by how it rides better than stock, because you didnt descibe at all how it rides better.. all you said was that it does.. nothing against pedders at all. I personally just like the smooth fatory ride..

i do plan on adding sway bars to reduce the amount of body roll SUVs have.

The Pedders ride is smooth but unlike the factory ride, its controlled as well. You don't find yourself be-boppin all over the damn road due to the underdamped factory struts, shocks and flabby stock springs. When I hit a bump, its not a jolt and I'm not rocked in my seat. The suspension action soaks it up and then regains composure quickly instead of the ossilations common in the factory ride. I know you said you have nothing against Pedders, but you clearly have a misunderstanding of how it feels. Trust me, its nothing like a sports car. Probably no amount of suspension work, no matter the expense, would make my fully loaded z71 Suburban (read: heavy) feel like a sports car. But, it does feel like a lighter, more nimble, and definately more controlled version of my SUV it did fresh off the factory floor. I may need to edit my Pedders reveiw to be more factually descriptive.

As far as the cost for front spindles? I suppose $700 is not thousands of dollars, but still required is rear lowering springs plus install. I think somone else mentioned $5k for installation of an Air Ride. My dad and I installed my Pedders gear for free in our own garage with no special tools besides a spring compressor. However, I was quoted a range of $350-$750 for install w/alignment. I ended up just getting a $129 alignment. At this point, I'm pretty curious as to how much a typical front spindle installation, using stock springs, rear lowering springs, plus alignment would cost.

Anyways, hey bro - you said it yourself - ride quality is an opinion. If you are satisfied with yours, great. Really, I don't want to get into a back and forth personal deal with you, so I appologize if you were offended from my previous post. But, if you've never tried a Pedders equipped ride, and I doubt you have, you can't really form an accurate opinion of it. All I can say is that I've tried the factory settings and I prefer the Pedders.

you're right the "factory" ride does have that be bop feeling sometimes. i dont mind it much but id rather not have it. i havent ridden in tahoe/yukon with the pedders kit but id like to, just to know how their stuff rides. and see if its worth swapping over to when i swap 26s because im not sure that they'll tuck. and for my kit i spent 200 for the spindles and 400 for the rear 5" kit and 80 bucks for the rear shocks (including shpping). buying the rear shocks was a waste because w/ the 5" rear you sit pretty close to the bump stops(even after you trim them)

im not offended at all and im sorry if i came off that way. i just want to make sure that people get the right info.

also the spindles & rear kit do not require any special tools either. i did it in my driveway in about 4 hours, i would estimate that a shop would charge 5 hours at about 70-100 bucks an hour. plus the 100 to align it.


the pedders kit sounds good. if i cant sell my 24s ill probly see it i can throw the front pedders coils on it also to tuck my wheels more.

scooterpie555 said:

If you have some time, i would recommend reading:

http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/47055_suspension_lowering_guide/index.html

It will help you out a ton! i suggest spindles vs springs. I am considering two options.

1. Kelderman air suspension. it gives me a ride adjustment of 5"
2. Mcnaughty's 2/3 kit. Spindles up front and springs in the rear.

But i'm leaning more towards the 3/5 kit.

#1 will be more expensive, maybe in the $3K once installed range. I'm doing all the research now and trying to find someone to sell me the kit. but that's my price guesstimate! #2 well under $700 and that's on the high side. Take into consideration what rims you are buying make sure you get a +30 offset. so they don't stick out, and check your tire size so you don't rub when turning after your drop if you get a big drop. You may have to shave your inner plastic fender walls. With a smaller drop like the ground force, i think you'll be fine.

Click to expand...

http://www.fatboycustoms.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=892

$4,000 not installed from this site. I wish it were 3 grand installed, if you find anything better than this please post it! I also would really like to get this kit but thats too much for me....

I was talking to someone and they were figuring around 3K for a nice kit. but this was the same kit, $4K and then install, optional remote, and second air compressor. If it were around 3 maybe 4 tops i can understand but that's also a little out of my price range. Maybe someone else will fab a kit from this and make it cheaper. But it was the same exact kit with pictures and all. And i really want this too. But i went with the pedders kit in the mean time. I'll have pictures when it's installed with a review.