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Thread: Drop Differences between Belltech Leafs and JLP Shackles on an 03

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    Drop Differences between Belltech Leafs and JLP Shackles on an 03

    First off guys here's an update on my truck search.. I took 2 in for inspection today and they both checked out great!! And I'm really leaning towards a Black 03.. hopefully it will be in my hands soon!! Time to see what the dealer is made of

    Rear Questions:
    What is the actual NET drop the Belltech leafs give you?

    Could I run Belltech leafs and drop shackles (for just another inch) and be able to avoid a c-notch?

    Using the pancake bumpstops how much travel would I have.. now bad is the ride/how much bottoming out am I going to be doing?

    Should I run QA1's or are Bilsteins still okay?

    If I installed just leafs and/or shackles and did nothing to the front, there's no reason for alignment, right?

    Front Questions
    What's the best setup to sit right in the front (no gap, no tire tuck) - Drop spindles and 1"-1.5" drop coils? I'd prefer to go as low here with no rubbing!

    I'd like to pick up just the rear tailgate portion of the 03 pinstripe. Who knows where I can get this!

    Thanks guys!

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    Quote Originally Posted by havinnoj View Post
    First off guys here's an update on my truck search.. I took 2 in for inspection today and they both checked out great!! And I'm really leaning towards a Black 03.. hopefully it will be in my hands soon!! Time to see what the dealer is made of

    Rear Questions:
    What is the actual NET drop the Belltech leafs give you?
    Three inch on 02's. Four inch on 03's which are 1" higher due to helper springs being added for these models.

    Could I run Belltech leafs and drop shackles (for just another inch) and be able to avoid a c-notch?

    You could, but max additional drop height from these would be 1/2 to 3/4". Cut or low profile bump stops are a must , plus you need shock extenders, and if you still have stock shocks, best to upgrade to Lightning Spec Bilsteins all corners. You're going to be border line C-Notch and not sure of the ride quality.

    Using the pancake bumpstops how much travel would I have.. now bad is the ride/how much bottoming out am I going to be doing?
    Comments above.

    Should I run QA1's or are Bilsteins still okay?
    If this will be your daily driver, then I vote for L Spec Bilsteins all around.

    If I installed just leafs and/or shackles and did nothing to the front, there's no reason for alignment, right?
    Right. But you will not a level stance, the back would be approx 1.75" lower than front.

    Front Questions
    What's the best setup to sit right in the front (no gap, no tire tuck) - Drop spindles and 1"-1.5" drop coils? I'd prefer to go as low here with no rubbing!
    I have a 2/4 drop with a Belltech 2" Pro Drop Coil Spring Kit front and Belltech Drop Leaf Spring rear. My front rubs when turning sharply or too fast into inclined or dipped drives and roadways. With two inch drop spindles and cut or drop coils, your tires will likely rip the inner well liners out, you will certainly need to trim the inside of the fender flares.

    I'd like to pick up just the rear tailgate portion of the 03 pinstripe. Who knows where I can get this!
    Can't help here.

    Thanks guys!
    Pic's of my 03 with its 2/4 drop.





    This pic shows my first drop which was 3" rear.
    Last edited by 03_HD_F150SC; 04-06-2010 at 12:50 AM.

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    Thanks for the reply! I was going to PM you and ask some questions because your drop looks nice.. but.. thanks! Do you have any straight photos from the back and straight from the side?

    If your Reps are 10's, would that make a difference with rubbing vs 22x9.5?

    Whatcha running for rear bumpstops?

    What tires? Toyo's? What size?

    Are your pro-coils on the lowest setting?
    Last edited by havinnoj; 04-06-2010 at 01:04 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by havinnoj View Post
    Thanks for the reply! I was going to PM you and ask some questions because your drop looks nice.. but.. thanks! Do you have any straight photos from the back and straight from the side?

    If your Reps are 10's, would that make a difference with rubbing vs 22x9.5?
    Have the Detroit Rep's, 22x9.5

    Whatcha running for rear bumpstops?
    They're Energy Suspension one's, can't remember if they're 11/16" or 3/8" height.

    What tires? Toyo's? What size?
    Staggered Tires: Toyo Proxes S/T 285/35's Front & 305/40's Rear

    Are your pro-coils on the lowest setting?
    Yes, for 2" drop.
    These are probably the best back and side shots I have.



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    Awesome man!! I'd think you'd run 3/8 since they're a little over a quarter inch shorter than the 11/16th ones. I haven't spent much time looking at staggered rear setups, but is there any advantage besides more grip? Does it track well in ruts on these trucks?

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    did you reuse the factory metal plate the stock bumpstops are mounted on? Ditching that will get you a bit more room, but you need to run at least a 3/4" bumpstop so the bumpstop hangs past the lip on the frame rail.

    the staggered tire setup is more for looks than anything. Just looks very aggressive with the big meats out back and the lower profile fronts really showing off the 22's. With wide front tires though these trucks are pretty bad at following the ruts in the road. The 285/35/22's aren't as bad as the 295/45/20's on my other truck, but I always have gotten a better ride when I had my tiny 225 skinnies up front. Adding a LFP steering stabilizer almost eliminates any of the tracking though. Just put one on Jekyll with my 295/45/20 fronts and it made a world of difference.

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    Quote Originally Posted by havinnoj View Post
    Awesome man!! I'd think you'd run 3/8 since they're a little over a quarter inch shorter than the 11/16th ones. I haven't spent much time looking at staggered rear setups, but is there any advantage besides more grip? Does it track well in ruts on these trucks?
    Quote Originally Posted by Harley#356 View Post
    did you reuse the factory metal plate the stock bumpstops are mounted on? Ditching that will get you a bit more room, but you need to run at least a 3/4" bumpstop so the bumpstop hangs past the lip on the frame rail.

    the staggered tire setup is more for looks than anything. Just looks very aggressive with the big meats out back and the lower profile fronts really showing off the 22's. With wide front tires though these trucks are pretty bad at following the ruts in the road. The 285/35/22's aren't as bad as the 295/45/20's on my other truck, but I always have gotten a better ride when I had my tiny 225 skinnies up front. Adding a LFP steering stabilizer almost eliminates any of the tracking though. Just put one on Jekyll with my 295/45/20 fronts and it made a world of difference.
    Just went out and checked my rear bump stops....surprisingly they're 1" and I have them mounted on the OEM plates. Even with the 1" bump stops, I'm not having any bottoming out issues in the rear, but I'm also using the Sulastic Rubber Springs instead of standard type shackles. So can't say how much those contribute to that aspect, but they were a tremendous help in getting rid of bed bounce, springiness and softening the ride in back. I started with L Spec Bilsteins in the rear, but switched to a set of Hotchkis' HPS 1000 shocks that also help soften the ride. Gave up a bit of performance handling for the softer ride....necessary for my aging backside.

    Agree with what Josh said about running staggard setups. However, for me there was a benefit as the 305/40's have a taller sidewall and higher load capacity than the 285/35's. This was very important to me, because I tow my bike in a Haulmark 5x8 trailer, so a bit more towing capacity is a plus, along with affording a softer ride too. I do plan to add a Steering Stabilizer sometime in the future.

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    I think I might grab some 305/40's for the rear since they're 10-15% cheaper than 285/35's!

    I'm not much into towing with this truck, but might throw a quad in the back so helper bags might be a good thing.

    The Sulastic Rubber Springs look interesting.. kind of like Velvet Ride? But for $300 bucks!?

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    Yea, lower price is a definate plus. Lots of guys go with helper bags to increase rear capacity. Yep, I started out looking for a set of the Velvet Rides, but they were discontinued. Actually found my pair of Sulastic's for $269, so quickly jumped on those.

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    Quote Originally Posted by 03_HD_F150SC View Post
    Agree with what Josh said about running staggard setups. However, for me there was a benefit as the 305/40's have a taller sidewall and higher load capacity than the 285/35's. This was very important to me, because I tow my bike in a Haulmark 5x8 trailer, so a bit more towing capacity is a plus, along with affording a softer ride too. I do plan to add a Steering Stabilizer sometime in the future.
    yeah I forgot to mention those two factors. I'm not as interested in the load capacity, but the ride improvement is substantial. Just going 275/45/20's to 295/45/20's was a huge improvement. The 305/40/22's have about the same sidewall as my 295/45/20's so its a very nice ride.

    Quote Originally Posted by havinnoj View Post
    I think I might grab some 305/40's for the rear since they're 10-15% cheaper than 285/35's!
    and another great point, for the rears that get burnt up pretty quickly it is nice having bigger tires out back that are cheaper than the fronts. For once things work out nice money wise for a tire LoL!

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    I was worried that I couldn't get enough drop on an 03 without a c-notch. It sounds like leafs will and 305/40's will look right and fill all the gap!

    And yeah Josh I was surprised to see that the 305's were cheaper than the 285's!!

    And 03 - where'd you get your rear 3rd light? I'm looking at tint options for the light, but yours looks cool!

    Truck update - they originally wanted 17, dropped to 16 on the lot. On the phone today I asked the cash price and it was 15. I offered 13.3.. the used car sales men were all over that one..blah blah.. I worked them down to 14.5 before preceding to tell them that at 14k I would come in the door with cash. I had the closer, finance manager, and my sales guy all talking to me about "what a deal it was...etc., they can't go any lower, they like me, they took the truck to a dealer for private inspection and they never do that...etc.
    I said 14 is my last offer and I'll come in the door with that! We'll see how it all plays out! Very clean 03, 89k, new tires, good wheels, solid breaks, passed a svt-certified full inspection, and carfax and autocheck are good!

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    Man in stoked for you that you found a nice Harley truck but Im sure that you could find one with alot less miles for not much more cash. 14 is a great price and not saying to let the miles deter you from getting what you want. Just look close and take a little bit. Unfortunate for some folks, The economy has put alot of these trucks with low miles and in awesome shape for some great prices.

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    Quote Originally Posted by havinnoj View Post
    ....And 03 - where'd you get your rear 3rd light? I'm looking at tint options for the light, but yours looks cool!
    A few years ago, got luckly and found my OEM Lightning LED Third Brake Light on eBay. Thery're getting harder to find, especially at a good price. You could give Mike @ Riverside Ford a call (877) 839-5902 to check price and availability. He's a support vendor on this site and gives very good dealer pricing on OEM parts. Most eBay auctions list them at $ 229.00, but you have to be sure they're an actual OEM part. Every now and then one pops up at a great price, but demand is real high. Ford Part Number is 1L3Z13A613AA.

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    sounds like you're working a pretty good deal out of it though. keep us posted!

    and yep its crazy how the L 3rd brake light skyrocketed in price. They used to go for $75-$100 all the time, OEM ones, now they dont pop up often and run dealer price

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    Tweek - there's some deals out there but I haven't found a super clean low mile one with all the options for a great price. This one is local - which is nice since we don't have a lot to choose from in the pacific northwest.

    I talked to the dealer yesterday and told them I was still at 14. Or that I would come up to 14.5 if they paid my DMV fees, new floor mats, and match tinted my front windows to the rear- about 400 bucks in my cost. They're going to get back to me about it.

    03 - thanks for the info!! I may just tint the stock one for now. My local shop will use special tint to cover the outside of the light. Any experience or thoughts on this? I heard you could do it on the inside or spray nightshade inside.

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