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Lowered the rear to match the front.

28K views 83 replies 15 participants last post by  H2O MAN 
#1 · (Edited)
I finished lowering the rear of my '07 RCSB the other day using an SOS flip kit, I also added a TRD rear sway bar. OEM coils with Bilstein 4600 series shocks up front. Alcan leaf springs with Bilstein 4600 series in the rear. Stock OEM 18" alloys with P255/70R18 Michelin tires (32"). I am running a tail pipe that turns down in front of the axle. Being frugal, we cut the existing tailpipe at an angle as it curved up to go over the axle. We then rotated the new turn down with resonator 180 degrees, and welded it in place. Why keep the resonator?, I prefer a quiet exhaust.

The shake-down run was a mixed bag of driving that included stop-n-go traffic in Atlanta, the U-bolts needed to be re-torqued after the trip as expected but everything else remained nice & tight. I am VERY HAPPY with the results.

Lowering the rear of this Tundra is one of the most
rewarding mods I've performed on the 10 year old truck.


The Wonder Of Spring-Under Suspension
 

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#5 · (Edited)
Benefits that I've seen since lowering the rear and adding a rear sway bar:


. The occasional bed bounce & vibration are gone.

. The seating position is more comfortable, I no longer feel like I am being pushed toward the windshield.

. I have a better view from the rear view mirror, I can see more of what is behind me.

. Lane changes & cornering are much more precise, even at higher speeds.

. I didn't give up any ground clearance.

. Launch & acceleration is more efficient than before.

-- It's also much easier for my 80 year old mom to enter & exit the truck.


.
 
#9 ·
Thank you!

The bed on this truck was in rough shape, and Line-X was the most cost effective way to extend it's service life & improve it's appearance. I may add more Line-X to the exterior in the future...
 

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#12 ·
resonated turn down

The installation instructions mention the possibility that the new suspension will interfere with your exhaust system, they aren't kidding. My low cost solution involved cutting the tail pipe off at an angle were it curved up to go over the axle, we then rotated it 180 degrees and welded it in place as a resonated turn down. There was a leak at the original connection that had eroded the flange, so we had to weld it up ugly. The end result is totally functional, and it's almost as quiet as with a full length tail pipe.
 

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#13 · (Edited)
I put 1200+ miles on the RCSB for Thanksgiving... not a single hick-up, and I averaged 16 to 19 MPG depending on speed. 19 MPG under 75MPH, 16 MPG above 75 MPH (sustained average highway speeds). Press your right foot to the floor while cruising @ 70 mph and the truck comes alive. Right now, the harmonic sweet-spot for this truck the way I have it set up is a little above 80 MPH. Lane changes are exact, but the ride is still a little stiff for huge potholes, ugly expansion joints, and abrupt changes in the surface. On smooth surfaces it's not harsh, and easily controllable... the nannies did there job at least one time that I know of when I touched on the marbles on the outside edge of a downhill sweep to the left. I think the ride will soften a little bit once the new suspension is broken in.

All-in-all, I am satisfied with this old RCSB.

275K and counting.
 
#19 · (Edited)
Just yesterday my friend (father of the bride) and I took the path less traveled on the way home from his daughters wedding in Asheville, NC - US 178 from Rosman, NC south to I-85 in SC. He rides, and he was driving the AWD Subaru like he would ride his motor bike (yanking & banking).

This RCSB handles the hilly-twisty-curvy two lane blacktop at speed with ease, the only problem I experienced was temporarily losing sight of his Subaru Outback directly in front of me as we negotiated the sharp left-hand curves... the huge A pillar in the Tundra is what blocked my view.

Toggling the sequential 6 speed kept me off the brakes, and allowed me to whip through the turns - it was a great roller coaster ride in the rain & fog. We encountered one slower driver, and they pulled over to let us pass - we appreciated their courtesy.
 

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#24 ·
The levelled look of your 'Regular Cab Short Box' is awesome. But - I wish I had not seen any of these threads about lowering or leveling Tundras. Now I want to do it...I went out in the garage to compare my '07 2WD Crewmax to your photographs and I see that my springs are above the rear axle, while your springs are below the axle; makes sense why they call it a 'Flip Kit'.

Also, I checked out SOS' site, until things got a little confusing. Can you just add a #TR 375 Rear lowering kit with your stock springs and shocks? What else do you have to do beside modify the exhaust pipe beyond the rear resonator? I can see that where the exhaust goes over the rear axle it nearly touches the bed, so that if the bed were 3.75" lower both pieces would try to occupy the same space.

If you tow a bass boat a lot, are the TR 6500 Air Springs required or recommended?

Mark
 
#28 ·
I run 18-inch wheels and standard size tires because turn-ins are much crisper and I get better feel & feedback from the road than I would with larger wheels and tires. Another plus, U-turns are very tight in the RCSB.
 
#71 · (Edited)
H2O Man,

Did you notice any improvement in your highway fuel economy once you lowered your Tundra's suspension?

Lowering the rear involved the suspension, but it doesn't actually lower the suspension... the rear axle is the same distance above the road as it was when it left the factory. I didn't make any changes to the the front except replace the coils with fresh factory coils, it sits at factory height.
 
#30 · (Edited)
The only time I notice an improvement in MPGs is when I keep my right foot out of it.

I put 1200+ miles on the RCSB for Thanksgiving... not a single hick-up, and I averaged 16 to 19 MPG depending on speed. 19 MPG under 75MPH, 16 MPG above 75 MPH (sustained average highway speeds).
 
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