I thought I'd post a little something about my experience with the Bell Tech 963SP Lowering Kit. I've read in the past several people asking about the panhard rod bar which some refer to as a track bar and the issues with it related to lowering the truck.
I went with Bell Tech because of my research results, price and ride quality. Bell Tech addressed shock stroke by offering 2 different shocks for the lower height, high quality springs (more on this later), and engineered elastomers / bump stops.
The McGuaghys kit was my other choice but obviously didn't go with it. I didn't agree with a couple of things with this kit. 1 being the stock shocks were not addressed. Some agree while others don't. To each their own. 2 is the generic bump stop provided and just cutting of the elastomer. 3 if you used their lowering spindles you increase the front track width. 4 complaints of the softness of the rear springs. 5 the fitment of the panhard rod bar / track bar re-locator bracket.
So I move on to my feedback of the Bell Tech kit...I know several people here have this kit and the feedback is just my $.02 and is not meant to offend anyone it's just to provide another point of view and information. The kit was professionally installed and aligned. The front end was not able to be adjusted back to stock specifications contrary to what Bell Tech states. So I'm left with some negative camber. It's at an acceptable amount but will wear tires. The rear end shifted to the passenger side by about 1/4'' due to the radical panhard rod angle from lowering. The shift is not too visibly noticeable with stock balloon tires but really noticeable with larger rims and lower profile tires. Bell Tech did not address this issue. The ride is really nice, impressively nice overall for a lowered vehicle. Well...until the roads get a little rough or while driving on bucking types of roads. This is when the rear of my truck shimmies left to right. Hit a large bump on a sweeping curve while on a California highway at speed and you might need a change of undergarments. While this hasn't caused me to crash I can see a potential hazard become a real life issue. So I have the shop look over the truck and their install. The shop informs me that Bell Tech should've addressed the panhard rod angle and that in a perfect world shouldn't be angled more than 10% of the overall length from parallel. Bouncing on the rear of the truck you can see and feel it shift side to side from the panhard rod pulling the same way it shifted the rear end to the passenger side. The shop is custom fabricating a bracket to bring the rear geometry back where it should be. An adjustable panhard rod will only address the axle location and not the geometry which means it will still shimmy. I'll post results and picts when it's done.
Now on to the quality of the springs. The passenger side has sagged more than the drivers side. There is a 1'' height difference.This was observed while on the alignment rack. It was suggested that I wait to see if they settle more or even out. If not we may try swapping the springs left to right later to see if it evens out that way. I'll try to update with the results later on.
Bell Tech's customer service is horrible. McGaughy's customer service is better.
I would suggest getting the airlift kit if you are going to be hauling stuff often. I bottomed out in the rear all the time on my QC but after installing the air lift kit i have yet to bottem out. I run about 7 psi in them all the time. I would not suggest triming the bump stops they are a progressive stop and the are designed to sit almost on the axle and aid in ride comfort, I would think if you trim them that it would make the ride worse when you do hit a bump. the air lift kit i used is the same one for a 2009 dodge durango. [If you use the kit for the stock springs the airbags are longer and wil create a more harsh ride.
Wow, just surprized soo many different problems with so many people. Biggest complaint seems to be ride heigth from one end to another. No issues with cutting a bit or trimming the spring, but come one, really! Maybe expecting a truck to be perfectly even is a little bit much, considering how many factors can go into building one, plus our cabs and beds bolt onto the frame, its not nearly as tight as unibody construction, which has to get it right or nothing would fit. I have always noticed on trucks that I have bought, a turn signal or headlight or something that doesn't quite fit perfect on both sides. I have noticed that my passenger headlamp fits better than my driver side, and that my driver side rear taillamp fits perfect and the passenger side barely fits in its housing. You gotta really look to see it, but wash my truck one time and you will catch it.
So like I am saying maybe we are execting too much.
Thats good, I wouldn't care about 1/8th, in my opinion that is just about perfect. I don't know. I might just order a new rear set. At $138 for the set, that is pretty cheap and only takes about 20 minutes to swap them out, then see how my ride height is. I called again today, and Whalla, tech support answered. He said send back the rear set and they will replace them. He didn't even need to confirm purchase just send them RE: Matt.
Oh well, gues not since I cut them HA HA on me! Dhur! Plus I don't have any of my reciepts, or the stocks springs, HA HA!
I just installed my kit on Saturday and so far the only 2 issues I see is the panhard bar issue needing adjusted and the shortened sway bar end links that didnt come witht the kit. I like the ride height but the rear is sitting a little lower than the front. I might have to look into doing some helper bags to level it off, maybe 4-6psi. Im glad i read this write up after I did my kit or i may not have did it!!
After reading this whole thread, then looking under the rear of my truck, I'm convinced that my Groundforce kit should have come with the relocatation bracket as well. Sitting level with no load my track bar is lower on the passenger side by at least 2", maybe 3". When I hit bumps at highway speed the back of truck bucks left to right as the suspension moves. It's really bad. I have talked to GF, they are suggesting stiffer shocks, and claim their design doesn't need the track bar bracket.. Anyone else having similar issues on the GF kits??
While I don't have experience with your particular kit. I know that they're all pretty close to the same. I can't believe that it has taken this long before people started complaining or noticing these issues. Enough on that...
McGaughy felt it was necessary to relocate the panhard rod. Now Belltech is singing the same tune. They now manufacture a relocation bracket and are now offering them to folks that bought their kit. Just have to show proof of purchase and they'll send you one. I believe Belltech will also sell you one outright unlike McGaughy. Suspension geometry is suspension geometry. PERIOD.
They could end up with a lawsuit selling products that are unsafe to drive with. As stiffl as our coil springs are, I'd hate to have that kind of issue also. I'd need a new driver seat if the rear end swapped up on me on the interstate.
I got my Bell Tech relocator installed today, works great with the Ground Force kit. My track bar is within .5" of being level now, and the axle looks dead center. I have drove it down the highway since, but a quick trip around the neighborhood showed me a bit of handling improvement. I'll update after a highway trip.
I have a mcgaughys 2/4.5 drop kit and if im doing 75 on the interstate and come across a bridge as soon as I hit that bidge my rear bottoms out. What do I need to do to fix it thanks
I would suggest the same thing that a lot of others have done a purchase some kind of air bag kit to place i the rear coils. Mine bottomed out all the time, after the airbags I have had no issues and it handles better. I used the air lift 1000 kit model # 60824
I purchased the belltech 963 2/4 kit last week for my 2012 ram CC.I was very surprised when I opened the box,it came everything. Shorter endlinks, track bar relocator,bump stops, and a crossmember plate. Ordered it from Autoanything and got 10% off the price. Installed it today and I'm very happy with the stance and the ride as well
I never installed due to no directions...but planned on doing research with the part # on the template....only crossmember I see this fitting is the one under the tranny
Thinking of going with the belltech 2/4 street performance shocks. Does anyone also have after market sway bars? I seen a post of someone running spohn stuff but can't find it now.
Looking to set up the suspension to also run track. Ideas ?
alot of guys went with the Spohn bar (me being one of them) because it was all that was available. it i nice that it's adjustbale so you can dial it in but there's plenty of other guys who have a Helwig sway bar which is a great route to go as well as it has some adjustment to it as well.
Currently running beltech 2-4 drop springs. Dealership installed after I purchased truck as part of the deal. What they did is under warranty. Truck rides very bumpy. Purchased beltech street perfromance shocks to go along with it. Anything else I need??
Went out to check and make sure short end links are on there..they are..but the axel is not centered...sticking out on passenger side....f@&k!!!!! How do I fix this!? Or should I say..how do I make dealership fix this?
My rear axle was about .2 out after the install so I went with the Spohn adjustable panhard bar and got it back to spec. Also if you do a search in the lowering forum you will find shorter front end links from an F150 are being used by a lot of folks myself included. This helped the ride a lot. If you do a search for post by Q in the lowering section he has a lot of good info and has a nice set up. There are numerous links to the front end links they are only about 20-30 bucks. The Spohn bar if IRC is around 150
I gotta say you don't have to cut out the metal cups to use the front Belltech bump stops. I run them on my quad cab with zero issues. Just don't attack speed bumps and rail road tracks and you'l be fine, as for the adjustable panhard bar the adjustable one was used by a lot of us when that bracket that Belltech offers wasn't available. Ground Force drop kits have a bracket for the bar and after a lot of us emailed Belltech about the issue they finally released a bracket to drop that bar down level the way it should be, with it installed the axle should be better centered and ride properly.
I say try it for $50 and see if it works for you, then you won't be out the $$ the Spohn bar costs, and thats coming from someone who has one lol if it doens't work it's not a custom part so you can send it back, and get the bar.
So...I emailed belltech and asked about that 50$ part. I was told it was included in my coil springs kit. I believe them..I got under truck last night and sway bar has short end links.,and panhard bar has a new bolt on bottom hole and is also sitting level. I was told even that the part would not fix this issue as it is. Dodge issue.....that stock is also off center just so small..I couldn't notice....lowering the truck made it more apparent. I call bs....because I have all the parts (minus shocks) and it is still not centered. Looks exactly like pictures posted in other thread. I called the dealership and they said they would call they ppl that did it...that was at 11 this morning...heard nothing....
So..to recap....belltech kit (all parts they off minus shocks)and axel is off center to the passenger side (most like why the truck pulls that way)
Add the sphon adjustable panhard bar....axel will go back to center...?
Oh yea...this was a part of me buying the truck...so it's under their warranty....I hope I am not going to pay anything to get this issue fixed...
WOW! wanted to lower my single cab R/T now i am scared to death to do any thing to it. Is there a kit out there that is complete and that is right and will not have to go through all of these type of issues, or is it a buy here and buy there and good luck if you get the all right stuff and find some one who knows what they are doing with the lowering kit.
I used the BT 2/4 964SP kit, and just used factory shocks, and used rear SP shocks that came in the kit. I had the dealership do a 4 tire alignment, and it drives straight, rides good. Mine came with the shorter endlinks and relocator, so all tracks good on mine.
The BellTech 964SP kit is complete!!! It comes with 4 springs, 4 bump stops, 4 shocks, 2 sway bar end links and the PanHard bar relocation bracket.
Personally, the BellTech front shocks are a little to soft, so I reused the factory front shocks. When I had the alignment done they managed to get it set up within most of the specs. The truck tracks straight down the road and rides better than it did with the stock R/T springs. The only addition I would suggest is the shorter Ford F-150 front sway bar end links some of us are running. They seem to really reduce the harshness of the front end.