lowering cross member on front diff

Howdy all.. Just wondering if any one has built their own front diff cross member to lower the front diff ?
I am thinking about buying the drop down bush kit from the states that has 4 bushes to drop the diff and make my own cross member and then use 2 of the bushes from the states kit to lower the rear cross member that has the rubber bushes in it..
The kit here from superior engineering is $550 plus delivery and drops the diff 30 to 35mm. The one from the states is $120 delivered and only drops it down 10mm
I was thinking I could make one, as the labour is my own and the only out lay would be the kit from the states and the price of the metal used.. $100 tops inc gas and wire
Has anyone made their own and have any templates etc

Is anyone interested in having one made- I am a sign fabricator and have many hours on the "mig" !
cheers vic

Someone on here modified their stock front diff x-member by cutting off the ends where the bolt holes and then welded it back up so that there was a slight offset, they can into issues hitting something though, I cant remember all the details

Shorty4655 said:

Someone on here modified their stock front diff x-member by cutting off the ends where the bolt holes and then welded it back up so that there was a slight offset, they can into issues hitting something though, I cant remember all the details

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Howdy, it may have been the lower C/A Shorty??

The one from superior cuts it very fine I would say, to me it looks like there is only 30 to 35mm from the L/C/A to the C/V as it is now! stock ( or now with the 2" kit ) should I say...
I couldn't find any posts- the "little banning people" may have removed it due to the fact "whoever it was", was playing with structural components but there sure as hell isn't anything on here "I" can find?

Hey mate,

I just did a quick search and cant find it either, I remember wanting to replace my front xmember bushing and was trying to search info for that, then inadvertently stumbled across some guy who had done a home made version of a diff drop. And all I can remember was reading how it didnt work cos he had some clearance issue. Sorry I cant be of more help.

Shorty

thanks man cheers! I'll keep looking

OK spoke with a twat called Chris jones at performance suspension who couldn't answer a question of "what pinion angle will be produced with their drop down cross member" , and instead took it personally and hung up on me when I asked to speak with someone that may know ffs what is it with these people ffs.. The attitude and contempt this twat shown was another eye opener indeed.
There is no other kit available I can find other than these two- the cross member drop and the drop bushes...

Not Snake nor Calmini do a front diff drop ! ffs! How can they sell these u/c arms and not do a drop kit ffs...
If you want to drop the front diff one will need to do it themselves or rely on these other kits, personally I would go the bushes as they keep the original pinion angle but at a lower point. These "cross member and bush kits look the goods but I cant get any info on them from the twits answering the phones there.. I'm thinking of buying the 2 cross members from the wreckers and have them dropped 20 mm to 25mm myself....any thoughts?

Yeah I reckon buying second hand crossmembers and either fabricating yourself
or getting someone to do the work for you would be the way to go. The diff drop kit performance suspension makes is pretty bloody pricey ($500). The diff drop bushings look like they would maybe drop the diff by 3/8s of an inch (talking 9-10mm)? This is what 4x4parts quotes and I would say they would be the same http://www.4x4parts.com/i-18916063-front-differential-drop-down-bushings.html

In all honesty even with the diff drop new crossmember Im not sure how much you can actually achieve by dropping the diff, especially when you consider the pinion angle and that you cannot correct it in IFS (or so I imagine).

Mate I tried asking superior engineering and 4x4parts in the USA what the measurement of the full suspension droop was when you installed their UCAs and no one could give me an answer, all I got was every truck is different. I said yeah accounting for wheel alignments it will be slightly different but a ball park figure would be nice. I just wanted to compare the full droop of my stock UCAs at 585mm compared to what their UCAs full droop measurement would be just to gauge what sort of cv angle you would be looking at if I had them installed at full suspension droop.

Did you actually ask performance suspension how much their kit actually drops the diff by? It seriously looks like it could be 25-30mm just by eye balling it.

Howdy man, yes I did Shorty and the answer I got from the dill Chris Jones is "oh about 30 or 35mm" ! If you look at the c/v's and lower control arm you can only go down 30 to 35 mm before you hit the L/C arm ! I will have a good look at it tomorrow shorty and get back to you.
It's a lot of money $550 for a kit that's not going to replicate the same pinion angle as stock.. You should have listened to the bullshit that came out of he's trap! Nearly as bad as the bullshit I got from snake racing in regards to selling these arms, and they do a 3'' lift also lol how the **** would that work. No shit the crap that this Ryan guy at snake spewed out was just pathetic ! I'm going to ring him back tomorrow and get him to repeat it so I can record it and play it here! absolutely ****'namazing...

At Least they talked to you.

You have not seen nothing,try dealing with Calmini. The Owner Steve is a real; piece of work.When I told him,With Calmini UCAs.My truck at full droop,CVs binding up.He said you did something wrong.I said Ok I removed them,I will drive truck to your business. Re install them and show you. No more answers from Steve,or to refund my money.Simple I put stop on Credit card,He never called me back.Or contested my card stop. Im sorry you had problem With Chris at Performance . He has been very helpful to me.

Well if you want me to post his emails all you have to do is ask Oh he thinks he's a genius and a real smarty this CHRIS JONES !
He is so smart he can't even tell me an angle on some thing he told me he designed lol what a twat- just another mutt believing it's own bullshit!
Of course he's going to be helpful and nice -he is trying to sell he's crap to you ! Wait until you discover an issue with a product and tell me then how you go! just say'n" !
Oh and I got the same shite from snake as you did from calmini! This twat Simon actually said it was because I have fitted after market bump stops and that they will compress more than the original rubber ones lol

I've been looking at these diff drop down kits because I want to put in a 3inch suspension lift but I have no idea how it all works.

What are the repercussions of not having the same pinion angle as stock??

Changes how much wear is done to your uni joints. Usually with a solid axle like in the rear you can use shims to adjust the tilt of the axle. With solid axles fronts you can buy adjustable arms so that you can lengthen them to retain similar pinion angles to factory as you raise the car up

Uni joints on prop shafts are designed to operate in pretty.tight tolerances because of the revolution speed they spin at

Dude the diff drop from performance Suspension is a great bit of kit. What does it matter the pinion angle. d22 front diffs mount to brackets and the performance Suspension diff drop uses a custom front bracket and offset bushes In the rear bracket, so if it's lowering it by 30mm it would have to be even amount otherwise it won't line up so the pinion angle will be exactly the same just in a lower position it's only live axles that really matter.
check your facts. I have had nothing but good service from the guys at performance Suspension.

KiwiKid088 said:

Dude the diff drop from performance Suspension is a great bit of kit. What does it matter the pinion angle. d22 front diffs mount to brackets and the performance Suspension diff drop uses a custom front bracket and offset bushes In the rear bracket, so if it's lowering it by 30mm it would have to be even amount otherwise it won't line up so the pinion angle will be exactly the same just in a lower position it's only live axles that really matter.
check your facts. I have had nothing but good service from the guys at performance Suspension.

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Here we go! DUuuDE!
Fact's - I can't get any because the dill that allegedly made and designed them cant give me any !
And of course you will get great service whilst your being sold something- I only asked a very relative question and this twat couldn't answer it and then became defensive and started spewing all sorts of crap and justifications.
Which to any man with any intelligence could see he's full of crap and knows nothing more than "it's" sorry arsed sales pitch!
FACT is he's full of shite and got caught out !

Maybe since your getting such great service there champ you can ask your mate Chris Jones what's the pinion angle of this product he allegedly DESIGNED !!

Ahhh see there you go- your assuming it does drop the diff evenly! Or am I wrong- "You do actually have this kit fitted" !
ok the front cross member they sell drops it say by 30mm- tell me champ how much do you think those off set bushes drop the diff? hmm ! Oh I'd say "at a guess" those bushes would drop it say 10mm or 3/8 if you wish.
So even with that maths I decide to ask this deceitful little turd that very question and got bullshited and manipulated!
Check my facts lol yeahhhh ok will do - best you do the same there genius , oh and give my regards to ya' mate Chris Jones or as I like to call "it"- SLINKY!

WHY-Because the last I heard from that genius he was slinking he's pathetic arse over the "I know **** all" horizon and off into the sunset!

There is also another issue I can see with this kit and I am wondering if yourself or "anyone else for that matter" can see it !

Please tell me if I'm wrong- I have no issues "at all" at being corrected! How else do we learn hey!

Soooo how long have you had this kit fitted to your d22 "KIwiKid" and how much did it cost you?
I'm assuming your in N.Z ??

fzrr said:

I've been looking at these diff drop down kits because I want to put in a 3inch suspension lift but I have no idea how it all works.

What are the repercussions of not having the same pinion angle as stock??

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Well it's not the issue of being the same angle as stock but the pinion angle of the diff and the transfer case should be the same or within 1 geg of each other I believe!
Sure your not driving down the highway in 4x4 so vibration shouldn't be a concern but it's the extra strain on universals joints, pinion and transfer case bearings and seals!
Oh and if you are planning on going the 3'' lift you will most certainly have to drop the front diff!
I just ordered the 2 cross members and will be looking at fabricating/engineering them to suit a "diff drop" ! I will post this dismantlers details for "you all" as he's prices are the best- quoted for two anywhere from $180 to $380 for them, this crew delivered them also for $120 ! Amazing - I love this dismantler lol
Do me a favour and ring this precision suspension and see if you can get any strait answers from them! Oh and say hello to slinky for me will you

Shorty4655 said:

Uni joints on prop shafts are designed to operate in pretty.tight tolerances because of the revolution speed they spin at

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Thanks man, your so right and I felt it was a good question to ask! that was my concerns to Shorty !

Use these guys, brilliant prices !

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