2007 Silverado with a Calmax 3/6 kit

2007 Chevy Silverado Suspension Drop by DJM

THE ’07 SILVERADO IN THE WEEDS

DJM installs their new 3-6 Calmax drop kit for the new Chevy

Story & photos by Marshall Spiegel

Originally Published in 2007

The new ’07 Chevy Silverado has to be one of Detroit’s best efforts of late. It is a big, robust, comfortable pickup with more than enough power; excellent interior appointments and ride and handling to die for. It features stock ride height of 22 ¼”

in front and 25”in the rear. Like most new American vehicles, the rear is noticeably higher than the front, resulting in a stance that is unappealing too much of the market.

Drawing on the success of the drop kits they designed, engineered and are now manufacturing for the ’07 Chevy Tahoe, DJM Suspension of Gardena, CA, has created a line of drop kits for the new Silverado. The dimensions of the drop kits are 2¼ inches by 3 inches; 2¼ by 4½; 3¼ by 5; 3¼ by 6; 4¼ and 7. As always, the DJM engineers’ primary consideration was to produce lowering kits that would not adversely effect the Silverado’s ride and handling.

One of the lowest of DJM’s new drop kits for the ’07 Silverado, 3 ¼ “ by 6”, is achieved by installing specially engineered upper and lower control arms to lower the front and a flip kit and special hanger brackets to drop the rear.

By positioning the leaf spring bolt so close to the gas tank, the manufacturer has challenged the installer who must remove the leaf spring pack to flip the axle. The obvious approach is to remove or loosen the gas tank and an interfering section of the exhaust system so that the leaf spring bolt can be removed. Removing the gas tank is laborious; time-consuming and expensive for the customer. DJM is offering a quicker and easier technique by removing a few elements such as the “U” bolt, the leaf spring center bolt and the brake lines; supporting the axle on a floor jack with wheels and moving the axle sideways just enough so the leaf spring clears the axle. The following photos show exactly how the DJM approach gets the job done without the need for removing the gas tank and offending exhaust system components.

To further simplify the job and make it as easy as possible, the new kits from DJM come complete with ball joints installed and all components ready to install. However, to prevent damage in shipping, the zerk fittings for lubricating the twin tube sleeves are not screwed in place at the factory. Therefore, the enclosed directions require the installer to simply screw the zerk fitting into the predrilled lube holes and add lubricant through the zerk fittings.

As you can see from the accompanying photos, installation of the DJM 3¼ X 6 drop kit is clean and straightforward, giving the Silverado a considerably more aggressive and attractive stance.

(This kit is available at the djmfactorystore.com). Check out the photo gallery below to see how the parts went on, and click on the ( I ) in the picture to read the caption!

2007-silverado-36-djm-calmax-drop-kit

28 Responses to 2007 Silverado with a Calmax 3/6 kit

Stephan
May 11, 2011 | 7:16 am

Is this 2007 4wd? If not is there a recommended kit for the 4wd?

Reply
- Administrator
  May 11, 2011 | 8:56 am
  
  Stephan,
  
  No I am sorry to say this kit works on 2WD only. There are kits for a 4WD however. They consist of coil springs for the front and of course the same rear parts as the 2WD. We have a 2/3 or a 2/4 kit available for your 4WD. Click here to get to the Factory Store to see the kits!
  
  DJM Tech
  
  Reply
richard winnan
July 4, 2011 | 6:30 pm

I have a 2007 1/2 gmc 4 door 1/2 ton with a 4/6 drop and i have a lost a lot of my turning. I saw that my tierods were at a angle that it looks like it is the problem. If that is, is there a tierod flip kit for the truck? I would like to have my turning ablity back. Other than that the kit is BADASS!! And i still tow a 16ft car trailerand it still rides great!

Reply
- Administrator
  July 6, 2011 | 1:04 pm
  
  Richard,
  
  When you lower the front of a truck or SUV that much you lose a little turning radius. I drive a 2007 Tahoe with the 3″ arm kit and have noticed a slight loss of turning radius, it does depend on the wheel and tire combo you have. Remember there simply is not as much room for the suspension to rotate as it had at stock height. Your tierods should be fine the way they are and will not interfere with turning radius. Thanks for your compliments!
  
  DJM Tech
  
  Reply
Aaron
July 10, 2011 | 11:11 pm

I have a 91 Chevy 1/2 ton SWB Reg Cab. I installed the 3″ drop springs in the front and there is no difference in ride height from stock. All I did was remove the stock and install the physically shorter spring. Did I do something wrong? Will the springs settle the 3″ they were supposed to drop?

Reply
- Administrator
  July 14, 2011 | 10:03 am
  
  Aaron,
  
  If you install 3″ drop springs you should see some significant drop. There can be many reasons why you might not get a full 3″ drop but you should see something. Lets begin at the part, can you give me a part number from the springs? You may not actually have what you think. Also with a 3″ drop you would need to install a shorter shock absorber (the stock lenght shock will restrict suspension travel). On your 91 Chevy you need to be careful when you mount the spring to not bend the little tabs in the upper spring seat. It is very easy to bend one or more over which will not allow the spring to seat all the way, essentially making the spring longer. Plus your 91 Chevy may have over the last 20 years settled because of use and time. Any or all of these factors can influence the ride height but as I said you should see some drop. Let me know what the part numbers are and we will go from there!
  
  DJM Tech
  
  Reply
Charles Ratcliff
September 11, 2011 | 5:32 pm

I recently purchased a a DJM flip kit part 3 RK2507-7 . I had a blow out on my tires before I received my order so I purchased new tires . The tires that were on my truck were 2654022 and I had a 10 inch gap between the tire tread and the fender well . I purchased a set of 3054522 to replace the bad tires and now I have a 8 inch gap . I was wondering if I could still use this kit or maybe use parts of it to lower my truck or do I need to purchase another kit? Thanks Charles

Reply
- Administrator
  September 13, 2011 | 1:21 pm
  
  Charles,
  
  We cannot say for sure, but it seems you should have no trouble with your combination. If you find the rear to low however, you can add a couple of parts to the 7″ to bring it all the way up to 4″. Go ahead and see where you end up knowing you can make adjustments!
  
  DJM Tech
  
  Reply
Constantino Valencia
September 12, 2011 | 3:40 pm

I have a 2007 Silverado regular cab V8 do I have to C-Notch the frame with the 7″ drop? Also do I need different shocks for it. And if I do a 4″ drop in the front do I need different shocks for that too?

Reply
- Administrator
  September 13, 2011 | 3:16 pm
  
  Constantino,
  
  Using our 7″ rear drop kit you do not have to “C-notch” the frame, you will however need to remove the factory bump stop mount and replace the bump stop with our urethane part. You will need to run shorter shocks on the rear, and believe it or not you don’t have to on the front. Your Silverado is equipped with McPherson struts in the front and stays completely stock when using Calmax control arms. Here is a link to find out more!
  
  DJM Tech
  
  Reply
nick
December 16, 2011 | 7:57 pm

i have a 2011 chevy do yall have 4 inch drop leaf springs for it

Reply
- Administrator
  December 16, 2011 | 10:47 pm
  
  Nick,
  
  I am sorry we don’t build lowered leaf springs. They lower fine but through testing we found the ride quality to be less than using the factory spring and repositioning them to the desired ride height. For an alternative to a lowered leaf please consider our rear 4″ kit for your 2011 Silverado. You can check it out here at our factory store
  
  Reply
Kyle
February 17, 2012 | 8:40 pm

i have an 08 silverado. i had installed a 3-6 kit about a year ago. i now have a problem with the front end of the suspension “creeking” and “grinding” real bad going over bumps or pulling out of drive thru’s. what could this possibly be and what do i do to stop it? i also will put that i do baby this truck and have no idea how this has came along…

Reply
- Administrator
  February 18, 2012 | 12:09 pm
  
  Kyle,
  Sounds like you need a little lubrication! The “creeking and grinding” is probably both dry ball joints and dry pivot bushings. Ball joints that go dry make awful grinding and popping sounds, so get some grease in there and it will become quiet. The pivot bushings are made from urethane, a great durable tuff material that squeaks to high heaven when its dry, or overtightened! I would recommend a teflon grease or “neverseeze” as a good lubricant for the pivot bushings and be-careful not to over tighten them. Anything past snug where there is no slop or lateral movement is to much. Also be sure to use “locktite” on the bolt and nut so you don’t have to worry you haven’t tightened the nut enough!
  
  DJM Tech
  
  Reply
  - Kyle
    February 18, 2012 | 8:43 pm
    
    i do lube them..every oil change lol that is why im lost on whats going on…today i looked and the boot looks to be damaged on the ball joint..idk how that happended though..since i only drive the truck on good roads
    
    Reply
    - Administrator
      February 20, 2012 | 7:07 am
      
      Kyle,
      Well if the pivots and ball joints are all lubed up there really isn’t a good reason you have that type of noise. If you have a damaged ball joint boot maybe that ball joint is dry. Ball joints can make some weird awful sounds when they are to dry. The only other factor that comes to mind is temperature, cold equals noise. Check that ball joint!
      
      DJM Tech
      
      Reply
jesse527
May 25, 2012 | 1:53 pm

and question how much for the 3/6 kit ??

Reply
- Administrator
  May 29, 2012 | 9:45 am
  
  Jesse,
  You can see all the kit options by clicking here, plus scroll to the bottom of the kit page for a link to the individual parts page for more pictures and options!!
  
  Mark
  
  Reply
Luis Olivares
June 10, 2012 | 9:07 am

Will this drop rub on 305/40r/22′s? Or will even a 4/6 drop rub? Ive been told I can’t drop my truck more than 2/4 with the tires I have on and have to go to 265/35/22. I’d rather not run rubber bands at this time. BTW 08 Silverado NNBS RST.

Reply
- Administrator
  June 12, 2012 | 2:10 pm
  
  Luis,
  
  We can’t tell you for sure if this wheel and tire combo will rub (we could not test every combination) however we can say that if you don’t deviate from the original diameter of the factory wheel and tire (assuming the offset is the same) you should not have any clearance problems. Almost every time we do R&D on a new project the truck had factory wheels and tires or we would test with factory wheels and tires to establish a baseline for fitment. If you have a good wheel and tire guy around you he might know better than us about your particular set up!
  
  Hope that helps!!
  
  Mark
  
  Reply
michael
August 12, 2012 | 1:03 am

i purchesed the 4 inch calmax control arms up front the 2507-4 for a 2011 silverado crew cab and i. The instructions it says that the djm upper balljoint is .020 bigger then the factory upper balljoint and says that i have to open the top spindle hole .020 bigger to fit that ball joint. Is this true pr did yours bolt right up to the spindle. Thanks for your time.

Reply
- Administrator
  August 13, 2012 | 12:43 pm
  
  Micheal,
  
  If the upper ball joint will not fit through the spindle opening it would be because that particular ball joint has threads with a outer diameter about .02″ bigger than factory. There is one ball joint manufacturer where this is true. 99% of the ball joints in our kits fit like factory, once in a while a slight modification is needed and if it is, it is a fairly simple procedure! If you need to, just follow the instructions and you will be fine.
  
  Mark
  
  Reply
Mike
August 19, 2012 | 9:24 am

I have a stock 07 1500 Chevy Ltz crew cab rolling on P275/55R20. I want to lower it to get rid of tire to fender gap but don’t want to change tire/rim size any idea on what lowering kit I need thanks

Reply
- Administrator
  August 20, 2012 | 9:09 am
  
  Mike,
  
  I think you can do anything you want with lowering and your wheels and tires. Click here to see all of the kit options we have! As a rule if you just want a moderate drop use the DJM2507-2/3,2/4,3/4 or 3/5 kits. All of these kits use Calmax Control Arms in the front and a rear flip kit with hardware to set your rear at the specified height. If you want to “show” style look try the DJM2507-4/6 or 4/7. These kits are pretty low but will align to factory specs and are drivable on a daily basis! If you need any more info let me know, good luck and send a picture!!
  
  Mark
  
  Reply
Kyle713
November 2, 2012 | 9:58 pm

With the 4/7 drop on my 07 crew cab if I have 24″ wheels that are the same height as my stock tires im good or is that only on the 3/7

Reply
- Administrator
  November 3, 2012 | 6:58 pm
  
  Kyle,
  
  As long as you still running the overall factory wheel and tire diameter you should be a-ok!
  
  Mark
  
  Reply
lucas
February 4, 2013 | 7:42 am

do you have pdf of instructions for 4/7 drop? 07-12 gm crewcab

Reply
- Administrator
  February 5, 2013 | 11:46 am
  
  Lucas,
  
  Just click here for a link to the individual parts page and select the instruction you would like to download!
  
  Mark
  
  Reply