This month's Fantastic four focus again on the widely loved late-model Chevy Silverado. We were able to get our hands on an '06 extended cab specimen, which we knew would look amazing after a mild drop and an upgrade in rolling attire. Contacting Discout Tire Direct, we ordered a set of MB Smooth wheels already mounted and balanced inside a set of Goodyear tires. Receiving the wheels/tires ready to be bolted on saved us time and money-which we always love. Better handling and suspension response were both on our list of expectations from the Ground Force 2/4 lowering kit we ordered but, let's face it, cruising around in a lowered truck is really about excitement.
Even though our Silverado was on its way to looking great, it wasn't exactly a rocket when we picked it up. Aside from focusing on the truck's cosmetic condition, we thought we'd give it our best effort to add a little zip to its around-town hustle. Since we only found a V-6 underneath the hood, we decided that a quick phone call to Flowmaster for a less restrictive muffler and K&N for a better breathing intake would greatly improve its performance.
Once we gathered all of the new parts, we threw everything into the bed and raced over to JBM Motoring in Orange, California, where Adolfo Brisenio dropped the altitude and increased the attitude of our project Silverado. Since we wanted to improve the Chevy's airflow, we also made a stop at The Muffler Man, in Placentia, California, where resident fabricator, Josh Gledhill, extracted the optimum performance out of our Flowmaster muffler.
If you are interested in seeing just how quick and easy it is to increase the street credibility of your late-model Chevy Silverado, this story is for you.
 With the Silverado on the...  With the Silverado on the lift, Adolfo began the Ground Force suspension drop by first unbolting the tie rod from the spindle then... |  ...disconnecting the brake...  ...disconnecting the brake line from the caliper and the upper control arm connections. |  Adolfo then stepped into the...  Adolfo then stepped into the batter's box and swung his sledgehammer at the spindle like he was gunning for the fences in the World Series. |
 Down came the spindle and...  Down came the spindle and out came the shock and factory coil spring. |  Check out the 2-inch difference...  Check out the 2-inch difference between the height of the factory and Ground Force's coil (right). |  Adolfo then removed the boots...  Adolfo then removed the boots from the factory coils, attached them to the Ground Force springs, and reversed the disassembly process, which included the installation of new Ground Force shocks. |