Before you could buy a brand-new '07 Silverado, the crew at McGaughy's Supension Parts already had a lowering kit on the shelf waiting for you to buy. Debuting at the '06 SEMA Show, its shop '07 Chevy looked awesome with its 5/7 drop and sporting 24-inch wheels. When talking to them, we expressed eager interest in showing readers the hottest drop kit for the hottest new truck in years. We trust the Mike McGaughy's brand because we've never had any bad luck with its kits. And, with a range of kits from a 2-inch rear leveling to the slammed stance of its 5/7 drop, time was of the highest importance.
In this story, we'll show you how to easily, with hand tools, install a 5-inch front and 7-inch rear drop kit on Chevy's latest-and-greatest fullsize creation. Which, happens to be the winner of our '07 Truck of the Year award. Don't worry if you're concerned about cutting into the frame of your hot-off-the-lot truck, the '07 Silverado has such a high step notch in the rear, there is no cutting required, even with a 7-inch drop. Not included in the kit, but required for a real custom look, were the 24x10-inch Foose wheels with Toyo 295/30R24 tires that perfectly filled the fender gap. If you're ready to step up and make your Silverado look custom, this is a great start.
After hours of the work, the...
After hours of the work, the '07 Silverado looked great, and the 24-inch wheels filled the fender gap just the way we liked.
Before McGaughy's crew tackled...
Before McGaughy's crew tackled the Silverado, it looked too vanilla for our tastes. All it took to turn it around was some parts off of the shelf.
Over at the McGaughy's shop...
Over at the McGaughy's shop in Fresno, California, the guys started by putting the truck on a lift and then removed the stock wheels and tires. Then, they moved in and disconnected the ABS plug and loosened and removed the upper strut nuts.
With the lower strut bolt...
With the lower strut bolt removed, the crew was able to pull out the factory strut and coil assembly.
After removing the brake-line...
After removing the brake-line bracket bolts from the back of the spindle, they used an impact to bust loose the caliper bolts. Then, it was as simple as removing the caliper and pads. A bungee cord was used to hang the caliper from the frame.
It was quick work to pull...
It was quick work to pull the rotor off of the hub with the caliper gone. After that, the guys used an air ratchet to remove the upper and lower ball-joint nuts.
Next up on the list, the McGaughy's...
Next up on the list, the McGaughy's crew busted loose the tire-rod end nut and removed the stock spindle.
With the factory spindle on...
With the factory spindle on the bench, the three retaining bolts were removed and the hub was separated from the spindle.
Using a pair of shears, a...
Using a pair of shears, a corner of the factory dust shield was cut to make room for the new spindle.
The McGaughy's kit included...
The McGaughy's kit included an upper stud that was installed into the backside of the spindle and torqued to 30 lb-ft.
With a dab of Loc-tite on...
With a dab of Loc-tite on the factory spindle bolts, the bolts were installed into the new McGaughy's drop spindle to rejoin the hub, spindle, and dust shield, and then tightened to factory recommended specs. Careful attention was paid to not over-tighten the bolts.
After placing the newly pieced-together...
After placing the newly pieced-together drop spindle on the truck, the new upper and lower ball-joint nuts were tightened. Next up, the tire-rod end nut was tightened.