So will the Hotchkis kit work on our trucks? Read for details.

So I had a new set of rear leafs from Hotchkis sitting in the garage. I also had a new set of rear leafs off of a QC SRT-10 ( Thanks Fast Fred ) right next to the hotchkis for comparison. Obvious differences were the arch of course and the curl at the ends of the leafs. And overall thickness of the metal leafs. The curl at the end of the stock leafs start under the then wrap over the bushing. The Hotchkis are opposite. I am guessing that Hotchkis did this to get more drop without sacrificing strength. We measured from from the front of the center point to the pin centered in the leaf. Everything looked good. We installed the Hotchkis leafs with the Caltracs bushing. And the shorter Bilstiens from Hotchkis. Got one side mounted up and noticed something wrong. How is the caltracs going to work with the curl going in the opposite direction as the OEM leaf. So we made a phone call to someone we knew had a Hotchkis/Caltracs set up on his Ram. He advised use that in order to get it to work we would have to flip the main leaf. Of course this brought up some doubts but we were assured this is what the racers are doing that run Hotchkis and Caltracs. So knowing that I could always go back if things did not work out or if I did not like it we proceeded. In the end after getting it all bolted up we noticed that the axle now sits about .5"-1" further back from the center of the bump stops. Double checked the leaf pin to make sure it was in the center hole in the perch's. It was were it should be. With the tires on it is perfectly centered in the wheel well.

So onto the test drive. The trucks ride was much improved over Hennessey Jr's kit. It was a little stiffer but not harsh. Feedback seemed to better. So far I really like it.

Because we had to flip the main leaf to get the Caltracs on. It actually raised the rear about 3/4" giving me a slight rake. Which I actually like more than the level look. As far as towing is concerned. I do not tow with my truck because I have nothing to tow. So I do not recommend this setup if you plan on towing or you have airbags. Know I just need to put the front Hotchkis springs in.

Pictures?

I went to Hotchkiss to have them use my truck as the prototype for a sway bar kit- LONG TIME AGO...(2004). After going over my truck, the staff wrote me a letter telling me that they had declined to go ahead with the program as there was just not a big enough market to develop the suspension kit for the SRT-10 truck.....

To the best of my knowledge they never did........

And you thought I was devoid of technical expertise.....

D

So if anyone has any questions or wants a pic of any particular part/location let me know. I will try to take them later today.

here are a couple of pics.

sexy truck im liking the black racing stripes
now smog out the rear tail lights and itll look awsome

Django said:

I went to Hotchkiss to have them use my truck as the prototype for a sway bar kit- LONG TIME AGO...(2004). After going over my truck, the staff wrote me a letter telling me that they had declined to go ahead with the program as there was just not a big enough market to develop the suspension kit for the SRT-10 truck.....

To the best of my knowledge they never did........

And you thought I was devoid of technical expertise.....

D

Click to expand...

You are absolutely correct. Hotchkis has never to date created a kit for our trucks. I just got off the phone with Drew from Hotchkis, and he said they built the kits for the regular 1500s. Drew himself worked on the SRT-10 project (your truck actually) and said the balance, and everything was way off. So the combination of having to create a new kit, and the low production numbers caused Hotchkis to scrap the program. Hotchkis has since stopped creating anything for the Ram. FYI...

If you know of anyone looking for a Brand new (shocks still in the box) Hotchkis rear lowering kit I have one for sale for $500 for their 1500. I bought it from a guy with an RC for my QC, but have not had a chance to install it. Finding this out I am selling this kit in order to actually buy a lowering kit made for our trucks. Please let me know what company makes good lowering kits.

I have a question in regards to lowering kits. I seem to find a lot of people talking about raking when it comes to the lowering of a truck. What is raking? Is it the difference between the front and rear heights? If so, why is a raking where the rear is higher a bad thing? Seems to me you would want a lower stance in the front for when you accelerate to naturally level out the vehicle. Or when towing, the weight would naturally lower the back end to even it out. Doesnt aerodynamics improve with a lower front compared to higher rear (hence why most if not all sports, and super cars have this aggressive stance)?