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Mazda Lowering Static \  4" angle blocks and other drop questions

4" angle blocks and other drop questions

Mazda Lowering Static Mazda Suspension Mazda Tech
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replies 10
following 5
 
xaaronx   +1y
so i just put on some djm 3" lowering blocks and just need more lol.

1. i read that with a 4" drop you'll need angled blocks, are these the said blocks?

2. which way should the angle be facing to correct it? should it slant down towards the rear or towards the front?

3. will i run into any troubles with 4" blocks? i know it's going to set the axle one inch closer to the frame and i'll need new shocks for sure. anything else?

also, when i was installing the u-bolts THAT WERE INCLUDED with my 3" kit, two nuts got cross-threaded and two or three washers were basically crushed BEFORE being torqued to spec. i was only at about 60ftlbs and it said to torque them to 80ftlbs. wtf. they were replaced with some i bought from autozone but still
sonikk71   +1y
Do not use 4 inch blocks! Trust me you will thank me later. It is a really bad idea. What size wheels are you running? That matters too. Many times 4 inch blocks place your lower shock mount so close to the ground you will be hitting everything. You would be better off with pulling a leaf and sticking with your 3 inch blocks.
mazdaman82   +1y
yes what he said....pull the 2 leafs in the middle leave the main and the over load
v8mazda4ever   +1y
dont pull leafs get your leaf pack de ached. your leaf pack is designed to carry the weight of the truck and it rides alot better with a full pack. By pulling leafs you are weaking the rear of your truck and up here where I live if you are ever pulled over and get inspected you can and will have your plates removed until the truck is put back to how it should be. And before you say some thing about air ride you are running a 4 link and bags that most times support alot more than the wieght of your truck. jsut my 2 cents keep your truck safe when out on the road where others drive.
sonikk71   +1y

I must respectfully disagree. Removing one leaf will not weaken the rear of your truck. Your frame is still in the exact same condition and your axle is still the same. The only thing that you are doing by pulling one is decreasing the spring rate. Hence you will not be able to haul as much without it bottoming out. But guess what? You are driving a lowered truck...are you really going to be hauling boulders in the back of that thing? I personally know of at least 35 to 40 people who have done this and had no issues. I myself ran my dawg like that way back in the day before I went to the adjustable setup I have now. Removing one leaf will not hurt anything. Heck I ran a mono leaf for awhile with the overload on top to prevent axlewrap. I hear you on building your truck safely and not hacking stuff up but there is absolutely no safety issue with running it this way.
v8mazda4ever   +1y
one leaf okay but not single leaf and it does make a difference in handling to but I see your point about hauling stuff in your lowered truck. I just have seen some scaring things when going single leaf but I am more about keeping it safe there are way to many people doing things way to cheap and not taking the time to do it right. I am not saying you are not doing it right but this is why we have bad press on us and why cops are always busting our balls LOL. Not trying to start anything just putting in my 2 cents.
xaaronx   +1y
4" blocks are really that bad, eh? well, i will take your guys' advice and not do that. looks like i'll attempt the mono leaf+overload. one thing i couldn't figure out in the tutorial on doing it is what size bolt do i replace the centering pin with and which end goes where? like, does the head of the bolt go on the bottom of the leaf pack or the top. i just prefer to know these things before i go digging into my vehicles.
badchicn (rick)   +1y
Yes 4" blocks are bad news for Mazdas. As far as the center pin is concerned, use a replacement pin. The round head acts as a locator for the block and if you use a common bolt, the head can lead to a cracked block. You might get away with a socket head cap bolt that fits the hole in your block snuggly. I have always used the stock center pin with some washers on the bottom side to take up the extra slack. Always remember to cut the protruding threads of your u-bolts and center pin. These tend to be long after lowering and may get caught on stuff in the road. Also remember to re-tighten every bolt after a few miles and again after 500 miles. Axel u-bolts are notorious for working their way loose.
xaaronx   +1y
yeah i keep meaning to retighten those nuts. it's been a few days, i'll do that now. is it REALLY necessary to cut the excess off the u-bolts? i may eventually do it but that just seems like a kind of cramped spot and i don't want to have to take them off in risk of more crossthreaded nuts lol

anyone else ever had any experience with them crossthreading? they weren't even torqued to what the instruction booklet said to lol
badchicn (rick)   +1y
Tips for successful rear static drop.
1) Run no larger than a 3" block
2) Strip the leaf springs down to the main leaf and overload (short fat one)
3) Keep the factory bump stops, but cut them down so they only protrude a little bit above the u-bolts. This prevents metal to metal contact if you don't have a notch.
4) Use air shocks in the rear, for adjustability if you really must haul something.
5) Trim u-bolts flush with the bottom of the nuts.
6) Re-tighten all bolts after 50 miles and again after 500 miles.

This will give you a low and safe drop.