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View Full Version : JM longtubes with non-Hotchkis drop



blaindsmith
05-28-2008, 02:37 PM
Anyone have this done? Which drop do you have?

I wanna drop my truck but I also want the longtubes to fit right and I know the JMs where designed on a hotchkis drop.

Pics would be sweet too.

Jamie Black R/T
05-28-2008, 02:54 PM
those headers hit all over the place on a stock ride height truck...either way you have to deal with it

blaindsmith
05-28-2008, 02:58 PM
those headers hit all over the place on a stock ride height truck...either way you have to deal with it

Oh I don't have them on now. Sorry if it wasn't clear. I want to drop it first and then get the headers. I just want to get the right drop first.

bad360rt
05-28-2008, 03:10 PM
I think the Spintechs might fit a lil better, just from looking at the pictures. Not sure if anyone besides Sam has installed them yet tho.

Jamie Black R/T
05-28-2008, 03:55 PM
I just want to get the right drop first.

i think most of the guys on this board would agree that the hotchkis drop is the "right" drop...but as far as header fitment with other options...not sure

so ill stop cluttering up your thread now

free bump :biggthumpup:

WeezyRT
05-28-2008, 05:22 PM
FYI - Apparently Hotchkis has been discontinued as of 5/22/08 anyway.

DakRat33
05-28-2008, 10:10 PM
supposedly U can still find the Hotckis on E-Bay...but I'm not sure

BTLFED R/T
05-28-2008, 10:29 PM
A lowering kit is a lowering kit. The only differences I could see would be in the amount you lower the truck, or if you use control arms. Which, I don't see that being an issue either.

blaindsmith
05-29-2008, 02:13 AM
A lowering kit is a lowering kit. The only differences I could see would be in the amount you lower the truck, or if you use control arms. Which, I don't see that being an issue either.

That is what I am thinking. 2" is 2" inches if your doing drop coils from Hotchkis or Belltech. Sames goes for leafs. Just making sure before I started dropping money.

NICKELEYE_RT
05-29-2008, 02:29 AM
those headers hit all over the place on a stock ride height truck...either way you have to deal with it

I'm about to install the JM LT's on my stock heigh RC... (well my shop is not me.) lol.. they did RTSpeeddemons and weren't super excited to see me with the same ones!

Jamie Black R/T
05-29-2008, 03:09 PM
yeah a friend of mine runs a speed shop here and he installed a set for an R/T last summer

he said it was about a 11 hour install with a hoist and everything at his disposal

all said and done he showed me 12 different points where you could not slip a playing card through :jerkit:

Hugh Jassole
05-29-2008, 03:11 PM
yeah a friend of mine runs a speed shop here and he installed a set for an R/T last summer

he said it was about a 11 hour install with a hoist and everything at his disposal

all said and done he showed me 12 different points where you could not slip a playing card through :jerkit:

things like this make me wonder why anyone would bother with those headers. Say waht you want about the Spintechs, but nobody has ever had a fitment issue with those or the PPHs

mtlcafan79
05-29-2008, 03:55 PM
My spintechs bounce off the frame rails at idle. Stupid 99 frame.

krusty_R/T
05-29-2008, 09:43 PM
My spintechs bounce off the frame rails at idle. Stupid 99 frame.
Mine were ground down on the passenger side so that doesn't happen :biggthumpup:

Not like it's ever driven anyways :jerkit: LOL

grapejuice1998
05-29-2008, 10:58 PM
My spintechs bounce off the frame rails at idle. Stupid 99 frame.

Mine too. Even with Todds cool port plates. :(

BTLFED R/T
05-29-2008, 11:35 PM
Mine never hit anything. Wierd!

NightmareR/T
05-30-2008, 01:07 AM
Anyone have this done? Which drop do you have?

I wanna drop my truck but I also want the longtubes to fit right and I know the JMs where designed on a hotchkis drop.

Pics would be sweet too.

Well is what I can tell you, that I had to grind down the upper control arm to have the rear exhaust tube to fit and allow a proper amount of travel on the front suspension. I also had to grind down the lower control arm bracket to allow the header to fit perfectly. Every truck is a bit different, while another one that is in our town group, he did not have to grind down to fit the collector properly, I just had to.

If I were you, and from the experience that i had, I would do the exhaust and suspension drop at the same time. And here is why. When I did my install on the headers, I spent a lot of time on the passenger side to get the header in. And the easiest way that i got them in was, taking off the top control arm and tilt the engine just enough to slide the header in. Then, I just eye-balled on connecting the upper-control arm back on. I then took it to the dealership and had them re-aligned the front suspension, I wasn't off too much. After the complete install, and a new cam, that combo dropped little over a second off my time compared to the Spin-techs and a cam. I was really quite impressed with the difference between the two headers. There was really a lot of thought put into these and they look great.

Anyway, it did take a long time on the install, basically teaching myself on how to do it. Even with all the tools that i have, it did take about 10 hrs to do it all and making sure that there was no leaks.

Matt

mtlcafan79
05-30-2008, 01:07 AM
Mine didn't do it with the R/T heads. It started doing it with the Eddy heads after the swap.

mtlcafan79
05-30-2008, 01:08 AM
Mine never hit anything. Wierd!

Your tubes must be smaller than ours. LOL....

BTLFED R/T
05-30-2008, 04:45 AM
PSSSHHTT!!

I take that back. Had a little issue where the exhaust went over the frame, but nowhere else.

Hugh Jassole
05-30-2008, 12:43 PM
Mine too. Even with Todds cool port plates. :(

what's unique about the 99 frame ?

Hugh Jassole
05-30-2008, 12:46 PM
Your tubes must be smaller than ours. LOL....


Everything about him is smaller than usual :jester:

mtlcafan79
05-30-2008, 12:47 PM
Frame rails are closer together for some reason. I'm assuming this is 97-99 trucks as those years had the same MP exhaust part numbers. 00 on up had different ones.

WhiteRT
05-30-2008, 02:45 PM
Frame rails are closer together for some reason. I'm assuming this is 97-99 trucks as those years had the same MP exhaust part numbers. 00 on up had different ones.

The frame came in on the pre 00 trucks....

What we found out doing the GiSM true dual exhaust was in 00 they made a frame change that was a future fix to 01's with precats.....they clearanced the frame another inch or two on those rigs in preparation for the precats coming in 01, otherwise the 00 would have had the same frame as well....

Dunno if that is accurate info but it seemed to fit the bill....

Todd

mtlcafan79
05-30-2008, 03:02 PM
Sounds reasonable enough to me.