The Chevrolet Colorado, like many stock pickup trucks, suffers from excessive body roll while cornering presenting limits to it's cornering ability. The most effective way to improve the handling on your Colorado is by lowering it's center of gravity to minimize the effects of body roll during a turn. Aftermarket parts are available through many auto parts stores that make this modification within the skill level of the average home mechanic. Using the correct parts to lower the Colorado will improve the cornering capabilities of the truck without sacrificing a smooth ride.
Instructions
Front Suspension
1. Apply the parking brake and place wheel chocks behind the front wheels. Lift the front of the truck using a floor jack placed under the lower control arm and slide a jack stand under the frame for added safety. Remove the front wheel lug nuts with a lug wrench. Lay the wheel and nuts aside.
2. Unbolt the sway bar from the lower control arm using a wrench and socket. Remove the tie rod nut from the steering knuckle using a wrench. Hit the steering knuckle with a hammer, near the tie rod end, until the tie rod pops free from the steering knuckle.
3. Disconnect the lower ball joint from the steering knuckle using a wrench to remove the ball joint nut and a hammer to loosen it from the control arm. Remove the two bolts that attach the strut to the lower control arm using a socket and ratchet. Pry up on the upper control arm with a pry bar until the ball joint stud slides out of the steering knuckle.
4. Remove the two bolts that attach the lower control arm to the frame of the truck using a wrench, socket and ratchet. Slide the control arm out of the frame and lay it aside.
5. Install a new control arm into the frame, but leave the bolts loose. Lift up on the control arm and insert the ball joint stud into the steering knuckle. Install the ball joint nut finger tight. Place the floor jack under the lower control arm and lift it until the ball joint stud is pushed completely into the steering knuckle. Tighten the ball joint nut securely.
6. Reinstall the strut bolts and tighten them securely. Reinstall the tie rod nut and tighten it securely. It may be necessary to lift the tie rod into place on the steering knuckle using the floor jack in the same manner as when installing the ball joint stud. Reinstall the sway bar onto the lower control arm. Reinstall the wheel and repeat the process for the other side of the truck.
Rear Suspension
7. Block the front wheels with wheel chocks and lift the rear differential using the floor jack. Support the weight of the truck using jack stands positioned under the frame. Remove the rear wheels and lower the floor jack.
8. Unbolt the axles from the leaf springs by removing the u-bolts by using a socket and a ratchet. Lift the axles off the leaf springs with the floor jack positioned under the center of the differential.
9. Place lowering blocks between the leaf spring and the axles and align the alignment pin on the blocks with the hole in the leaf springs and axles. Lower the differential until the axles are sitting on the lowering blocks and install the longer u-bolts supplied with the lowering blocks.
10. Reinstall the wheels. Lift the truck off of the jack stands and remove the stands from under the frame. Lower the jack until the wheels are on the ground and tighten the lug nuts on the wheels securely. Test drive the truck to verify it drives correctly and have a front end alignment performed by an auto repair shop.
Tags: ball joint, steering knuckle, floor jack, lower control, ball joint stud, joint stud, using wrench
