Get the Drop with TrailFX Differential Lowering Kits

What is a ‘loose thread’ in the automotive world? Well, it’s usually a minor issue that you know you could get by without addressing, but still eats at the back of your mind. You know, that one little thing you let slide and even though nobody else in the world knows it even exists, it keeps you up at night.

Maybe it’s a light score you found in a cylinder or a low-grade bolt that doesn’t quite belong in the setting it’s in. Or, perhaps, it’s that differential sitting in the stock location on your lifted vehicle. Now, we may not be able to tackle those other nagging loose threads today. But we can talk about TrailFX Differential Lowering Kits and how they can help you sleep at night.

What happens to your driveline as the truck is lifted?

So, what is a differential lowering kit? Well, to answer that, we have to answer the question of: Why do you need one? A lift kit is designed to rework the geometry of your suspension and bring the body up further from the ground. As this happens, the suspension is still going to work to keep those tires in contact with the ground. And, as this happens, the resting state of your control arms will be put at a downward angle that is harder than usual. Since the differential is staying in a relative position to the stock configuration, this puts the CV shafts at a more extreme angle, too.

Now, your CV shafts are designed to work at an angle—but too much of an angle is hard on the internal parts. This can lead to excessive wear and possibly even binding of the u-joints within. Obviously, nobody wants this on their truck.

This is why a differential lowering kit is used. It works to pull the differential down away from its original resting point on the chassis, correcting the angles on the CV shafts, and reducing the risk of damage and wear. This will result in a more reliable and capable truck or SUV that is wearing a lift kit.

Differential Drop to the Rescue

TrailFX Differential Lowering kits are very straightforward—as they should be. You are not reinventing the wheel here, and the manufacturer understands that. TrailFX differential drops are designed to fit in place of the factory differential mounts. The differential connects to the vehicle with two bolts and some bushings. A TrailFX diff kit includes aluminum spacer plates to place in between the mounts and the chassis, as well as the longer bolts necessary to mount them. You can expect 2-4 spacers depending on the application and lift height. And some can be offset in size to have the proper angle for clearance.

An important thing to note is that if you purchase your lift or level kit through TrailFX, and a differential lowering kit is necessary, it will actually be bundled in your original purchase. Ryan Osborne, TrailFX Product Manager, explains: “When we first rolled out TFX Suspension, differential lowering kits were an extra piece. Since restructuring the leveling program at the end of 2017, all kits that require differential drop parts now include them. This was primarily in Toyota Tacoma and Tundra applications. Now, if a TFX lift or level kit requires a differential lowering kit or parts, it will include them as part of the bill of materials.”

As simple as this kit is, it is a direct indication of an easy installation that you can do in your own time. Of course, I will always encourage anyone who isn’t comfortable working under their vehicle to leave it to the professionals. Typically, with work that includes the driveline I would even insist upon it. However, this really is a super straightforward job that you can do in just a few minutes.

Installing a TrailFX Differential Lowering Kit

What will you need to install a TrailFX differential lowering kit? First, a jack and jack stands, plus the appropriate sockets and box wrenches, a breaker bar, ratchet, and a torque wrench. It also doesn’t hurt to get some red thread-locker to help secure the hardware in place.

Using proper jack safety, you will lift the front of the truck up into the air and secure the vehicle with jack stands. Once that is done, use the jack to help lower the differential. Then, using the breaker bar and hand wrenches, simply break the factory differential mounting bolts free and remove them from the vehicle. Then, after allowing the differential to lower enough, slide the new spacers between the mounts and the chassis. From there, line the bolts up, slide them into place and torque them down. And don’t forget to apply thread locker.

Once it’s all tightened up, you’re done and you can go off and enjoy the truck without having to worry about any CV issues. Again, it might not be something you absolutely need, but even with small lifts it’s a good idea to use a differential drop kit.

Besides, nobody likes loose threads.