Trail Master TM103N User Manual

400 W. Artesia Blvd. Fax: [phone]

Compton, CA 90220 Ph: [phone]

www.trailmastersuspension.com

CHEVEROLET SILVERADO 4WD/2WD 6” SUSPENSION LIFT KIT

‘07- ’13 KIT# TM103N

WARNING

Installation of a Trail Master suspension lift kit will
change the vehicle’s center of gravity and handling char­acteristics both on- and off-road. You must drive the ve­hicle safely! Extreme care must be taken to prevent vehi­cle rollover or loss of control, which could result in seri­ous injury or death. Avoid sudden sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers and always make sure all vehicle occupants
have their seat belts fas tened.

WARNING

Before you install this kit, read and understand all in­structions, warnings, cautions, and notes in this instruc­tion sheet and in the vehicle ow ner’ s ma nu al.

CAUTION

Proper installation of this kit requires knowledge of the
factor y reco mme nded proc edur es f or r emo val an d i nsta l­lation of original equipment components. We recommend
that the factory shop manual and any special tools
needed to service your vehicle be on hand during the
installation. Installation of this kit without proper knowl­edge of th e fac tor y rec omme nded proc edur es ma y af fect
the performance of these components and the safety of
the vehicle. We strongly recommend that a certified me­chanic familiar with the installation of similar components
install this kit.

WARNING

Many states and municipalities have laws restricting
bumper heights and vehicle lifts. Consult state and local
laws to determine if the changes you intend to make to
the vehicle comply wit h the law .

WARNING

The installation of larger tires may reduce the effective­ness of the braking system.

WARNING

Always wear eye protection when operating power tools.

WARNING

Before you install this kit, block the vehicle tires to pre­vent the vehicle from rolling.

WARNING

DO NOT combine suspension, body, or other lift devices.
Use of vehicle with combined lifts may result in unsafe
and/or unexpected han dling characteristic s.

WARNING

This kit should only be installed on a vehicle that is in
good working condition. Before you install the kit, thor­oughly inspect the vehicle for corrosion or deformation of
the sheet metal. If the vehicle is suspected to have been
in a collision or misused, do not install this kit. Off-road
use of your vehicle with this kit installed may increase
the stress applied to the factor y components. Failure to
observe this warning may result in serious personal in­jury and/or severe damage to your vehicle.

NOTE

Lift height may vary depending on vehicle configuration,
engine size, additional accessories, the factory suspen­sion package, and vehi c l e’s condition.

NOTE

Trail Master recommends using thread locking com­pound on the threads of all kit nuts and bolts unless
specified otherwise in these instructions.

TM103N

Revised

1.28.14

2

TM103N

Revised

1.28.14

Before Starting Installation

NOTE

Kit parts are prefaced by the word kit and appear in
bold print.

1. Carefully read all warnings and instructions com­pletely before beginning.

2. Verify all parts have been received in this kit by
checking the parts list at the end of this document.

3. Only install this kit on the vehicle for which it is
specified. If anytime during the installation you en­counter something different from what is outlined in
the instructions, call technical support at (877) 695-

7812.

4. Park vehicle on a clean, dry, flat, level surface and
block tires so vehicle cannot roll in either direction.

5. Measure ride height with the vehicle supporting its
own weight on level ground. To settle the suspension,
the vehicle should be driven forward at least 10 feet
immediately prior to taking these measurements. Ride
height is the measurement from the center of the axle
straight up (vertical) to the fender lip. Record this
measurement for all four wheels.

Tire & Wheel Information:

Due to differences in manufacturing, dimensions and
inflated measurements, tire and wheel combinations
should be test fit prior to installation. Tire and
wheel choice is crucial in assuring proper fit, per­formance, and the safety of your Trail Master
equipped vehicle. For this application, we recom­mend a 17” or larger wheel not to exceed 8” in width
with a maximum backspacing of 4.5” must be used.
Additionally, a quality tire of radial design, not ex­ceeding 35” tall X 12.5” wide is also recommended.
Please note that the use of a 35” X 12.5” tire may re­quire modification to the front valance. Violation of
these recommendations will not be endorsed as ac­ceptable by Trail Master Suspension and will void
any and all warranties either written or implied.

NOTE

On some vehicles the driver’s side OE chassis wire
harness that connects to the ABS wire may be shorter,
from the factory, than others. If the line needs to be ex­tended GM #19149296 (ACD#PT2232) can be installed
into the chassis wire harness.

Torque Specifications:

See factory service manual for torque values
when reusing OE fasteners.

NOTE

Adhere to recommendations when replacement fas­teners, retainers and keepers are called out in the
factory service manual. When re-assembling the ve­hicle it is recommended by the vehicle manufacturer
that certain fasteners are replaced in order to main­tain proper retention characteristics. This system
may not include all replacement hardware as recom­mended by the factory service manual. Additional
replacement hardware should be obtained prior to
installation of this system to meet the requirements
of the factory service manual.

Engine Compartment

1. Disconnect both battery cables. Disconnect
negative cable first, then positive cable.

Wheel & Tire Requirements

The factory wheel and tire combination will not fit
once this kit is installed.

See factory serv ice manual for torque value s when re-using

OE fasteners.

Bolt Size Grade 5 (ft.-lbs.) Grade 8 (ft.-lbs.)

1/4”-20 10 10
1/4”-28 10 12.5
5/16”-18 17 22.5
5/16”-24 20 25
3/8”-16 30 40
3/8”-24 35 45
7/16”-14 50 65
7/16”-20 55 70
1/2”-13 75 100
1/2”-20 80 115
9/16”-12 105 135
9/16”-18 115 150
5/8”-11 150 195
5/8”-18 160 210
3/4”-16 175 225

3

TM103N

Revised

1.28.14

Prepare to Install Front
Suspension

1. Position your vehicle on a smooth, flat, hard sur­face (i.e. concrete or asphalt). Block the rear
tires and set the emergency brake.

2. Measure and record the distance from the center
of each wheel to the top of its fender opening.

LR: RR:

Record below.

3. Place the vehicle in neutral. Place your floor
jack under the front axle and raise the vehicle.
Place jack stands under the frame rails and
lower the frame onto the stands. Remove the
jack and place the vehicle back in gear, set the
emergency brake, and place blocks both in front
and behind the rear wheels.

4. Remove the front wheels from the vehicle.

5. Unclip the ABS bracket from coil bucket and A­arm. Unplug the ABS connector.

RF: LF:

13. Unbolt the CV axle from the differential.

14. Using the proper tool carefully separate the up-

per ball joint from the knuckle. Loosen but DO
NOT remove the retaining nut from the upper
ball joint.

15. Support the lower control arm with a jack and
unbolt the lower strut mounting bolts from the
lower control arm mount.

16. Unbolt the lower control arm retai ning bolts

17. Unbolt the previously loosened upper ball joint
retaining nut and remove the lower control arm,
knuckle and CV axle assembly from the vehicle.

18. Remove the clips that hold the ABS wire to the
upper strut mounting studs.

19. Unbolt the nuts on the upper strut mounting
studs. Carefully remove the strut from the vehi­cle.

20. Unbolt the front driveshaft from the differential
and secure it out of the way of the work area.
Save the hardware for reuse.

6. Unbolt the ABS strap from the steering knuckle.
Secure the ABS wire out of the work area. Dis­card the bracket.

7. Using pliers carefully open the a-arm brake line
retaining bracket. Remove the rubber brake
hose from the bracket. Using a cut off wheel,
cut the bracket at the bend.
NOTE: Be very careful to not damage the

rubber line in any way during it’s removal
from the bracket.

8. Unbolt the brake line bracket from the upper A­arm.

9. Using the proper tool ca refully separate the
outer tie rod end from the knuckle.

10. Remove the brake caliper and caliper bracket
assembly and the rotor. Secure them clear from
the work area. DO NOT
the brake line or damage may result.

11. Mark the orientation of the sway bar and remove
it from the vehicle.

let the caliper hang by

21. Unplug the differential wiring harness clips and
vent tube.

22. Remove the factory rear crossmember support

4WD ONLY!

OE Crossmember
Brace

Illustration 1

Crossmember Removal

12. Unbolt and remove the sway bar end links from
the vehicle.

4

Illustration 2

Frame Cut Picture

TM103N

Revised

1.28.14

Driver Side Rear
Lower Control Arm
Mounting Pocket

Illustration 3

Front Differential

Support Bracket Install

Cut
Line

3”

7/16” X 3”

Bolt

Cut
Piece

Driver Side Rear
Lower Control Arm
Mounting Pocket

3”

4WD ONLY!

4WD ONLY!

Sleeve

90-2108

Front Differential

Support Bracket

82-3692

Front Differential

Bushing

15-11148

10mm X 60mm Bolt

5

TM103N

Revised

1.28.14

Illustration 4

82-3701
Driver
Diff Drop
Bracket

OE
Hardware

brace from the vehicle and discard. See ILLUS­TRATION 1.

23. Support the differential with a jack and unbolt
the driver and passenger side mounts (2 per
side). Carefully remove the differential from the

Drvr Side Differential Drop

Bracket Install

4WD ONLY!

Illustration 5

4wd Pass Side

Differential Drop Bracket

82-3704 Pass
Diff Drop
Bracket

vehicle.

24. On the driver side ONLY, measure out from the

edge of the rear factory crossmember brace
mount approximately 3” and scribe a line. See
ILLUSTRATION 2.

25. Using a suitable cutting tool, (abrasive cutoff
wheel, Sawz-all, etc.) cut the frame along the
previously marked lines as shown in ILLUS­TRATION 2.

Install Front Suspension

1. Assemble the front differential support bracket

(82-3692) using the supplied bushings (15-

11148) and sleeves (90-2108) from hardware

pack (90-6515). See ILLUSTRATION 3.

2. Rotate the front differential until the case bolt

heads are oriented up. Carefully remove the fac­tory bolts from the diff erential as shown in IL­LUSTRATION 3.
NOTE: You will probably notice some dif-

ferential oil seeping from the area where the
bolts are removed. This is normal and not
something to worry about.
If you do not stand the differential as di­rected, you will see a LOT more oil on your
floor.

3. Place front differential support bracket (82-

3692) on the front differentia l as shown in IL-

LUSTRATION 3. Secure support bracket using
the supplied 10mm X 60mm bolts and washers,

7/16” X 3” bolt and hardware from pack 90-

6251. Torque these fasteners to 32 ft. lbs. See

ILLUSTRATION 3.

4WD ONLY!

OE
Hardware

4. Install the driver side differential drop (82-

3701) into the factory frame location using the
OE bolts and hardware. Hand tighten only.

ILLUSTRATION 4.

5. Using the OE hardware, install the passenger
side differential drop (82-3704) to the factory
frame location as shown in ILLUSTRATION 5.

IMPORTANT: The bracket is slightly ta-

pered. The short end of the taper is oriented to­ward the rear of the vehicle.

6