2014 Silverado 5.3 High Country Differential Drop Issues - Need Help

[ZombieK5]

Went to install a Differential Drop Kit on my stepson truck. 3 or 4 months ago we installed a 3" Leveling Kit and now the CV Axle angle us very sharp.

Dropped passenger side and got the two pucks installed.

Dropped Driver side and there IS NOT enough room for the pucks between the mounting bracket and the frame mount PLUS the differential is sitting on the cross member.

It doesn't seem possible to make enough space for the pucks. YouTube videos seem to show the install can be done without any modifications.

Am I missing a step?

 

[Blue85]

Is it like this? https://suspensionmaxx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/SMX-11192dkit.pdf

 

[ZombieK5]

Is it like this? https://suspensionmaxx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/SMX-11192dkit.pdf

No, more or less like the kit in the picture I attached.

I can see where that would be an advantage where you split the difference of the drop between the differential mounting brackets and where the differential amounts to the brackets. However it's also six of one and half a dozen of the other. The issue is getting the driver side low enough to put the spacer in. It almost seems like my spacers are about 1/8 inch or 1/4 of an inch too thick.

I'm back at it today. And I'm actually in the middle of it. I removed the passenger side spacers which in effect allows me to Pivot the driver side down further to put the spacers in. I also removed the crossmember directly underneath the differential which allows me a little bit more working space and seems to allow me to get the differential about a 16th of an inch lower. I'm also going to shave part of the differential because part of it seems to be interfering with the cross member. I'll post pictures once I'm done.

 

[Blue85]

No, more or less like the kit in the picture I attached.

I didn't see any picture.

That was my only other advice (having never done one of these): Keep all fasteners loose until everything is installed so you can wiggle parts around for maximum flexibility.

 

[ZombieK5]

I didn't see any picture.

You should be able to see the photo now.

Some more information that I did not relay before. When we went to slide the drop kit replacement bolts in place we found that the replacement bolt diameter was larger than the hole at the mounting point on the truck frame. I didn't think about it very much at the time and simply went down to the store and got the next size smaller bolt. I now think that the kit I was sent was for a 2500 or 3500 silverado. The bolt diameter tells me it was for a more heavy duty front differential. I have zero information whether the frames use the same differential mounting brackets/frame mounts for if the heavy duty Silverados used larger brackets. I found another kit that uses spacers between the differential itself and the mounting bracket. Those spacers are narrower than the spacers in the kit I have. For now I'm going to lock down the kit I installed and next week or the following week revisit this and put in the new kit. What I'm concerned about is the differential is still extremely close to touching the cross frame and may actually end up sitting on the cross frame once I get everything bolted down. I'd rather not have to shave anymore off the differential.