My first experience with spindles was with a 4"/6" drop kit sold(/manufactured by?) AIM. They went on easy enough, but had to be modified with a grinder to get them to fit properly with the factory upper control arm. With the vehicle on the ground, the upper control arm lip actually rested on top of the spindle. It needed clearance to allow for articulation. The spindle top was too large and I had to grind some of the spindle material away from this location to get that clearance. This kit was installed on a 1998 GMC 1/2 ton pickup.
My next experience was with a Belltech 4"/6" drop kit on a 1992 Chevy 1/2 ton. The spindles fit perfectly with no modification needed to the spindle itself, which is how it should be in the first place.
In both cases, the lower control arms need to be trimmed to allow clearance for wheels with less than 18 inches of diameter, and/or more than 3-1/4 inches of backspacing (including factory wheels with 4 inches of backspacing). If the control arms aren't trimmed, the inner wheel lip will rub the control arm while the vehicle is turning. Belltech's installation instructions cover this, while AIM's did not.
The difference in engineering, finished product, ease of installation, and the thoroughness of the installation instructions between the two manufacturers was immense. The components of each flip kit were worlds apart.
Although I have no experience with any other manufacturer's product, as a result of this experience, I will always buy Belltech products.
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