Ride quality

[_nickjoseph]

Maybe your rear spring bushings are shot?

Where they at?

 

[Wilecoyote]

inside each end of the leaf springs and in the frame where the rear bracket is mounted. Looks like rockauto sells the brackets w both bushings for the rear and front bushings.

What is " cranked up a little" ?, can you post some pics of your truck? of the suspension from front , is it higher in the front than rear w no load? or squatted?

 

[df2x4]

He says they’re cranked up. So that’s a known problem that causes crappy ride. Resetting to proper Z-Height is the first step before anything else.

I would be inclined to agree. Good shocks will help for sure, but cranking the keys on a 4WD truck is a sure fire way to make it ride harsher. My Suburban is still cranked up an inch or so from when I had some big stupid 18" wheels and tires on it years ago (it was cranked even higher at one point, I was young and dumb) and I'm planning on resetting to factory Z-height shortly after I get new tires installed soon. It's better with factory size wheels and tires, but it still doesn't ride like it used to before I messed with any of it.

 

[_nickjoseph]

I would be inclined to agree. Good shocks will help for sure, but cranking the keys on a 4WD truck is a sure fire way to make it ride harsher. My Suburban is still cranked up an inch or so from when I had some big stupid 18" wheels and tires on it years ago (it was cranked even higher at one point, I was young and dumb) and I'm planning on resetting to factory Z-height shortly after I get new tires installed soon. It's better with factory size wheels and tires, but it still doesn't ride like it used to before I messed with any of it.

He says they’re cranked up. So that’s a known problem that causes crappy ride. Resetting to proper Z-Height is the first step before anything else.

I would reset but I wanted to get away for my front end to sit level with the rear and not nose dive

 

[_nickjoseph]

I never cared for the rake either. Especially the regular cab short beds. You’re way better off lowering the rear. It won’t change the ride or cause any mechanical damage.

How can I do that

 

[df2x4]

How can I do that

2" lowering shackles for the leaf springs will drop the rear level with the front at factory Z-height. Belltech 6400 should be the correct part, you can get them for around $50.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CIKAPA

EDIT - Also worth noting that any time you adjust the torsion bars/keys in the front you will need to get the truck aligned.

 

[_nickjoseph]

inside each end of the leaf springs and in the frame where the rear bracket is mounted. Looks like rockauto sells the brackets w both bushings for the rear and front bushings.

What is " cranked up a little" ?, can you post some pics of your truck? of the suspension from front , is it higher in the front than rear w no load? or squatted?

Definitely not squatted that’s too ugly. It’s just barely level with the rear maybe a little bit lower. With spare tire and tow package no load

 

[95C1500]

My 2wd with new bilsteins, no torsion bars to crank, stock suspension wise, load range c tires at 35 psi, rides like ass. I don't think there is anything else I can do besides live with it or MAYBE a set of leaf springs off a new truck. That's a stretch, but it's the last thing I can think of.

 

[454cid]

My truck doesn't ride like it used to. I've wondered if the frame is flexing more.

 

[stutaeng]

My truck doesn't ride like it used to. I've wondered if the frame is flexing more.

Yeah, that's not likely. If anything, a more flexible frame would make you feel LESS vibrations. The flexing of the frame would act as a spring itself, dampening vibration more.

I mean these things are trucks and by nature, they are not smooth riding.

My DD is a NBS 99 Silverado ECSB. It had the regular P series tires when I got it. At some point I installed an Add a leaf and it rode bad. The next 2 tire changes I removed the add a leaf, but got LT tires and it rides about the same. A 200 lb load in the bed makes it smoother.

The GMT 400 rides a bit rogher due to the 4 leaf pack on the 1500? I guess that's why GM used 3 leaf packs for GMT 800 1500 series? 4 leafs are a bit stiffer but sag less under load?

My Silverado sags like a SOB with minimal load. I hate that. That's why I bought a GMT K3500 CCLB