Maiden69

I ended up getting the springs from Ridetech as the AFCOs were sold out when I placed my order, they sell the HyperCo springs. 850# is the right size for this truck if you want a stiffer suspension like I do, that said, I am using them with my Vikings and with no preload I am sitting around 1/2" higher than with what I was running before. If you are running stock ride height, or just lowered with spindles, the 600-700# range will give a softer ride (much like the old Cadillacs which I hate). I ordered the coil-overs for the front from Ridetech as well and will be installing them soon, they are around 1/2" shorter than the Vikings which will bring my ride height back to what I had before the springs. They are a monotube and single valve design, so they should perform slightly different, but I don't foresee any issues because of it.

They are certainly better as far as that they actually asked you for measurements. I think Ridetech uses Fox's coilovers, as their main thing is Air Suspension. Their HQ's are around $250 each, no spring, but are single adjustable. Their 3 way run at $850 I think each. I have a very nice ride now, better than most cars on the road for sure. But after all the investment in suspension that I have done, plus the 4 link in the rear, that will not cut it. The fact that I am traveling down almost 3-4" hitting on the top of the inner fender metal on a coilover that is supposed to have 5.25" of full travel is not good. I bet once the 850lb/in go in I will see the 2-3" on compression I am suppose to have. That will stop me from bottoming out, at least on the highway. Ridetechs are very popular on the muscle car scene, mini trucks from the 80's-2000, and HotRods. They have a few systems for fullsize trucks, but nothing for ours at this time. But since I already have the mounts for the Vikings, I can use those to mount their universal fit shocks, or I can reverse engineer them if I need to make them a little wider.

To have the truck level, you need a 3" difference between front and rear. Almost every 2/4, 3/5, 4/6 drop that I have seen will result in a little rake. Here is a pic on my truck, it's a Crew Cab, and I have a 3/5. That's with a full tank of gas and some tools on the bed. Bed empty and it is more noticeable.

Well, after much deliberation and mathematical equations using the formulas at the Viking website and Ridetech's coilover formulas I found out that our truck geometry calls for a 12" spring with 800 lbs/in for a 1" drop by spring... so, no wonder I am still bottoming out even running the coilovers at 17/15... I ordered some AFCO springs at 850 lb/in, and if the Vikings can't handle them I will buy Ridetech's coilovers and use the Vikings on the rear once I do the 4 link suspension. As a side note, I did ran the 10" math, and they suggest a 1000 lb/in, but this is with the OEM LCA. I had no idea the LCA had so much influence on the spring rate of a car.

I think that’s why you don’t bottom down. You’re running 250lb more in your springs. I think I’m going to get the 750lb that Eibach sells and run those.

I agree. Night and day difference. Which shocks they sent you? I got the C209 with the 12” 600lb coils. If I’m by myself in the truck I rub on big dips on the road, but with the wife and daughter it rubs quite often. I saw some pics on that Atomic website and the red springs they show there look a lot thicker than the ones I have on. I’m going to shop around on QA1 site to see if I can find some 700lb springs to try out. Viking recommend offsetting the compression/rebound at least 4 clicks more on the rebound. I’ll try bringing it down and see how it behaves.

I bought mine from Twisted Metalworkz.

Well, I was on the fence on the Belltech coilover kit for a while now... but the design for me has the same flaws as their struts. They use the filler spring to take up the space of the extra shock travel, which to me is not ideal for a truck. I have installed some of those on cars (KW brand mostly, as KW is the maker of the new Belltech coilover) with good results. Also, they are non adjustable, their old set of adjustable was sold for over $900. For that price I would go for Viking or QA1 anyday. Now they did had single coil coilovers, I wonder why they changed the design to the KW one. What setting are you running yours? I'm doing 10/15, and I am still rubbing the stupid fender inserts on some occasions, and I am not as low as you are right now. I'm at a 3/5 drop. I wish Viking made the 12" springs in 650 or 700lb. I just downloaded their catalog and they go up to 600.

Funny you say that... I had the same experience with the Belltech struts. Mainly because they tell you to swap the bump stop to their 1" bump stop. I got fed up with the ride quality and just installed Viking's coilover as well. I am doing the 4-link later down the year, but I may just do a notch and swap the shock absorbers to the rear of the axle by the summer. I got the 2" Maxtrac Aluminum 2" spindle and lowering 1" with the coil overs.

I guess not all of them, I just searched my 2018 VIN and there is no recall for it.

got the tips installed. Exhaust companies need to produce more 3" tips... Magnaflow, Dynomax, Pypes, Gibson, Borla, all the tips that are decent in this line that I could use were 2.5". The ones I got were 2.5" but I made a 3" to 3.5" round to oval connector and welded it after cutting the end and matching the hole to the 3.5" oval size. The truck drones a little more than with the round tips, but I think it is because the opening on the Gibsons is so big that its resonating under the bed at cruising speeds. I think I will probably extend them all the way out and cut the excess from the top and re-polish.

last 2... I wish the site would compress the pictures. The big mufflers are Dynomax, they are getting swapped soon with two Magnaflow 6" round x 30" long mufflers... just waiting to fab up a new transmission crossmember to run my duals down under the driveshaft yoke instead of under the transmission into the passenger side. Also, decided on this configuration if I need to install J-pipes (quarterwave resonators). They will be a lot easier to mount parallel to the straight runs on the bak rather than in the front next to the mufflers.

Time for a version 2 of my exhaust, not because I wanted, but because I needed to. I added shock extenders a few days ago, and the driver side tube was in the way of the shock, so I was forced to re-do that side... problem is that there is no space to run the tube now because on the back side I have the Hellwig link and on the front GM placed the "splicer" for the brake lines. So I decided to do a center out exhaust. The original plan was to run the same set up as the Gen4 SLP CME exhaust, but I didn't feel like paying over $150 for a set of knock-off cast aluminum pieces that I would had to modify to make them work, so I decided to just run them down the center, as I don't keep my spare under the bed anymore. I am still waiting on the tips to arrive, I ordered Gibson's rectangle sport exhaust tips (which I will still need to modify just easier). I don't know if I will end up using them as I keep changing my mind between them and a quad set up... Old exhaust routing New set up.

This works... I had done a few now, but all the ones I have done are dual exhaust, so I don't know the formula for a single pipe. The formula for my Silverado gave me a tube thats between 28-32" long for each bank, and that's for an RPM range from 1800 (for the 28) and 1600 for the 32). I am changing the mufflers and the routing on my exhaust so once I am done I will see if the drone changes in RPM's before I make them.

GM keeps a flash count on the ECM. Even if you put the stock tune back, they'll still be able to see that it was tuned. Just a heads up Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Yeap... The 2014+ (Or any of the new LT engine computer is basically a "black box"... it saves the times it has been flashed, and which parameters were changed.

Sounds good, it is very deep but quiet at idle. Loud at WOT, but not too raspy because of the extra mufflers. I need to try to take some sound clips, but I want to change the clamps that came with the header kit for lap bands, and Jegs delivery come next week. I am making a few changes to the back portion, and already received my bends, so, just waiting on Jegs.

Well, not that much better, the new exhaust on most of our trucks and cars now it’s 409, so it will not rust through. You will get surface rust, but that’s just cosmetic. And yes, Ti would had been almost triple what I have spent on this, not counting the argon, as for Ti you need a lot of flow as compared SS. Thanks!

I wish that was titanium... plain old 304L stainless... but done right (or wrong depending on the code) you get a lot of nice colors.

Actually it does... those got deleted.

New guy here, bought a 2018 Silverado Custom (traded my 2011 Camaro SS) after deciding to start my own detailing business (part time for now)... anyways, can't leave my cars stock for too long, so I have been doing several mods within the last 6 weeks since I bought it. I lowered 3/5" with a MaxTrac kit, added some Black Rhino Katavi wheels with Nitto 420S, Bak Revolver4 tonneau cover, Speed Engineering LT headers, and my own custom exhaust. Added both front and rear Hellwig sway bars, and deciding what traction bar to get. Truck has a full tune by Henderson Performance Technologies. Changed the door handles for OEM black ones, and I am painting a "paint ready" tailgate handle soon a long with the lower front bumper valance. Still a lot to go, planning on de-badging the truck soon, doing full paint correction (possibly sanding from 1500 - up, but uncertain as this paint is one of the thinnest I have seen in a while for a brand new America car/truck) and installing Opti-Coat Pro+. And I would love to swap the rear bumper cover for the one without the climb assist holes in it. A 2 piece aluminum driveshaft is coming very soon, as we found out the single piece like to go kaboom at high speeds, we tuned in 2nd gear, averaging 300RWH, and in a quick shot at 4th gear stopping around 120 the truck hit around 330rwhp, not bad for an auto 305, when my 04 GTO M6 with headers did only 321. Once the cost of performance parts start to go down for the LT platform I will be fabricating twin turbo (we are hoping in about 3 years if not sooner).

Exhaust... I like to think outside the box and what's available on the market... the only one that kinda got my attention was Speed Engineering Tru-Dual set up... so I decided to make my own. Speed Engineering LT headers, 3" dual 304 stainless, 2 (17547) Dynomax mufflers welded together followed by 2 (off brand) 5x7x12 stainless mufflers... I wanted to make it quiet, which it is not... tuned by Henderson Performance Technologies in New Braunfels, TX. Can't say enough good things about Corey... if you are near the area and needs to get your truck (or car as he specialize in Corvette and Camaro) give them a call or a visit. Truck is lowered 3/5, and I am running 22x10et25 with 305/40/22 Nitto 420S. This is the first version of the exhaust... already thinking about changing a few things, but in the meantime I can say that the sound is unique, especially at WOT.