New to the Forum

appelz · November 13, 2014

Hello all,

New to this forum, been following it for some time though. Thought that since my efforts to work on my own pickup have been ramping up recently, it wouldn't be a bad idea to join.

I hail from Montana. Drive a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4WD 5.3 L Crew Cab with the Z71 package. Bought it used from a Chevy dealer about 1.5 years ago. Have had a few minor issues with the truck that the dealership has fixed, notably after multiple attempts. Their maintenance department is fairly incompetent and I'm sure that most of you reading this post could do a much better job. Needless to say, in order to get a job done right, you've got to do it yourself. I'll never let anyone touch this truck again (if I can help it).

With that in mind... Wanted to get some real opinions. Done a lot of research on this website and elsewhere in regards to what type of shocks I should install. My current issue with the truck is that it has a really harsh ride, particularly on the highway and city driving. The higher and mid-range frequencies in particular are very harsh. As it is now the vehicle is a daily driver for my wife, spends a lot of time in the mountains on less then dependable roads, also spending a lot of time on gravel, frequently traveling at highway speeds at 80 mph, used often (but not everyday or even weekly) to haul trailers/boats. What I like about the stock suspension is that it seems to perform very well hauling things and even in the mountains at times. Can't help but wonder though if upgrading the shocks to the Bilstein 5100's or 4500's would help with the ride that much. Is there a notable difference between those and stock? Perhaps there is a different brand/model I should be looking at that would fit the criteria I'm looking for?

Any help/advice would be appreciated. Really just looking for opinions on whether the ride would be that much smoother/damper compared to stock or if there's another brand/model that I should be looking at that would fit better for the performance I'm using the truck for.

Thanks.