Jump to content

Tell me about your Ride Quality - Z71 LT, LTZ and RST

Snuff

Recommended Posts

Snuff Enthusiast

Snuff

Posted
Posted

Please tell me about the quality of your ride with your Z71 LT, LTZ or RST.

I have read about the rear end shutter but in the only test drive I took I did not experience it.

Before I order I hope to get to drive down a gravel or rocky road and hopefully some bad pavement.

 

I will be driving mostly on the highway but I do spend about 40 days/year at my South Texas Deer Lease with some choppy gravel/rock roads.

My 2011 Z71 has the original Rancho Shocks and while they may feel rough at times and chatter some I guess I am just used to it.

I hunt mostly out of my Polaris Ranger but use my truck when hauling 20-30 bags of corn and filling feeders.

I also tow a 6,000 LB travel trailer about 1,000 per year.

 

I don't mind spending $400-600 for upgraded shocks if I need to but there are not many choices available yet.

I do not intend to lift my new truck and don't need high dollar coil over shocks.

 

Evidently the Bilstein 5100 is not available and it sounds like ICON 2.0 may be the best current option in my price range (if required)

 

Thanks for you input and be sure and call your Mom today and be nice to the Wife!!! 

  • Replies 39
  • Created
  • Last Reply
K455 Enthusiast

K455

Posted
Posted

My Custom TB Z71 rides plush for a off road truck 3500 miles 5.3 very impressed. Tires are a little noisy,but still!

Wiggums Senior Enthusiast

Wiggums

Posted
Posted

Not happy with mine but I've taken steps to minimize it and haven't gotten it this bad again. I can live with the stutter.

 

The difference is on my F-150, I'd go about 35 mph and all four tires would stutter but the vehicle remained stable and it never fishtailed.

 

The Silverado's front end didn't stutter and stayed gripped to the road while the back end fishtailed. Very dangerous situation and I nearly got rid of it because of that. No curve on that road and I nearly ran a guy off the sidewalk.

I was going 35. Now I have the dashcam and I will sue the hell out of Chevrolet if my truck kills someone.

To be fair, the road was unusually dirty and had dried dirt caked on top from the recent storms. I know it won't happen on regular streets but it is the fishtailing that pissed me off.

Wiggums Senior Enthusiast

Wiggums

Posted
Posted

Yes, was told about that here in the GM forum but I also noticed reducing my tires to 32 psi helped. It was 44 or 48 when I got it.

The road was unusually dirty that day and had caked dried dirt from the recent floods.

 

If it does happen again, mono tube shocks are on my list but, for now, it seems to be behaving.

HondaHawkGT Senior Enthusiast

HondaHawkGT

Posted
Posted

Your truck has a GVWR over 7,000 lbs and it's a leaf spring solid rear axle suspension. Kicking out a bit when the truck is empty is pretty typical for the setup. Especially a truck with the Z71 package as the twin tube Ranchos tend to be firm riding. Ford usually tunes their rear suspension a little softer to help with that a bit but it also means the truck tends to sag a bit more with weight in the back. You can either put a little weight in the bed or shocks may help a bit. Your wheel size and tire profile can affect it too. The less sidewall, the more energy is sent into the suspension instead of being absorbed by the tires.

Bikeman Enthusiast

Bikeman

Posted
Posted

19 z71 rst, best ride in any truck I've ever driven. Have not been off road though.

Wiggums Senior Enthusiast

Wiggums

Posted
Posted
17 minutes ago, Bikeman said:

19 z71 rst, best ride in any truck I've ever driven. Have not been off road though.

 

I actually agree here, the ride is exceptional compared to other trucks I've driven. The front end handles very well and the steering is sharper than others.

HondaHawkGT Senior Enthusiast

HondaHawkGT

Posted
Posted

The difference in handling and ride quality between the K2 trucks and the T1 trucks is amazing. The improvement in turn radius is especially impressive. It's a shame that the auto journalists didn't bother to note the improvement in ride and handling. It's partly GM's fault since some reviewers were given trucks with the max GVWR available which can make the ride pretty firm. GM should really consider offering suspension packages with a shock that isn't made by Rancho.

econometrics Senior Enthusiast

econometrics

Posted
Posted

My RST Z71 rides amazing. Feels like a luxury SUV going down the road. Especially at high speeds. 

 

I do think it feels a bit “bouncy” from side to side at slower speeds (eg turning into a bumpy driveway approach). 

 

As others have noted here, I reduced my tire pressure to 35 front and 33 rear. I rarely haul anything. That seems to have helped a little with the rear end stutter. But I do want to upgrade my twin tube Ranchos sometime soon. 

Limelight Enthusiast

Limelight

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, econometrics said:

My RST Z71 rides amazing. Feels like a luxury SUV going down the road. Especially at high speeds. 

 

I do think it feels a bit “bouncy” from side to side at slower speeds (eg turning into a bumpy driveway approach). 

 

As others have noted here, I reduced my tire pressure to 35 front and 33 rear. I rarely haul anything. That seems to have helped a little with the rear end stutter. But I do want to upgrade my twin tube Ranchos sometime soon. 

I agree, I have an LTZ Z71. 

The only time the ride bothers me is over slow obstacles like wide speed bumps or potholes, and like econometrics said side to side motions are poorly managed.  The truck doesn't bounce the tires, but rather rolls around like a giant Chevy Boat. 

 

High speed manners are much better and comfortable, I would say just about perfect, really.

Bikeman Enthusiast

Bikeman

Posted
Posted
20 hours ago, Snuff said:

Glad to hear you are happy!

what color did you buy?

Black on black, no chrome 

Sierra Dan Senior Enthusiast

Sierra Dan

Posted
Posted
On ‎5‎/‎12‎/‎2019 at 12:59 PM, Snuff said:

Have you considered mono tube shocks for the rear?

Z71 package on Silverado and X31 package on Sierra come with Rancho Monotubes.

Same Rancho as with the K2 trucks.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • Chuck FB
      Fluid Change Questions

      By Chuck FB · Posted

      There would be one way of determining the quality of the factory oil although probably more than a typical oil lab test, and that would be to draw out some oil from a new truck and send a sample to a lab that could do a more elaborate test of the oil. The issue with too little oil in the diff may not be the lack of lubrication of the diff bearings and gears themselves ( although a lack of oil volume for cooling ) but the wheel bearings because at some point the oil would be too low to properly get onto the spinning axle or fed along the axle tube. That was the claim by the local dealer from a couple of trucks in recent years that had the wheel bearings fail and they figured from lack of sufficient oil due to a severe underfilled diff and some of the bearing material made its way to the diff and it got damaged as well so the axle housings were just replaced on warranty. But your right that if the diff is over filled by whatever margin that it causes more churning of the oil than is desirable and that is no good either and can cause a pinion seal to leak. Also old oil I believe can tend to loose some of its properties like antifoaming and another good reason to change the diff oil every so often. 
    • Z45
      Fluid Change Questions

      By Z45 · Posted

      I would be surprised if the diff's were not filled (with the cheapest gear lube) at the axle factory before being shipped to GM.  If you ever watched them building trucks they install the axles and all suspension parts with the frame upside down and then turn it over before its time to install the engine.     Too much gear lube in a axle can be worse than not enough especially with a lower quality GL where is get whipped up with entrained air (foam)  weakening its ability to lubricate.        
    • MORSNO
      Oil Consumption

      By MORSNO · Posted

      This is the 6.6 gasser section of the forum, you should either delete or modify your previous post as it is misleading for anyone looking for factual information on their 6.6 gas engine.
    • Atlas
      Wow I'm in a pickle. (Broke down truck) and a story.

      By Atlas · Posted

      Well....I've done my first intake gasket. Probably wrong, but...we'll see?   Ultra black on the china walls and 1/4" up onto the sides of the intake gaskets. Permatex High Tack (couldn't find Gaskachinch) on the head side of the intake gasket. I read wrong and it says you're supposed to put it on the mating surface of the head, not the gasket. Hoping it's like a PB&J sandwich where it doesn't matter what side the PB goes on so long as there's jelly. That crap is messy/sticky and I got a dab or two on the intake port openings, tried to wipe it off. Hopefully it won't be a big deal and will only aid in sealing.   Per instructions I left the intake (top side) of the gasket dry except for a light smear of RTV around the coolant ports. Wiggling the intake in there was a bear but I had help to free me of surrounding wiring/stuff but I was basically able to set it straight down lined up with the bolt holes.   I did not think to wait until the RTV skinned over but there probably was 5-10 minutes while it sat before installing the intake.   Bolts finger tight first. Then, followed the Chilton's manual pattern to snug them to 15 lb-ft.   Waited a little over an hour, and then did the final torque in sequence again to 35 lb-ft.   Yesterday I replaced the fuel pressure regulator and got my new "nut and bolt kit" (fuel lines) installed. Damn GM used security torx on the spider, which I don't have, so I got scammed at the local HW store for an off-brand security Torx bit set.   The new driver's door mirror arrived yesterday, so, there's a chance this thing could be running and road legal tomorrow? I don't want to get my hopes up.   This will be my first time stabbing a distributor, too. Although, lucky me, someone else marked the old distributor for removal previously, I did see that. (Someone's been here before!!). Engine is still at TDC so it *should* be just a matter of transferring the mark to the new dizzy and rotating it into place.
    • KARNUT
      2027 GMC Sierra: Official Discussion

      By KARNUT · Posted

      He has his dad’s newer truck he’s put away. He has several old cars he rotates between him and his family. I’ve seen a restored square body and a SS Chevy truck he’s sometimes drives. He did raffle off a new suburban recently. As much as he is watched if he drove new stuff as a rule we’d know it. It would be fine by me. I don’t care what people prefer. I got one more new one in me. I’d rather my wife get one. I can’t get her out of the Genesis. Don’t tell anyone. I want her to get an electric truck. I want to put a generator in the back. Just because. She hasn’t bit yet.

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...