Jump to content

Suspension : Stock spring replacement for softer ride


Recommended Posts

I've replaced my stock shocks with the Bilstein 5100s for a much more planted, sturdy ride that doesn't feel like I'm riding a carnival ride. I noticed while swapping that the coils are extremely stiff and thick, a professional suspension guy agreed and said it was probably set up for the truck to not squat too hard when it had a plow installed. He stated, and I agree, that the coils would be a huge part of the rough ride (along with the rear leafs but he claimed that the rear was a common pickup issue, just toss 100-150 pounds in the rear)

Question I have is this :

Has anyone replaced the stock coils with aftermarket which doesn't change the height by more than an inch but offers less of a harsh ride?

I suspect more coils with less of a thickness would solve this issue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, the 1500's is what I'm referring to. I've driven all kinds and years of truck in Canada, US and Europe and I'm aware of how they drive. I don't need the standard "they drive rough" because that's repeating exactly what I've said. You haven't driven rough till you've rode in a old UAZ with sagged out suspension.

So please, no more posts that don't help to answer the question.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a shot in the dark. Maybe give Moog suspension a call to see if you can get some spring specification details. I did what you are describing in my Lincoln Town Car. Just curious, is there a truck you have memory of with a softer ride that you liked? A spring rate that you might like may not be listed for your truck. I my case with the Town Car, springs from a 1982 Oldsmobile Brougham were a prefect fit for my 1995 for a nice soft ride. Go figure. There was a slight drop in ride height.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I highly doubt gm installed heavier springs for a plow as that would be an extremely limited group of customers. When you installed the 5100 struts did you have them setup for stock height or did you set them up to level it? Because if you leveled you are basically preloading that spring more to create lift but that is also going to stiffen the ride. I dont think anyone makes a softer spring.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, HeySkippyDog said:

Are you talking about a 1500?

If a stock spring 1500 rides too harsh, maybe a truck isn't for you.

Unloaded 2500 and 3500s are harsh. The 1500 really isn't.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J727A using Tapatalk
 

Maybe he wants a pickup truck that rides like a tahoe. I know I do.

 

There are plenty of truck owners that need a truck but don’t need to put 2k lbs in the bed. A suspension tailored to to max out at like 1200lbs or less would be welcome and I wish they had that option.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe he wants a pickup truck that rides like a tahoe. I know I do.
 
There are plenty of truck owners that need a truck but don’t need to put 2k lbs in the bed. A suspension tailored to to max out at like 1200lbs or less would be welcome and I wish they had that option.
Try a midsize truck then. [emoji2369]

You know a Tahoe is pretty much a 1500 with a rear stabilizer bar right?

There is also an important thing to consider when buying. Suspension packages ride different from each other.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J727A using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, truckguy82 said:

Maybe he wants a pickup truck that rides like a tahoe. I know I do.

 

There are plenty of truck owners that need a truck but don’t need to put 2k lbs in the bed. A suspension tailored to to max out at like 1200lbs or less would be welcome and I wish they had that option.

 

That's a case of finding the right GVWR for your needs. Half-tons come with different configurations with different GVWR's. A 7,000+ lb GVWR 1/2-ton will have a firmer ride than a 1/2-ton with a 6,500 lb GVWR. Ram makes full-size trucks with mid-size truck capabilities, which is why they get compliments for the car-like ride quality. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, HondaHawkGT said:

 

That's a case of finding the right GVWR for your needs. Half-tons come with different configurations with different GVWR's. A 7,000+ lb GVWR 1/2-ton will have a firmer ride than a 1/2-ton with a 6,500 lb GVWR. Ram makes full-size trucks with mid-size truck capabilities, which is why they get compliments for the car-like ride quality. 

Yeah well unfortunately GM doesn’t have any spring options.

 

I’d prefer a nicer ride, but it’s not everything. Not enough to buy a ram.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

30 minutes ago, HeySkippyDog said:

Try a midsize truck then. emoji2369.png

You know a Tahoe is pretty much a 1500 with a rear stabilizer bar right?

There is also an important thing to consider when buying. Suspension packages ride different from each other.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J727A using Tapatalk
 

There is no GM 1500 pickup with a tahoe suspension. They do not ride like tahoes.

 

I realize that a tahoe is the same platform, but the ride is softer and it has less capability. I used to have a tahoe. The springs have to be different, hence why I mentioned it.

 

I just put 2300lbs in my bed the other week, my truck was basically level. That is absurd spring stiffness.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
That's a case of finding the right GVWR for your needs. Half-tons come with different configurations with different GVWR's. A 7,000+ lb GVWR 1/2-ton will have a firmer ride than a 1/2-ton with a 6,500 lb GVWR. Ram makes full-size trucks with mid-size truck capabilities, which is why they get compliments for the car-like ride quality. 
This is exactly it.

It's important to look at suspension package (choices are Z71, Z85, Z60) and also look at what rear axle you have. There are several gear ratios and depending on which you have, your differential case is one of three sizes. I believe the 9.5" is the largest. This dimension is on the passenger side of the diff on the flange that runs midway, horizontally. Larger dimension is to accommodate the physically larger gear that goes inside.

Generally, the 3.42 or 3.73 (on the max tow, in some cases) is going to have the higher GVWR. When that is coupled with the larger available engine, you're getting a firmer riding truck.

There are 5.3s with factory 3.08 rear ends, I believe that you may find those in the WT or LT1 trim. Higher trim level usually means heavier duty suspension and drivetrain, but not always in the cases of custom ordered vehicles.

I do know this: A 4.3 truck with the 3.08 has a significantly lower rating across the board.

Lightening up the spring from what it came with means that the spring will be cycled more, and those cycles will be greater in displacement. It means faster wearing of parts, as well as lowering the actual capacity of the truck.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J727A using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah well unfortunately GM doesn’t have any spring options.
 
I’d prefer a nicer ride, but it’s not everything. Not enough to buy a ram.
 
 
They do, it's just not readily apparent.

They cannot and do not use the same front springs in a 6.2L as they would for a 4.3L. I'd bet there are differences in the rear as well, but to get the lighter spring, you're going to have to choose a truck with the right configuration.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J727A using Tapatalk

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, HeySkippyDog said:

They do, it's just not readily apparent.

They cannot and do not use the same front springs in a 6.2L as they would for a 4.3L. I'd bet there are differences in the rear as well, but to get the lighter spring, you're going to have to choose a truck with the right configuration.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J727A using Tapatalk
 

Yeah the 6.2L probably weighs less

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is no GM 1500 pickup with a tahoe suspension. They do not ride like tahoes.
 
I realize that a tahoe is the same platform, but the ride is softer and it has less capability. I used to have a tahoe. The springs have to be different, hence why I mentioned it.
 
I just put 2300lbs in my bed the other week, my truck was basically level. That is absurd spring stiffness.
I had one in the GMT800 series. The rear was a different animal entirely, but the front was the same as what you'd find in a pickup. In the old days, the trucks/full size vans/SUVs had front springs that depended on chassis (1500/2500/3500) as well as what engine was in it. A 1500 van with a 350 had the same springs as a 1500 truck and SUV with 350.

They may do more fine tuning of springs that also account for the frame length and body configuration. That I am unsure of with the K2s. A good way to check would be to do a p/n check for springs between a 5.3 Tahoe and a 5.3 1500 truck, then make changes to the search to look at other cab configurations and see what they use.

The shock will change depending on suspension package, as a Z60 and Z85 have very different "feel" on the road.

I have a Z85 CC with 5'8" bed now, and running my tires at 38 PSI cold makes that truck ride like it's on clouds yet feel firm enough to give assurance. My Z60 double cab felt a lot more sports car-like, and rode like it was on rails. The drawback to that was that I could feel a lot more characteristics of the road, which can make it ride a bit harsher.

Wheel size and corresponding tire has an effect as well. They all have roughly the same diameter stock, since the smaller wheel has taller sidewall tires (ex: 18" wheel with P265-65-R18). As such, there will be a bit more flexion or "give", when compared to a 20" wheel and P275-55-R20 tire at the same pressure. This translates to a more cushioned ride.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J727A using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe this help the original poster: I had the Bilstein 5100's at the stock setting with a Zone 2" Level Kit for 3 1/2 years.  When I decided to make a change, I went with the Eibach Pro Truck Lift which provides the Springs and Shock.  (You use the hardware from the original strut).  The ride was much stiffer than I expected at first.  I called Eibach to inquire about the Spring Rate and was told they 820# (10% higher than the stock spring which puts it around 740#.  I ordered and installed a set of Halo Lifts Boss Coilovers and the spring rate on them is 700#.  The Eibach kit did soften up a little after 1000 miles or so but I had already ordered the

Boss Coilovers.  You can see how beefy the Eibach Spring is on the left vs. the Eibach Spring on the Boss Coilover.

 

Even with the Coilovers installed with (2) spacers giving it a 3" lift rides better than the Bilstein or Eibach strut.  I am going to remove the spacers and drop it back down to a 2" lift because at 3" it puts too much angle on the other components even with new UCAs.  Theoretically it should also ride smoother at 2" instead of 3".

 

.  20190321_104703.thumb.jpg.48f5730200c80075b5f93d8ba89bacc6.jpg

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.