Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted (edited)

Hey everyone.  I posted this in the 2019 leveling thread, but did not get a response.  So I'm reposting in a dedicated thread.

 

I just traded in my 2015 1500 4x4 for a 2021 Z71 RST.  We also recently purchased a 25ft travel trailer that I'll be pulling every month or so with this truck.

 

My old truck had 2" level, and at some point I'd like my new one to sit a little higher as well.  However, since I will be towing with it I want to maintain the factory rake (which is just under 2").  Even with the WD, the back end drops a little more than the front.

 

I was thinking of making the upgrade functional instead of just cosmetic and doing Blistien 5100's up front and setting them for a 1.5-2.0" level, rather than just adding spacers.  I was going to go with the 5100's (and shock extenders) for the rear as well to help with towing and adding a 2" block as well to lift the same amount as the front.

 

Any issues with this approach, or is there another option I should be considering?  Is there a better option for the rear than the Blistien 5100's plus a block?

 

TLDR - What I basically want is to give my truck a "Trail Boss" lift, but I'm looking for something that's functional vs just throwing spacers in the front and back.

20210904_093615.jpg

Edited by malibu43
clarity
Posted

I'm biased, and recommend going with the GM Accessories kit that's just like the Trail Boss.  It's more than just spacers.  You get new shocks, front camera calibration, power steering calibration, longer CV axles, and it comes with a GM warranty so that the warranty you have on your truck isn't affected.  Link is below.  And, using Trail Boss towing numbers, and looking at the pic you provided of your trailer, this will reduce your towing capacity to a little over 9,000 lbs but that's still more than what your trailer will weigh fully loaded.  You'll be good to go here. 

 

https://accessories.chevrolet.com/product/lift-suspension-upgrade-system-for-4wd-vehicles-84993582?model=Silverado 1500&modelId=491&bodyId=22&body=Crew Cab Pickup&wheelId=651&wheel=Short Box&trimId=4962&trim=RST&driveId=8&drive=4WD&engineId=2059&engine=5.3L V8 GAS&bodyNumDoors=5&year=2021&make=Chevrolet&categoryId=98004

Posted (edited)
5 hours ago, Transient said:

I'm biased, and recommend going with the GM Accessories kit that's just like the Trail Boss.  It's more than just spacers.  You get new shocks, front camera calibration, power steering calibration, longer CV axles, and it comes with a GM warranty so that the warranty you have on your truck isn't affected.  Link is below.  And, using Trail Boss towing numbers, and looking at the pic you provided of your trailer, this will reduce your towing capacity to a little over 9,000 lbs but that's still more than what your trailer will weigh fully loaded.  You'll be good to go here. 

 

https://accessories.chevrolet.com/product/lift-suspension-upgrade-system-for-4wd-vehicles-84993582?model=Silverado 1500&modelId=491&bodyId=22&body=Crew Cab Pickup&wheelId=651&wheel=Short Box&trimId=4962&trim=RST&driveId=8&drive=4WD&engineId=2059&engine=5.3L V8 GAS&bodyNumDoors=5&year=2021&make=Chevrolet&categoryId=98004

 

Thanks for that.  I had seen people mentioning that package but had never actually looked it up.  The warranty is a good point to bring up and one that I hadn't thought of.  When I started leveling my last truck, it was well out of warranty and I did all the work myself.  I certainly would not want to do something to affect the warranty on a brand new truck.

 

The downside is that that package is quite a bit more expensive than the Blistein + Rear Blocks option that I had priced out ($750 vs $1200), and the GM package still needs dealership installation added on top of that...

 

Oh - GVWR on the trailer is only 6440lbs, so towing capacity is fine.  What I'm finding is more of an issue is the payload capacity of my 1/2 ton truck.  I only have about 1700 lbs to work with, and tongue weight of the trailer is probably between 700 and 900 lbs.  So that doesn't leave a lot of room for gas, family, and any extra gear that's not in the trailer.  I need to get more towing in with the trailer and make sure I have all my weights dialed in before I do any mods to the truck...

Edited by malibu43
Posted

My suggestion would be the Eibach Pro Truck Lift or Bilsteins.  They are both a superior suspension system to the Trail Boss Kit and the Eibach system comes with front springs as well.  If you get a chance to drive a TB or AT4 with factory suspension and then drive any Silverado, TB or not, with Eibach or Bilstein suspension components, you will notice a HUGE difference.  However, like Transient mentioned, Bilstein and Eibach components do not come with the additional GM factory support that GM would provide with their system.  Though I have never heard of a single instance where GM denied warranty coverage due to a 2" suspension lift, in the end you must go with what you are comfortable with and the GM kit does add peace of mind to those who worry about such things, I personally don't.

 

 

Posted (edited)
14 minutes ago, malibu43 said:

 

Thanks for that.  I had seen people mentioning that package but had never actually looked it up.  The warranty is a good point to bring up and one that I hadn't thought of.  When I started leveling my last truck, it was well out of warranty and I did all the work myself.  I certainly would not want to do something to affect the warranty on a brand new truck.

 

The downside is that that package is quite a bit more expensive than the Blistein + Rear Blocks option that I had priced out ($750 vs $1200), and the GM package still needs dealership installation added on top of that...

 

Though recommended, the suspension does not need to be installed by GM.  Once the install is completed, you can take the truck to the dealership and they can upload the calibration changes to the vehicle as it was included in the price of the kit. 

 

Also, as mentioned above, I have yet to see a warranty dispute due to utilizing a different shock than the factory shock.

Edited by Gangly
  • Like 1
Posted

I just installed the Eibach Pro Lift with 2in RC blocks in the rear. It was a super easy install. I probably could have gotten the 1.5in blocks but time will tell. I could tell the difference immediately! Not to mention I actually had a blown Rancho on passenger side front that I was not even aware of. Took us roughly 4hrs give or take from start to finish.

  • Like 1
  • 2 months later...
Posted
On 10/23/2021 at 12:50 PM, EagleRising said:

I just installed the Eibach Pro Lift with 2in RC blocks in the rear. It was a super easy install. I probably could have gotten the 1.5in blocks but time will tell. I could tell the difference immediately! Not to mention I actually had a blown Rancho on passenger side front that I was not even aware of. Took us roughly 4hrs give or take from start to finish.

 

Sorry for the very late response!  Do you have an link to the exact kit you installed?

 

I went to 4 Wheel Parts yesterday to get recommendations and pricing.  The guy there recommended going with the 6112s in the front instead of just the 5100s, with the reasoning being the 5100s will compress the stock coil more to get the lift and hurt the ride quality up front.  It's $800 for the pair of 6112s vs $185 each for the 5100s, so it's an additional $400 ($1800 installed vs about $1400).  You guys think the extra $$ is worth it for the 6112s?

Posted

2021 RST 4x4 crew, 3.0L -
Ok went with the Motofab 2" lift, Front( 1.5"spacer ) top strut spacer, front now approx 1 higher than the rear, wish I went with 1.5" lift.

Then I installed 1" Rear Lift Kit Blocks " U" bolts from Supreme Suspension, now truck is level + - 1/4" all around.

Next step 5100 s in the rear, front feels fine. 

21 RST.jpg

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

So I placed my order with 4WP this week.  Going with 6112's up front (set to a 2" lift) and 5100's in the back.  I didn't like the price/options they had for rear blocks, so I bought the 2" rear leveling block from Motofab and they'll install it for me when they do the shocks.  ~$1880 for shocks and installation.

 

While I'm excited to see how the truck looks with the all-around 2" lift, I'm also excited to see how the ride improves.  We took the trailer out last weekend and things felt pretty bouncy.

Posted
3 hours ago, malibu43 said:

So I placed my order with 4WP this week.  Going with 6112's up front (set to a 2" lift) and 5100's in the back.  I didn't like the price/options they had for rear blocks, so I bought the 2" rear leveling block from Motofab and they'll install it for me when they do the shocks.  ~$1880 for shocks and installation.

 

While I'm excited to see how the truck looks with the all-around 2" lift, I'm also excited to see how the ride improves.  We took the trailer out last weekend and things felt pretty bouncy.

 

I just ordered 5100 ride adjustable shocks for the front and longer 5100's for a 2" lift in the rear as well. Going with the Readylift 2" blocks in the rear. Unfortunate part is the back order on all this stuff, looking at 4-6 weeks for the shocks to come in! I'd bet the ride will be much more stable with the Bilsteins. Couldn't justify the price for the 6112's though. Good on yeah for going that route!

Posted
On 1/27/2022 at 2:04 PM, latreille89 said:

 

I just ordered 5100 ride adjustable shocks for the front and longer 5100's for a 2" lift in the rear as well. Going with the Readylift 2" blocks in the rear. Unfortunate part is the back order on all this stuff, looking at 4-6 weeks for the shocks to come in! I'd bet the ride will be much more stable with the Bilsteins. Couldn't justify the price for the 6112's though. Good on yeah for going that route!

 

Finally heard back from 4WP.  The 6112s should be in in early March, but the 5100s in the rear are looking like mid-April!  So looks like I've got over two months of waiting.  Oh well.  Hopefully it will be worth it when the time comes.

Posted (edited)

I have the same set up. Set at 2 inch in front.  Only have 1.25 blocks in the rear. Only because I had them. Worked out great.  Running 275/65/20 tires. 34.1 It's worth the extra cash. You will be happy. Had the rough country 2 inch leveling shocks up front but they settled a lot. 6112's are holding strong. 

Edited by xsquid
Posted
5 hours ago, xsquid said:

I have the same set up. Set at 2 inch in front.  Only have 1.25 blocks in the rear. Only because I had them. Worked out great.  Running 265/65/20 tires. 34.1 It's worth the extra cash. You will be happy. Had the rough country 2 inch leveling shocks up front but they settled a lot. 6112's are holding strong. 

 

Awesome.  Do you have any pics?

Posted

I ordered the Eibach system back in Dec. Still on backorder. After they get installed, other than an alignment, is there anything else that needs to be done? What is the steering calibration that was mentioned?

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • Can it still be Assembled I?    Stribeck says that we need a certain amount of viscosity under conditions of load and velocity to prevent two surfaces of a know roughness from tearing each other asunder. And we have marketing trying to tell the masses that those two surfaced require less of that commodity due to more exact limits being placed on the same old clearances. We also know that there are limits to how hard something can before it becomes to brittle to be viable and to smooth to 'wet' the surface and that both of those conditions have been known and met since about the Second World War.    That viscosity value shook out at 10 centistokes at 212 F just under a hundred years ago.  Give this a look: [Anton Parr]     What is advertised is the Kinematic viscosity (mm2/s) or that which has been density adjusted but the value we are after is the dynamic viscosity (mPa.s) or true viscosity. You can see that this number is dependent on density thus base stock and temperature. You can also see that an SAE 30 doesn't reach that value in this example. However an SAE 30 that is at the upper end of the SAE 30 range; 12.5 cSt (mm2/s), might. 12.5 * .83 = 10.375 (mm2/s). If you could find an SAE 30 at the upper end these days.   Then there is the complication of viscosity modifiers or VII or VM, whatever you wish to call them. Polymers added to very thin base oils, perhaps 3 to 6 cP oils, that will meet the SAE *W30 spec at 'tested' shear rates and 100 C/212F  target temperature. So a polymer fortified base that is a fraction of the 10 cP requirement Stribeck insist upon.   This could be all well and good if those polymers didn't have two very problematic 'features'. They shear or loose viscosity both 1.) permanently and 2.) temporality. And they do both omitted in the advertised data with the distinct  purpose of deceiving the consumer of the actual operating state of the fluid. I've shown the example of Warren Oils COSTCO 10.91 cSt 5W30 formuation several times where the 100 C HTHS value is 6.9 cP!! That's the temporary shear down and with and SSI or shear stability index of 9.4 cSt. Note the intentional deception in using mixed units?    After a short while that 9.4 cSt oil has a viscosity corrected dynamic value of 7.8 cP. But as the SSI is still within the range of an SAE *W30 whose lower value is 9.3 cSt.    This allows them to continue to call this SAE 16 weight oil a 30 weight, the cake, and still meet the API requirements for fuel efficiency IMPROVEMENT mandated by the EPA. The eating of the cake. By the time you've worn out your motor doing the responsible thing by adhering to the warranty requirements, (the stick), you get deprived of the carrot, wear control. So sad, to bad.   So what can be done? Do I need actually say? [Anton Parr]       Even this must be monitored if the oil is on the low side and the VII an organic or you opt for a 0W40 with an even lighter base oil and more / higher MW VII. (Note the lower density of the 40 weight versus the SAE 30 mono-weight?)    There is another workaround. Temperature. An SAE *W30 run at a bulk temperature of between 180 and 195 F.    Being the belt and suspenders sort I am I do both. Run it cook and run it heavy.    In Part II I'll work the AW package. 
    • So, do I go elbow-deep on this thing or list it for sale and play dumb? Seems to "runs good."   I'm about $1200 away from having: -a rebuilt injector ($300) -a new cat ($250) -a new cat back exhaust (OE style) ($300) -a new AC compressor ($200) -AC refrigerant charge ($150)   In theory, this should rectify the obvious detracting issues from its value and operability. Cold AC with a non-squeaking AC pulley both sounds and feels good. An exhaust that isn't cut/hacked in 17 different places and doesn't vibrate on a crossmember would make it sound and feel less janky. A working cat would help the stink, and will save the earth, but *if and only if* the fuel system is working properly, which would also address the intermittent "rich" CEL.   Heard a good one... CEL for "Rich condition" means you haven't spent enough money on the truck lately, and it's letting you know.   Rebuilding the injector would seem to be the most important part. Replacing the cat would be secondary. I don't think mine is plugged or overly restricted, but it might be a little restricted? I have no good way to tell other than seat of the pants feel. I hate the smell.   The current theory is I have a rich idle problem: A bad fuel pressure regulator, or a leaking injector(s) being the highest probabilities. I already replaced the FPR but that doesn't mean its replacement isn't also bad. It was a new part from Dorman, but the packaging looked like it had been sitting on a shelf for 20 years.   This is the (single) upstream O2 sensor shown at idle. I'm getting a lot of "rich" it seems. Sometimes it stays high like that and doesn't drop down. That makes me think it's processing injector leaks or a partially stuck open injector.     Other times it looks like this. Nice oscillations between rich and lean, which is what I think it should be. Under load and at speed, the oscillations are nice and tight and uniform looking, high and low.     Fuel trims suggest the PCM is compensating pretty hard at idle to pull fuel out. But it's not enough to trip a CEL. Something about slowing to a stop: brake vaccum booster, EGR, or the EVAP purge is delayed, or there's pooled fuel in the intake again that's draining into a cylinder is enough to set the CEL. Of course, in two days of driving, it hasn't set. I was hoping to actually look at the freeze-frame data when it sets. IAT is high because it's idling on an 83 degree day here.  
    • Have considered installing a DC to DC charger in your camper to replace your isolator?  
    • Common failure.  You need to replace the fuel door housing.   The painted cover transfers over to the new housing.  To remove the old one there is 4 spots where you poke the plastic to release it.  
    • No such thing as regenerative braking on a pure ICE vehicle.     Regenerative braking is the re-capture of energy from electric motors and stores it in the battery pack.  So hybrids, PHEV and EVs have regenerative braking.     What you are seeing is the charging system changing modes is all.  Its likely entering charge mode for some sort of reason is all.  All of the charging modes will be listed below.   As for L10 vs D.  L10 turns off automatic grade braking.  L10 puts you in control of grade downshifts where in D it will automatically do it based on brake pedal position and other factors.  Otherwise L10 and D drive exactly the same aside from that one aspect.    Battery Sulfation Mode The BCM will enter this mode when the interpreted Generator output voltage is less than 13.2 V for 45 minutes. When this condition exists the BCM will enter Charge Mode for 2–3 minutes. The BCM will then determine which mode to enter depending on voltage requirements.   Charge Mode The BCM will enter Charge Mode when ever one of the following conditions are met:   Windshield wipers are ON for more than 3 s. Climate Control Voltage Boost Mode Request is true, as sensed by the HVAC control module via serial data. High speed cooling fan, rear defogger, and HVAC high speed blower operation can cause the BCM to enter the Charge Mode. The estimated battery temperature is less than 0°C (32°F). Battery State of Charge is less than 80%. Vehicle speed is greater than 145 km/h (90 mph) A current sensor malfunction exists. System voltage is determined to be below 12.56 V When any one of these conditions is met, the system will set targeted generator output voltage to a charging voltage between 13.9–15.5 V, depending on the battery state of charge and estimated battery temperature.   Fuel Economy Mode The BCM will enter Fuel Economy Mode when the estimated battery temperature is at least 0°C (32°F) but less than or equal to 80°C (176°F), the calculated battery current is less than 15 A and greater than −8 A, and the battery state-of-charge is greater than or equal to 80%. Its targeted generator output voltage is the open circuit voltage of the battery and can be between 12.5–13.1 V. When fuel economy mode is active, the generator is not charging, only maintaining open circuit battery voltage. The BCM will exit this mode and enter Charge Mode when any of the conditions described above are present.   Headlamp Mode The BCM will enter Headlamp Mode when ever the head lamps are ON (high or low beams). Voltage will be regulated between 13.9–14.5 V.   Start Up Mode When the engine is started the BCM sets a targeted generator output voltage of 14.5 V for 30 s.   Tow/Haul Mode (if applicable) Pressing the Tow/Haul Mode button located on the center stack, the vehicle system voltage is raised and the remote (non-vehicle) battery will be charged. Having the headlamps on will raise the system voltage and if the Tow/Haul button is applied it will not serve any purpose. The voltage is regulated between 13.9-14.5 V.      
  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...