Ways to smooth out my ride quality?

Cosmic Kustoms · March 22, 2022

Hey all, I've been loving the 2016 RCSB Silverado! Going on almost 3 months owning it and it's been nothing but a good truck. Have already put it to good use moving heavy stuff multiple times. The most I've done with it yet is haul about 1,200 lbs of flooring in the bed and it pulled along like a champ!

I'm riding on 20" LTZ wheels on 275/55r 20 tires. When I got the truck, it seems as if someone had already put a rear leveling kit on it and removed the blocks underneath the rear end. Although the truck runs like a champ, I feel like any bump is amplified in the cab. We don't have the best highways and roads where I live in Santa Barbara County, but even my dad's 2014 Sierra LTZ rides MUCH smoother. The only suspension mod that would've been done to this truck is that leveling kit the previous owner must've put on. Don't know the brand and don't know how well it was installed anyways...

Is there any remedy to this rough ride I experience? Again, I know it's a truck not a Cadillac, but even after dailying an 06 RCSB for 6 and a half years - that truck rode much smoother. I appreciate any tips you have for a much smoother and comfortable ride. I love this truck and want to make it a little more comfy especially since I commute about 45 miles round trip to work every day!

I highly doubt that the stock shocks could be absolutely wore out by now? Especially since the truck only has 38K miles...

Grumpy Bear · March 22, 2022

Spring rate/load and shock dampening rates. That is the difference between your earlier experience and this one. Truck platforms have been in a race for decades to see who can haul the most weight in a half ton truck. You would think that the answer would have been in the name. HALF TON. :rolleyes: Even the badging says three quarter ton. 1500??? D'oh!

If you heaviest loads are as noted, near a half ton, then leaf springs from an earlier truck with a lighter load and more leaves is a great first step.

https://www.truckspring.com/Search.aspx?p=-silverado/Make:Chevrolet/Product-Type:Leaf-Spring&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5-WRBhCKARIsAAId9FmalMcsViN4KcJWOdx6IrPwdV6EZ5fJXyz9XHslqPYHzpHydAW6TG4aAt5kEALw_wcB

Up front you have a coil over and if you want some latitude in spring rate your going to need something other than factory. Yes they have different springs BUT they ONLY fit the factory shock which isn't all that.

FOX or KING both make linear dampers with many choices of spring and are tunable.

https://accutuneoffroad.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw5-WRBhCKARIsAAId9Fm3Y-TUn6rY8eVpDFEZ6cgVSJalxmeMfo5WgWoUic1m2tZno0dA_tAaAi9PEALw_wcB

SULASTIC makes an insulation hanger to put a finish on the parts.

An alignment with less castor, lower half of the range. will be a big help as well. 2* is more than enough.

Now you're going to look into this and get sticker shocked out of the water and your going to something other like buying whatever shocks are trending. At that point one of two things will happen. You will convince yourself that you've got the greatest ride ever (because embarrassment will allow nothing less) or you will grown and redo it and eat the price of an education I already paid for for you.

The hardest part of a project like this is convincing your suppliers and tuners that you really don't want a Monster truck or a rock crawler. Have fun.

Edited March 22, 2022 by Grumpy Bear
Grammar correction

Rock · March 22, 2022

Tires.

Tires can make a very big difference in ride quality.

Go to Tire Rack and filter on ride quality. There are large differences between tires and some get hard as they get older and ride poorly.

Try lowering the pressures a bit to see if that helps.

truckguy82 · March 23, 2022

6 hours ago, Cosmic Kustoms said:

Hey all, I've been loving the 2016 RCSB Silverado! Going on almost 3 months owning it and it's been nothing but a good truck. Have already put it to good use moving heavy stuff multiple times. The most I've done with it yet is haul about 1,200 lbs of flooring in the bed and it pulled along like a champ!

I'm riding on 20" LTZ wheels on 275/55r 20 tires. When I got the truck, it seems as if someone had already put a rear leveling kit on it and removed the blocks underneath the rear end. Although the truck runs like a champ, I feel like any bump is amplified in the cab. We don't have the best highways and roads where I live in Santa Barbara County, but even my dad's 2014 Sierra LTZ rides MUCH smoother. The only suspension mod that would've been done to this truck is that leveling kit the previous owner must've put on. Don't know the brand and don't know how well it was installed anyways...

Is there any remedy to this rough ride I experience? Again, I know it's a truck not a Cadillac, but even after dailying an 06 RCSB for 6 and a half years - that truck rode much smoother. I appreciate any tips you have for a much smoother and comfortable ride. I love this truck and want to make it a little more comfy especially since I commute about 45 miles round trip to work every day!

I highly doubt that the stock shocks could be absolutely wore out by now? Especially since the truck only has 38K miles...

Bilstein 5100’s take away that feeling of bottoming out the suspension anytime you hit a pot hole or speed bump.

Rough guess they are 10 percent stiffer while normal driving and little bumps, and 50-75% softer when you hit a large bump.

It goes from the worst suspension I’ve ever felt for hitting a speed bump to what it should have been like from the factory.

It will not be a tahoe though, need different spring rates for that.

Cosmic Kustoms · March 23, 2022

2 hours ago, Rock said:

Tires.

Tires can make a very big difference in ride quality.

Go to Tire Rack and filter on ride quality. There are large differences between tires and some get hard as they get older and ride poorly.

Try lowering the pressures a bit to see if that helps.

The tires I’m running are the same exact Michelin tires my dad’s 14 Sierra has with a very smooth ride. They are also brand new. When there’s smooth road the tires are awesome.

Cosmic Kustoms · March 23, 2022

7 minutes ago, truckguy82 said:

Bilstein 5100’s take away that feeling of bottoming out the suspension anytime you hit a pot hole or speed bump.

Rough guess they are 10 percent stiffer while normal driving and little bumps, and 50-75% softer when you hit a large bump.

It goes from the worst suspension I’ve ever felt for hitting a speed bump to what it should have been like from the factory.

It will not be a tahoe though, need different spring rates for that.

i will have to look into those! Thanks.

306K5 · January 11

On 3/22/2022 at 11:32 AM, Grumpy Bear said:

Spring rate/load and shock dampening rates. That is the difference between your earlier experience and this one. Truck platforms have been in a race for decades to see who can haul the most weight in a half ton truck. You would think that the answer would have been in the name. HALF TON. Even the badging says three quarter ton. 1500??? D'oh!

If you heaviest loads are as noted, near a half ton, then leaf springs from an earlier truck with a lighter load and more leaves is a great first step.

https://www.truckspring.com/Search.aspx?p=-silverado/Make:Chevrolet/Product-Type:Leaf-Spring&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5-WRBhCKARIsAAId9FmalMcsViN4KcJWOdx6IrPwdV6EZ5fJXyz9XHslqPYHzpHydAW6TG4aAt5kEALw_wcB

Up front you have a coil over and if you want some latitude in spring rate your going to need something other than factory. Yes they have different springs BUT they ONLY fit the factory shock which isn't all that.

FOX or KING both make linear dampers with many choices of spring and are tunable.

https://accutuneoffroad.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw5-WRBhCKARIsAAId9Fm3Y-TUn6rY8eVpDFEZ6cgVSJalxmeMfo5WgWoUic1m2tZno0dA_tAaAi9PEALw_wcB

SULASTIC makes an insulation hanger to put a finish on the parts.

An alignment with less castor, lower half of the range. will be a big help as well. 2* is more than enough.

Now you're going to look into this and get sticker shocked out of the water and your going to something other like buying whatever shocks are trending. At that point one of two things will happen. You will convince yourself that you've got the greatest ride ever (because embarrassment will allow nothing less) or you will grown and redo it and eat the price of an education I already paid for for you.

The hardest part of a project like this is convincing your suppliers and tuners that you really don't want a Monster truck or a rock crawler. Have fun.

I've maybe asked you in the past, but have you heard much about atomic fab coil overs? Apparently he will tune to your liking.

https://atomicfabandperformance.com/product/07-18-gmt900-front-coilover-kit/

I still haven't driven my 16 RCSB much due to the rough ride. I need to pony up some $$ for some proper shocks/spring rates.

Grumpy Bear · January 11

37 minutes ago, 306K5 said:

I've maybe asked you in the past, but have you heard much about atomic fab coil overs? Apparently he will tune to your liking.

https://atomicfabandperformance.com/product/07-18-gmt900-front-coilover-kit/

I still haven't driven my 16 RCSB much due to the rough ride. I need to pony up some $$ for some proper shocks/spring rates.

Heard nothing. Dampers seem to be Viking. Very tunable but I know nothing about the piston design of this shock. I.E. linear, progressive etc. Not much help. Sorry.

MikeBMW · February 25

On 1/11/2024 at 9:14 AM, Grumpy Bear said:

Heard nothing. Dampers seem to be Viking. Very tunable but I know nothing about the piston design of this shock. I.E. linear, progressive etc. Not much help. Sorry.

I've had great experience with Bilstein shocks. Smoothed my ride a LOT on a lifted truck.
YMMV but I will attest to their efficacy.