Questions about shocks and struts.

[iboughtatahoe23]

Yes, absolutely. Than, you will have a good full set of shocks and be all set for the next 100k miles.

Alright. I hear those are a bit more difficult

 

[iboughtatahoe23]

@Joseph Garcia something like this? Or should I buy the whole assembly spring included and save the hassle?

 

[iboughtatahoe23]

Is it OK to ride it without a shock for a few days it’s supposed to be here tomorrow Monday. Probably do it Tuesday. Maybe Monday afternoon if the weather is decent. I mean, I’m sure they were serving no purpose anyway.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Is it OK to ride it without a shock for a few days it’s supposed to be here tomorrow Monday. Probably do it Tuesday. Maybe Monday afternoon if the weather is decent. I mean, I’m sure they were serving no purpose anyway.

If it were me, I would not ride without shocks, as there is too much risk of something unexpected happening. Plus, the front shocks are an integral part of the supporting suspension and the truck cannot be driven without them.

The choice of replacing the entire front strut assembly versus replacing only the shock is a matter of personal choice, but it is not necessary. Keep in mind that if you purchase only the shock itself, you will need the services of a powerful spring compressor to compress the spring to disassemble and re-assemble the strut assembly. Although it has been done by some folks, I definitely do not recommend attempting to disassemble the strut assembly using standard spring compressors designed for car springs. A local repair shop has the equipment to quickly disassemble/re-assemble the strut assembly to replace the strut, and I strongly recommend that you proceed in that direction, if you plan to do the overall job yourself.

 

[Marky Dissod]

Is it OK to ride it without a shock for a few days it’s supposed to be here tomorrow Monday.
Probably do it Tuesday, maybe Monday afternoon if the weather is decent.
I mean, I’m sure they were serving no purpose anyway.

Just 'cause you CAN, don't mean you SHOULD.
That said, i was driving around on shocks that let my wheels chatter like teeth in bitter cold.
I did it; I should not have done it, I've little choice but to live with it.

Last argument I had with my fiance before ...
'I admit, I AGED your clutch much faster than you did, woman!
AGED is not the same as DAMAGED.
You are exaggerating your right to be upset at me, by the difference between AGED & DAM-AGED.'

If you are not dam-aging your suspension / steering by driving around without properly working shocks,
you are certainly aging them at an accelerated rate. Live with that.

 

[yugrus]

I've replaced mine stock on '14 Tahoe with Bilstein 4600 24186933 rear, and KYB SR4079 front assembly. Very happy with both. Old shocks and struts were really shot at ~120K. They were not doing anything. Even the front springs looked shortened on disassembly.

 

[iboughtatahoe23]

If it were me, I would not ride without shocks, as there is too much risk of something unexpected happening. Plus, the front shocks are an integral part of the supporting suspension and the truck cannot be driven without them.

The choice of replacing the entire front strut assembly versus replacing only the shock is a matter of personal choice, but it is not necessary. Keep in mind that if you purchase only the shock itself, you will need the services of a powerful spring compressor to compress the spring to disassemble and re-assemble the strut assembly. Although it has been done by some folks, I definitely do not recommend attempting to disassemble the strut assembly using standard spring compressors designed for car springs. A local repair shop has the equipment to quickly disassemble/re-assemble the strut assembly to replace the strut, and I strongly recommend that you proceed in that direction, if you plan to do the overall job yourself.

Im
Doing the rear shocks. I took one off to inspect it. It’s trashed. I have been riding it without one shock the last few days. But honestly, the ride feels no different. Makes me wonder how long the shocks have been “out”

 

[iboughtatahoe23]

Took me a bit but got the new shocks on thanks for all your Help


That shit sucked. I didn’t jack it up on the second one nor did I take the wheel off or remove and splash guards and getting a ratchet extension up there was a pain in the ass on the top bolt. Idk what engineers are thinking

Didn’t use a torque wrench or any thing special really. I just gave the bolts it a few taps with the impact until the frame was touching the rubber on each end of the shocks

 

[iboughtatahoe23]

used the homies Hercules. That thing has 1000lbs of fastening torque. I have it a few ooga boogas so hopefully I didn’t over torque it lmfao. I’ll take a pic on lunch

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Let us know if you feel an improvement after the replacement.

 

[iboughtatahoe23]

Let us know if you feel an improvement after the replacement.

Less body roll and less bounce. Could just be me.

 

[iboughtatahoe23]

Some pics after torquing them
Down.

 

[petethepug]

Those are bad asş 18°f outside pics, aren’t they?

 

[Trilla_one]

Less body roll and less bounce. Could just be me.

Is it less bumpy now than before? Are you on stock wheels?

Mine rides similar to how you described at the beginning. Like you I got it later in it's life without knowing the suspension history. It also came with a set of 22s which may or may not be apart of the problem. It's not a terrible ride but it always has this slightly "unsettled" feeling, especially at slower speeds. It's still solid and comfortable overall though. I would have to ride in another truck to see if it's any different.

I replaced shocks on a 95 Maxima in the past that had a lot of bounce and it solved the problem. I did the same on an 04 Maxima that had a bumpy/harsh ride and it didn't. Not saying the shocks didn't need replacing due to mileage but the bumpy ride was unrelated to them being old.

 

[iboughtatahoe23]

Is it less bumpy now than before? Are you on stock wheels?

Mine rides similar to how you described at the beginning. Like you I got it later in it's life without knowing the suspension history. It also came with a set of 22s which may or may not be apart of the problem. It's not a terrible ride but it always has this slightly "unsettled" feeling, especially at slower speeds. It's still solid and comfortable overall though. I would have to ride in another truck to see if it's any different.

I replaced shocks on a 95 Maxima in the past that had a lot of bounce and it solved the problem. I did the same on an 04 Maxima that had a bumpy/harsh ride and it didn't. Not saying the shocks didn't need replacing due to mileage but the bumpy ride was unrelated to them being old.

See I was replacing the shocks to hopefully mitigate the stiff ride, but it seems like these SUVs just have a stiff ride you know? It seems like they’re not really made for off-roading and bumps, but more for long stretches of highway.

 

[Marky Dissod]

... replacing the shocks to hopefully mitigate the stiff ride, but it seems like these SUVs just have a stiff ride you know?

If (for whatever strange reason) you find your ride too stiff,
then you should very seriously consider less-stiff coil springs.
'How much less stiff?' would be the question you'd need answered.

 

[iboughtatahoe23]

If (for whatever strange reason) you find your ride too stiff,
then you should very seriously consider less-stiff coil springs.
'How much less stiff?' would be the question you'd need answered.

Want more absorbing for the ****** roads

 

[Marky Dissod]

Want more absorbing for the fukdtup roads

censership is so funking we tardid

If you do NOT care about improving handling, then
stay with 17" wheels, but if you can find LIGHTER 17" wheels, get 'em
replace your GoodYears (good for a year, as in, one good year ... get it?) with tires known for better ride quality,
like Continental TerrainContact H/T or Michelin Defender LTX M/S2, and don't pump them up past 36psi (under 30psi is a dangerously BAD idea)
very seriously consider 255/75R17, or 275/70R17 - taller sidewall will better protect against faulty asphalt
replace and generously lubricate every rubber bushing, eventually including the body-to-frame bushings,
possibly adding cushions to your suspension
make your vehicle lighter using parts from a hybrid Tahoe

 

[iboughtatahoe23]

censership is so funking we tardid

If you do NOT care about improving handling, then
stay with 17" wheels, but if you can find LIGHTER 17" wheels, get 'em
replace your GoodYears (good for a year, as in, one good year ... get it?) with tires known for better ride quality,
like Continental TerrainContact H/T or Michelin Defender LTX M/S2, and don't pump them up past 36psi (under 30psi is a dangerously BAD idea)
very seriously consider 255/75R17, or 275/70R17 - taller sidewall will better protect against faulty asphalt
replace and generously lubricate every rubber bushing, eventually including the body-to-frame bushings,
possibly adding cushions to your suspension
make your vehicle lighter using parts from a hybrid Tahoe

How do you lube a bushing? Just slather some grease on it?

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Has anyone inspected your body mount bushings? I recently had mine replaced, and they were in rough shape.