2017 Tahoe z71 struts ( front only)

Newbie here from TX….
Needing some excellent advice from veteran staffers or commentators concerning my 2017 Tahoe z71. I have approximately 120k miles on a very well kept, adult owned, street driven z71. This vehicle has never really been off roaded, just grocery getter status and kid hauler. Sadly, sounds like its having a strut rattling over the smallest of bumps or cracks in the pavement while in town or on country roads. Tahoe rides rough, but I’m not sure if this is just my personal experience…. As this is the first one we’ve owned, came from the dark side ( Ford). It has had a 2” level kit ( bottom bracket lift). I’ve had the vehicle checked, no wheel bearings are loose, no slack in drive shafts, cv joints, etc… I do get a slight vibration at 65-70 mph, only on the same side as the strut noise? This is on the drivers side
( left front). Unrelated fact…. I do have oem 17 “ wheels and street tires, which have been rotated and balanced, so not a tire issue….

Ok, sorry for the long post…. Just relaying all the stats so no back and forth…. Can u give me any good reviews on a factory oem type strut? Wanna stay with the lil bracket lift, and would like to do AC delco if possible, but can’t find a complete ( quick strut). This is so I can revert back to stock if I choose. I like the exact height I’m at with the level…. No squat, sorry that’s the brainchild for an oem style strut… what say ye? Comments? Advice? Am I throwing gravel at the side of the barn and overthinking this ? Pic below is before the level.

Thanks

I would recommend replacing with an OEM strut shock. GM does not sell entire OEM strut assemblies, so you will be purchasing just the shock. If you wrench, changing out the front strut shock is relatively easy to do. You will need a HD spring compressor, which you can rent at a local auto parts store, to make the shock changeout.

Or, you can remove the entire strut assembly, and take it plus the new shock to a local repair shop, and let them perform the changeout with their HD spring compressor. Then you can reinstall the entire strut assembly.

To obtain the correct shock replacement, got to RockAuto.com or GMPartsDirect.com, enter your VIN, and go to the suspension section. Sometimes, you will also need your secondary suspension RPO codes (6XX, 7XX) to identify the exact replacement shock.

Post pics of the current setup, include the control arms so we can see angles.

Our 2018 Suburban rides like a Caddy…these trucks don’t just ride rough without reason.

Something like these pics (scraped these from the web, they are not mine)

Thanks for the suggestions so far…. I’ll get some pics this afternoon when I get home. I’d like to just purchase a “quick strut” assembly if possible. If I don’t go with AC Delco, does any have any recommendations?

Ok, project update…. Had a reputable shop look at the Tahoe ( they do all our service work on a fleet of prolly 15 or so GM vehicles for work). The tech that looked it over used to be GM certified at a dealership. He def feels like it’s a left front strut…. So scheduled tomorrow for replacements on the fronts…. I’ll let you know the outcome.

Had 2 new struts installed, shop recommended a McPherson brand strut? Anyway, seemed to fix the problem, no more noise, seems to ride so much better. Gonna hopefully say problem solved!

1TexasTahoe said:

Had 2 new struts installed, shop recommended a McPherson brand strut? Anyway, seemed to fix the problem, no more noise, seems to ride so much better. Gonna hopefully say problem solved!

Click to expand...

McPherson is a type of strut design, not a brand…our trucks don’t use MacPherson-type struts.

pronstar said:

McPherson is a type of strut design, not a brand…our trucks don’t use MacPherson-type struts.

Click to expand...

MacPherson does, in fact, offer struts.

Fless said:

MacPherson does, in fact, offer struts.

Products - MacPherson

MacPherson products bring a new level of performance that builds customer confidence, trust and satisfaction, at a price that keeps profits in your shop.

www.macphersonride.com

Click to expand...

So it’s possible to get a MacPherson strut by MacPherson…brought to us by the Department of Redundancy Department

Pics or it didn’t happen, right? I’m not sure if it’s actually a true McPherson, or a rebrand…. But it was invoiced as McPherson, and labeled on the actual strut as the same. Anyhow, the main thing is it fixed the problem….so we shall see about longevity…

Thanks

To be accurate, it's MACPherson, not McPherson.

True sir, many apologies….hopefully this clears up all controversy. This site has been a great help on several different issues.