2006 Tahoe Suspension Help

[Mike Karapetian]

Hi everyone, I need help with my suspension. I have a 2006 Chevy Tahoe LS which came with a tow package. Its not airide, it has these expensive shocks in the rear super stiff that makes the car ride horrible. I dont care about the price of them they look new either way. Im looking for a shock replacement that will smooth out the ride but not cause the rear to sag or wobble. I put on bilstiens on all four corners and it was terrible it would wobble bad on the highway and cause the back end to sag. Now originally when i bought it, it was slightly lowered so slight we couldnt tell and I've lowered it a bit more with shock relocation brackets so the shocks dont compress. Regardless before or after it rode bad. I have gone with 17's now with thicker tires then what came from the prior owner he had 18's with slightly thinner tires. Is there anyone on here or knows someone with experience with my suspension.

 

[Big Mama]

There are lots of them. Hopefully they’ll chime in. Have you considered going back to the stock set up? Sometimes folks take bad shortcuts to lower a rig. Do you know how it was done? I’m guessing springs out back and keys up front? Removing the drop components might make all the difference.

 

[Byoung1330]

Are u talking bout the nivomat self leveling shocks? They are ********* shocks? My Tahoe had them. It’s slammed 4/5 now tho so I have belltech. I’ve also had bilstein. If your worried bout the rear sagging you need to get the nivomat shocks or get some helper bags. Then u can set the psi wherever u want it. An keep the back from sagging. Can also set it up or down about 2 inches either way. They are bout 100 bucks for a set. Easy to install also. Don’t even have to remove coils.

 

[Fless]

Hi everyone, I need help with my suspension. I have a 2006 Chevy Tahoe LS which came with a tow package. Its not airide, it has these expensive shocks in the rear super stiff that makes the car ride horrible. I dont care about the price of them they look new either way. Im looking for a shock replacement that will smooth out the ride but not cause the rear to sag or wobble. I put on bilstiens on all four corners and it was terrible it would wobble bad on the highway and cause the back end to sag. Now originally when i bought it, it was slightly lowered so slight we couldnt tell and I've lowered it a bit more with shock relocation brackets so the shocks dont compress. Regardless before or after it rode bad. I have gone with 17's now with thicker tires then what came from the prior owner he had 18's with slightly thinner tires. Is there anyone on here or knows someone with experience with my suspension.

Look at the RPO codes in the glovebox. If you have ZW7 and G65, the truck came with softer rear springs and Nivomat shocks in the rear. "Premium Smooth Ride."

When changing this style to conventional shocks, the springs must also be changed to a firmer spring. Look at Rock Auto for your truck, and see the Bilstein shocks for the ZW7 suspension; the comments will note that spring replacement is required. The spring, I believe, would be the same as what comes with the Z71 suspension, but I may not be correct about that.

 

[Mike Karapetian]

Look at the RPO codes in the glovebox. If you have ZW7 and G65, the truck came with softer rear springs and Nivomat shocks in the rear. "Premium Smooth Ride."

When changing this style to conventional shocks, the springs must also be changed to a firmer spring. Look at Rock Auto for your truck, and see the Bilstein shocks for the ZW7 suspension; the comments will note that spring replacement is required. The spring, I believe, would be the same as what comes with the Z71 suspension, but I may not be correct about that.

View attachment 351035

Thank you for your advice, right now im lowered but i think i have that adjustability to raise the fronts back up due to me going to a stock height spring like that bilstein 199021 stock replacement. Now if i go to that stock replacement spring and do the Bilstien B6 4600's which i just found out those were the bilstiens i had bought that caused the rear to sag. Only thing i was missing is basically going back to a stock spring to level out that back end. When i had just replaced the springs to lower the tahoe with the bilstien shocks it had a horrible wobble on the freeway that was super dangerous.

 

[Fless]

You may want to make sure that your front jounce stops (sometimes incorrectly called bump stops) are contacting your lower control arms. These act as a fulcrum in the front suspension.

Here's one thread among many; just search for the words "fulcrum" and "jounce" in the TYF search:

Front Bump Stop Issue

Previous owner hacked off the front bump stop cups and I am having a helluva time find some sort of replacement to bolt In. Truck is an 01 Tahoe with belltech drop spindles, Purple Keys and Stock replacement shocks. The front end bounces really bad and sways when going over bumps and dips...

www.tahoeyukonforum.com

 

[Mike Karapetian]

Look at the RPO codes in the glovebox. If you have ZW7 and G65, the truck came with softer rear springs and Nivomat shocks in the rear. "Premium Smooth Ride."

When changing this style to conventional shocks, the springs must also be changed to a firmer spring. Look at Rock Auto for your truck, and see the Bilstein shocks for the ZW7 suspension; the comments will note that spring replacement is required. The spring, I believe, would be the same as what comes with the Z71 suspension, but I may not be correct about that.

View attachment 351035

So I went ahead and looked under the car as well for the jounce/bump stops as well and they seem to be trimmed or I may be mistaken. My car is lowered so maybe that's why they trimmed them if they are trimmed. These are the fronts sorry i didnt rotate the pic. Better pics below.

 

[OR VietVet]

They do look trimmed. You have yourself a rat's nest here. Unsure of all that was done. May have to start at ground zero but you could likely correct most of the problems with what @Byoung1330 said about helper bags you can adjust as needed.

 

[Fless]

So I went ahead and looked under the car as well for the jounce/bump stops as well and they seem to be trimmed or I may be mistaken. My car is lowered so maybe that's why they trimmed them if they are trimmed.

View attachment 352769

I can't tell if that pic is from the front or the rear. If it's the rear, no problem. If it's the front, the jounce stop should be contacting the lower control arm when the truck is at ride height.

 

[Mike Karapetian]

Sorry i should have stated its the front. I've raised the ride height as far as i can. I have a spindle lowering kit. Car does ride better in the front after raising it up. I did this thinking im gonnna re install my bilstien 4600's in the rear with the correct springs stated at the top of this post. The rear will go back to stock height hoping lifting the front will not sit too low after doing the rear swap to bilstien shocks and the correct springs the stiffer ones also from bilstien to keep it from wobbling. I think and hope once i replace the front jounce stops maybe i think stock ones with the stock height here is a pic i measured and doing the rear bilstien 4600's with the correct spring will finally give it a decent ride. I did one measurement at the top of the cup and the other at the bottom edge of that cup were the jounce stop sits.

 

[Mike Karapetian]

Just got the bilstein springs for the rears and my front jounce stops. Holy crap the springs are super stiff. I only guessed before getting them they would have to be linear springs and not progressive to be able to run them with aftermarket shocks so it doesnt cause wobble at the back end and seems that i maybe right. Hopefully it will ride better with the novimats gone and bilstein shocks.

 

[Fless]

Sorry i should have stated its the front. I've raised the ride height as far as i can. I have a spindle lowering kit. Car does ride better in the front after raising it up. I did this thinking im gonnna re install my bilstien 4600's in the rear with the correct springs stated at the top of this post. The rear will go back to stock height hoping lifting the front will not sit too low after doing the rear swap to bilstien shocks and the correct springs the stiffer ones also from bilstien to keep it from wobbling. I think and hope once i replace the front jounce stops maybe i think stock ones with the stock height here is a pic i measured and doing the rear bilstien 4600's with the correct spring will finally give it a decent ride. I did one measurement at the top of the cup and the other at the bottom edge of that cup were the jounce stop sits.

Not picking, just an observation, but those front sway bar links appear to be way over-tightened.

 

[Mike Karapetian]

Not picking, just an observation, but those front sway bar links appear to be way over-tightened.

Thank you for letting me know i will have the guy look at it today. Im doing the shock install with the springs that was recommended today. Just crossing my fingers these springs are not too stiff and go from there.

 

[Mike Karapetian]

Want to Thank FLESS for all your help, much appreciate it. Done installing the Jounce Stops, Bilstein Rear Spring 199021 and Bilsteins B6 4600 Shocks. WOW the car rides awesome, even though I never drove a stock spring with Novimat shocks. I can tell you its gotta ride better then stock. The dampening were it does bounce around like lots of stock suspensions and recovers quick from a dip or bump at the same time glide over smooth bumps and harsh bumps it will smooth them out like its a thump instead of a clank if you can even describe suspension that way. Also zero wobble I took it up to speed and hit some weird bumps on the freeway and it had zero wobble very nice composer. I should have just gone this route from the get go. Thank you for the advice and patience with my troubles. I also adjusted the front links and loosened them up a bit.

 

[Fless]

You're welcome! I've had my Hoe for a little over 5 years; I've learned a lot since joining and am happy to pass along worthwhile information. TYF is a great community!