Advice on suspension and tire combo for 2008 Tahoe

[pickering873]

I've got a 2008 Tahoe that has served it's purpose as family wagon and I want to make it my daily driver but modify it for mild off-roading/driving on the beach. I don't want to go nuts, just simple mods to make it look a little cooler but still have a comfortable ride. What suspension and tire combos do you recommend?

 

[swathdiver]

I've got a 2008 Tahoe that has served it's purpose as family wagon and I want to make it my daily driver but modify it for mild off-roading/driving on the beach. I don't want to go nuts, just simple mods to make it look a little cooler but still have a comfortable ride. What suspension and tire combos do you recommend?

Level it and run KO2s. What kind of beach and off-roading? Do you want to change tire and or wheel sizes?

 

[iamdub]

I agree with the mild lift. 2" lift spacers (spacers would be 1" thick) under the struts would take about an hour to install and not really require anything else, assuming your alignment and all is good currently. If just leveling the front with the rear isn't enough, you could slip ~1" spacers under the coils to raise the rear an inch or so. This will be another hour of labor. No other mods necessary here, either, unless you have a functioning Auto Leveling Control, then you'll just need longer rods on the height sensors. I don't know what such a lift permits in tire size, but I'd say an easy 34".

 

[Sparksalot]

+1 for the KO2s. They change the look plus ride pretty well.

This is the same rig with a few other cosmetic upgrades.

 

[Bill 1960]

I don’t care for leveling kits personally, because they distort or stretch the factory geometry. Which degrades ride quality and increases front end wear. However, lots of people use them and enjoy it.

Stick with 17” wheels for best off road performance.

+1 for BFG. Just don’t get trapped into 8 ply or E rated tires of any brand unless you want a harsh ride.

With the NorCal trim I think 285/70/17 is reasonable.

You didn’t mention if it is 4wd or if it has rear air, which has implications for the rear line set to complicate the NorCal.

 

[pickering873]

Level it and run KO2s. What kind of beach and off-roading? Do you want to change tire and or wheel sizes?

Level, sandy beaches. No big dunes. It handles it fine stock but I want more confidence and want it to look better. Thanks.

 

[pickering873]

Level it and run KO2s. What kind of beach and off-roading? Do you want to change tire and or wheel sizes?

Level, sandy beaches. No big dunes. It handles it fine stock but I want more confidence and want it to look better. Thanks.

I want to keep the stock 17 inch wheels (trying not to spend too much) but have a taller and wider tire with a more aggressive tread. KO2s look just right.

 

[pickering873]

I agree with the mild lift. 2" lift spacers (spacers would be 1" thick) under the struts would take about an hour to install and not really require anything else, assuming your alignment and all is good currently. If just leveling the front with the rear isn't enough, you could slip ~1" spacers under the coils to raise the rear an inch or so. This will be another hour of labor. No other mods necessary here, either, unless you have a functioning Auto Leveling Control, then you'll just need longer rods on the height sensors. I don't know what such a lift permits in tire size, but I'd say an easy 34".

Thanks!

 

[pickering873]

I don’t care for leveling kits personally, because they distort or stretch the factory geometry. Which degrades ride quality and increases front end wear. However, lots of people use them and enjoy it.

Stick with 17” wheels for best off road performance.

+1 for BFG. Just don’t get trapped into 8 ply or E rated tires of any brand unless you want a harsh ride.

With the NorCal trim I think 285/70/17 is reasonable.

You didn’t mention if it is 4wd or if it has rear air, which has implications for the rear line set to complicate the NorCal.

It's 4wd, no rear air. Thanks for the advice!

 

[swathdiver]

I want to keep the stock 17 inch wheels (trying not to spend too much) but have a taller and wider tire with a more aggressive tread. KO2s look just right.

Many times I have considered a 33 or 34 inch tire for mine. BFGoodrich makes a 34 x 10.50 x 17 KO2 in Load Range D which has an actual diameter of 33.5 inches.

This tire will not fit a leveled truck without trimming. I know lots of guys have run 285-70-17s which are 32.71 inches tall with only a level and some with nothing without rubbing.

That's about as tall as you can go with a 17 inch wheel on these without a lift. With an 18 inch wheel you can run a 265 or 275 tire and keep it around 32.5-.32.75 inches tall. The 275-70-18s are 33.16 inches tall and would look good with a 3 or 4 inch lift. I don't know if anyone ever stuffed them under our generation and what it entailed to make it work.

 

[wsteele]

I have an '07 Yukon and did a 1" level up front (.87" spacer below the lower strut purchase). It still has a very slight rake. When I tried the 1.5" level kit spacers, the truck had a slight squat, so reinstalled the .87" spacers up front. I have the Autoride suspension, so installed a small plate to raise the ride height sensor the proper amount (it wasn't much, like 1/4", raising it's mount position straight up).

With this level kit and a trim on my front valance, I have excellent ground clearance up front (more than what I actually have under the truck), so rarely have to worry about snagging the valance and tearing it off on a big rock on the trail.

I have the optional factory 20" wheels and with the factory 275/55/20 tires and from day one had some clearance issues inside the wheel well at full lock. In time things wore away and now I have no rubbing. This combination is slightly wider than your stock setup and very close to the same diameter. I agree with the advice to stick with 17" wheels, as the sidewall height on the 20's is pretty short and offers little margin for error in unforgiving terrain. I would be very surprised if you could fit anything wider than 275's with an aspect ratio that brings you up to stock diameter, without some heat gun work on the plastic in the wheel wells, at least at full lock.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[The Raven]

With an 18 inch wheel you can run a 265 or 275 tire and keep it around 32.5-.32.75 inches tall. The 275-70-18s are 33.16 inches tall and would look good with a 3 or 4 inch lift. I don't know if anyone ever stuffed them under our generation and what it entailed to make it work.

I did. I have 275/70/18 Duratracs with a 2/1 level. No rubbing at all ever but it required A LOT of trimming. It actually wasn't as bad with the stock wheels. It was when I got the aftermarket wheels (+18 offset) that it really got messy.

 

[swathdiver]

I did. I have 275/70/18 Duratracs with a 2/1 level. No rubbing at all ever but it required A LOT of trimming. It actually wasn't as bad with the stock wheels. It was when I got the aftermarket wheels (+18 offset) that it really got messy.

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Thanks for letting us know and sharing your trials! Looks great!