How do I make my 2007 Tahoe 4x4 ride better on washboard roads?

[mikesmith]

Well, I couldn't get any responses over on TahoeForum.com, so let's give it a try here....

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I have a 2007 Tahoe LT 4x4. I just got it and got a great price, but I'm very disappointed with the ride quality. I could deal with it if I spent all my time on pavement, but the problem is that I work in real estate in an area with a lot of dirt roads and spend a lot of time driving on washboard and just generally bumpy roads, often with clients in the vehicle. Right now I have to go pretty slow to avoid a very uncomfortable experience for the passengers. A lot of the problem seems to be in the back. For example, when I hit a speed hump at 40 mph (the speed at which my old Honda Accord goes over that same hump quite nicely) the front handles it fine but the back end pops up in the air pretty hard.

What can I do to improve the ride quality on these roads? I have searched the Internet for hours but can't find much useful information. I have thought of a lot of possibilities and would like opinions.

1. just change the shocks... to what? I saw the conversations about Bilstein vs. Monroe, etc. but I never saw anybody talking about what works better for bad dirt roads...

2. change the rear springs... to what? Does anybody make a softer spring that could be supplemented with an air bag system? Would Z71 springs be better or worse?

3. Can the GM autoride system or auto-leveling system be easily retrofitted to my vehicle? Would a vehicle thus-equipped handle these rough roads better? Since I got a good deal on the vehicle I might consider spending some money on this if it would work...

4. I intend to level the vehicle and swap larger tires at some point in the future. Icon Vehicle Dynamics, King, etc. offer front coilover replacement units (that can be paired with their shocks for the back) that are pretty expensive... does anybody know if they are worth the money? I can't find any reviews of these products. The marketing always mentions "great ride" but that could mean anything. If they are designed from a desert racing perspective (take big hard hits without bottoming out) then I'm not sure if they would satisfy my need to go reasonably fast down a regularly graded road that is littered with pothole-size holes after the 1st rain storm (did I mention I live in Florida?)... or would they? My local 4x4 shop doesn't have a clue beyond putting lift kits on SuperDuty trucks.

Any thoughts are appreciated! I'm very perplexed at the absence of people with the same need as me... is everybody just putting up with the "truck ride" because it's a truck?

My understanding of why "trucks ride like trucks" is that the manufacturers are forced to compromise between ride quality and load capacity with their suspension design. They have to compete for trailer weight ratings, GVWR ratings, etc. but the higher the load capacity the stiffer the spring. That's why most pickup trucks bounce horribly in the rear when driven empty.

(side note--it's good to see that Dodge is leading the way in improving this problem. All their trucks for 2014 have air bag-supplemented suspensions as an option.)

I want to modify/tune the suspension to ride comfortably when mostly empty (1-2 passengers most of the time) and then add something (probably air bags) that can be used to stiffen the spring rate when I need to hook up a trailer and carry more weight in the back.

The main thing I'm not clear about is if my problem is finding the right shocks, or if I need to address the spring rate as well.

Thanks!

(Sorry for the long post--it's a combination of a previous initial and follow-up post)

 

[yates ™]

Are you sure the shocks are not worn out?

 

[livingez_123]

Whats is your tire pressure set at?

 

[mikesmith]

Correct--no air suspension.

I haven't tried to figure out if the shocks are worn out, but isn't the sign of worn-out shocks a mushy ride and not a stiff ride? I'm assuming my complaints are due more to spring rates (the load-capacity issue) but I'm open to being educated...

My tire pressure is at the factory recommendation on the door sticker--I think 30 psi?

 

[yates ™]

A shock can fail either way, it can become a "squishy" ride or it can also freeze in the extended position (another member just had this problem). I would start with checking shocks and go from there.

 

[mikesmith]

Cool, good to know--I figure I'll definitely be changing the shocks regardless, but I'm hoping somebody can guide me to the right shock solution for my needs. I know some shocks are tuned for handling, which I think would mean a stiffer ride which would be acceptable for paved roads but the opposite of what I need. I don't drive aggressively and would gladly trade handling for ride comfort.

 

[mikesmith]

For what it's worth, I hooked up a trailer with a little weight to the Tahoe this weekend for the first time. It was enough weight to sink the rear enough to basically level it out. It definitely settled down the rear suspension... I'm still wondering if anybody has ever tried swapping in softer rear springs augmented by air bags on a Tahoe or Suburban.

 

[Xshooterx]

I hear all of the lowering fans talk about Belltech springs being soft and rendering a cushy ride. Do they make a prong to maintain stock ride height?

Coupled with bags to supplement for heavy loads...could that be a solution? Or at least something similar.

 

[mikesmith]

Yeah, could be... I'm just hoping that I'm not the only person with this request and there is a product out there I haven't found that addresses my issues... seems like it would be pretty simple to make a softer spring that maintains stock ride height without needing some kind of spacer, but maybe that's an option.

I'll probably make some phone calls to some suspension companies and see if they have any helpful info.

 

[TheFuzz]

Coming from the world of Land Cruisers, I know that many people who built up their trucks for overland expedition and washboard roads were VERY happy with Kings, as far as shocks go...but in our case that's only half the battle.

The only real way to change the dynamic of the ride is to swap out the springs and the shocks. Leaving the springs stock isn't ideal, but new shocks will offer some improvement (as long as you don't cheap out on them). The problem in our case is that there aren't exactly a plethora of rear spring options for the GMT900 platform (read: NONE) due to the fact that they just aren't chosen for hardcore off road applications all that often - most lift kits just involve spacers, shock relocation brackets and other bolt-on lift solutions to be used in conjunction with the OEM springs (lets face it, most lifts for these trucks are cosmetic, not performance oriented).

So, you're in the same boat I am. I travel dirt roads mostly when heading off to camp or to get off the beaten path with my family. The most cost effective solution I can find is the Bilstien 5125 racing series single-tube shocks (about $400 front and rear), rough country front leveling kit, and daystar 3/4" rear coil spacers. It's not ideal for washboard, but my research leads me to believe that it will help pretty dramatically. Getting new springs would round out the package nicely, but it's just not in the cards unless you want to pay a custom shop to whip you up a one-off set of springs...and that's a costly option that I'm not willing to pursue.

King shocks would perform light years better than the Bilstiens, but at $2200+ a set, they are out of my price range.