New dude here with a new 2017 Z71 Tahoe!

[huntermatt]

Oh Kee Pah, thank you so much. The engineer in me loves this kind of depth of information you've presented.

Family has been extraordinarily busy, However! It's now time to actually do it in time for our Christmas trip from Texas to KC to visit in-laws. Time to start ordering stuff!

I'm convinced I'm going with the Fox system front and rear. I like the rake it sits with, just want to raise it up evenly to fit the 275/70R18's.

Last couple of questions, before I fire up the credit card.
- Rear spacers.
-- Can you elaborate on using the different brands of rear spacers between the "quality levels" of ReadyLift vs McBay? I would think it's a no brainer if McBay is better,
I'll use it....and its 100 bucks cheaper.
- Rear coils/shocks in general.
-- Being this a Z71, I'm wondering about its stock coils/setup. Being it trim specific, and already (?better than reg. lt/ltz?) is spacing it good to go, or should I actually look into new coils/shocks to get the lift?

Thanks and look forward to the responses that come in. Hoping to start ordering stuff today!

Also, anyone here, or know someone on the website overall have a Ranchhand or Frontier grill guard? I am still seeking a legit answer to a question about the Ranchhand.

 

[Oh Kee Pah]

@huntermatt - Did you get anxious yet and start buying?

I don't think anyone on the TYForum is disappointed in the Fox products.
I've taken some time getting back to you - probably have gone WAY too overboard (as I tend to do), but your continued inquiries and replies to members have got me thinking these past few days.
I've gone back through this thread and your posts; went ahead and built a spreadsheet to help me get my thoughts organized. Turned that into a pdf (will attempt to add that here, somehow...)
You're in an interesting situation because you want the ride height increase, smooth ride and keep OE wheels. All decisions on a build require different approaches, and I think yours is no different. The big one for you is the wheels. Keeping your OE 18s will mean that a spacer is probably going to be needed. Why? When we go over 1 or 2" increase in ride height with these vehicles, even GM states that the UCAs will fail sooner than later. So, raising the vehicle ride height 2"+ should prompt the installation of aftermarket Upper Control Arms (UCA). In order for the wheel/tire combo to clear the new control arms, and possibly the tie rod end link, wheel spacers will probably have to be installed.

That being said, let's talk about getting you up in the air. Tahoe vs. 2500HD "step-in height" is 22" vs. 26". Your tire choice (33" approx. diameter) is going to get you about 1" increase in ride height and step-in. Where do we get the rest, coil spacer or coilovers... I'm 100% supporter of Fox shocks, their adjustability, ride quality and plug-n-play option the coilovers provide. I've run the 0-2" adjustable Fox 2.0 IFPs and am now running the same but in 4-6" adj height. You had mentioned that you are "convinced" you are going with the Fox shocks. Let me put a little bug in your ear....Rough Country Vertex 2.5s.
These are Rough Country's new addition to their preloaded strut/coilover offerings. Designed for the trucks, they fit our SUVs. Reviews that I've read have nothing but praise. Perhaps once on the spring compressor they are a bit more difficult to adjust than the Fox product, but all in all, minimal...
Since your ride requirements are varying - city and highway with family and baby to light off road duty going out with the guys -> adjustability is your friend. And the Rough Country product is a little easier on the pocket book. RC offer a couple different ride height choices in the Vertex 2.5. I'm recommending the 3.5" adj. coilovers and suggest that you cranck them down a little before install. I'm guessing they are similar to Fox and designed for the slightly heavier front end (and front load requirements) of working pickup trucks. Our SUVs seem to realize slightly more ride height increase over the advertised adjustable heights. For example, I got about 3" increase on the 2" Fox setting. Got 5" ride height set at 4.5 on my current Fox shocks. I think the Vertex 2.5 will be similar. You can contact RC Tech Support directly and they should be able to tell you how many turns/cranks will lower the ride height x.xx inches. I'm also suggesting RC's rear monotube shocks to match the front. RC does offer an adjustable rear shock, but that's kind of overkill IMO, and also more than double the price. The Vertex rear monotube is already an upgrade and 2x the price from the "regular" lifted RC rear shock.

Okay - to answer your questions from post#21:
- Rear spacers. Can you elaborate on using the different brands of rear spacers between the "quality levels" of ReadyLift vs McBay? I would think it's a no brainer if McBay is better,
I'll use it....and its 100 bucks cheaper. IMO - the puck spacers are pretty much the same. I think the key ingredient is material used: I suggest 6061-T6 Billet Aluminum (aircraft grade). McBay Performance, the rear spacer I used, worked great for me. I live in Maine and it saw plenty of muck and salty roads. Sold them to a guy in CA and he's got them installed on his Yukon. The gold anodized they do worked really well. Honestly, better than some of the other coatings I've got riding on the Tahoe.
- Rear coils/shocks in general. Being this a Z71, I'm wondering about its stock coils/setup. Being it trim specific, and already
REAR COILS: I think your z71 trim rear coils are just fine. That's what I am running on my Tahoe with 3" BDS rear spacers. If you were wanting to really get off road, I mean, challenge some serious trails, then a lifted rear coil would be best. However, for the build requirements you have listed, your current rear coils are fine. I mean, you've got TYForum members trying to install what you already have as an upgrade...
REAR SHOCKS: If you are going to increase the ride height in the rear, then the shocks are going to have to change too. This could be done with a shock extension bracket and keep your existing shocks. But why do that when you're already putting effort into improving the ride?...Once you decide on your coil spacer, you can choose your shock. Ie: 2" spacer means a shock designed for 2" of lift.

@huntermatt - I've got pdf files attached here, hope you can open them. Otherwise, here's the basic build proposed:

SUGGESTED BUILD:	3" Front / 1.5" Rear	​	​	​	​	​
​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​
​	Front:	​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​
​	​	Shocks:	Coilovers (lifted adj. pair) w/ Remote Reservoirs	$ 1,299​
​	​	Shocks:	Adjustment Wrench	30​	​	​
​	​	UCAs:	Aftermarket UCAs for 2-4" lift	420​	​	​
​	​	Other:	Differential Drop Kit	50​	​	​
​	​	Other:	FRONT Sway Bar End Links	70​	​	​
​	​	Wheels:	BORA hub centric wheel spacers (if needed)	$ 60​
​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​
​	Rear:	​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​
​	​	Shocks:	Monotube Nitrogen Rear Shocks for 0-3/4" lift	$ 260​
​	​	Spacer Lift:	1" OR 1.5" Rear Coil Spacer - McBay Performance	68​
​	​	Other:	REAR Sway Bar (Adjustable) End Links	185​
​	​	Other:	REAR Bump Stops (z71 Suburban)	50​	​
​	​	Wheels:	BORA hub centric wheel spacers (if needed)	$ 75​
​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​
​	​	​	​	$2,567​	​	​	​	​	​	​

Let me know what you think, any questions you might have, etc. etc. Would be more than happy to jump on the phone and talk about some of this stuff. Just PM me through the TYForum.
Congrats on the new family member. I think you all will enjoy the "new" z71

Safe Travels!

 

[huntermatt]

Thank you so much. That is a wealth of information.

I also feel terrible in having to say this......I'm in a 2019 Tahoe Z71. I never thought about nitty gritty differences, just hey, its a 15-20...probably the same, right...

I'm on Rough Country's website now and couldn't make things work and realized those struts only go up to 2018.

That said, yes, you have definitely put a bug into my head...choices choices choices.

 

[OR VietVet]

Thank you so much. That is a wealth of information.

I also feel terrible in having to say this......I'm in a 2019 Tahoe Z71. I never thought about nitty gritty differences, just hey, its a 15-20...probably the same, right...

I'm on Rough Country's website now and couldn't make things work and realized those struts only go up to 2018.

That said, yes, you have definitely put a bug into my head...choices choices choices.

Finally, someone did not assume and did find out that there are differences in platform years. Sorry, but so many times, members ask for help and give no vehicle info and assume anything on a 2000 fits a 2006.

 

[Oh Kee Pah]

Thank you so much. That is a wealth of information.

I also feel terrible in having to say this......I'm in a 2019 Tahoe Z71. I never thought about nitty gritty differences, just hey, its a 15-20...probably the same, right...

I'm on Rough Country's website now and couldn't make things work and realized those struts only go up to 2018.

That said, yes, you have definitely put a bug into my head...choices choices choices.

@huntermatt -> well, the good thing is that your 2019 Tahoe z71 falls in the platform years of 2015-2020. So, everything that I offered as a build suggestion for a 2017 will work on your 2019.

The Rough Country Vertex 2.5 Adj. Remote Reservoir Coilovers WILL fit our platform, and your 2019 Tahoe z71. The RC website is listing these coilovers under the GM 1500 trucks, NOT our SUVs. There is also a 2" Vertex 2.5 Adj. Remote Reservoir, but that is also listed under the 1500 trucks. This too would fit our platform. If you look closely, the preloaded struts that Rough Country DOES have listed on their website as compatible with the Tahoe 2015-2020 platform years ALL appear on the GM 1500 truck product listing pages too. That's because the 2014-2018 GM 1500 Truck is the exact same front end as our 2015-2020 GM 1500 SUVs. As I said before, I run the 4-6" Fox 2.0 Adj. coilovers. Those are a Cognito brand specific Fox product for the Cognito GM 1500 lift kits...There is NOWHERE on the Cognito website that will show my Fox 2.0s fitting our GM 1500 SUVs; however, they do because the top mount and lower control arms are the exact same.

I was actually on the phone this morning with Rough Country. Spoke with Jason and he was really great. I was surprised and very pleased with the service and technical questions he was able to answer. In researching the Vertex 2.5s on the RC website, I came across their HD 1.5" tie rod sleeves for lifted applications. Thought that might be something I want to add on to my 4" BDS setup. So I called and talked to Jason about that and then brought up the Vertex 2.5s. Asked him straight up why they're listed for the 1500 trucks and not our SUVs. He said RC just hasn't gotten them listed for our platform on the website. We are not the target market, by a long shot I think, and so not really a thought...He CONFIRMED FITMENT OF VERTEX 2.5s for GM 1500 Trucks WORK WITH OUR GM 1500 SUV 2015-2020.

I've messed around with this level/lift stuff on my 2015 Tahoe for far too much over the years; learned some lessons and gotten a good feeling for the different level/lift products and results. I would NEVER recommend a product or setup that I would not put on my own vehicle. I am 100% confident that my original recommendation (RC coilovers in particular) will fit your vehicle. I even talked to the RC rep about the 3.5" adjustable coilovers being able to fit with my 4" lift. He said maybe, if I cranked them up and then a 1/2" spacer might have to be added to line things up just right. The fact that he said that makes me sure there is not a fitment issue with our 1500 SUV platform.

That being said, and as I stated previously, I am a fan of Fox shocks. There would be no problem if you just swap all the Rough Country shocks in my previously proposed build kit for Fox front and rear products. You could do the Performance Series 2.0 IFP (0-2" lift) or upgrade to their 2.5 Race Series IFPs. Couple options there, an extra 1" ride height in particular, but the price tag is a bit steeper. I say if you're going to go for it, really go for it. Fox Factory Race Series 2.5 Remote Reservoir Coilovers with Damping control (MSRP $2199).
View link below on Fox Shocks website (note: listed under Silverado, NOT Tahoes. Scroll down to the fitment portion of the product page and you will see the Tahoe listed -> sneaky!) https://www.ridefox.com/product.php...model=Silverado+1500&year=2016&position=Front
Slap a pair of Fox rear shocks on there with your rear coil spacers and you're good to go...

Keep us posted. The TYForum is happy to help!

 

[OR VietVet]

I wanted to start off with sorry for bringing up an older thread but I have been a follower of this Forum for awhile doing research for different options for my 2016 Yukon SLE and would like a little guidance/reassurance if possible.

My Yukon just rolled over 100K miles and the struts have not been replaced and I believe they are starting to show their age. What I have noticed recently is that the truck rides pretty hard compared to my 21 Chevy Trail Boss 1500 on stock suspension. I'm looking to replace them and add level out the front end and get a better ride quality then what I currently have.

I have been looking at the Rough County 2in Level loaded struts (I would love to go with a FOX setup but it isn't in my price range / for what I need this truck to handle I dont believe it is needed) and would like to see what you all have to say about this set up. The Yukon has 22in GM wheels and I have put BFG Trail Terrain tires on which I have enjoyed the look and the performance of them through the crazy different climates here in MN.

I would replacing front and rear shocks/struts and will be replacing any worn front end components at the same time. I am very mechanically inclined intent on doing the install myself.

Hopefully a mod can move this to the correct section.

Welcome to the forum.

You really should have gone thru the Introduction section first and then posted this in the 2015 to 2020 section as a new thread to get the most responses.

 

[TollKeeper]

Sorry I just thought it was similar enough topic and already had good info so I was trying to piggy back but I can certainly put my post somewhere else. Would you rather have this under the general discussion or a stand alone thread under the lifted 4x4 category?

Hopefully the mods will move it for ya... But.. There is a introduction forum that can be found here....

Introduction

Are you new? Post a little about yourself here.

www.tahoeyukonforum.com

 

[Miami-Dade]

Hopefully a mod can move this to the correct section.

Welcome to the forum.

You really should have gone thru the Introduction section first and then posted this in the 2015 to 2020 section as a new thread to get the most responses.

He is going to start a new thread. Once it gets posted in another post section I can just take it out and move it unfortunately.