2WD Suburban 2500 handling

[jeremy.farlow]

The front end is too mushy, the rear is too harsh.
Way under-dampened at both ends.

I'm thinking Bilstein for shocks, but am totally up for suggestions there.

Does anyone have a suggestion for front coils, other than OEM??




The best I can come up with is Bilstein's at all four corners with new front coils. Potential to pull a leaf out of the rear leaf-pack.

Open to suggestions.




Be safe

Jeremy

[zieg85]

I can only speak about the importance of good shocks on all 4 corners.  I had a 2500HD and it road like a log wagon on the rear 9200GVW and was real squishy up front but didn't bounce like you would think with bad shocks.  4 new gas charged shocks made a huge difference in the ride and handling similar to a brand new truck.

[JohnnyPopper]

Check to see if you still have a sway bar, and if yes, check the bushings.

Bad or loose ones add to the mush.

While you're at it, check the condition of the upper and lower control arm bushings.

I took two leafs out the rear of each side of my K10, it came as a 'camper kit'- what a difference!

Bilsteins all around.

www.shockwarehouse.com are good guys.

[jeremy.farlow]

So I'm certain that I put new lower control arms in during the pandemic lockdowns... I cannot remember if I did uppers as well, but I did all new ball joints along with the control arms.

I've got a rockauto order coming with four Bilsteins, new coil springs and new upper ball joints, as I plan on destroying them instead of even attempting to "gently" remove them... and new sway-bar bushings and end links.

I figure I'll test that out and decide later whether to separate the rear leaf packs and pull a leaf or two.

I don't expect Maserati handling out of this 6500# truck, but a little bit more "crispness" from the front will be much appreciated. Looking at the truck from the front:


It definitely looks like the drivers side front spring has collapsed a fair amount. Passenger side seems closer to ride height, but that jives with my feeling that the truck has a tendency to pull to the left. I'm right at 200 pounds, and the previous owner was likely even heavier, given the original drivers seat condition...

I don't have the heaviest sway bar option these trucks came with, mine is the 27mm one, I believe there was a 30mm option, but hopefully replacing 30-yo rubber with modern urethane will help there as well.




Be safe


Jeremy

[JohnnyPopper]

It looks tired on the driver side, I'm sure the new parts will perk her up significantly. 

The C10 I'm finishing up did not have a sway bar for some reason.

I found one from a C20, should give her a 'stiff upper lip' 

[jeremy.farlow]

So I had a suburban-spending-spree reminiscent of what I was doing in 2020...

I have waiting at the shop tomorrow:

2x front springs

4x Bilstein shocks

2x upper ball joints

Sway-bar bushings

Cast aluminum, added capacity w/ DRAIN PLUG!!! transmission pan for the 4L80e, along with gasket and filter... filter extension... however that part works.

I am excited. The front end can hardly get worse from where it currently is, but I'm hoping the question at the end of the day tomorrow is: "how much BETTER is it"!!

I'm sure everyone on this forum has noticed, but squarebody parts seem to have very much outpaced simple inflation. I bought upper ball joints as I want this job to go fast and easy. The ball joints I plan on destroying to remove don't have 5k miles on them. New in 2020... and probably cost less than half what I paid for the ones I just got.

The new ones cost $35 and change. I think I did control arms, upper and lower ball joints, and tie-rods in 2020 for less than $300. I remember being amazed at how cheap the parts were then. I think 2020 was the end of that. The squarebody has gotten a lot more popular the last few years and prices have followed the increased popularity. Barrett-Jackson just sold a $250k squarebody K5 Blazer!!!!



Be safe



Jeremy

[jeremy.farlow]

So today became more expensive than I had expected it to be. I did not figure on needing new hubs/rotors, but it is painfully apparent I went a bit too aggressive with the pad choice I put in the Wilwood calipers on my truck. The "WHOA!!!" that the Wilwood rep gave me told me everything I needed to know. I replaced these hubs/rotors in 2020 and the truck has done more sitting than anything in the meantime. I've probably only put 2500 miles on it, but the rotors are THRASHED!!!:




Thankfully the NAPA next door to the shop had a set in stock and there's some more appropriate pads coming from Speedway Motors... hopefully I'll see them by the weekend...

Best laid plans... I'm gonna put off doing the cast aluminum transmission pan for another day as I have to go pick the kiddo up from school shortly.

I was able to get the ball joints separated fairly easily, so I just regreased them, as well as all of the other grease points. I'm thinking I did both upper and lower control arms in 2020, as both have zerk-fittings everywhere and typically that indicates replacement parts to me.

Before the wheels go back on:









I'll get enough windshield time getting the kiddo to be able to put my impressions with the new springs, shocks and sway-bar mounts later this evening.



Be safe



Jeremy

[jeremy.farlow]

I'm a happy boy! Today's work netted me a much better driving truck!!! While I would love to eventually "beef" up the suspension even more, for the moment, the new Bilstein's are great. New springs picked the front up a bit on both sides, but it's most noticeable on the drivers side:


At least both lower control arms have about the same angle now.

The handling is far less vague than it was before. I'm sure the sway-bar mounts help there as well.

At this point, between today and the work I did in 2020 the entire front end has been gone through. Aside from the weight of the truck sitting on the components, the stuff I put on in 2020 is practically new.

The front wheels will need to come off once more as soon as the right brake pads come in, I do not want to have to put rotors on this truck again for at least a year...





Be safe



Jeremy

[VileZambonie]

Are your rear shackles moving freely? That will greatly impact your ride too!

[jeremy.farlow]

It seems like the rear moves as it should. I had been contemplating possibly taking a leaf out of the back. If I do wind up splitting up the leaf pack I will definitely replace the spring bushings and shackle mounts.

But stiffening the front up, and adding damping to all corners seems to have done the trick right now.



Be safe


Jeremy

[JohnnyPopper]

In my teens I worked at a high end alignment/body & paint shop. Some really nice cars came through there 

What an incredible difference a tight suspension makes over a generally worn one.

Happy for you Jeremy! Nice reward for some hard work...