Shocks...

[cullen]

What is everybody using with their 3500's to get a better ride quality? I have a 17' and it rides like a damn stagecoach...

 

[spoon059]

Try the shocks from a 1500... should ride much smoother for you. Either that or air down your rears when you aren't loaded, they are probably at 80 psi.

 

[EDankievitch]

Upgrade to the Bilstein shocks that Geno's has. While a 3/4 or 1 ton truck will never ride great the Bilstein shocks made a nice improvement over the stock units.

 

[jgillott]

X2 on the Bilstein suggestion

 

[Michaelsloft]

X3 on Bilstein suggestion. Improved ride, handling, safety and last for many years and thousands of miles.

 

[Bob4x4]

Replacing shocks on a new 17 will not measurably improve the ride.Appropriate air pressure for the load will have a greater affect.To make a significant ride quality you must change spring rate and travel,visit Carli suspension to see some options.

 

[Cummins12V98]

What is everybody using with their 3500's to get a better ride quality? I have a 17' and it rides like a damn stagecoach...

Fill in your public signature and you may get some relevant answers.

 

[ntsqd]

It is a 1 ton truck. It shouldn't ride like a car. Buy a car if you want a car-like ride.

That said, X eleventeen on Bilstein dampers. But as also said, spring rate plays a big factor and you can't easily have a low spring rate and a high payload capacity at the same time.

OR put in air ride seats.

 

[photowrite]

Replacing shocks on a new 17 will not measurably improve the ride.Appropriate air pressure for the load will have a greater affect.To make a significant ride quality you must change spring rate and travel,visit Carli suspension to see some options.

Very much agree with this statement, appropriate tire PSI for the load and not excessively more can potentially greatly improve ride quality.

I like Rancho 9000 adjustable shocks, and have been using them for decades on a few platforms. If you like a softer ride the adjustability can really help, combined with the ability to fine tune to your liking, and/or crank them up for big loads as needed.

James

 

[JMcCoy]

Softer spring rates with properly valved shocks will change your vehicle. I have Don Thuren softer rate springs with King 2.5 shocks with Don Thuren valving. All I'm going to say is you don't know what you don't know. I had no idea my truck could ride so unbelievably. Firm in corners, yet I can hit large speedbumps at 50 mph. Very expensive, but worth every penny. Btw, the reason I got them was to control a 4000 lb slide-in truck camper, which it does perfectly.

 

[ntsqd]

Sure wish Don did a stock ride height set-up for our truck.

Do '17s still employ an under-ride type over-load leaf?

 

[Bob4x4]

A stock ride height spring would not work.without the extra travel it would bottom out unless you valve the shock too firm to see any benefit

 

[Regcabguy]

Softer spring rates with properly valved shocks will change your vehicle. I have Don Thuren softer rate springs with King 2.5 shocks with Don Thuren valving. All I'm going to say is you don't know what you don't know. I had no idea my truck could ride so unbelievably. Firm in corners, yet I can hit large speedbumps at 50 mph. Very expensive, but worth every penny. Btw, the reason I got them was to control a 4000 lb slide-in truck camper, which it does perfectly.

Interesting. My Thuren's were too soft with my popup. He was even kind enough to revalve my Kings. Truck would need constant correction and would "kneel down" on sharp turns slowing down. He doesn't recommend them for slide ins. They're in the shed for when I chuck the popup. I got some Kore's VR's for a hundred bucks which work well. Way too stiff for an unladen truck though.
The 2nd's are lighter so maybe that helps.

 

[JMcCoy]

The 2nd's are lighter so maybe that helps.[/QUOTE]

Maybe so. Do you have a rear sway bar? I have a hellwig rear sway bar and airbags, so I'm sure that helps.

Still, night in day difference from my Pro Comp shocks.

 

[ntsqd]

A stock ride height spring would not work.without the extra travel it would bottom out unless you valve the shock too firm to see any benefit

I disagree. A lower spring rate just means that you need a taller spring to arrive at the needed ride height rate. Without resorting to by-passes a damper can be valved to work in this application w/o being obnoxious. Done all of the time in the stock desert racing classes. I consider the bumps to be part of the usable suspension, not to be used only when the driver runs out of talent.

Thuren used to have a +1" spring for my vintage truck. They weren't popular enough and I was too late to get the last set. He told me that the reason for the +1" wasn't more travel for the suspension (though that was a collateral benefit), it was to get an off the shelf sized King damper to fit properly.

 

[Bob4x4]

I disagree. A lower spring rate just means that you need a taller spring to arrive at the needed ride height rate. Without resorting to by-passes a damper can be valved to work in this application w/o being obnoxious. Done all of the time in the stock I desert racing classes. I consider the bumps to be part of the usable suspension, not to be used only when the driver runs out of talent.

Thuren used to have a +1" spring for my vintage truck. They weren't popular enough and I was too late to get the last set. He told me that the reason for the +1" wasn't more travel for the suspension (though that was a collateral benefit), it was to get an off the shelf sized King damper to fit properly.

Have some made and tell me how they work for you......not worth the effort and money

 

[Regcabguy]

The 2nd's are lighter so maybe that helps.

Maybe so. Do you have a rear sway bar? I have a hellwig rear sway bar and airbags, so I'm sure that helps.

Still, night in day difference from my Pro Comp shocks.[/QUOTE]

Yeah a Hellwig out back.

 

[m37]

The stock shocks on my air ride 2500 have a very stiff contraction valve setting. Just for test purposes to see if your problem is shocks or springs, take the shocks off and carefully go for a ride around the block to see if it is any better. If not better, then new springs or a composite setup like Kelderman air ride is needed. If it rides OK with out the shocks, try different valved shocks.

 

[ntsqd]

Have some made and tell me how they work for you......not worth the effort and money

You know this how?

 

[Bob4x4]

Years of experimenting and upgrading thousands of trucks