Enthusiast
OK, I know that I ordered a heavy duty truck and I do not expect it to ride like a Cadillac. There have been several topics concerning different after market add-on's that improve the ride.
Here is my complaint: while driving empty on the "super smooth"roads what we have here in Northern California I feel a lot of bounce. I can get rid of some of the bounce by lowering the air pressure in the rear tires but that
Enthusiast
Someone on here did just that. Added the airbags and a little air and it helped a lot. If they get the search fixed, you can find it easily. Otherwise, you will have to manually look back.
George try putting a set of RANCHO RS 9000 shocks in it!!! these have a adjustable compression and rebound setting, I have them in my (98 k2500) witch is sprung much stiffer then my 2001 2500HD... As soon as I get past my first payment on the 2001 it will have them too(even if it only has 4000 miles on it!!!!.....PLAIN AND SIMPLE THE STOCK SHOCK ARE JUNK!!!!
P.S there not cheep expect to pay $70 dollars each... now you know why I havnt done it yet!
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01 GMC K 2500 HD D/A Xcab polo green loaded
98 k-2500 6.5td 3.73,
3 inch exhaust&cross over
no cat!
jk boost control w/#13 chip
K&N
GM boost gage
Isspro EGT
93-C2500 6.5td
3" exhaust
K&N
tweeked pump
boost control
170k with minor problems
Y2K honda CBR1100xx nutbike
By the way most stock shocks are rebound dampening only....
Enthusiast
UHH, I am confused, "super Smooth Roads in N. Calif.? You must have a sense of humor or were being sarcastic. The absolute worse stretch of Interstate Highway anywhere in good old USA is between Sacramento and the Oregon State Line. I think the current roads in Afganistan (after the bombing) would be smoother than I-5. LOL
Some might suggest it is just as bad from the Mexico Border to Sacramento as well. LOL
Anyway, if your truck is fairly new it is gonna be a little stiff. I try to carry 500-1000 lbs. in the bed every change I get and it has loosened up the springs and my truck rides much better at 8K than it did at 1K empty or loaded.
Give it a little more time and just throw some dirt in the bed or something heavy (500#) and run around with it for a few miles and you will see a difference real quick.
Good Luck
Enthusiast
My vote for the worst section of I-5 is in Washington State between Olympia and Seattle; the individual concrete slabs weren't interlocked to the next adjoining slab at the joints, so each is tilted up about 1" on one end (from trucks pounding them). If you have the just right wheelbase length (like on a standard cab D***e pickup, ahem...) the front wheels hit the tilted up end just as the back wheels drop off the last tilted up end, and well, it's like driving on a washboard. It literally takes your breath away!! That's my .02!
Bilstein shocks are my #1 choice!
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John Kennedy
www.kennedydiesel.com
John@kennedydiesel.com
2002 Chev. K2500HD Dmax/Allison Crew Cab Long Bed Pewter/Tan LT On Order TPW ???
1996 GMC K2500HD 6.5TD Ex.Cab LWB 260+ Rw H.P.
1984 K30 SRW 6.2NA Headers and custom 2 into 1 exhaust FOR SALE
'01 FXDWG Black/Chrome Yellow (2 into 1 Thunderheader <naturally>(100+ RwHP)
"If I had to explain, you wouldn't understand"
Enthusiast
Kennedy,
Which model of bilsteins do you recommend?
Bob
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2001 GMC 2500HD D/A olympic white, Manik
SS brush guard and nerfs, Hella driving
lamps, Velvet rides, HD Air Lifts and Compressor
Snugtop cover, Linex,Yakima rails on cover (mt. bikes),
Amsoil 2 stage airfilter. ECM upgrades. One piece driveshaft.
1966 Chevelle convetible 396 4SP (restored)
_ _ _ _ _ _
Working on EGT/Boost guage, 43Gal fuel tank,
4" exhaust.
GOD BLESS AMERICA and those who walk in harms
way to protect us all!!
Enthusiast
GBurton,
Try Velvet rides for empty help and airbags for loaded help. Both work well for me.
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2001 GMC 2500HD D/A olympic white, Manik
SS brush guard and nerfs, Hella driving
lamps, Velvet rides, HD Air Lifts and Compressor
Snugtop cover, Linex,Yakima rails on cover (mt. bikes),
Amsoil 2 stage airfilter. ECM upgrades. One piece driveshaft.
1966 Chevelle convetible 396 4SP (restored)
_ _ _ _ _ _
Working on EGT/Boost guage, 43Gal fuel tank,
4" exhaust.
GOD BLESS AMERICA and those who walk in harms
way to protect us all!!
Enthusiast
ChevysRus
I-5 rough ride? When is the last time you drove I-80 over Donner Summit? There are places on that hiway where the concrete is so badly worn that you are driving on the aggregate.
Where did CalTran come up with the road repair idea to cut out the two worn strips in a lane and fill that area? After the "repair (??)" you now have miles of lane with two, some what, level strips of new asphalt right where your tires track.
George
Enthusiast
son of a gun
"Try Velvet rides for empty help and airbags for loaded help. Both work well for me."
Which did you install first? How much air pressure do you run when empty? When you installed the Velvet rides did it make a big difference in the empty ride?
George
Enthusiast
GBurton,
I have used velvetrides on my last 3 trucks. they do make a difference but this is a HD truck so don't expect caddy ride with them. I run 10-15 lbs in the airbags when not towing. The truck seems to ride best there. I still get a good slap in the butt when going over a short spaced and sharp dip in the road (i.e. RR tracks). The only answer I've found for those few spots (in the road) that I know are bad is to get the speed down to 35 mph before going over them.
Nonetheless and overall the two mods together make the ride much better.
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2001 GMC 2500HD D/A olympic white, Manik
SS brush guard and nerfs, Hella driving
lamps, Velvet rides, HD Air Lifts and Compressor
Snugtop cover, Linex,Yakima rails on cover (mt. bikes),
Amsoil 2 stage airfilter. ECM upgrades. One piece driveshaft.
1966 Chevelle convetible 396 4SP (restored)
_ _ _ _ _ _
Working on EGT/Boost guage, 43Gal fuel tank,
4" exhaust.
GOD BLESS AMERICA and those who walk in harms
way to protect us all!!
Enthusiast
Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond!
George
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Drive-N-It
2001 Chevy 2500HD, LT, ExtCab, 4X4, DMax/Allison, Lt Pewter Metallic/Lt Grey Int., Spray-in Bedliner
90 gal aux tank (auxtank.com)
2001 32RK Alpenlite
Member since Sep 2000
Enthusiast
These ARE Heavy Duty trucks. If you wanted a smooth ride, you should have gone with a 1500. The tires and suspension are designed for 9200 lbs. I feel that the GM trucks are far and away the best riding trucks out there! Was there a better riding truck in your past?
As for bad roads, come out East. Anywhere in eastern PA would be a prime example! The freeze/thaw cycle combined with insane amounts of road salt and the road beds that these roads are made of are nonexistant! They just paved right over the dirt trails that George Washington marched! I am NOT kidding!!!
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Thomas J. McCauley Jr.
Tommy's Lawn Service
Member # 5589
1990 K3500 SRW Ext.Cab Long Bed 454/400 3.73
1975 K20 Suburban 350/350 4.10's
Tows 16' Landscape Trailer
BOSS 8'2" V-Plow
7-11 MPG !!!
Duramax here I come!!
Ok Ok, I know we are talking I-5 but you know, just come down 80 to 680 and then 680 to Dublin...Cement is trashed, towed a boat through there 2 weeks ago for the first time and it darn near flew off the trailer....I have a weight distribution hitch and still was a wild ride... My 3500 rides very nice. DO they make RS 9000 shocks for the 2001 K3500 yet?
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2001 Chevrolet K3500 LS Duramax/Allison 4x4 CC LB "Dooley" Victory Red/Light Grey Leather with Bench Front seat.
E-mail: cii@onebox.com
Homepage. www.j-line-racing.cityslide.com
Enthusiast
lawnboy,
Used to live in Cleveland, think you are being much too nice in describing eastern "roads???????????". Some of the west Texas wagon trails offer a better ride for my DMAX.
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2001 GMC 2500HD D/A olympic white, Manik
SS brush guard and nerfs, Hella driving
lamps, Velvet rides, HD Air Lifts and Compressor
Snugtop cover, Linex,Yakima rails on cover (mt. bikes),
Amsoil 2 stage airfilter. ECM upgrades. One piece driveshaft.
1966 Chevelle convetible 396 4SP (restored)
_ _ _ _ _ _
Working on EGT/Boost guage, 43Gal fuel tank,
4" exhaust.
GOD BLESS AMERICA and those who walk in harms
way to protect us all!!
Enthusiast
GBurton,
Lowering the air pressure is probably necessary not a band aid. Most pickups I've seen have more air in the back than the front yet normally weigh less in the back. My old 3/4 Ton weighed the same front to rear with 1000lbs of gear for going into the patch. Empty or with a light load you don't need 80 psi. A slight overpressure saves a little fuel, too much wears the center of the tire, makes the back end skitter on washboard and is to hard on the butt.
The idea for fixing the grooves comes from Saskatchewan, they have done it for decades. Supposedly they are giving up on it now and are supposed to repair the roads properly. They have the reputation for the worst highways in Canada. Driving there makes you appreciate the roads here.
My DA came from the dealer with 45 PSI all the way around which was a pretty smooth ride. I kick that up depending on what I am hauling and at the higher pressures it does get rougher. So back down to the 45 to 50 PSI range. Of course I am still running the original Firestones.
2500 CC LB 4X4
Enthusiast
Mine rides great, better than my 2000 1500 Ext Cab 4x4 Did.
See Sig for truck specs.
Have all 4 tires aired to provide 2500 lbs of payload per tire. She handles great too. Just can't get her to spin those big tires on dry pavement ;( But hit 20 MPH, and she will leave most things in the dust
Hunter
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2
Duramax/Allison/Eaton
Kelly AWR 255x85R16,
GM bedrail caps and folding cupholder
Westin CPS Nerf Bars
http://www.picturetrail.com/hunter98
[This message has been edited by hunter98 (edited 11-14-2001).]
OK, here's what Ive done:
1) crank up torsion bars to level truck (especially side/side.
2) Had rear springs (not mains) re-arched and added one leaf.
The rearch/add a leaf brought the rear up 1.5 to 2" near as I can tell.
The result is VERY slightly stiffer ride on small chatter, but more controlled. The "bucking" seems to be all but gone now!
What happens IMHO is the lower leaf gets very close to the solid leaf with the teflon buttons. This solid leaf engages the second stage and stiffer spring rate. By increasing this gap, I get more travel in the soft rate of the springs making it much more supple on the larger bumps.
I MAY try the velvet rides to bring the rear back down and take out that little bit of small chatter. I'm going to live with it for a while first...
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John Kennedy
www.kennedydiesel.com
John@kennedydiesel.com
2002 Chev. K2500HD Dmax/Allison Crew Cab Long Bed Pewter/Tan LT Driving it!!!
1996 GMC K2500HD 6.5TD Ex.Cab LWB 260+ Rw H.P.
1984 K30 SRW 6.2NA Headers and custom 2 into 1 exhaust FOR SALE
'01 FXDWG Black/Chrome Yellow (2 into 1 Thunderheader <naturally>
"If I had to explain, you wouldn't understand"
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