Very hard ride, '18 swb

[jfnar]

This might belong in the 99+ forum, feel free to move if necessary. I recently bought a 2018 standard cab swb 2wd. To say it rides like a log wagon could be considered insulting to log wagon drivers. I've driven everything from chevy luvs to one tons, 2wd, 4wd from every decade back to the 40's. I've never driven a truck that rode this hard. Here are the details:
2018 standard cab swb, 2wd, 13,000 miles. The original 17" wheels have been replaced with 20's by PO. It might have a leveling kit in the front because it it sits pretty level.
I've searched the net and found that many 4wd silverado owners have changed to Bilstein shocks to fix similar problems. The only two options I can think of are to change back to 17's and try the Bilstein shocks. Both cost money so I'd like to be reasonably certain I'll get some improvement before throwing money at it. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by jfnar

This might belong in the 99+ forum, feel free to move if necessary. I recently bought a 2018 standard cab swb 2wd. To say it rides like a log wagon could be considered insulting to log wagon drivers. I've driven everything from chevy luvs to one tons, 2wd, 4wd from every decade back to the 40's. I've never driven a truck that rode this hard. Here are the details:
2018 standard cab swb, 2wd, 13,000 miles. The original 17" wheels have been replaced with 20's by PO. It might have a leveling kit in the front because it it sits pretty level.
I've searched the net and found that many 4wd silverado owners have changed to Bilstein shocks to fix similar problems. The only two options I can think of are to change back to 17's and try the Bilstein shocks. Both cost money so I'd like to be reasonably certain I'll get some improvement before throwing money at it. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Post an image of the truck so we can get a better visual.

Since you mentioned it's 'leveled', it has me questioning what was used to complete the change?
Obviously, the change from 17" to 20" tires will have some impact on the ride (depending on sidewall heights) so that plays into things as well.

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

I had a 2018 crew cab that rode awkward due to angle of the truck. It was quite darty when I moved the wheel, and not easy on a drive to relax.

So I removed the rear block, and added a drop shackle. The ride was much improved. Cost about $75, and a couple hours time.

[jfnar]

New information: I had time today to crawl under and take a look at the suspension. It has been leveled but not by raising the front like I thought; it has extra long shackles on the back springs to lower the rear. Not sure how much but I'd say the shackles are at least 4" longer. Now I'm wondering if the shocks have enough travel. I have a set of velvet shackles on order. That should correct the shock geometry and provide some additional cushion. I'll report back eith the results.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by jfnar

New information: I had time today to crawl under and take a look at the suspension. It has been leveled but not by raising the front like I thought; it has extra long shackles on the back springs to lower the rear. Not sure how much but I'd say the shackles are at least 4" longer. Now I'm wondering if the shocks have enough travel. I have a set of velvet shackles on order. That should correct the shock geometry and provide some additional cushion. I'll report back eith the results.

~2" drop w/those shackles. I wonder if when the parts were swapped the suspension was extended for the work? When this happens, the shackle can be binding & not moving properly.

Try loosening the shackle hardware w/all the trucks weight on the suspension/on the ground. Re-tighten & see if you notice a difference.

Easy enough to do w/o throwing $$ at it.

[Willie Makeit]

I owned a 2015 (same suspension as yours) that was lowered 5/7 and it road "harsh" compared to other generation trucks as well, even with the proper components this generation truck has a "stiffer" ride.

[jfnar]

I made a little progress; I found a new take-off set of 17s and swapped out the 20s. It made a noticeable difference but still a harder ride than my other trucks. It's tolerable now and if it had been like this when I got it I probably wouldn't have started down this road. I still plan to address the shackles when time permits but it might take a little time to get to it.

[SCOTI]

What size tires on the 20's & on the 17's?

[jfnar]

275-55-20 , 245-70-17

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by jfnar

275-55-20 , 245-70-17

5.95 vs 6.75" sidewall heights.

Even @ 5.95", the ride should be fine w/the 20's. It's very close to the equivalent of a 255/60-15 combo (@ 6.02" sidewall height) which is on many older trucks/cars w/o ride quality issues.

[jfnar]

I put the sulastic shackles on this weekend. They helped a lot with the big jolts from potholes and bridge joints. It's still stiffer than it needs to be for a 1/2 ton 2wd truck but I can tolerate it. I found a thread on this subject on another site and someone had researched and found that the struts on Tahoes and Suburbans are identical to the trucks except the coil springs are softer. Unfortunately if any of them tried to swap them onto a truck they didn't report it in their posts. I might check into that some day but for now I'm through throwing money and labor into it. Just for the record, the sulastic shackles are a pain in the butt to install. Hopefully they'll last as long as I own the truck. Thanks for all the replies.