2015 Chevy Silverado 2500HD, Improving Unloaded Ride

[dasadab]

Hi,
My 2500HD Silverado Z71 4x4 Duramax (Not Cummins,sorry for earlier mistake) Diesel will be a daily driver when not loaded with my camper. The camper is a Hawk on order from Four Wheel Camper, and should weigh in loaded at around 1500 lbs. The roads in Southern California are full 3d World in many places and the truck, unloaded, is rides harsh--really stiff. Tires are Michelin LTX A/T2. Recommended pressure is 60 psi front, 70 rear.

I have been reading about various airbag options and other suspension options. I am going to keep his truck a long time and I don't mind spending money if there is a viable option that will soften the harshness when unloaded, without compromising load carrying.

I know it's a truck, so please don't tell me, "it's a truck, what did you expect." I knew what I was getting into when I bought it. Just remember that roads in L.A. are a pothole every 10 feel.

I appreciate hearing from folks with solutions.

Thanks a lot.

[DWeikert]

dasadab wrote:
I was thinking it would be nice to carry the ballast in water and will do so if I can think of a good way to do so without spending too much.

One concern with water is, unless the container is full you'll get sloshing which can add strange movement to the truck. Not to mention leaks. That's why fuel tanks have baffles to limit the slosh. One advantage to sand is you can always use it if you, or someone else stuck on the road, ever needs traction, like on ice or snow.

[Bigfoot_affair]

dasadab wrote:
Aired down to 55 front and 55 rear does make a good difference. Crazy harshness is gone--lets say it went from a 10 on the harshness scale, to a 7. Sulastic kit and adjustable Rancho 900XL's go on next week. I am also going to throw in a few hundred pounds of ballast in the rear. I was thinking it would be nice to carry the ballast in water and will do so if I can think of a good way to do so without spending too much.

You can go lower. 48 front and 40 in the rear, I think you will be happy. Just remember to air up when you put your camper on.

[dasadab]

Aired down to 55 front and 55 rear does make a good difference. Crazy harshness is gone--lets say it went from a 10 on the harshness scale, to a 7. Sulastic kit and adjustable Rancho 900XL's go on next week. I am also going to throw in a few hundred pounds of ballast in the rear. I was thinking it would be nice to carry the ballast in water and will do so if I can think of a good way to do so without spending too much.

[DWeikert]

Do keep us updated. Be nice to hear a comparison with just aired down tires and then after you install the Sulastic kit.

[bobndot]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

Grit dog wrote:

dasadab wrote:
Thanks for the comments. I have learned a lot. After watching this video, I ordered the Sulastic kit. I also spoke with a local Truck/4x4 speciality shop with an excellent reputation. They said they had excellent results with the Sulastic Kit. They also suggested Rancho 1200XL shocks. They also suggested airing down and loading the bed with some weight. I think that I am going to do all of the above.

Links below. I have no connections with any company, just trying to set up my new truck for the next 10 years, with camper on sometimes, and camper off most of the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcFZiKlL4PY

Sulastic.com

Dude, just lower your tire pressure and see what happens. Still talking about it......

WHY do that when the local Truck/4X4 Shop has OP convinced to spend $$$

Airing down is free so it can't be that simple

:B

makes sense to me , take baby steps , air down and try it first !!!

If that cures your problem , then use the money we just saved you on getting that coffee .

[dasadab]

Sorry about the Rancho mistake. It's the 9000XL.

And...Dude...I have already aired down.

And I prefer "free", but I am also a person who likes to do research and go for optimal results. Your inclinations may be different.

[Old-Biscuit]

Grit dog wrote:

dasadab wrote:
Thanks for the comments. I have learned a lot. After watching this video, I ordered the Sulastic kit. I also spoke with a local Truck/4x4 speciality shop with an excellent reputation. They said they had excellent results with the Sulastic Kit. They also suggested Rancho 1200XL shocks. They also suggested airing down and loading the bed with some weight. I think that I am going to do all of the above.

Links below. I have no connections with any company, just trying to set up my new truck for the next 10 years, with camper on sometimes, and camper off most of the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcFZiKlL4PY

Sulastic.com

Dude, just lower your tire pressure and see what happens. Still talking about it......

WHY do that when the local Truck/4X4 Shop has OP convinced to spend $$$

Airing down is free so it can't be that simple

[Grit_dog]

dasadab wrote:
Thanks for the comments. I have learned a lot. After watching this video, I ordered the Sulastic kit. I also spoke with a local Truck/4x4 speciality shop with an excellent reputation. They said they had excellent results with the Sulastic Kit. They also suggested Rancho 1200XL shocks. They also suggested airing down and loading the bed with some weight. I think that I am going to do all of the above.

Links below. I have no connections with any company, just trying to set up my new truck for the next 10 years, with camper on sometimes, and camper off most of the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcFZiKlL4PY

Sulastic.com

Dude, just lower your tire pressure and see what happens. Still talking about it......

[MORSNOW]

I'm familiar with Sulastic suspension products but I'm not familiar with Rancho 1200XL shocks (I don't see any shocks with 1200XL on the Rancho webpage). The Rancho RS9000XL shocks would be the best for heavy loads.

[dasadab]

Thanks for the comments. I have learned a lot. After watching this video, I ordered the Sulastic kit. I also spoke with a local Truck/4x4 speciality shop with an excellent reputation. They said they had excellent results with the Sulastic Kit. They also suggested Rancho 9000XL shocks. They also suggested airing down and loading the bed with some weight. I think that I am going to do all of the above.

Links below. I have no connections with any company, just trying to set up my new truck for the next 10 years, with camper on sometimes, and camper off most of the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcFZiKlL4PY

Sulastic.com

[Grit_dog]

PS the ****** above wasn't even a swear word. This forum is saving us from ourselves too! Lol

[Grit_dog]

Drop the pressure in the rear tires to 35-40 psi and the fronts to 45-50psi. Front psi will not make as much difference as rear. You may even be able to go lower depending on the width of the tires.
That will make the most improvement of anything shy of ditching the leaf springs for an expensive air ride.
If the tpms light bothers you figure out how to have the threshold re programmed. I've done it on Rams and Fords but not on GMs.

This is an easy free solution that takes 5 min and you can test it out. Do it before you drive home from work and see what you think.

Having the psi thresholds so high on the newer trucks is just ******** and the NTSB saving us from ourselves. There are many instances where it is wrong or even unsafe to run that high of psi in an empty pickup.

[pcoplin]

As was said before, rum lower tire pressure. 40-50 will be fine.

[billtex]

mkirsch wrote:
Oh, 5,380 is not the rating... It's how much the truck actually WEIGHS on that axle! What's disappointing about that? At 5380lbs per axle, the truck is already well over its GVWR.

OK...that's not how I read it....my bad.

If the OP has 4 hrs of commuting every day I would suggest buying an inexpensive commuter mobile and keeping the truck for camper duty.
I would not want to feed any truck 4 hrs/day in West Coast traffic...

A "nice" ride and heavy hauling capacity shouldn't be used in the same sentence anyway. No matter how you slice it...HD trucks just don't make good commuter vehicles. I like my truck...but I'll take the Wife's car for zippin' around.