custm2500
04-01-2012, 09:37 PM
Quick back story for those of you who don't know. I bought an "06 Tahoe middle of last year. Since nothing can stay stock and I didn't have the money to lift it I knew I could lower it for next to no money and leave the lifting for later down the road when I might have money! So dropped the front torsion bars all the way down and out back I built bag cups so that I could easily replace the coil springs. I bought a height adjusting valve for a semi and used it so that the rear was completely self sufficient and the truck would stay level no matter what load I put in the back or on a trailer behind me. When first dropped the truck it rode great just as I would expect with bags out back.
After a week or so I the front apparently settled another inch or so and that meant that the rear needed to come down another inch to keep the truck level like it should be. After doing this the truck seemed to ride very choppy and the back began to ride as if the shocks were bad. Well with 100,000 on the originals I replaced them with a pair of Monroe Reflex that were shorter and it made no difference. Took an extra inch out of my bag cups so that the static height of the bag was back to the 6.5 recommended, still no difference. I had a few ideas of what was causing the ride but nothing seemed to be the obvious answer. I have been getting my kids 4-5 nights a week and been busy so I have been riding and wondering about what the solution is for a few months now.
Finally tonight I had the time and added some shock extenders. I built them to move the mounting point of the shack back 4 3/4" and all I can say is WOW. Rides like the dream I expected months ago. Apparentl that extra 1-1.5 inches of drop brought the shocks to an angle they were no longer effective. I am so releaved to final have this sorted out and wanted to pass along how important shock extenders were for my truck. I never used them on the HD and it was droppeded 8+ inches and it rode great, then I built my own shock mounts once I bagged it but apparently on my Tahoe 5-6 inches of drop desperatelyl needs shock relocation!
After a week or so I the front apparently settled another inch or so and that meant that the rear needed to come down another inch to keep the truck level like it should be. After doing this the truck seemed to ride very choppy and the back began to ride as if the shocks were bad. Well with 100,000 on the originals I replaced them with a pair of Monroe Reflex that were shorter and it made no difference. Took an extra inch out of my bag cups so that the static height of the bag was back to the 6.5 recommended, still no difference. I had a few ideas of what was causing the ride but nothing seemed to be the obvious answer. I have been getting my kids 4-5 nights a week and been busy so I have been riding and wondering about what the solution is for a few months now.
Finally tonight I had the time and added some shock extenders. I built them to move the mounting point of the shack back 4 3/4" and all I can say is WOW. Rides like the dream I expected months ago. Apparentl that extra 1-1.5 inches of drop brought the shocks to an angle they were no longer effective. I am so releaved to final have this sorted out and wanted to pass along how important shock extenders were for my truck. I never used them on the HD and it was droppeded 8+ inches and it rode great, then I built my own shock mounts once I bagged it but apparently on my Tahoe 5-6 inches of drop desperatelyl needs shock relocation!