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Suspension

MElizondo

New Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2016
Messages
5
Hello Avalanche owners.

I have an 2009 Avalanche LTZ. I am looking into modifying the suspension for a softer ride, I don't want to feel every little bump in the road. Can anyone recomend what type/brand of coils and shocks should I get?

Thanks
 
Any mods to the suspension. ??  Lift ??

I don't think you can get a softer ride than the AutoRide on the LTZs.
 
First welcome to the site.
How many miles do you have on your AV?
Also what size rims and tire pressure do you use? (large rims with low sidewall tires and high pressure can give you a harsh ride.)
 
MS03 2500 said:
Any mods to the suspension. ??  Lift ??

I don't think you can get a softer ride than the AutoRide on the LTZs.

No modifications done. Thank you.
 
Vaeagleav said:
First welcome to the site.
How many miles do you have on your AV?
Also what size rims and tire pressure do you use? (large rims with low sidewall tires and high pressure can give you a harsh ride.)

Thank you for the welcome. This club has a lot of good information about the Avalanche.

The truck has 20" rims and 275/55 Michellin tires. It has about 80,000 miles on it. What is a good tire preassure for a smooth ride?

Thank you.
 
I know 20" rims are an option on some GM vehicles, I have never owned rims that big so you may want to check with a dealer or tire shop to be sure on that size.
I know I get a good ride on my 18" stock rims and tires at about 30-35 lbs psi which is recommended even though I believe the max psi is higher on the sidewall of the tires. In my experience max psi is for hauling or towing heavy loads.
I would hope your suspension hasn't gone bad at 80,000 but you may just want to read some other older threads about checking to see if you have air leaks or a bad pump to your auto leveling system.
When it works it's a great smooth setup yet when it's broken it's expensive to fix and if you try aftermarket replacement suspension you may get error codes on your DIC on the dash.
 
The only way to get a softer ride is to drop down to a 18" wheel/tire setup. It is the only option softer than a 20" LTZ with autoride.
 
My 2013 Black Diamond Avalanche is a 4x4 and only lacks the AutoRide feature for factory options and inclusions.

I was hesitant to buy this rig just because of the 20" wheels and was holding back because of the Black color too. In the end, the dealer did back flips to get me to sign.

I was surprised that I eventually warmed up to the color and the 20" wheels are as comparable to the 17" and 18" wheels for the ride quality on my earlier Avalanches.

Air Pressure is the key to an ideal ride comfort zone of acceptance. Too much and you'll feel every bump, too little and it may drive like a porpoise as my very old 1975 K5 Blazer with 15" Wheels did when the front shock mounts broke off after I installed Quad Shocks all the way around. What was I thinking?   :E:

Now, this is the odd thing and I doubt the 20' Wheels are responsible for this but, at 13K miles on the new Avalanche, I had a silly slow leak that turned out be some kind of sidewall damage to one tire. No one will patch anymore. I replaced that tire and at 33K miles, that new replacement tire picked up a screw in the corner of the outside tread/sidewall area. Again, no chance for a plug/patch option. I ended up replacing that tire and one of the original tires with the half life already expended.

So, hopefully, my next tire replacement will only be for the two remaining factory originals.

YMMV
 
Love my 18s.  I think they are a great compromise between handling, comfort, and the occasional offroad.
 
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