What rear shocks for a 3" lift?

A lot of searching and reading and I can't find a good answer.

My 2010 Avy has 120k miles on it and obviously needs rear shocks (front too, I'm sure).

I am ALWAYS hauling heavy gear in the back on long trips.
Lot's of back-end sagging from the weight.
I have 3" spacers in the back and front to help compensate for the weight.

What do I replace the factory shocks with  Is there something that will help with the added weight back there for long-haul driving?

Shocks are just to dampen spring oscillation, they won't add payload capacity.
It sounds like to me that you need heavier duty springs for the rear suspension.
I imagine your truck has a coil sprung rear. You might want to look at getting a pair of coils that are thicker in order to support the weight.
Or another thing you could do is insert those air spring bags that go inside the coil, but I don't know how reliable those are.
Now if you had leaf springs like us 2500 guys, you could just chuck in an extra leaf to beef it up.
If it were me, I think I'd look for stronger springs.

CarMech1969

Thanks for the reply.
I didn't know that the 2500 had leaf springs.  Yes, that would make a big difference.
As you state, there are coil springs back there.

I will look into the things you mentioned.
In the meantime, I HAVE to get shocks on there.  Is there a good recommendation for a truck with a 3" lift?
I assume I need adjustable shocks....

FYI....
3" lift, stronger springs etc do not actually allow you to haul more weight.

The truck was design by chevy to haul a certainload based on axles, suspension, brakes, frame, tires, air pressure wheels, engine, tranny, rear end, driveshaft, steering components etc etc.

Manufacturers tell you the truck's limits on the GVWR sticker in the drivers door jamb.

If you need to haul more get a 2500 you will be safer.

Anything you add to a truck to haul more you are running the risk of having another compent fail due to be overloaded.

Not as simple as stronger springs.

ygmn said:

FYI....
3" lift, stronger springs etc do not actually allow you to haul more weight.

The truck was design by chevy to haul a certainload based on axles, suspension, brakes, frame, tires, air pressure wheels, engine, tranny, rear end, driveshaft, steering components etc etc.

Manufacturers tell you the truck's limits on the GVWR sticker in the drivers door jamb.

If you need to haul more get a 2500 you will be safer.

Anything you add to a truck to haul more you are running the risk of having another compent fail due to be overloaded.

Not as simple as stronger springs.

Click to expand...

To be clear, let's just say that a 3" lift will do zero for payload capacity.
Bigger springs, however, can and do help. I worked in a spring shop for years.
My old Chevy Cheyenne was just a half ton truck, but it had a leaf sprung rear.
I beefed up the suspension to haul more and the truck could work like a champ.
Could load the piss out of it with roofing shingles, bags of concrete, brick, whatever.
That being said,
It appears to me that the 1500 Avalanche is more car-like due to having coils instead of leafs, so yeah it won't be anywhere near as rugged.
But that's not to say that adding thicker coils or inserting air bags won't help.
It will help, but I agree with your statement that the Avalanche was designed a certain way, and one could only go so far as to what could be added to it. It will certainly never be a 2500 Av in terms of payload capacity.

CarMech1969

But increasing springs does not increase strength where they attach to axle nor frame.
Nor is frame stronger to handle more loads.

There are many many things required to increase load that is why they make a 2500..

TO add larger springs and say it can handle more is wrong...

HAul more then GVWR then get in accident and a smart lawyer finds out you modified vehicle and then overloaded it...
OUCH...

I am just saying if you really need to haul more get a 2500 designed to haul more....a much safer proposition.