2011 LT Z71 4x4 preloaded strut/coil assembly. Help please.

[Kennydnj]

For the love of God I can't definitively find a part number for rhis. I understand that it may not even exist but does anyone know for sure if this complete unit exists for my truck? It is 100 percent stock. No leveling or lift kits. Just stock. I love the idea of buying them and dropping them in but I can't get a definitive answer. I see the rear shocks (rockauto - AC Delco) specifically say Z71 but the strut/coil assembly dont specify this. Does such a thing exist for my exact situation?

Please?

Thank you.

 

[Kennydnj]

Please help me if you have knowledge of this. If a preloaded solution dont exist can I buy the Z71 springs, strut, bearing seperately and more importantly if so do you think a shop would compress the spring and essentially make me the complete preloaded solution I'm looking for? This process of me finding the correct parts seems overly complicated for no reason. I just want to maintain this thing.

Thanks

Ken

 

[BainMan]

I spent a few minutes on rockauto and gmpartsdirect but do not see pre-loaded kits that say specifically for the z71, just like you found.

If you want to go with similar to factory for z71, get the Rancho RS5000 series strut. Double check, but I believe you want the
RS5784 for the front.

Yes you'll likely find a local independent shop that will compress and swap the springs over for you. My buddy was charged 20 minutes of labor to do this exact thing a few months ago. I rented the tool for free and did the swap over myself on my last ride, it wasn't bad, but after driving to the parts store twice to rent & return it would've been easier to just have the shop do it..

 

[Kennydnj]

Thank you for your reply. I searched a gm parts site and it seems the coils are discontinued (the ac delco) I dont know what to do. Any idea how important the spring replacement is? If I cant get a preloaded assembly I may as well just have a mechanic do the whole thing. I'd prefer to do it myself though. This whole thing stinks. I dont NEED to have an offroad suspension as I dont drive offroad. I also dont tow anything. So I'm not sure how me using a non Z71 preloaded unit would work out. (Assuming they fit) I dont know if it would sit lower, higher or the same or if it would be stiffer or looser. Maybe I gotta call a gm parts department. I would imagine springs go bad eventually.....how are they discontinued. What would they use to replace them? Any thoughts?

Thank you

Ken

 

[BainMan]

Personally, I would swap the struts and be done with it. Leave the springs but change the 'hat' if necessary. Maybe I'm too cheap though, so use your judgement.

If you do want the full coilover, that'll work just fine too. Since you're not worried about offroad, any quality kit should work. They will all bolt in, I think the strut is the only difference in the z71 package for 2nd gen Avy's as far as suspension goes, springs and all other suspension is the same as non-z71 models (except for LTZ auto-ride).

 

[Kennydnj]

So. I just got new tires yesterday. The way I pulled into my driveway had my wheels turned to the left. When I came out of the house the wheel position alowed me to realize that my spring had a big tag on it with a part number. So I checked the number on rockauto and it is indeed available. It mentioned some different suspension codes as well. I thought Z71 was the only RPO code I'd be interested in with regards to suspension parts but evidently 6US and 7US are the two listed in my glove box related to the springs. So it looks like I'm back in business with the springs being available (AC Delco 25876861)

My shocks and struts (what is visibly left if them) are red. The replacement shocks on rock auto are red. I'm guessing the OEM replacement struts are red too?

Ken

 

[BainMan]

For Z71 they used Rancho 5000 series struts and shocks. So they are 3rd party parts and OEM at the same time I suppose.

Still not sure why the springs are being replaced, I don't count those as a wear item but maybe I'm misguided.

 

[dna9656]

So far as I know springs ALMOST never wear out; having said that they do break from time to timebut usually from abuse, after all it's SPRING steel... There are sprcs on all springs, coil rate, uninstalled height, installed height, spring rate (how fast it returns to it's installed at rest position I think), wound diameter rod diameter.... I would find a spring shop (rare these days) or a BIG truck (Semi trucks) shop, they could prolly talk you blue in the face about springs...

 

[ygmn]

Springs can lose preset and collapse a bit over time due to FATIGUE.
One would not notice as it would slowly occur where truck lowers say 1/2" in 10 years or so.

Springs can break also from fatigue but not likely in truck unless installed wrong or abuse (jumping truck)

 

[Kennydnj]

My thinking is that if I buy the correct struts and springs I can bring them to a shop to get assembled, hand them back to me and I go home and install them. Saving on labor and alowing me to be more familiar with my vehicle by doing the work myself. However, lets say I pay an extra 200 bucks for springs. Is it justifiable? Maybe not. Perhaps it's more cost effective to just pay a shop to change the struts and use the same springs. The difference being the labor cost vs me buying the springs as well as strut markup. Either way hopefully any mechanic I bring it to will know the correct strut to install. I sure wouldn't bet my life on which is the correct one. And if I still want to lay under my Avalanche I can still do the rear shocks. Thank you guys for the replys. If my mechanic didn't close up shop I woulda just been asking him. I haven't found another I trust yet.

Ken