Installed all new shocks today

[2006Tahoe2WD]

The shocks came 2 x Bilstein 24-065009 's and two Sachs OEM self adjustable Nivomats. All ordered from Amazon. The Nivomats had the same Sachs model number as the originals.

The install is straight forward. Just watch the usual safety stuff. I had two floor jacks so it was easy to get the car up and raise/lower the axles to get the bottom bolts in.

Notes: The new top "rod" connection on the fronts have an all rubber setup. The stock OEM design is more complicated (has a plastic sleeve to fit the hole) and should work better but I found a place where the hole was rubbing. So maybe simpler is better.? See picture. I didn't torque the rod nuts to a spec. just tightened until it looked like the rubber was compressed enough. The nuts you get in the new "kits" are nylok. The OEM nuts are prevailing torque type, which IMHO are better. I put the OEM nuts on top of the nyloks. On the Nivomats the new hardware is prevailing torque with one upset, the OEMs had three upsets.

The rears went in easy.

The initial ride seems improved - less jumpy.

I'll drive for a bit and report after ~150 miles.

I took ride height readings before, I'll get some miles and then see re. the after ride height.

 

[2006Tahoe2WD]

After a 100 mile trip I'd say the ride is much improved. The jerky feeling is reduced. Not a Cadillac ride and probably is not supposed to be. Maybe the rear shocks were hitting some sort of stop. The ride heights are about the same with the rears now within 1/8". Before the rears were 1/2" different. Now the rears are 36.5" and fronts 35". I'm calling this project a success and moving to the next item on the list I feel like doing. Note: the knocking feeling I had in the steering seems to be gone or much less. Maybe that knocking was coming from that shock with the notch in the sleeve.