Z71 Suburban Shock/Strut Replacement - Stock Height

[Dustin Jackson]

@NOSOK Is it too late to return them? This is a big job man, not one that you want to feel disappointed after so let's do it right or we will have to do it twice.

 

[NOSOK]

@NOSOK Is it too late to return them? This is a big job man, not one that you want to feel disappointed after so let's do it right or we will have to do it twice.

I ended up buying a set of 4600s from CarParts.com (front and rear). Got 10% back from a Chase card offer and they have free shipping. I decided not to go 5100s as I don't really want a lift (or to mess around with the setup of one), just a decent damper. Once those get in I'll return the OEM ones. It's $7.50 each to return them.

 

[Dustin Jackson]

@NOSOK I look forward to hearing how the 4600s are

 

[Mordechai]

@NOSOK My experience installing the MOOG 81244 spring onto the Bilstein 5100 was stressful to say the least but go slow and it can be done without much drama. I used 2 sets of springs compressors, I used the kind that are 2 threaded rods and each rod has 2 clamps that grab the spring. So in total I had 4 of these rods compressing the spring when I installed the spring onto the 5100. The one tool that would make this job easier is a tool to tighten the top nut of the strut while holding the shaft still so that you could tighten it. I am not sure of what to correct tool is called but I am sure there is one out there.

Sorry for randomly chiming in, but I currently have bilstein 5100 struts with the springs from one of the cheap acdelco professional struts. Do you think the moog 81244 would help with my ride? Going over bigger bumps on the highway is extremely jarring currently.

 

[Dustin Jackson]

@JewBoi It's possible. I am not a professional, just a hobby mechanic. The 81244 is a pretty stiff spring compared to the factory springs, the 81244 will give you lift over factory. I would say that if the springs you have are too weak and your suspension is bottoming out over bumps then the 81244 spring would help but in this case I think it has the possibility of making it worse. The MOOG springs and 5100's give me a firm ride.

Can you describe the jarring you are having? I have read your other thread but I am not sure what exactly you are experiencing.

 

[Dustin Jackson]

@JewBoi If you can, go around and take some really good pictures of your entire suspension front and back, take a lot of pics and post them to your original thread and tag me in it and I and others can take a look a to see if your angles are correct. Getting eyes on the situation would be great.

 

[Mordechai]

@JewBoi If you can, go around and take some really good pictures of your entire suspension front and back, take a lot of pics and post them to your original thread and tag me in it and I and others can take a look a to see if your angles are correct. Getting eyes on the situation would be great.

My other thread isn't related to this problem really, should i still post the pics there? I don't get this problem on other struts but the 5100s handle the best so if I can stay with them would be nice.

 

[Dustin Jackson]

@JewBoi If its a different problem maybe not. If you are having multiple suspension problems I wonder if there is something else going on. Have you inspected your steering rack? Could worn steering rack bushing be contributing to the swaying and jarring affect?

 

[NOSOK]

My other thread isn't related to this problem really, should i still post the pics there? I don't get this problem on other struts but the 5100s handle the best so if I can stay with them would be nice.

No experience with 5100s on a truck, but when I put them [B8s] on a sedan the recommendation was to either remove the bump stop or significantly cut it down. Reason being was the strut had internal bump stops and adding an external could contribute to a harsh ride. Not sure if that's the case here, but could be worth looking into.

 

[NOSOK]

Finally got around to installing the stuff in the rear. Put in new control arms (upper and lower) and Bilstein 4600s. Despite the appearance the old shocks still had some life left in them - not totally shot at 160k miles, although the rebound was probably 50% slower than the new Bilsteins. Old control arms probably could've been reused - which would cut the job time in half.

The job wasn't terrible, and was about what I expected. With my wife's help, I did it in ~3 hrs, including a tire rotation. The 2 most annoying parts were accessing the top shock bolt and nut and then reinstalling the fender liner. A cordless impact made short work of bolt removal, and we were able to use a crescent wrench to hold the nut for most of them. That wouldn't fit on the top shock bolt so we had to very awkwardly cram a breaker bar and a deep well socket in there. A 21mm stubby wrench would have made the job far easier but I didn't have any that large.

As for ride quality, high speed impact control is greatly improved. Far less crashing/bouncing over bumps at 50+ mph. At lower speeds there's a moderate improvement - mostly in the noise department - no more creaking over speed bumps, but it is a little smoother. I'm glad I didn't go with the 5100s, I wouldn't want anything firmer than these. Overall the 4600s are roughly on par with the [aged] factory Z71 suspension comfort wise.

Did not replace the jounce bumpers as I couldn't find them in stock, but mine looked pretty worn so it might be a good idea to replace those at some point.