Softer suspension update
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Rookie
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 89
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From: West Tennessee
DISCLAMER: I DO NOT RECOMEND REMOVING THE SWAY BAR FROM ANY STREET DRIVEN VEHICLE. DOING SO MAY CAUSE POOR HANDLING. THE INFORMATION BELOW IS SIMPLY MY OWN PERSONAL OBSERVATION OF THE RESULTS I GOT, AND IS IN NO WAY A RECOMENDATION FOR ANYONE TO FOLLW. ANY MODIFICATIONS YOU DO TO YOUR OWN SUSPENSIO YOU DO ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.
SUCSESS!!!!!
Sorry that removing your sway bar did not help your truck ride much different. maybe because yours is 4x4???? Dont know.
But in MY truck (2wd) it made a friggin HUGE HUGE difference!!!! When I crossed the railroad tracks for the first time with the sway bar removed I was AMAZED! I was NOT expecting that much difference!!!! WOW. Ride is sooooooooooo much better now! I should have done that the first day I drove it home!
Still needs better (softer) shocks in the rear, and I still plan on installing the Gabriel struts up front. But as it is right now, I can live with it just as it is.
Still not quite 1/2 tom GMC smooth, but dang darn close!
NOW, let me say this: I have only put 50ish miles on the truck since removing the sway bar up front. I do know 2 flat facts about my particular truck after removing it.
1) The body DOES roll/lean more in corners, however it is only a marginal difference.
2) I went home taking the very same windy hard corners backroad that I have been drivng to work & back on for the past 12 years, and even in those hard tire squealing corners I can still take them at 60 MPH with the sway bar REMOVED and the truck does NOT feel "unsafe" at all. Still very stable, still well planted. It may be of interest that I am also running oversized(255/70/16) 6ply All Terrain tires, so that makes some handleing difference as well.
As to the rear 3" lift, since I plan on installing new shocks anyways I will just get some that are 3" longer than the factorty shocks and all SHOULD be good to go I would think. I am going up to a P265/75/16 tire in the near future, and I am sure that will again change the ride some. (Taller sidewall + softer tire)
Never did get time to mess with the exhaust. One thing I was amazed at is how friggin RUSTY the entire exhaust system was. This truck was sold new orriginally in Ohio. Evedently they must salt the roads a lot in Ohio. ???? The exhaust is going to FALL OFF in about a year or so if I dont replace it. VERY VERY rusted!
Thanks again Donkeypunch!
SUCSESS!!!!!
Sorry that removing your sway bar did not help your truck ride much different. maybe because yours is 4x4???? Dont know.
But in MY truck (2wd) it made a friggin HUGE HUGE difference!!!! When I crossed the railroad tracks for the first time with the sway bar removed I was AMAZED! I was NOT expecting that much difference!!!! WOW. Ride is sooooooooooo much better now! I should have done that the first day I drove it home!
Still needs better (softer) shocks in the rear, and I still plan on installing the Gabriel struts up front. But as it is right now, I can live with it just as it is.
Still not quite 1/2 tom GMC smooth, but dang darn close!
NOW, let me say this: I have only put 50ish miles on the truck since removing the sway bar up front. I do know 2 flat facts about my particular truck after removing it.
1) The body DOES roll/lean more in corners, however it is only a marginal difference.
2) I went home taking the very same windy hard corners backroad that I have been drivng to work & back on for the past 12 years, and even in those hard tire squealing corners I can still take them at 60 MPH with the sway bar REMOVED and the truck does NOT feel "unsafe" at all. Still very stable, still well planted. It may be of interest that I am also running oversized(255/70/16) 6ply All Terrain tires, so that makes some handleing difference as well.
As to the rear 3" lift, since I plan on installing new shocks anyways I will just get some that are 3" longer than the factorty shocks and all SHOULD be good to go I would think. I am going up to a P265/75/16 tire in the near future, and I am sure that will again change the ride some. (Taller sidewall + softer tire)
Never did get time to mess with the exhaust. One thing I was amazed at is how friggin RUSTY the entire exhaust system was. This truck was sold new orriginally in Ohio. Evedently they must salt the roads a lot in Ohio. ???? The exhaust is going to FALL OFF in about a year or so if I dont replace it. VERY VERY rusted!
Thanks again Donkeypunch!
King Jackass
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,610
Likes: 5
From: Aurora, CO
Coyote, glad to hear that it worked for you! I took off both of my sway bars and I'm not going back. In CO, we see some fairly serious terrain, and maybe some fairly serious snow....maybe. Honestly, the first time I drove over a median with out the sway bars, I thought I was in a new truck.
I'm still confident that you are going to have problems with factory rears and 3" block (not just travel-wise, but getting axle wrap as well). In the entire Monroe line up of shocks, they do not offer ANY shock that is longer than our factory ones with the exact same mount dimensions. I think the only company that does is Rough Country....but they will be stiff.
I'm still confident that you are going to have problems with factory rears and 3" block (not just travel-wise, but getting axle wrap as well). In the entire Monroe line up of shocks, they do not offer ANY shock that is longer than our factory ones with the exact same mount dimensions. I think the only company that does is Rough Country....but they will be stiff.
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Rookie
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 89
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From: West Tennessee
............I'm still confident that you are going to have problems with factory rears and 3" block (not just travel-wise, but getting axle wrap as well). In the entire Monroe line up of shocks, they do not offer ANY shock that is longer than our factory ones with the exact same mount dimensions. I think the only company that does is Rough Country....but they will be stiff.
What do you think of installing 2" blocks and using 2" shock extensions instead? Would that work ok?
I can live with the rear sitting 1/2" lower than the front. ( If I installed
the 2" front strut spacers and 2" rear lift blocks.)
I may also remove the rear sway bar just to see how mine does with no sway bars at all. But I am going to bet it will be a bit TOO "wobbley" without at least one sway bar. Dont know, but I am curious to try it!
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Rookie
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 89
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From: West Tennessee
WELL,,,,,,,,THAT'S ODD!!!
I just went outside & crawled under the rear of the truck.
Guess what.............NO sway bar. ?????????
Eather my '08 2WD SLT did not come with one, or the previous owner
had allready removed it!
There IS 2 metal "tabs" ( one on each side of the axle) that have a nut welded onto them. These tabs are to the inside of the springs, abut 2 to 3" inward of the springs.
Maybe it used to go there?????
Eather way, I have NO rear sway bar! LOL
I just went outside & crawled under the rear of the truck.
Guess what.............NO sway bar. ?????????
Eather my '08 2WD SLT did not come with one, or the previous owner
had allready removed it!
There IS 2 metal "tabs" ( one on each side of the axle) that have a nut welded onto them. These tabs are to the inside of the springs, abut 2 to 3" inward of the springs.
Maybe it used to go there?????
Eather way, I have NO rear sway bar! LOL
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 327
Likes: 27
From:
Dodge ditched them on the 08+ refresh.