Shocks

[Cmprman]

Wanting to beef up the shocks on my 2018 Chevy Silverado for better travel trailer towing. Been looking at Bilstein 4600's. Anyone installed these?

 

[gwinger]

Wanting to beef up the shocks on my 2018 Chevy Silverado for better travel trailer towing. Been looking at Bilstein 4600's. Anyone installed these?

Shocks are not going to make much of a difference. They do not increase the load capacity or amount of sag and sway.
One thing you can do is to put on Load Range E tires. They will stop a lot of the porpoising and sway. Another thing is to add Timbrens. They also stop the rear of the truck from sagging. You don't say what hitch you are using or what size trailer you are pulling.
Is the truck a 1/2 ton or HD?
I have a 2015 Z71 1.2 ton. Tires made a huge difference.
I also have an Equalizer 4 point hitch. Big difference.

 

[Kirk]

2018 Chevy Silverado

1500, 2500, 3500, or.....?

 

[Cmprman]

I have a 1/2 ton LTZ Z71 4x4 6.2L Pulling a 30' TT. Using Eaz-Lift ReCurve R3 weight distribution hitch. I am wanting to try and tame some of the lift you off your seat type of bounce I get sometimes when going over dips in the road and where the road meets bridges. I was thinking maybe better shocks would help with that.

 

[gwinger]

I have a 1/2 ton LTZ Z71 4x4 6.2L Pulling a 30' TT. Using Eaz-Lift ReCurve R3 weight distribution hitch. I am wanting to try and tame some of the lift you off your seat type of bounce I get sometimes when going over dips in the road and where the road meets bridges. I was thinking maybe better shocks would help with that.

Stiffer "E" rated tires will help stop the 'porpoising' problem you are encountering. The soft "P" rated tires will squat when going over that fall and rise allowing the front of the trailer to actually lower and bounce back up.
I was amazed at the difference after changing tires. Your Z71 already has stiffer shocks from the factory.
I will warn you though, The nice "soft" ride will go away.
You can run lower air pressure when not towing.
I keep mine at 40-45 lbs without the trailer. 60 to 65 when hooked up.
The Equailzer hitch also made a difference, but costs almost twice as much the the Camco hitch you now have.

 

[Cmprman]

Actually I was thinking about LT tires. That would be a step up from P tires.

 

[CharlesinGA]

.Everyone who installs Bilstein shocks reporting being happy with them. My OEM shocks were totally shot on my RAM 2500 and I first installed KYB monomax. Great shock for my old Ford Ranger, but not near enough for my RAM with a 4000 lb front end. I switched to Rancho 9000 adjustable and am not really satisfied with them. then I started noticing that people who had Rancho shocks were also not happy with them. I will eventually go to Bilstein's and see how they do.

Charles

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Actually I was thinking about LT tires. That would be a step up from P tires.

Absolutely! If you now have "P" type tires, the stiffer sidewalls on an LT tire will greatly enhance stability. I wouldn't change shocks until you see/feel how LT tires improve handling (but not ride comfort).

Is the rebound problem only when towing the trailer or in all types of driving? A 30 ft TT is probably pushing the Payload and rear axle rating of your Silverado 1500, so you may be asking a lot of the truck suspension. And are those the original shocks? At age 8 and xxxx miles, your current shocks are likely well worn.

 

[8Muddypaws]

A long time ago I cured my towing problems with airbags and adjustable shocks. When not towing I inflated the airbags to minimum pressure and used 80PSI when towing.

That truck was an F250 with E rated tires.

 

[RayIN]

If your pickup is a 1500/½T model I can almost assure you the truck is overloaded, and that is most likely the problem. Never use the UVW when properly matching a trailer and tow vehicle.
"The 2018 Chevy Silverado 1500 has a maximum towing capacity of 12,500 pounds when equipped with the 6.2L V8 engine and the Max Trailering Package. Other engine options allow for towing capacities ranging from 7,600 to 11,100 pounds."
Since you did not identify the model, I must assume you have a 1500.

 

[SargeW]

I installed a set of Air Lift air springs on my 2500 Ram for pulling my 10K 33' fifth wheel. I needed just a bit added lift to enhance the ride when hooked up and level the truck out thus moving a bit more weight to the front axle.

I run 15 psi in the springs when towing and 5 psi empty. I also opted for the wireless remote that I can auto adjust on the fly if necessary.

 

[Todd & Mary]

I installed 4 Bilstein 4600 shocks on my 2019 F350. They helped with ride comfort over OEM. They will not give you more load capacity. I do have Air ride bags on my truck as well, inflated to 60psi makes a huge different in porposing on my truck. Very happy with them.

 

[bob213]

I installed both. The Billsteins and air bags. I have a 2500HD and it made a big difference. LT tires would be my first change and then go from there.

 

[Compadre1]

On the advice of members of the Ford Ranger Forum, I had Bilstein 4600's and blue sumo springs put on my Ranger. Its a little truck, albeit with 7500 lb towing capacity. I can't honestly tell you how much of a difference they made while towing, got them put on before getting my 19' Airstream. I will say the truck tows real well with very little bounce or porposing, much less so than with my previous F150 and similar size trailer. I also have a wdh now and did not on my F150. I can say that they make a real difference in daily driving without towing, the ride is much better.

 

[Babe2201]

If your pickup is a 1500/½T model I can almost assure you the truck is overloaded, and that is most likely the problem. Never use the UVW when properly matching a trailer and tow vehicle.
"The 2018 Chevy Silverado 1500 has a maximum towing capacity of 12,500 pounds when equipped with the 6.2L V8 engine and the Max Trailering Package. Other engine options allow for towing capacities ranging from 7,600 to 11,100 pounds."
Since you did not identify the model, I must assume you have a 1500.

Not necessarily. They make a lot of lightweight trailers in that size. I towed a 32' X-lite with a half-ton and was not even close to being overloaded.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Not necessarily. They make a lot of lightweight trailers in that size. I towed a 32' X-lite with a half-ton and was not even close to being overloaded.

I suspect you are talking about the overall length rather than the model designation (which is the internal floor plan length). A Wildwood X-Lite travel trailer with a 32 foot overall length is designated as a 26 or 27 foot model and has a GVWR in the 7500-8000 lb range. Some F150 or 1500 series trucks can be configured to handle more GVWR than that, but it's rare.

 

[d23haynes57]

My 2022 Denali came with 22 inch wheels and Bridgestone 275/50-22 passenger tires. Soft mushy ride and terrible wet traction. Replaced with 305/45-22XL, reinforced sidewall tires. Hankook RF12. Running at 42-44 psi instead of 36 psi. World of difference even empty. Tires now have over 60K miles on them. Load capacity of this tire size, type is 2,910.