Yours probably rides like a dream compared to most of our lowered ones lol


Yeah the ZQ8 leafs are different from the Z85 leafs and the shocks are also different, also the ZQ8's have a rear sway bar vs the Z85 not having one at all, all that will make it a little stiffer probably

 

Yours probably rides like a dream compared to most of our lowered ones lol

I figured I would get this response at least once! Lol

You could try different shocks. If you can afford it. Go with qa1 shicks

I have considered buying new shocks, but I am just not convinced it is the problem quite yet.

I wonder though if removing a leaf will make the ride smoother? I know people remove them to go lower, I wonder how it affects the ride with the proper shock absorbers......

 

You could try different shocks. If you can afford it. Go with qa1 shicks

 

Please dont remove a leaf.

And the shocks are your problem guaranteed.

Only an idiot or a poor man would replace one shock.

Belltech street performers are awesome and well worth the cost.

 

Only an idiot or a poor man would replace one shock.

This is so true...... Lol

Also, just thought I should clarify my problem in case it was unclear before. For the most part the overall handling and cruising of my ride is quite good, but it is specifically the bumps and pot holes on these damn Oklahoma roads that make the ride harsh. Handles bumps harder than anything I have driven before that was comparable.

So you all think new shocks will fix this?

 

Yes! New shocks!
This truck corners better than any car I've ever had, but than again you probably want a Cadillac ride aka no sway bar, I wouldn't remove it, try to hitch a ride on a z85 one to see the different before you make major changes pretty please

 

Z85 2wd suspension is the smoothest ride I ever seen in any Truck and many cars.

Just like my friend "Mr. vocho" said, get a ride on one to see if that is what you're looking for.


Sent from my iPod touch using AG Free

 

IMO the stock shocks in the ZQ8 sucked. I have a lot of weight in the bed so I didn't have the harshness. Mine bobbed up and down a lot. I installed QA1 adjustable shocks and I now have a smooth ride. With the shocks being adjustable, I can soften or stiffen the ride.

Also, the light weight of the rear can make the rear suspension seem harsh. Try adding some weight in the bed, like sand bags, too see if it helps with the ride as it sits now.

 

How much air is in the tires?

Don't expect a new shock to make the potholes treat your truck like it's a Cadillac on a brand new asphalt road. Holes are holes. Those square edges suck.

As for having a single replacement shock, my first thought was the previous owner busted just one, possibly overloaded? Or he hit a pothole with that wheel. LOL But yeah, if the shocks were good then one got busted I could see an owner replacing just one. Or maybe even perhaps it was bad and he swapped it out to sell it to you.

 

Probably the shocks are your problem.
Who goes straight through potholes purposely? U are supposed to do your best to not hit them even if u are not lowered lol

 

Just get new shocks.

If the problem persists, get a sandbag for the bed.

If its still too rough, get fatter tires.

Zq8s dont ride rough at all.

 

i bought 4 sand bags but only put 2 sand bags in the bed of my truck and it is a world of a difference. now i know i have 1 bad shock and i have new ones coming tomorrow so that should resolve the remainder of the rough ride in the rear.

 

also try lowering rear tire press to 30psi, it really helps.

 

weight, tire pressure and shocks. mine rides great with 4 wheels and tires in it. like a sled on the snow....

 

Alright guys, here is an update. I started off buying new shocks like everyone recommended. After installing monroe shocks from the local parts store it was time for a test drive. Truck rode exactly the same. I decided to get my money back on the shocks since the old ones are obviously still good. So then, I tried the weight in bed trick. This definitely helped! I put a few old wheels and tires I had lying around in the bed and it seemed like I actually gained suspension travel or something. Anyways, the ride was definitely better, but then I started thinking……..no way in hell am I going to ride around all the time with 150-200 lbs. of crap in my bed just to make the ride better! Soooooooooo, I decided to pull a leaf! I figured that removing the second longest leaf was no big because if it did not help then it just slides back into the leaf pack without any permanent mods to the pack. I have to say though………..it rides like a dream! I like the ride so much that I wish this had been my first mod.

 

Shocks dampen a ride, that's all they do. When they wear out things get soft.

Have you ever owned a truck before? I've never been in a truck that rides as soft as these things. I don't recall ever reading what your tire pressure is either (I asked a while back).

I'm sure now that with your leaf removed you can't even haul that 200lbs of stuff you ha in there before. haha

I don't know what a ZQ8 rides like but I seriously can't imagine that the 'sport suspension' it has is anything noticeably different than the other Colorado/Canyon trucks.

Either way, glad you happy. I'd imagine now the truck floats a lot, maybe even borderline uncontrollably floating. Be careful on high speed roads with little dips and wallows in it, the back in may not settle down very well.

 

Have you ever owned a truck before? I've never been in a truck that rides as soft as these things. I don't recall ever reading what your tire pressure is either (I asked a while back).

I'm sure now that with your leaf removed you can't even haul that 200lbs of stuff you ha in there before. haha

I'd imagine now the truck floats a lot, maybe even borderline uncontrollably floating. Be careful on high speed roads with little dips and wallows in it, the back in may not settle down very well.

I live in Oklahoma, I have owned nothing but trucks, lol. I came over to 355.net from performancetrucls.net when I purchased my first small truck. I have built several fullsize trucks and suvs all of which had a smoother ride than my ZQ8. All except one fullsive 4x4 I had with cranked T-bars that rode like a tank! But thats another story.......

I have been running 32-33 psi all the way around. Sorry, I guess I missed this before.

Also, why would you think I can't haul 200 lbs. anymore? I did not remove the overload leaf which is what keeps the leafs from bowing the wrong direction under a load. I am not saying the load rating is not reduce some now, but I can still haul most anything that is reasonable with a 5 ft. bed. I have already tried.

Will have to get back to you on the "floating". My initial opinion is no, but I have really only drove it for about 2 days now, so I will get back to this post with more results as I come across them whether they be good or bad.

 

i was gonna say the same thing about floating. were from cali and going fast on the freeways here you get alot of floating(i call it bucking) because of the way the shocks are not staggered.

try a freeway, that has a slow turn that drops off a bridge, and let me know what you think.

32-33 psi is a little much imo, but thats me, i run 30 in the back 32 in the front. remember these trucks are light especailly in the ass end. any weight, even a bed cover makes noticable differences.

my truck is z85, but i have swapted out to zq8 springs, after trying stock and belltech....

glad it worked out for you, let us know later how the ride is... good info for sure.

 

I think 33 is a little high for pressure too, but I don't think so much that the ride would be as harsh as described. I'd expect more like a 60psi answer.

Have you been able to confirm your leafs are stock or has somebody else previously added a leaf?

The only reason I said what I said about the limited weight capacity is because they sag so fast. My truck sinks over an inch when I sit on in, all 155 of my pounds. haha It seems that in theory if you add in a few hundred pounds that it will sink more rapidly. Maybe even worse on the rebound too.

I'm not saying to add the leaf back or that your vehicle is unsafe, just thinking outloud that the removal of a leaf may result in more negatives.
Wolf threw out a great scenarior. Some type of dropoff while in a curve. In reverse of that, a year or so ago I aired up my tires for a long road trip to help with mileage. I hit a bump through a curve and I nearly crossed the paint stripe to my neighbors lane. Completely different suspension though, I'm lifted some. But when the suspension can't react quickly enough, those are situations that seem to amplify bad suspension.

Keep us all informed on how it seems to work out for ya.

 

The leafs may be stiff but they are really weak. Search around the forum and you will see many that have reported the leafs flattening or even de-arcing. I have over 600 lbs in te bed at all times and run helper bags. My leafs are now "S" shaped.

 

ZQ8 Rear Suspension Rides Rough

I put about 150 pounds in the back and changed the tires from V speed rating to H speed rating and went to 235/60R-18 touring tire like you see on luxury cars (Bridgestone Ecopia 422 H/L Plus)

Rides MUCH better now!