This is my first full size van- A 2004 Express 1500 high-top conversion van (Southern Comfort). It is in nice shape, 90k original miles. My question is this: How much "swaying" should I expect from this, and will new shock absorbers mitigate some of this motion? I know this vehicle has a high center of gravity, but hopefully I can do something to address this. My wife thinks she is going to need Dramamine to ride in it!

Thanks

 

In my opinion the best shocks for the money are Gabriel ultra. But bilstein's are notably better in just about every respect a wee bit expensivee

 

Better shocks should help with bobbing or swaying back and forth. The springs control how far it will lean or compress when force is applied (turning or driving over a dip). The shocks control how long it bounces or sways after the force is removed.

When I got my van it would bob up and down horribly. It would bounce 4 or 5 times after a dip at highway speeds. If I stood on the bumper and got it bouncing it would continue for several cycles after I stepped off.

I swapped in some KYB Gas-a-Just shocks and it made a world of difference. After compression it comes back to height and stays there. Here's a thread where I describe it in more detail. I have just under 20,000 miles on them now and they feel the same. The good news is that practically anyone can swap them pretty easily as long as they're not corroded. The price is reasonable too.

https://chevroletforum.com/forum/exp...-cargo-116092/

FWIW, I did do one highway drive, about 4 hours, with the van overloaded enough to squat the suspension and it still felt stable.