Mr. V

What can I do to improve the ride quality on my '07 Tahoe LT? I find myself looking for the luxury ride quality when I drive the Tahoe? Don't get me wrong, it's not that bad - it's only because I have gotten so used to my MB ML63 and the wife's RX330.

I understand it may not be possible without spending lots of $$$ but I was hoping you guys can suggest inexpensive modifications that will help improve my Tahoe's ride. I have about $1k that I can burn for this project.

I have been looking at Bilstein HD Struts as a start. Will there be any benefit to replacing the bushings and stabilizer bars? Please not I am not looking to raise or lower the vehicle - stock ride height is ok for me.

What other mods and brand would you guys choose?

Given that the vehicle is still under warranty and I plan on having the dealership install whatever parts I buy, will the modification(s) void my warranty?


Thanks!

Zed 71

Give us more of an idea of what you are looking for. For instance, less roll/lean, more compliance, less harshness, etc. What are the size of your rims and tires, and are you willing to upgrade those?

SabrToothSqrl

I love the way my '09 LTZ rides... like a big couch on the highway...

blueinterceptor

I am going to put some billstiens on my 2010 burb.
I am also going to put some gdyr wrangler silent armor tires on her

Mr. V

You hit the nail in the head - less harshness, more compliance, less roll/lean.

Not willing to upgrade the 20" factory wheels/tires but out of curiosity, what upgrades did you have in mind for the wheels and tires?

Zed 71

Since you have an LT I assumed you had 17" rims. IMO the 20" would be the biggest wheel I would go with, and that change from 17 to 20 would improve roll/lean a lot. I am more of an offroader, so I am not familiar with SUV street tires. Just from posts, Coopers and Nittos had good reviews.

From there, upgrade the sway bars (Hellwig) and shocks (Bilstiens are common but I would research more). Bushings would be good, but IMO you will only notice a slight change. In the end, this is a ladder frame truck and will not be close in handling to the unibodies you mentioned above.

Good luck and post your mods when done .

Mr. V

Your LTZ have auto-ride, correct?

Mr. V

The ladder frame vs unibody info is new to me. The Tahoe was a compulsive purchase so I know very little about it.

Bilstein seems popular around the forum but I'm still doing my research. I will definitely post mods when completed.

What about warranty issues? Can GM void warranty if I did the shocks/struts and sway bars?

ousig2408

less roll/lean = usually a harder ride because the suspension will be more firm.

Toyota/Lexus are known to ride very smooth and soft but not handle well. If you are expecting that ride from a truck based SUV then I am sorry but I doubt you will get that with the Tahoe.
I am sure you MB has some sort of air ride suspension so that will be why it rides so nice and still handles very good. the LTZ Tahoe has auto ride and that is similar but with the LT you have regular ole struts/springs like most vehicles.
Personally I think ours rides just right, but you can tell it is based on the truck platform.
do you have the 17 or 20 inch rims? You can go to your local tire shop and see what replacement struts they have. Some will be softer or firmer than others so tell them what you want. Replacing the struts will probably make the biggest difference on the overall ride and that should be at or below $1000 to replace all 4.

and no, there is 0% chance that replacing the wear and tear suspension parts will do anything to the warranty

SabrToothSqrl

Yes, the LTZ has auto-ride, same as the caddy I believe.

It's (from what I understand) only a 2 stage system...it can't infinitly vary the shock dampening... only 2 settings... but I do know, it rides nice, and auto level's when I hook up the boat or load up the back w/stuff... ohh, and towing mode stiffens the shocks up hard core... i like it.