i have an 01 ecsb, it was lowered when i bought it from the original owner, an old dude, i lifted it using aftermarket leafs,deavers, and used a longer shackle, +1.5"
i recently went back to the stock leafs with the same longer shackle and its a lot different than the short stock shackle, any good shock will help too
any freeway in los angeles with kill your kidneys in these trucks,lol
i have some experience of driving offroad with a quad in the bed, stocks leafs and deavers, and yes it does offer a softer ride but thats only cause of the extra weight to balance out the stiff *** leafs, get rid of the overload and add a thin leaf or two, that will reduce the spring rate, the longer shackle will help soften it more
deaver spring has a mini pack which is added in place of the overload
or a local spring shop could help too

 

you're concerned about the ride on 2 stretches of road? I'm a tech at a dealer and I can see why they would say its normal. If the the 2 places it happens is far from the dealer, and they never experience it, of course they are going to say theres nothing wrong, because there in their eyes, there isn't. Even if the tech called GM tech assist on this problem, if they can't duplicate the concern, GM won't help them.

also, I've noticed that the W/T trucks and also 2500's and 3500's all seem to ride better with weight in the back. I think they are designed this way because these are normally work trucks, so they were engineered to ride the best while being used for work, such as carrying a load or towing a trailor. so the bags of sand in the bag probbaly wil help.

 

I can understand if the dealer thinks there is nothing wrong with my vehicle but it is not just my vehicle search frame beaming on google. This is a very big issue with a lot of people. My vehicle should not shake to the extent i worry about my kid getting shaken baby syndrome in the back seat. I can take a picture of the road it is a very flat road with no potholes or anything. The reason for this is the expansion joints in the concrete highways being a little higher that each other and spaced far enough apart to shake my truck around.

So GM designs a vehicle that i cannot get to operate normally without putting weights in the bed but does not include the weights when you purchase the vehicle? Is this an option to buy said wieghts so i can have a decent riding truck?

 

dude it just takes some simple mods to make it better, sand bags are just a bandaid

http://www.dixonbrosracing.com/content/view/122/8/
here are the deaver mini packs, they add some lift but with a longer shackle it would reduce the lift and ride better

shackles are cheap

 

That was what i was trying to get across! i understand that most have put weight in the rear and have been happy with that but i cannot stand something just hanging out in my bed. If there is an issue with my vehicle it should be fixed or remedied not just covered up. I know there is a fix i am just trying to find it.

I know most of you are not from Cali and dont understand why i am making such a big deal of this but i am not the only one that this is affecting it is actually quite a big deal out here even though GM wont touch it.

Here is a 50 page thread about it and GM's "attempt" to fix this.
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=272124

 

Rancho 9000XLs... dial in your comfort..
I love mine!! truck rides so smooth even with some 265/65/17 All terrains.

 

Its seriously bad enough to make you seriously think that? Im not doubting you but if its that bad then cali needs to step up and fix the expansion joints in the road.

GM designed a W/T (Work Truck). Which are designed for the heavy abuse work trucks tend to see. Not designed to carry families around in comfort. Everything is going to be a little meatier than a normal 1500. And will ride rougher than your average non-work truck. As far as the 2500's and 3500's GM (as well as every other manufacture) needs to design the suspention to withstand the load that they will endure in their life. When people buy these trucks they don't expect them to ride like an Cadilac even though they have gotten better than they used to be. I wouldn't be so hard on GM. Any manufacture with a W/T option would ride very similar. Besides you said the truck rides good everywhere else but the two stretches of road.

 

I'd just slow down so it's not such a harsh ride and plus it's less wear and tear on your truck.

 

Here is a nice 70-75MPH cruise on "the bad stretch" of highway for you out of towners.

 

Looks like my truck:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeDcBQyGmT0

Ive done everything from completely rebuilding the front suspension to putting bilstien HD. Still rides like crap. Living with it.

The only thing stock on my suspension is my control arms and springs. Every bushing, balljoint, shock has been replaced. New rotors, new calipers, new front hubs too. Put some brand new rims and good tires on it too.

Its bad enough my girfriend rode in the back seat for the last 4 months since my daughter was a new born and she would help hold her head steady.

Sand bags help.