Suspension Enhancement for Lifted 2003 Chevy Z71 Suburban-1500 4x4 Used with Weight Distribution

Question

Question:

I have a 2003 Chevy Suburban that I am using to pull a 26ft Jayco Octane ZX toy hauler with a dry weight of 6090lbs and TW of 1090lbs. I am using a weight distribution/anti sway hitch but still have a serious sag in the rear end. The sag causes my tires to rub against the wheel well when I corner or hit a bump in the road and my front end is lifted up several inches. I was wanting to install air bags in the rear but have run into a problem because I have a 5 inch lift. I am hoping you can help me find a solution because towing my trailer is really stressful with my current set-up. It may be that I need to adjust the height setting on the WD hitch but with such a heavy TW I fear additional support is needed for the rear suspension on my Suburban. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

asked by: Roz S

0

Expert Reply:

Thank you for including a photo of your 2003 Suburban 1500 and hitched Jayco toy hauler trailer.

If your Suburban's suspension is still in good working order and not suffering sag from simply being well worn, and if the vehicle is being used within its rated towing capacity, then you should be able to correct the rear-end sag when towing your Jayco toy hauler by adjusting your weight distribution (WD) system. You will first want to confirm that the WD system is suitably rated for your trailer's fully-loaded road-ready tongue weight (TW).

WD must be selected based on the loaded trailer tongue weight, just as it will be when you head out on the road with all gear and supplies, and to this you must add the weight of anything in the rear of the vehicle that sits behind the rear axle, such as a loaded cooler or generator. The total tongue weight (TTW) is what you need to know to select a WD system that will be stiff enough to shift some of that tongue weight forward to the front axle. You may care to refer to the linked article on measuring TW, which includes use of a simple scale like the etrailer # e99044.

Air bags are ideal for applications with substantial weight in the truck bed but your WD system if rated and adjusted correctly should allow you to correct the rear-end sag. If you wish to, please let me know the brand and part number for your WD system and I will be glad to help you make sure it is installed and adjusted correctly.

expert reply by: Adam R

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Answer 1

According to the owner's manual for your 2003 Chevrolet Suburban with the 5.3L engine and 3.73 gear ratio, the towing capacity of the vehicle is 7,400 lbs if you have a 2WD or 7,100 lbs of you have a 4WD. In order to tow a trailer with your…

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Answer 2

First thing you need to do is check your owners manual to determine if your vehicle has the capacity to tow 8,000 lbs. Let's start with a hitch. For that I will recommend the Draw-Tite Trailer Hitch #41930. This would have more than enough…

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Answer 3

If your current springs have 5 leaves then going to a 7 leaf spring will increase the height of the trailer a little and make the trailer more susceptible to sway. Regarding capacity if you go with springs rated higher than what is required it will…

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Answer 4

The difference between the Class II and Class III hitches has to do with their Gross Trailer Weight (GTW), their Tongue Weight (TW), and their Hitch Receiver Size. Class II trailer hitch receivers have a 1-1/4 inch receiver and can be rated up to…

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Answer 5

I did some checking and the hub/drum we offer that will work for you is the part #8-430-5UC3. This uses the same bearings as the 8-415 and will be an exact fit aside from the fact this is a non-ABS setup and the 8-415 came in an ABS setup and non-ABS…

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Answer 6

If you are needing the hub and drum assembly then you will want to go with the Dexter Trailer Hub and Drum Assembly #8-201-5UC3-EZ but if you are just looking for an idler hub then you will want part #8-213-5UC1 instead. These come with the correct…

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Answer 7

You will need the Red LED Trailer Clearance or Side Marker Light #328-K-52 or Amber LED Trailer Clearance or Side Marker Light #328-K-51 for your 2018 Forest River Sunseeker motorhome. These lenses have the same Top Command SAE-AP2-16 markings on the…

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Answer 8

I've never heard of an actual third brake light connector on a camper shell to plug in on a truck and we don't carry any parts to do that. The light generally needs to be hardwired into the truck's brake light circuit. The issue with this…

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Answer 9

The old version of the #HBA-CAM used 4 wires, but the product was updated awhile back and now uses only two wires as shown in the photo on the product description page. The white wire from the HBA-CAM would tap into the white ground wire and the blue…

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Answer 10

The 40 amp fuse for your 2006 Chevrolet Silverado tow package is used for the 12 volt battery charge circuit. This fuse is located toward the front of the underhood fuse box closest to the front auxiliary positive post (see photo). There may be a…

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Answer 11

On a 2005 Chevy Silverado 1500, If you are facing the front of the truck looking at the power distribution box, there will be a post at the back left side and a fuse slot near it. It is that fuse slot that you will install a 30 amp fuse. I have…

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Answer 12

Since you have a wheelbase/axle spacing of 38 inches the correct hanger kit for slipper springs would be the part #HAP-105-205-01. And then for a 7k trailer axle the u-bolt kit you'd want would be the part #APUBR-8. I attached the diagram to use…

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Suspension Enhancement for Lifted 2003 Chevy Z71 Suburban-1500 4x4 Used with Weight Distribution

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