How to Correct Bottoming-Out of Rear Axle on 4-Inch Lowered 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe 4WD

Question:

I have a 2005 4WD joe gibbs chevy tahoe. It is dropped 4 inches from the rear. I just installed new shocks but didnt replace the bump stops, on the first big pot hole I hit, the rear bottomed out. My question is, will the timbren bump stops fix the bottoming out and will it fit in a 4 inch ped suspension? Thank you.

asked by: Eddie

Expert Reply:

If your 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe has a 4-inch lowered suspension, reduced suspension travel - and the tendency for bad bumps to make themselves known - is a natural outcome of shorter shocks. One of my associates here at etrailer was able to confirm for me that the truck did come with short coil springs to start with. Timbren rubber jounce springs will not help with this issue because they are taller than your factory bump stops and will actually make contact with the axle sooner.

I checked with my contact at AirLift, maker of air bag kits like # AL60769, and if your rear coil springs are still the stock height (if you did not cut or replace them) then you could use this kit to provide a stiffer response from the rear suspension. The air springs can be inflated to between 5-psi and 35-psi pressure to adjust their stiffness. This kit can be inflated manually with the included valves or you can add a compressor system # AL25592 to allow adjustment on the fly.

expert reply by: Adam R