Build ideas

[Kadohado45]

So I have a 05 Chevy Silverado 3500, 6.0, 4l80, so I'm going to start off by saying I occasionally haul things but really want to use this thing for off-roading mainly, maybe even just getting to a destination with a trailer and sleeping the night, other times it may be full out 2 tracks and mountain climbing, not sure what to do suspension wise, obviously it is one of the most important pieces of overlanding, not sure if anyone has any ideas, currently have a stock ride height and not afraid to lift it just want to make sure I make the right choices and not just blowing money away. There's a picture about as it sits, removed the top light, will be removing the rear plow setup soon.

 

[North American Sojourner]

I'd find a cheap topper like mine, add some bunks and storage and hit the trails. I slept in my a few weeks ago and woke up to 32*. Didn't need a heater with a good bag and hiking matteress.
Zim

 

[Kadohado45]

I'd find a cheap topper like mine, add some bunks and storage and hit the trails. I slept in my a few weeks ago and woke up to 32*. Didn't need a heater with a good bag and hiking matteress.
Zim
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Did you do anything to suspension at all or just went with stock? I do have a hard topper I need to paint and get a back glass for then I'll be in the works of adding some type of sleeping arrangement.

 

[North American Sojourner]

Did you do anything to suspension at all or just went with stock? I do have a hard topper I need to paint and get a back glass for then I'll be in the works of adding some type of sleeping arrangement.

No I'm a firm believer that the stock suspension is just fine and very capable. I've not seen anyone here "rock crawling" with a complete family and camping gear. LOL.
Oh, and a dog.
LOL
Zim

 

[Kadohado45]

Did you do anything to suspension at all or just went with stock? I do have a hard topper I need to paint and get a back glass for then I'll be in the works of adding some type of sleeping arrangement.

No I'm a firm believer that the stock suspension is just fine and very capable. I've not seen anyone here "rock crawling" with a complete family and camping gear. LOL.
Oh, and a dog.
LOL
Zim

lol fair enough, I won't be "rock crawling" by any means but man I want it to ride just a little smoother, I hit a tiny bump and I feel like the thing is gonna fall apart lol.

 

[DangitDad]

lol fair enough, I won't be "rock crawling" by any means but man I want it to ride just a little smoother, I hit a tiny bump and I feel like the thing is gonna fall apart lol.

I hear airing tires down helps that a lot. Haven't tried it myself yet but did get a Morflat kit to do just that.

 

[ProjectCleanSlate]

Look at Cognito. They really address the weak points of the stock Chevy suspension. Tie rods are super brittle on the Chevy front ends. A little tweak in a hole on the trail can snap them. They do a very small lift with good shocks to fit a touch taller, more aggressive tire will work well for you. The biggest problem with a Chevy 4x4 is the front end steering parts and the track width. The front is always wider when you run some suspension. Fixed with different wheels or spacers. Being a single cab 3500 it’s stiff for sure unloaded. The rear will bounce around. Some softer springs and good shocks help and knowing what gear load you will have will help determine what will work best for you.
in my opinion best lookin Chevy front end.

 

[Kadohado45]

Look at Cognito. They really address the weak points of the stock Chevy suspension. Tie rods are super brittle on the Chevy front ends. A little tweak in a hole on the trail can snap them. They do a very small lift with good shocks to fit a touch taller, more aggressive tire will work well for you. The biggest problem with a Chevy 4x4 is the front end steering parts and the track width. The front is always wider when you run some suspension. Fixed with different wheels or spacers. Being a single cab 3500 it’s stiff for sure unloaded. The rear will bounce around. Some softer springs and good shocks help and knowing what gear load you will have will help determine what will work best for you.
in my opinion best lookin Chevy front end.

This is definitely the best advice I've had so far, I've also looked into kryptonite for the steering and suspension, had an idea for the front end but the rear end is just wasn't sure, so I should do smaller springs or I should throw some sand or gravel or something in the back

 

[North American Sojourner]

lol fair enough, I won't be "rock crawling" by any means but man I want it to ride just a little smoother, I hit a tiny bump and I feel like the thing is gonna fall apart lol.

LOL. Let some air out of the tires. Ahhahahahaha.
On a serious note, the shocks and springs you choose will smooth that out but my truck has leafs and I'm stuck. So 30 psi helps. LOL
I've sold and installed suspension parts for two decades. Most of the aftermarket stuff is junk and always has been. MOOG is no longer as good as it was.
Also no company has a better Qualitty Control program than the OE folks. No one. Aftermarket shops can't afford NDT testing on "cast" parts from China. All they do is buy, powder coat and sticker.
If you watch Matt's Off Road Recovery or any of the other guys, speed and lack of articulation has a lot to do with suspension failure. Just slow down if you're headed to the rocks.
Mountain State Overland and our buddy Lifestyle Overlanding are true, good examples of our culture and I can't remember a serious failure over the thousands of mile they've off road
Have a great time and be safe.
Zim

Note; I did have a 500ft lb nut come loose on my F250. Make damn sure you have a "BIG" electric impact in the tool box. LOL

 

[MrWilsonWJ]

When it come to lifting a rig the biggest factors are how deep are your pockets and what will you really be using it for. Sky's the limit on what can be done to a rig for off road use but you have to really ask yourself what you're going to be doing with it. If you only plan to run forest/gravel roads then focus on ride quality and not lift height. If you're going to be running trails you'll need some height to fit bigger tires and you'll want some articulation. For what you described so far I would look into a leveling kit to clear bigger tires up front, some soft ride springs out back (you could add air bags later if it sags too much when towing) and high quality shocks all around. Leveling kits for that pickup can be had for around $250, but being that has torsion bars the ride won't be improved and could possibly get worse. To improve the front end on that year 3500 the better route is to go with a coilover conversion but most of those are around a 4" lift and cost $$$. If you have the coin to spend and want a little more altitude go with a coilover conversions up front and soft ride leaf spring lift out back paired with quality shocks and you'd be set.

 

[Kadohado45]

When it come to lifting a rig the biggest factors are how deep are your pockets and what will you really be using it for. Sky's the limit on what can be done to a rig for off road use but you have to really ask yourself what you're going to be doing with it. If you only plan to run forest/gravel roads then focus on ride quality and not lift height. If you're going to be running trails you'll need some height to fit bigger tires and you'll want some articulation. For what you described so far I would look into a leveling kit to clear bigger tires up front, some soft ride springs out back (you could add air bags later if it sags too much when towing) and high quality shocks all around. Leveling kits for that pickup can be had for around $250, but being that has torsion bars the ride won't be improved and could possibly get worse. To improve the front end on that year 3500 the better route is to go with a coilover conversion but most of those are around a 4" lift and cost $$$. If you have the coin to spend and want a little more altitude go with a coilover conversions up front and soft ride leaf spring lift out back paired with quality shocks and you'd be set.

Yup I'm at a point where I've been looking into lifts and some different suspension setups and I think I'm going to go for a 6" lift which is 6 in the front and 4 in the back so I can run some deaver springs which unfortunately only have a 2500 but the quality on them is immense, then probably go with a bilstein or fox shocks.

 

[Kadohado45]

lol fair enough, I won't be "rock crawling" by any means but man I want it to ride just a little smoother, I hit a tiny bump and I feel like the thing is gonna fall apart lol.

LOL. Let some air out of the tires. Ahhahahahaha.
On a serious note, the shocks and springs you choose will smooth that out but my truck has leafs and I'm stuck. So 30 psi helps. LOL
I've sold and installed suspension parts for two decades. Most of the aftermarket stuff is junk and always has been. MOOG is no longer as good as it was.
Also no company has a better Qualitty Control program than the OE folks. No one. Aftermarket shops can't afford NDT testing on "cast" parts from China. All they do is buy, powder coat and sticker.
If you watch Matt's Off Road Recovery or any of the other guys, speed and lack of articulation has a lot to do with suspension failure. Just slow down if you're headed to the rocks.
Mountain State Overland and our buddy Lifestyle Overlanding are true, good examples of our culture and I can't remember a serious failure over the thousands of mile they've off road
Have a great time and be safe.
Zim

Note; I did have a 500ft lb nut come loose on my F250. Make damn sure you have a "BIG" electric impact in the tool box. LOL

So I was doing some research and it looks like deaver has a 3/4 ton offroad leaf spring that I might give a shot, yeah I know I'm losing 1/4 of a ton but honestly I hardly tow anyway so I'm at a point where if I want to make my truck fun that's exactly what I'm gonna do :)

 

[ProjectCleanSlate]

Man I put a set of Kryptonites front end parts on my buddies cat eye duramax. They are beefy for sure. Come in a nice foam lined box like it is jewelry. Nice heavy duty stuff. Sure OE have the money to R and D, the the aftermarket guys who are into racing, or into one brand or design are really smart. Stay away from box builders who build for every make out there. Focus on quality of the part, what it was designed for. That why I went with Carli on this truck and Thuren on my last. They build mostly for ram trucks. Just now are getting into to fords a bit. But years of desert race conditio tuning and fabrication has made them what they are now.
have fun with the build

 

[MMc]

I have a progressive leaf springs on my 3/4 dodge, best investment ever. I went from 3 to 10 Deaver springs without changing the max load, it rides empty very well. Swapped out the stock shocks for 2.5 fox with reservoirs. I run 315 tires and no lift, I can get most anywhere I want, I don't go over anything taller than knee high. The 315's fit in my tire hold where 35's dont I wheeled in my youth, I am mostly over it now. Adding a lift without adding travel doesn't make mush sense to me. Does it have lockers, If not I would start there. I don't know anything about GM front ends but it would be a major concern if they are weak.