Probable upgrade time (Karl gots a new truck)

[PenguinLTZ]

nice...did you buy the "torsion bar unloader" tool?

Yup

Which unloader tool did you buy? There's a few on Amazon for pretty cheap. I have a green key leftover from my 2005 1500 that I may throw in the driver side of my 2500 to bring the front up a bit. Got about 1" from my stock keys, still have some thread left on the passenger side by drivers side is bottomed out.

Side note... that's an expensive set of "keys"

I have the Tiger Tool

Yeah, the cams index in different places depending on how far you want to go up, and you keep the shorter bolts. They are powder coated all pretty

I have had keys, or cranked screws on every HD I have had. These did not make the ride harsh, and I am totally level.

Mine came with the Raunchos, or i would have already put extended Bilsteins on. I will eventually anyway. Probably this winter

 

[Matt_]

I have had keys, or cranked screws on every HD I have had. These did not make the ride harsh, and I am totally level.

Mine came with the Raunchos, or i would have already put extended Bilsteins on. I will eventually anyway. Probably this winter

The ride quality has nothing to do with which keys you use. All the indexing means is that you're using the installation tool to preload the bars first (just like cranking them with the stock keys), so that at the lowest height with the new keys is equivalent to cranked on the stock keys. Then you go up from there.

Ride quality is either placedo, the new truck have different jounce bumper design, or the shocks used.

 

[PenguinLTZ]

I have had keys, or cranked screws on every HD I have had. These did not make the ride harsh, and I am totally level.

Mine came with the Raunchos, or i would have already put extended Bilsteins on. I will eventually anyway. Probably this winter

The ride quality has nothing to do with which keys you use. All the indexing means is that you're using the installation tool to preload the bars first (just like cranking them with the stock keys), so that at the lowest height with the new keys is equivalent to cranked on the stock keys. Then you go up from there.

Ride quality is either placedo, the new truck have different jounce bumper design, or the shocks used.

Easy, now We have had this discussion many times. I am merely saying that I did not get the harsh ride with this truck.

On my '09 I did the Cognito UCAs and their keys and the Bilsteins. It was slightly better in ride quality. I may go with the new UCAs as I start to wander deeper into the forest with an 8000 pound equipment trailer behind me

The 2500 bars do not seem to get the super harsh ride like the 1500s do when cranked, at least in my experience.

 

[Matt_]

Just making sure you didn't revert back to the mindset of 15 years ago when fancy keys had magical powers

All good man

FWIW, i measured mine yesterday and I still have 2" of full droop from my current ride height (cranked 1"). I'm hoping I don't need to go over 1/2" more to fit the tires I got... ride quality goes to crap with less than an inch before the UCAs hit the stops.

Could also be your new truck may have more suspension travel than previous models. This is my first experience with 2500 bars so you may be onto something there too... 1500 bars may be softer for better ride quality, requiring more preload to get desired height, and may actually hit their physical limit at some point (run out of available twist due to length)

 

[Darkanion]

FWIW, i measured mine yesterday and I still have 2" of full droop

TMI, Matt. TMI.

 

[geektoad]

So...due to a family emergency, I just got the chance to drive the new rig from NH to Illinois. Put 1100 miles on it yesterday. It was a nice chance to break it in, and get to know it. pulled 18.5 MPG unloaded for the trip with the cruise set at 76MPH, once i cleared the green mountains.

My only negative at this point follows my usual pattern: F*ck these shitbox Tenneco "Rancho" shocks. I will be getting rid of them and putting Bilsteins on it once I'm back home. I really wish GM would just go back to bilsteins from the factory for their upgrade shocks.

 

[OldCracker29]

So...due to a family emergency, I just got the chance to drive the new rig from NH to Illinois. Put 1100 miles on it yesterday. It was a nice chance to break it in, and get to know it. pulled 18.5 MPG unloaded for the trip with the cruise set at 76MPH, once i cleared the green mountains.

My only negative at this point follows my usual pattern: F*ck these shitbox Tenneco "Rancho" shocks. I will be getting rid of them and putting Bilsteins on it once I'm back home. I really wish GM would just go back to bilsteins from the factory for their upgrade shocks.

Sorry to hear of a family emergency, but that is one hell of a break in drive.

 

[PenguinLTZ]

So...due to a family emergency, I just got the chance to drive the new rig from NH to Illinois. Put 1100 miles on it yesterday. It was a nice chance to break it in, and get to know it. pulled 18.5 MPG unloaded for the trip with the cruise set at 76MPH, once i cleared the green mountains.

My only negative at this point follows my usual pattern: F*ck these shitbox Tenneco "Rancho" shocks. I will be getting rid of them and putting Bilsteins on it once I'm back home. I really wish GM would just go back to bilsteins from the factory for their upgrade shocks.

Is this your first 2500?

The Ranchos are a touch better than the other PsOS, but really I only notice the biggest diff when towing. 5100s are def better, and i really noticed it when towing on the other truck

I didn't know the Denali had the Z71 crap

 

[geektoad]

It is the first 2500, but the problem is one I've dealt with since my '08..."Rancho" chronically under-valves their shocks, and you end up with wheel hop over small irregularities beacause the shock can't control the wheel. I absolutely expect a stiffer ride, and over all it's amazing how well this rides for a 3/4 ton...but it can be better, and shocks are cheap

 

[geektoad]

It's a separate package, but this one happened to have it