Posted by Walter Spector on April 01, 1999 at 11:32:18:
The new shocks are now about a week old. They seem very well made, come with polyurethane bushings, and the black covers are included.
Executive summary: Much better than the OEM Pliacell shocks (especially ones with 41K miles). Enough so that I am not intending to return them. But sorry Vic, it doesn't ride "silky smooth like the best sedans". And I'm not ready to trade in the Porsche yet.
My truck: 96 K1500 Sub w/G80, 41K miles, and original Firestone Steeltex AT tires. Tires are starting to look somewhat worn. No F60 or other mods.
The ride is firm but not harsh. A lot of smaller bumps can not be felt! You just hear them.
Larger bumps, like curbs, and speed bumps, are where my old shocks really let me down. The IAS shocks do a much better job of damping. The oscillations are damped within 1-2 bounces almost always. Just a little hysteresis afterwards. Based on the hype, I had hoped for one bounce or less. But not yet achieved. (Could some of this be due to my stock bushings? Perhaps I should start to look at more polyurethane?)
Really noticeable is the difference while cornering. The truck does stay more poised in turns, so I can drive a little harder around exit ramps before the tires start yelling. But one feels the effect even at lower speeds.
The truck is a bit uneasy during moderate pavement shifts though. One definately feels the changes of pitch in the road and sometimes this seems to unsettle the shocks. Kind of hard to describe.
Nothing to report on off-road manners. It'll be another month or two.
Next upgrades: New tires and perhaps sway bar bushings. (I notice that the bushings on the ends of the rear sway bar links are starting to crack.)
Can someone contrast the Steeltex tires with other choices? (Like LTX?)