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My take on the Avalanche SS..

07AVSS

07AVSS

Full Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2011
Messages
471
Location
Monroe GA
Well Im like most folks..The store didnt have exactly what I wanted so I just changed it a bit..  2007 purchased brand new.. She is now officially broken in with 199,000 miles..  I loved the Trailblazer SS, but wanted an Avalanche..  Drove her bone stock till this year and decided she deserved a facelift.. 
2/3 drop,, Exterior trim shaved and SS badges added,,  Replaced the interior wood with brushed aluminum, and the SS badge on the dash, as well as custom gauge face..  Next step is new leather for the seats
with the SS logo on the headrests.. and Finally if the motor ever throws in the towel..  (not showing any signs) an LS3 with a beefed up 4l60..  that will make a complete package..  Object was to look factory
as much as possible so the drop isnt radical.. She still works for a living every day...  Feedback appreciated.. 
 

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Here are the rest of the pictures..  Thanks for checking her out.. 
 

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Thanks for the feedback folks.. The drop is the Eibach kit with the sway bars..  2/3 drop and its all
springs. It was a very easy install,, Took me a Sat to do it..  I could do it again by lunch time..  Just a few weeks ago I added the power stop brake kit as well, Uses the stock calipers, but has new drilled and slotted rotors..  They look great , and perform well too..  I was afraid the spring change would affect the ride, but she rides as good as new, and the handling is vastly better.. Much less body roll... I drove her up to Hiawassee in the mountains a month or so back and just ran away from some kid in a Honda with a bumble bee exhaust who had been tailgating me on the straight stretch.. Once the road got a bit twisty he just started disappearing in the rear view  !!  :B:

That put a smile on my face !!
 
great looking truck!!!!

few things
1) ss on dash is upside down (i had 2 trailblazer ss's so pick up on it sorry)
2) in rear if you want it to corner better look into the djm endlink relocators.  It will bring the rear bar parallel to the ground which will make it perform better.  I do that in a lot of these avalanches works out great.
 
Yep, you are correct on the dash badge..  It was several weeks before I noticed it myself..
I decided just to leave it as it would be a PIA to change it at this point..  As far as I know you are the first to ever notice.. 

I had never thought about the DJM sway bar links, but It would likely be worth doing now that you mentioned it..  As the angle of the bar does move a bit with the drop..  The Eibach bars come with
new bushings but use the stock end links,,  Have to take a look at it.. 
 
Now that is a GOOD LOOKING TRUCK.  I like that!  (Maybe I'll need to go get me one of those new 2013 Black Diamond in 2WD and do that myself??)
 
07AVSS said:
Yep, you are correct on the dash badge..  It was several weeks before I noticed it myself..
I decided just to leave it as it would be a PIA to change it at this point..  As far as I know you are the first to ever notice.. 

I had never thought about the DJM sway bar links, but It would likely be worth doing now that you mentioned it..  As the angle of the bar does move a bit with the drop..  The Eibach bars come with
new bushings but use the stock end links,,  Have to take a look at it.. 
Click to expand...

yes im good friends with mike/mark/jeff at djm for years now.  If you need any info shoot me a pm.
 
Thanks again for all the positive feedback folks,, Its much appreciated.. I do get a fair share of
compliments on the truck..  My favorite is when people say they didnt know Chevy made an SS version.. 

I am amazed by the seats as I figured when I bought it in 07 that the light grey cloth seats would not last or hold up that long..  My son sells Chevys for a living, and he just said dont worry when the seats go bad we can get you some Katskinz leather ones at the dealer price and put them in,, That was the plan from day one. Well 5 years and 199,000 miles later the seats still look like new with just a little cleaning about once a year..  Sorta like the motor wont wear out either.. But who's complaining !  (y)
 
If I wasn't such a lift junky...and been wanting to finally get my AVY lifted, I would follow suit with making mine look that good...lol
 
I have been back and forth about lowering with different products and have considered doing it with just springs. I just bought Rancho shocks and figured they wouldn't like the drop. Then there is the control arms, end links and rack & pinion with the angle changes.
My AV already wanders and I haven't figured the problem out yet that why I bought the shocks. I was told the shocks were my problem  but I think maybe springs, kinda floats like a 1970 station wagon i drove as a kid, I don't know. I really like the way Z66 Butch did it and the kit is not that much more but I may not need the struts. Maybe NorCal SS has a suggestion.
 
What year is your Avy ??  What suspension mods etc does it have now ??  Mine is a stable as a rock and actually drives even better now than brand new..  It has no tendency at all to wander or float etc ??  I also drove my sons 05 Av quite a few times back when he had it.. Totally different suspension set up, but it to was a pleasure to drive..  Sounds like something is amiss with yours ??  Give us a bit more info and one of these smart fellows might have a solution..  (y)
 
2008 Z71, no changes to suspension except shocks and struts which I was told should fix problem. It feels like the rear moves back and forth. I think it may be the bar in the back near the differiantial, not the sway but the other one. Don't have a name for it but apppears it should keep everything from moving from left to right. I have cameras that I am going to run under neath with a lazer pointer to see if I am right.
 
07AVSS, I have a 2 wheel drive 2007 Avalanche without the auto ride. I have lowered it using the Belltech lowering struts in the front and the Belltech 3-4 drop springs in the rear. I lowered the front the max that the struts allowed and in the  rear I used the spacer for a 3" drop. I used the shock drop brackets and kept the stock rear shocks. I love the stance that it has!

I am happy with the ride but it does somewhat want to wander, not to bad but it is there.  I think that it is a tendency of these larger trucks. What I am wanting to know is if shorter sway bar end links will help my handling or if you think that performance sway bars are in order for either the front, rear or both. If so what brand do you recommend?

 

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Lets start off with the rear kit

The belltech springs dead coils face up
2nd a lot of times the bumpstops bottom out so you have to do the free travel mod.

The Rear swaybars are at a bad angle and the rear djm endlink kit are 85 shipped which help the swaybar angle in rear

Now in front did you cut the bumpstops on the drop struts?


Heres a link on the rear kit
http://www.tbssowners.com/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=201

heres a link on the complete kit with trailing arm relocators
http://www.tbssowners.com/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=125
 
I will happily defer to NorcalSS in the suspension dept.. He would seem to have way more experience
there.. And I may well take him up on his end link suggestion..  My truck is simply the Eibach pro kit
drop springs for a 2/3 drop and their sway bars as well,,  Everything else including the shocks is all OE style stuff..  Works great on my truck and is a solid improvement over original in the handling dept with
no real loss of ride quality.  My tire wear has been outstanding as well so I have no complaints !! 
 
more than 2 inch drop i would do the rear djm hardware kit as link above shows.  Also for local customers trucks I do I install zerks on the rear kit here goes the info on that

Over the years another mod I have been doing to the DJM rear hardware kit is adding zerk fittings to the Endlink kits.  I will be doing this upgrade to my rear djm kit on my escalade this weekend and I will include pics and all that.  Its not needed but makes greasing them a lot easier which keeps noise to a minimum.

Also remember max torque 30-35 pounds on them and when you torque them full weight of the truck should be on them.  I usually install them so the bolt just holds it together ride around the block then do final torque on them.

If the kit is on the truck use a drill to make a smaller hole so its easier to drill for the drill bit to tap it for the 1/4-28 zerk
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off the truck ready to drill both sides
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when you drill it remove the metal sleeve and drill all the way thru both sides of the bushings.  You can then remove the bushings to tap it
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tap it for the 1/4-28
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put the zerks in and give it a few squirts
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slap it back on the truck and dont really snug it down (as lower pics shows)  Do a few pumps of grease so you see the bushing buldge a little then take it on a little ride.  When you get back torque them to 30-35 lbs
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NORCAL SS said:
Lets start off with the rear kit

The belltech springs dead coils face up
2nd a lot of times the bumpstops bottom out so you have to do the free travel mod.

The Rear swaybars are at a bad angle and the rear djm endlink kit are 85 shipped which help the swaybar angle in rear

Now in front did you cut the bumpstops on the drop struts?
Click to expand...

So riding on the bumps would make the vehicle behave like....?
 
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