King Shocks for the Chevy Colorado - Front & Rear ZR2 Bison Installation
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2021
- For those seeking an alternate shock solution for the ZR2 DSSV, King Shocks makes a customizable set of front and rear remote reservoir shocks for a stock or highly modified Chevrolet Colorado ZR2.
This is a basic installation which will require 3-4 hours of garage time with basic tools. The results are going to require a good bit of fine tuning as the King shock is equipped with a baseline valving for a stock application. As your vehicle adds more weight and changes the distribution of the weight the valving and spring rate may have to change. I have equipped this kit with the adjustable compression feature and do plan on a tuning session with King once I have my rear Deaver springs come in.
King Shocks Performance Series 2.5" Coilover Reservoir Shock w/ adjusters / 600 lbs spring [17+ Colorado ZR2]
In the video, I cover how I completed the installation on my ZR2 Bison with the means and skills I have. See what I did and figure it out for yourself or when in doubt get it installed by a professional. - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
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Great video very informative has the information I needed thank you very much.
Happy to be of assistance
First off love your videos, they are full of inspiration for what I can do with my Bison. I was wondering your thoughts on the 589 rear shock relocation kit. It just seems that getting the shock mounts further towards the tires would add a bit of peace of mind while out on the trails. Thanks
Thanks!. I am not a fan of the 589 relocate as it trades off too many design features for clearance. It might be more than adequate for some and just perfect for others who want clearance at any cost.
A couple of my concerns (not in any order):
1. The design geometry inherently limits the amount and motion of travel and in turn the articulation is effected albeit small by some interpretations. The significance of 1-2" is relative to the person and reason they are modifying the suspension and I'll leave that for who ever is looking to modify to judge. Not having the shock extend significantly below the axle line also has implications in how the axle moves/pivots and the leverage on the forces effecting the dampener. Additionally, it will require a near 0 wheel offset to keep the wheel and tire from having contact with 35"+ tall and 12"+ wide tires unless you have 4"+ of lift.
2. The staggered shock design is intended to dampen the axle's movement under torque to aid with axle wrap in turn helping with wheel hop. This is issue is more pronounced with more gear, stickier/bigger tires and with anything that applies more traction and more torque (supercharger in my case) but unless you are watching it, you will not see the amount of force in play when a soft spring like he ZR2 has has to control axle wrap. There is a reason the GMPP suspension with the longer and softer spring packs introduces a 3rd upper link to control wrap in the ZR2.
3. Welding and cutting immediately voids your warranty on the axle housing and the frame of the truck. Regardless of how many people might say their dealership doesn't care it's your truck and your problem should you have an issue.
Ultimately it is a compromise between using some stock design features and stock spec shock and going all out on a through bed shock hoop custom geometry set-up with new spec shocks. Again, it might be right for some but I haven't seen the functional need in my build but from an aesthetic design I can say it does look pretty awesome.
Again i really appreciate these videos. Great quality edits and solid instruction. Did that sway bar spacer come with the kit because i am about to order it and they are telling me its not included? Second question, were you happy with the camburgs UAC's in the end or would you have went a different route if you did it again?
I had provided Helwig with the data for the additional spacer needs but they did not let me know if they made changes. My contact there no longer works for them.
The Camburg UCA was exactly what I wanted in adjustability and the only concern i have recommending it to people is making sure they are maintenance minded. ALL Heim joint and uni ball based parts need regular inspection and maintenance. I can't wait until the new x-joint is released for other applications at Camburg as it will truly have all the articulation and true maintenance free operation.
Great content as usual. I've also got King's on order and of course, my rear passenger shock just started leaking. Any plans for protecting the rear shock shafts?
I have considered a boot but I have not looked at the issue to hard as of yet. I have benn in build mode trying to reach my 1st year benchmarks.
Love your videos, thinking about getting Kings and the OME heavy load rear leaf springs for my 2017. Let us know how they are doing.
For sure. I have been busy trying to schedule in the mods and the time to install them juggling long part lead times and back orders. I'm grateful I have got as much done as anticipated but I'm still a little behind on the finishing touches.
Kings are 56 WEEKS back ordered wtf!😡
Great video. If I have the 589 shock relocation will that effect how the rear shocks are oriented with the spacer since they are going to be outside the frame instead of inside?
I would say that you should install them with the larger spacer closest to the frame for best frame to shock clearance BUT it's best to contact 589. I have some issues with the suspension design and change in geometry and as such would differ to the manufacturer.
I had King shocks on my Jeep Rubicon and was very disappointed with them. Also had the King bump stops and was not impressed with them as well. The Jeep rode like a buck wagon. Not sure if they were set up wrong (King factory tuned them for my lift) or what the problem was. Would really like your feedback on the differance you find from the DSS shocks vs the Kings on your Colorado as I just bought one and the ride is far better than the Jeep. Thanks in advance.
I can't provide feedback on the Jeep, but I can say that generally speaking King factory settings in their OEM Performance Lines are based on stock weights and load limits with consideration for higher speed increased dampening performance. One of the biggest things people don't consider when getting shocks tuned is that on solid axle Jeeps any increase in axle mass, wheel and tire weights will substantially change how to tune the dampener. Hopefully the reported axle weights with wheels and tire were considered and the spring rates on the lift were accurately considered.
With respect to the Colorado, both the spring and shock body are one as a coilover and that eliminates the possibility of tuning for the wrong spring rate for the front which is the most critical with the IFS. The DSSV shock were great for stock payload truck but as i added more gear they literally blew the seals. As an overland build i wanted to carry the weight better and needed the shocks to have more shock oil volume, higher dampening rate and just be all around beefier with thick shock shafts and stronger rod ends.
The ride quality was great with my truck near payload capacity and the help of added rear spring rate even managed the extra weight of the 35" tire on the Ultraswing very well. Off-road it managed G-outs but I always had to consider the limitation of travel and speed. I was not disappointed with the performance and ride.
What was the reasoning behind the replacement? I owned an f250 with them and it was great. Besides tech, what is the difference? Thanks.
I blew out the stock DSSV rears in under a year with the weight I carry and the driving I do. They leaked until they had no nitrogen and would boil over loosing all dampening capability. That left the back of my truck to bottom out and sag. The factory springs were also replaced shortly after the shocks under warranty.
The Kings adjustable compression valve, heavier duty seals / design as well as more volume, will better suit my driving style and vehicle needs.
I mite be missing it but Id like to know exactly what kit or set up you selected because you seem to be building the same way I am. And I plan on doing 33s and a 1.25 level in the front and add a leaf / block in the rear. But I get in over my head when it comes to shocks and front springs and which ones go with stock vs a level kit plus a winch adding weight etc. Can you link which kit this is. If it is one.
The setup in this video is a complete King Coilover replacement in the front and I have not yet received my rear "lifted" leaf springs (they are Deavers and progressive higher capacity with about 1.5" of lift.) I do not plan to use additional blocks or an AAL.
I had run a Eibach spring replacement lift (pro lift kit prior to keep the truck leveled) with stock rear springs. On a Bison this is about a 1" lift / level due to the AEV metal front bumper and with the Warn winch.
The winch mount kit is the AEV ZR2 BISON www.aev-conversions.com/product/bison-winch-mount/
This is different than the ZR2 only model due to the integrated fairlead.
Are those the extended travel coil overs or the standard ones? My understanding is that you need after market upper control arms to run the extended ones. Is there more lift with the extended ones or just more wheel and tire travel?
I have Camburg's new fully adjustable UCAs and a Differential drop kit from Peak Suspension. In order to take advantage of the longer stroke you need to have a upper control arm that allows for the droop
Does the Camburg UCA provide the extra travel?
Good setup.
I noticed something interesting about the rear axle that's different from my 2019 Zr2. Your Bison axle breather tube ends on top on the rear axle. On my Zr2 it's tucked up high in the bed body.
I wonder why Chevy decided to do that? Anyways great content.
They changed the breather to have a check valve so the need to extend up the chassis was no longer necessary.
@@exhaustinglife Probably costs less to run hose. Are you going to regear the truck for the 35's?
@@AngelLovesToLook not at the moment, the Supercharger provides ample torque especially in 4 lo and I can haze the 35s across the intersection in 2wd with little effort. I am not quite sold on the 4.56s in my application and would like something closer to 3.90 or 4.10.
@@exhaustinglife I wonder if the SC and 35's would put a lot of stress on the drive train with out regearing. Great channel by the way.
@@AngelLovesToLook It is a real concern but I have never been the abusive type of driver / owner. I have enough sense to take the bypass on exhibition runs, I have been on enough dirt to know what I am capable of and what's in the safe limits of the equipment i have installed. If i am going to push it hard enough to potential cause damage it will be when its more a necessity than "for the 'gram ;)"
hi. have you had any issues with your CV boots with the amount if rings/preload you have in this video? im at about the same amount of preload and concerned about tearing these CV boots.
I did not have any issues while I owned the truck.
I did run the Peak Suspension Diff Drop and found that not pushing the lower control arm too far forward to gain caster (which is commonly used to get more tire clearance in the front fender well) helps. The Camburg fully adjustable UCAs I had, allowed for more caster for improved steering return but I could split the lower arm movement forward with the upper arm moving back to achieve the desire caster but keeping the axle movement arc in check.
I also religiously cleaned the CV boots so debris did not dry on the boots after mud, snow or just being on trails with small rocks. The factory boots don't fair well with high angles AND debris. Watch the boots in full droop and you will see how compressed the accordion pleats get compressing debris between them.
It's a lot of work and you can expect to spend some time with a reputable shop or do a lot of trail and error with the coil over removed to find the limits of safe up and down travel. I have nearly $800 is just alignment rack time in trying to achieve the setup that was right.
@@exhaustinglife thanks for the awesome reply and great content! very helpful.
I have a stock zr2 and looking to replace and king keeps coming to mind. Great vid. How did they run?
I enjoy them for my application however I did go to King to have the valving adjusted for my application (Heavy Overlander) This is a service they offer and i highly recommend it unless you are just running a stock weight vehicle.
I would choose King Shocks again without issue.
I live in the desert and do alot of off roading. I do want kings but I hear you need to switch the swing arms. What do you recommend?
Really interested to see how they perform. I do more crawling type stuff in Moab and st george. Would there be any advantage over the dssv when crawling?
I will find out but I am going to finish my suspension modifications and dial in the valving first but i am tuning for more comfort and stability during faster off-road travel which works at the opposite spectrum of crawling.
From my experience with other platforms (mainly Jeep) in crawling I can say the stiffer initial compression of the DSSV has some challenges it poses in slow speed articulation over a traditional off-road shock or bypassing shock.
I have run the truck over a few trails in Moab and will return to see the results. Their is no silver bullet for a shock that meet all needs but I will be testing existing offerings and solutions, making mistakes, learning and trying to make it what works for me ... no promises it the right option for anyone else.
Did the new king front spring and shock assembly add any lift over what you already had, which I think was the Eibach level springs
The kings as delivered added about 1/4" more lift than the Eibach leveling kit. I am not sure if its from wear of the EIbach or by design of the preload settings on the Kings.
@Exhausting Life so they are preset at the factory but can be adjusted up or down as desired?
@@timricks1149 Yes they are factory pre- set but the whole point of the coilover is to have adjustable pre-load
@@timricks1149 That is correct. The preset for the ZR2 will be effected by the spring rate you choose but for me the pre-load setting was good for a good level on a ZR2 Bison.
Do you have the numbers for the shocks ?
After throwing on an inch and a quarter leveling kit, are new bump stops necessary or will the stock ones do the job still.
The stock bump stops should be adequate until you start adding more unsprung weight or a substantial amount of sprung weight.
@@exhaustinglife Awesome, I haven't been able to find a solid yes or no so thank you for the response. Looking forward to a comparison between the kings and the dssv. Most likely going to that same setup when I lose a dssv.
What do you think of the rear shock relocation kits? I've been considering one but I don't know enough about how they effect performance compared to the oem placement.
@@thicc_filet9303 No problem on the bump stop thing.
As far as the rear shock relocate, it has been heavily debated and I'll stick to numbers that show the relocate limits overall articulation and that while it might not feel any different from the driver's seat, it is.
Additionally, I am not willing to trade the better looks and a higher mounting position for the functionality and design of the stock geometry. GM in the latest iteration of the Colorado has moved the shocks further outward but has kept the staggered configuration and lower shock position.
@@exhaustinglife That's what I was wondering. But now I'm convinced, ill just get some good shock skids and forget about the relocation kit.
I have an 06 Colorado lt crew cab 4x4. What king shocks should I get for front and rear?
They make base up to Z71 application shock kits or specifically ZR2 kits. The front Shocks are not interchangeable so do make sure you are looking up the right kits.
What’s your plan with the old shocks you removed would you part away with them something I wanted to test on the z71 to retrofit
If you're not in any hurry I will have the rear DSSV's from my 2021 available when it arrives, hopefully soon. They will essentially be new as I plan on switching them out when the truck gets here.
I need to keep them for when I pull the kings out for service and revalving. They are nice to keep around so I don't have any down time.
@@kelseyhayes8171 that definitely would be great honestly trying to test a few things out would love to be updated once you know
Any issues with the inner CV boots coming in contact with the kings?
No issues but I am running a Peak Suspension 1" Diff Drop and I am not running a "stock" alignment with the adjustable Camburg UCA's.
Something to note: The alignment can effect the CV position fairly dramatically and having a good alignment shop or know how to adjust yourself is a big bonus when trying to get bump steer, CV angles and steering response dialed in.
I need to get my z71 from base height to bison height, to where I can fit 33s, do you know what kit I should use to lift it? I found an eibach kit that will lift the front 2.5 inches and the back one inch, will this work?
Eibach makes a quality product and does offer a couple of good products that might apply. If you talking about the Pro-truck lift systems in stage 1 or 2 they both can achieve the height needs you have expressed.
First thing is the big question, what do you want from the lift? More tire clearance? Increased load handling? Better dampening? High speed dirt? Crawling? Fire roads and trails?
@@exhaustinglife increased tire clearance for 33s
? Does anyone know if you could use this shocks on a 2016 Chevy Colorado LT
The ZR2 shocks are NOT a direct replacement to the non-ZR2 truck (Base, WT, LT, Z71, etc) shocks. The lower control arm and shock interface is different as is the valving.
The only way they would bolt-on is to convert the front suspension to a ZR2. Lower Control Arm, Upper Control Arm, Axles, Tie Rods, Steering knuckle, etc
@@exhaustinglife thanks
Do you prefer these over the stock DSSV?
For my use, yes. If I was only running stock wheels and with 33" tires or less on light trails and no overland payload (800+ lbs) i might have been good with the stock DSSV.
The added payload and aggressive driving caused both rear DSSVs to fail in the first year and their failure caused the OEM leaf springs to fail.
With the Kings I can revalve according to my use and handle the extra payload and prevent common premature failures related to the DSSV front pillow mounts and overall better durability due to design and materials.
What spring rate are you using on front shocks?
these are a king 600 lb. spring
@@exhaustinglife Hey Richard Currently saving up for the Kings. Curious as to your decision for the 600# spring rate? The 650# springs are usually what is selected unless you want a higher or lower spring rate. I see that your front end (winch, etc) is very similar to my Bison set-up. I have about 150# pounds extra in the front and about 360# extra in the rear with my daily driver set-up. When I'm fully loaded out for overlanding trips I'm usually carrying about 950# extra total. Are you still happy with the 600# spring rate after running them for awhile now? Thanks for your time.
What are the part numbers for these coil overs?
These are not exactly the out of box Kings but the King OEM performance Series 2.5 Remote Reservoir Shock with adjusters are 90% what I have here
@@exhaustinglife will you provide me with the information and specs I need to order the same shocks?
@@richJedlo I don't have a breakdown of the part numbers and changes as these were assembled during the issues with part supply chain in the US, so some alternate parts were used in the stroke length. The valving was altered after having driven on the set-up but again this was done by King internally under their tuning program. ordering the OEM Performance 2.5 Kit with adjusters would be your best bet to emulate this set-up
Thank you
Never seen anyone torque the bolt instead of the nut.
Unless the friction coefficient has a great disparity, there is no significant difference in what side is used. This is, of course, not the case with specialty fastners that have features to change how one side or the other interfaces with the surfaces it is torqued against.
Try it next time with hardware with a washer on either side, and you will see there is a negligible difference, if any at all.
Why would you buy a truck who's sole reason for existing are those shocks... then replace them?
The DSSV shocks are a 2k feature at retail but have nothing to do with why I bought it. That said the DSSV is great if i used the truck as intended but I have plans to push the platform higher than recommended and beyond warrantable use. Additionally, The ZR2 has so many more distinct features that make it a great choice beyond a simple shock upgrade. Front and rear lockers, wider track rear differential housing, mid travel heavier construction control arms, longer heavier duty front axles, better approach and departure angles on top of all the protection added by the AEV bison package.
The DSSV is ill-equipped to manage the heavier payloads at speed off-road. I am well within the recommended payload and still under warranty blew out the DSSVs and flattened the springs within 8 months and under 24k miles... and they were replaced under warranty for that reason. I am just starting on what i want to do with the truck and the DSSVs are not capable enough to meet the needs off how i will modify the vehicle outside of how they were designed.
If i was going to keep the truck light and blast around town 80% of the time the DSSV is un paralleled in street performance with some dirt road capability as an OEM equipped shock. As a vehicle that will need good highway manners but better off road capability and have the ability to be retuned as i change the truck its just not an option as King and other more off-road centric options are available.
Great answer
I had seen other dudes switch to king's on their ZR2s but no one ever said why. This is a wonderful response that is super thoughtful and, for me useful, to basically decide how and where I will take my 2017 ZR2. Subscribed.
@@saikyouabe I was not an early buyer of the Colorado platform and had a good deal of time to think out what i wanted to do and how i wanted to get there. There are so many reasons NOT to replace OEM parts when you are using the truck within the specifications as intended - GM did their homework. Having driven the truck and realizing what i wanted to do, I had to start putting the puzzle pieces together so that I would have a flexible and upgradeable path to get to the end goal. It happens all too often dumping lots of money in aftermarket parts maybe not serve your end goal no matter how "premium" the parts might be.