Front Shocks Wearing Out FAST!!!!

[Cruize]

'95 Blazer, 4 wheel drive, 4 door

I put Gabriel Proguard shocks on the front and rear. The truck was nice and tight. Within a month and less than 1,000 miles, the truck reverted to having the front end bouncing around and rolling right and left when I went over a bump, railroad tracks, dip in the road, etc. I replaced the Proguard shocks and the truck was tight again. Same thing - less than a 1,000 miles later, the front end bounced and rolled. I upgraded to the Gabriel Ultras front and rear. Same thing again - tight at first, then the front end is bouncing and rolling. The Blazer tracks straight, but the body has an abnormal amount of bounce and roll.

If I push on the front bumper for the shock test, the truck rebounds without any excessive oscillation. None of the shocks are leaking. (Just passed safety inspection, too.) No lift kit. Tires are 235/75/15 with aggressive tread instead of 235/70/15 the truck came with, but I doubt that would have an impact.

I took a 2 hour trip and with a 230 lb guy in the front passenger seat and 420 lbs of people in the rear. The truck, with worn out shocks, handled better with the extra weight.

I spoke to technical services at Gabriel today. The rep I spoke to never heard of this problem and couldn't give me any advice other than maybe something on the truck is wearing the shocks out prematurely.

What types of problems should I look for? If someone adjusted the torsion springs up or down, would this affect the shocks?

My brother can get two years of everyday driving out of his Gabriel shocks on his '96 and his wife's '97 Blazers, but I can't even get a month. What gives? I am lost.

Thanks in advance

[old_master]

If ride height is out of specs, the shocks will wear faster due to not operating within the range they were designed to operate in. Have an experienced alignment shop check, and adjust if necessary, front chassis ride height. It is done by adjusting the torsion bars. After ride height is within specs, check and adjust if necessary, camber, caster, and toe in. Ride height must be adjusted BEFORE the wheel alignment....ride height directly affects alignment angles. Alignment angles do not affect chassis ride height. Be sure to have them check rear ride height also. If the rear is out of specs it requires new rear springs to correct it.

[Cruize]

I measured the rear ride height, with the Blazer on a hill (battery is shot and I haven't gotten a new one yet.) It's about 1-1/2" low. Local Auto Spring garage / dealer recommends I install new springs with an extra leaf which is 2" higher than stock. If being 1-1/2" low is messing up my front shocks, wouldn't it be safe to assume that an extra 2" would do the same? The garage / dealer claims people are opting for the extra 2" height because the stock springs are inadequate.

I've read about people installing an extra leaf to compensate for sagging springs. Has anyone done this? Would you recommend it? I could save a couple hundred dollars if I install them myself.

[old_master]

You are correct in assuming the shocks will wear rapidly if rear ride height is too high.
As far as changing springs due to them being "inadequate"... if rear ride height is too low, the springs are weak. If it's too high, the wrong springs are installed. Ride height needs to be within spec.

Chassis ride height MUST be checked/adjusted on a perfectly level surface, (front to rear and side to side). "Most" alignment racks are leveled regularly with a transit, which makes it an ideal place to check/adjust it. On T series GM vehicles, (4WD) front ride height is the vertical distance between the lower-most inboard point of the steering knuckle, nearest the ball joint, to the center of the lower control arm pivot bolt. Rear chassis ride height is measured from the top of the axle housing to the lower surface of the frame. Specs differ depending on which suspension the vehicle is equpiied with. That information can be found in the RPO code of the vehicle, ZR2, Z85 etc.

[Cruize]

By lowest point on the frame for rear ride height, I am assuming you mean the bottom of the bump stop mounting brackets welded to the frame?

[old_master]

Yes, exactly.