Suspension Enhancement for Lifted 2003 Chevy Z71 Suburban-1500 4x4 Used with Weight Distribution

Question:

I have a 2003 Chevy Suburban that I am using to pull a 26ft Jayco Octane ZX toy hauler with a dry weight of 6090lbs and TW of 1090lbs. I am using a weight distribution/anti sway hitch but still have a serious sag in the rear end. The sag causes my tires to rub against the wheel well when I corner or hit a bump in the road and my front end is lifted up several inches. I was wanting to install air bags in the rear but have run into a problem because I have a 5 inch lift. I am hoping you can help me find a solution because towing my trailer is really stressful with my current set-up. It may be that I need to adjust the height setting on the WD hitch but with such a heavy TW I fear additional support is needed for the rear suspension on my Suburban. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

asked by: Roz S

Expert Reply:

Thank you for including a photo of your 2003 Suburban 1500 and hitched Jayco toy hauler trailer.

If your Suburban's suspension is still in good working order and not suffering sag from simply being well worn, and if the vehicle is being used within its rated towing capacity, then you should be able to correct the rear-end sag when towing your Jayco toy hauler by adjusting your weight distribution (WD) system. You will first want to confirm that the WD system is suitably rated for your trailer's fully-loaded road-ready tongue weight (TW).

WD must be selected based on the loaded trailer tongue weight, just as it will be when you head out on the road with all gear and supplies, and to this you must add the weight of anything in the rear of the vehicle that sits behind the rear axle, such as a loaded cooler or generator. The total tongue weight (TTW) is what you need to know to select a WD system that will be stiff enough to shift some of that tongue weight forward to the front axle. You may care to refer to the linked article on measuring TW, which includes use of a simple scale like the etrailer # e99044.

Air bags are ideal for applications with substantial weight in the truck bed but your WD system if rated and adjusted correctly should allow you to correct the rear-end sag. If you wish to, please let me know the brand and part number for your WD system and I will be glad to help you make sure it is installed and adjusted correctly.

expert reply by: Adam R