95 blazer shock debate
 

I am wanting this thing to ride good on rough roads I put Gabriel ultra shocks on it and it rides very rough on rough roads so rough that the dash sounds like it is going to break in half when I hit a pot hole. I want a shock that is smooth when on rough roads not so stiff like these that your back is going to break in half.

I was told monotube shocks would be even worse than the Gabriel Ultras so what shock is best for rough roads in the northern part of united stats like ohio where every few feet is a pot hole or many pot holes lol

Well first things first this is a body on frame truck so it going to ride rough. Looking at the Gabriel site the Ultras should give a better ride so I would look else where for the issue.

Are the control arm bumpers still there and good shape? GM used a funky material that tends to crumble. A really good ratcheting wrench makes them easy to change.

See Dorman part 31064 which I used on my 2001 5 spd Blazer with Bilstein shocks to stop the suspension travel issues I was having.

I know they ride rough but mine rides so rough that the windows rattle and my driver side window actually fell off the plate that holds it it fell down the door that is how rough it rides when it comes to a rough road and the dash sounds like it is about to crack in half everytime i hit a pot hole it jars the whole blazer and me lol, my dads truck doesnt ride nearly as rough as this thing

Ok, please provide more information about what you have checked and eliminated from causing your ride issues. But your description of the problem would lead me to look elsewhere from the shocks so the ball is your court. With a good description of what you have checked and what you found you should get an answer from the smarter people on the board.

I have an 02 ZR2 with 140k on it and went thru the very same issues that you are having. I just finished a complete suspension and steering rebuild front and back. Every bushing, joint, spring, torsion bars and shocks.....its all brand new. I did not get the results I was expecting. While it does ride so much better than before, the dash and door panels still shake and make noise over larger pot holes and such. I can't believe this is how the truck was new, so I have come to the conclusion that it is mostly interior parts that have come loose, broken and/or missing the retainer clips. I really expected that I could make it ride as smooth and quiet as my 03 Silverado Z71 4X4, but that's just not going to happen. I have replaced a number of retainer clips, tightened bolts and screws, inserted foam pads and Velcro in trouble spots as I can find them. Most of the interior panels and such have become brittle over time and in a few cases I have cracked them and had to repair. I will be living with the rest of the interior noise and just turn up the Kenwood.

Do what most people do on a pot holed or wash boarded road use your head and SLOW DOWN

If I slow down it is worse unless I completely stop and crawl over them and where I live the whole 40 miles of road is nothing but rough road/pot holes so It would take me 3 hours to travel that road going 15 mph the whole way lol

I was going to replace every thing with the suspension on mine also to see if that fixed it but you said yours helped but still rides rough, why do the silverados in the same year ride so much softer but all the blazer ride like a tank these things ride worse than most jeeps do, I dont know if they rode this rough when they was brand new off the lot if they did then wow, I was going to replace everything and all the body mounts even the leaf springs

I would take a guess and say the full size trucks weigh more and have a longer wheelbase. My Blazer a (2001 LT 4x4) has a nice ride IMHO. But my 2004 Avalanche Z71 (off road suspension) is much better. 6000# vs 4500#

I would say there are some separate issues, that gives that common picture...

I have a friend who bough an old Pajero with Iron Man[1] suspension. He jokes he paid the price for suspension, the other parts were add-ons. So we went one day for a light off-road ride and I may definitely say, that his Pajero handles the rough terrain way better than my Blazer. Since that time I know how a quality suspension performs in a rough terrain and I am looking forward achieving same results with my Blazer. That's why I am reading this topic.

That friend does not have a good opinion on the US cars interiors. He said that on a rough terrains or pot holes it all shakes, rattles, squeaks so therefore he is not going to drive one of them. And they stand out from the competition, when it comes to interior detailing. And I think he is right. Blazers come with a very simple mounting systems, easy for maintenance (front lights, grill, dash). Vast of the cases is just pull/push clips. Yet these clips are noisy and rattles.

[1] Iron Man is probably as much popular in Poland as Rough Country in US.