Need 1988 Chevy Silverado 1500 shocks or struts? This page is catalog-backed ride control for the older Chevy Silverado 1500 (1988), including 1988. It is not 2500/3500, not Silverado HD rows, and not a van.
KYB Excel-G / Gas-a-Just / MonoMax and Gabriel Ultra / Guardian / HiJackers numbers below come from the U.S. KYB shocks & struts catalog and Gabriel 2018 application guide. Do not mix KYB Europe SKUs onto these rows. 2WD vs 4WD (and air vs coil on some trucks) still change the corner.
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older Chevy Silverado 1500 (1988) shock shop notes — 1988
1988 Chevy Silverado 1500 shock/strut — GMT400 shop focus
Model-year 1988 sits in the GMT400 Chevy Silverado 1500 window (1988–1998). It is not HD-only rows.
Catalog applications for GMT400 (1988–1998) often repeat the same SKUs across adjacent years in this generation — that is expected. This URL stays year-specific for 1988 with a self-canonical and year-locked heading/links. On-page catalog SKUs called out here include KYB 344265, KYB KG5478, KYB 565060, KYB 344266, KYB KG5480, KYB 565062, KYB 344263, KYB KG5479 — use only these rows (and the lists below), not torque charts we do not publish. Cross-shop the same model year: 1988 Chevy Silverado 1500 suspension parts.
These are ride-control shop notes for the older Chevy Silverado 1500 that includes 1988. Numbers come from the KYB U.S. shocks/struts book and the Gabriel 2018 application guide we host under Catalogs — not from torque charts, and not from the KYB Europe PDF.
What usually brings people here
- Nose dive, hollow ride, or a wet shock body → front damper worn out. Start with the Front list on this page and match 2WD/4WD (and air vs coil on Rams) before you order.
- Rear sag under tow, cargo squat, or a floaty highway feel → rear shocks first. If Gabriel lists a HiJackers air shock for this truck, that is the load-assist path — not a substitute for broken leaf springs.
- Clunk that is not a ball joint or sway link → check upper strut mounts / bearing plates when the catalog lists them beside the strut row.
KYB vs Gabriel — how we pick a line
KYB Excel-G 344265 is the OE-style twin-tube daily driver; Gas-a-Just KG5478 is the firmer high-pressure monotube when both appear for the same corner — pick one philosophy, don’t mix left/right.
While you’re in there
Replace dampers in axle pairs. Inspect bump stops and dust boots while the corner is apart. If the truck also clunks or wanders, see 1988 Chevy Silverado 1500 suspension parts. If brakes are next, see 1988 Chevy Silverado 1500 brake parts.
Shop notes only — not a service manual. Use the factory procedure or a Haynes/Chilton manual for wrench work, torque, and safety steps. Leave a comment with 2WD/4WD (and air vs coil if equipped) plus the symptom if you want a part-number check.
Works Kit — 1988 Chevy Silverado 1500 shocks/struts (GMT400 C/K 1500 shocks · 2WD C1500 vs 4WD K1500)
Numbers already linked for 1988 — front KYB 344266 / KYB KG5480; rear KYB 344263 / KYB KG5479. If you landed from a vehicle hub, stay on 1988 — the stacks below quote numbers linked on this shock page only. order it all once, do it right. Year page 1988 stays distinct from 1995-chevy-silverado-1500-shock-parts.
1. Front axle pair
- Front damper — order ×2 — KYB 344266 (4WD, K1500 (Exc. Z-71 Off Road Package))
- Optional firmer front line on this page — KYB KG5480 (4WD, K1500 (Exc. Z-71 Off Road Package)) · KYB 565062 (4WD, K1500 (Exc. Z-71 Off Road Package))
2. Rear axle pair
- Rear damper — order ×2 — KYB 344263 (4WD, K1500 (Exc. Z-71 Off Road Package))
- Optional firmer rear line on this page — KYB KG5479 (4WD, K1500 (Exc. Z-71 Off Road Package)) · KYB 565061 (4WD, K1500 (Exc. Z-71 Off Road Package))
Search Amazon for 1988 Chevy Silverado 1500 shocks · Full Front/Rear lists are below.
1988 Chevy Silverado 1500 front shocks / struts
- KYB Excel-G: 344265 (2WD, C1500)
- KYB Gas-a-Just: KG5478 (2WD, C1500)
- KYB MonoMax: 565060 (2WD, C1500 (Lowered 2″ / 4″))
- KYB Excel-G: 344266 (4WD, K1500 (Exc. Z-71 Off Road Package))
- KYB Gas-a-Just: KG5480 (4WD, K1500 (Exc. Z-71 Off Road Package))
- KYB MonoMax: 565062 (4WD, K1500 (Exc. Z-71 Off Road Package))
1988 Chevy Silverado 1500 rear shocks / struts
- KYB Excel-G: 344263 (4WD, K1500 (Exc. Z-71 Off Road Package))
- KYB Gas-a-Just: KG5479 (4WD, K1500 (Exc. Z-71 Off Road Package))
- KYB MonoMax: 565061 (4WD, K1500 (Exc. Z-71 Off Road Package))
- KYB MonoMax: 565033 (2WD, C1500 (Lowered 2″ / 4″))
Fitment notes
These KYB and Gabriel numbers come from the U.S. KYB shocks & struts catalog and the Gabriel 2018 application guide (plus Gabriel HD only when a 1500 row appears). Year ranges in those books that cover 1988 are expanded onto this page. Mount/boot kits are omitted unless they rode beside a damper row we kept. Do not use KYB Europe application SKUs here.
Related: 1988 Chevy Silverado 1500 suspension parts. 1988 Chevy Silverado 1500 brake parts. KYB shocks and struts catalog. Gabriel shocks and struts catalog. Silverado 1500 catalog page.
Leave a comment with 2WD vs 4WD, and the symptom if you want a part-number check. #HAPPYMOTORING