2018 Yukon XL SLT, rear air shock blown

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

dmtml

TYF Newbie
Joined
Sep 20, 2022
Posts
11
Reaction score
0
About 6 months ago we purchased a used 2018 Yukon XL. A couple of weeks ago, I started hearing a compressor running very frequently. Some googling led me to believe that this was a compressor that inflates the air struts/shocks(?) at the rear of the vehicle.

Last night I finally got under the vehicle, and it appears that the driver's side strut/shock airbag thing is blown.

I'm not a mechanic, but have pretty decent mechanical skills overall. This seems like overall a fairly easy thing to replace. However, all I am seeming to find is 3rd-party parts to replace, and I'm having trouble figuring out exactly which part to buy. Some comments have also led me to believe that you might lose out on some auto-leveling features or something by replacing with 3rd-party.

Does anyone have experience with replacing these, and can anyone tell me which part would be the best to purchase?

Thanks!
 

Doubeleive

Wes
Supporting Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2017
Posts
23,420
Reaction score
34,048
Location
Stockton, Ca.
looks like choices are pretty slim
oem replacement acdelco is 84176675 $382 (each)
arnott makes one that is "passive" and does not have ride-control those are $207 each AS3429
rockauto has either, I would go with oem myself since there really isn't another working alternative out that I know of the oem ride-control is a nice feature.
 
OP
OP
D

dmtml

TYF Newbie
Joined
Sep 20, 2022
Posts
11
Reaction score
0
looks like choices are pretty slim
oem replacement acdelco is 84176675 $382 (each)
arnott makes one that is "passive" and does not have ride-control those are $207 each AS3429
rockauto has either, I would go with oem myself since there really isn't another working alternative out that I know of the oem ride-control is a nice feature.

Thank you,

What I'm seeing online is $450-$500. Do you have a link for it at $382?? Sounds like going OEM to maintain ride-control is the way to go. Any thoughts on DIY-ing this vs having it done? And if having it done for me, recommendations on dealer vs independent repair shop?

Thanks again!
 

Doubeleive

Wes
Supporting Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2017
Posts
23,420
Reaction score
34,048
Location
Stockton, Ca.
Thank you,

What I'm seeing online is $450-$500. Do you have a link for it at $382?? Sounds like going OEM to maintain ride-control is the way to go. Any thoughts on DIY-ing this vs having it done? And if having it done for me, recommendations on dealer vs independent repair shop?

Thanks again!
as far as diy it's not hard to do at all, the rear shocks should be done with vehicle on the ground but you may want a couple jacks so you can move the axle or the body if need be for fitment sometimes you might need to move one or the other up/down an inch or 2.
I would recommend replacing both shocks at the same time unless the other one is in really good shape for some reason.
also if you look on the "vendor" part of the forum there is a 5% off code for rockauto so that at least helps a little with the tax. you copy and paste that into the "where did you hear about us" bar on rockauto at checkout
 
OP
OP
D

dmtml

TYF Newbie
Joined
Sep 20, 2022
Posts
11
Reaction score
0
Thank you so much, that is very helpful. Tonight I will try to take a picture of the shock just to be sure that is the problem, but I'm about 99% sure. What is the usual life of those things? Assuming they are the original parts, they are only 4-5 years old...is that the expected lifetime?
 

B-train

Full Access Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2022
Posts
1,873
Reaction score
3,050
It all depends as far as life expectancy. I have 2017 yukon with 114k and all OE air shocks. My 2007 Denali lasted to 163k OE. If you live in a really hot and dry climate they can get dry rotted from what I've seen. Or, like the Midwest, it's usually rocks, salt, etc that can degrade the material over time. It's a nice system, but I think the materials used could be better quality from the factory.
 

Joseph Garcia

Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2018
Posts
6,394
Reaction score
8,325
Purchase and install 2 OEM rear shocks. As stated above, it is a really easy replacement job. In the meantime, however, I recommend that you remove the fuse in the fuse box for the compressor, so that it does not burn itself out trying to fill a blown shock bladder.

Also, when removing and reinstalling the top bolt on the shocks, be careful not to disturb an electrical connector on the top of the frame near the top of the shock. Several of us have inadvertently disconnected that connector while performing this job. If it gets disconnected, simply reconnect it.
 
OP
OP
D

dmtml

TYF Newbie
Joined
Sep 20, 2022
Posts
11
Reaction score
0
Purchase and install 2 OEM rear shocks. As stated above, it is a really easy replacement job. In the meantime, however, I recommend that you remove the fuse in the fuse box for the compressor, so that it does not burn itself out trying to fill a blown shock bladder.

Also, when removing and reinstalling the top bolt on the shocks, be careful not to disturb an electrical connector on the top of the frame near the top of the shock. Several of us have inadvertently disconnected that connector while performing this job. If it gets disconnected, simply reconnect it.

Thank you, those are great tips! What is the electrical connector for that you are talking about disturbing?
 

Forum statistics

Threads
128,801
Posts
1,805,623
Members
91,784
Latest member
navyboy14094
Top