Aluminum / XFE NNBS Front Suspension Rebuild

[Marky Dissod]

aluminum control arms are double to triple the price of my steel OE parts!
Would like to get rid of weight for all the right reasons, but I don't know
if the initial investment is worth it?

Are better handling and/or better MpGs are not really all that appealing?

Anyone have any idea how much longer the aluminum parts last compared to steel parts?
If they cost 3x more but they last 3x longer, it's a win.
If you buy another aluminum replacement kit before the price goes up, it's a bigger win.

 

[Scrappycrow]

While the control arms might be 2-3x as much, a quick look at Summit Racing shows the stock knuckles at $275 each and the aluminum knuckles at $85 each. Yes, the knuckles are not a wear item, but if you're going for weight reduction (particularly unsprung weight), spending under $200 might be a good value, depending on whether one can (as I mentioned earlier in the discussion) sleeve or ream the knuckles if you want to stick with the cheaper steel arms.

@petethepug, will you be weighing the parts and listing the results component vs. component? If so, I'd like to ask you to weigh the arms not only by total weight, but by inboard (at the bushings) and outboard (at the ball joint) so we will know the unsprung weight reduction, not just the total reduction.

 

[mikez71]

Dang new knuckles are just $85 a piece? I wish I went aluminum.
Those steel lower arms are pretty heavy!

For unsprung weight comparisons, I've heard of people counting half the weight of the arms as an estimate.

 

[Foggy]

While the control arms might be 2-3x as much, a quick look at Summit Racing shows the stock knuckles at $275 each and the aluminum knuckles at $85 each. Yes, the knuckles are not a wear item, but if you're going for weight reduction (particularly unsprung weight), spending under $200 might be a good value, depending on whether one can (as I mentioned earlier in the discussion) sleeve or ream the knuckles if you want to stick with the cheaper steel arms.

@petethepug, will you be weighing the parts and listing the results component vs. component? If so, I'd like to ask you to weigh the arms not only by total weight, but by inboard (at the bushings) and outboard (at the ball joint) so we will know the unsprung weight reduction, not just the total reduction.

I didn't look at summit for the knuckles. Just at RA.. Didn't see them...
I don't put a lot of miles on my Yukon so a 1 mpg gain isn 't a big deal...
Plus I am towing half the time so mpg sucks so badly... I'll re-evaluate this as
I know that getting rid of unsprung weight is Awesome !!

 

[petethepug]

Good point on weighing in on the parts before & after. I’ll steal the wife’s digital scale and post up some pics.

Haven’t posted info up on the source or pricing of the parts for one reason. Demand drives the price. I found both the aluminum knuckles on Amazon from the GM factory store. I scored with the “not Orig packaging” section for 1/2 off.

P/S Alum Knuckle 22842315
D/S Alum Knuckle 22842314

Purchased them for $45 & $50.14 shipped free w/ prime.

I got both the D/S & P/S Alum upper control arms for $95.99 ship’d free off eBay
22840983
22840984

Keep in mind that GM assigned new part numbers to make it appear as though Gen 4 (NNBS) & Gen 5 front suspension parts were not interchangeable.

If you’re not thorough searching for parts you’ll find that the aluminum UCA, LCA & knuckles are priced as high as $300 ea LOL.

 

[arkie]

Good point on weighing in on the parts before & after. I’ll steal the wife’s digital scale and post up some pics.

Haven’t posted info up on the source or pricing of the parts for one reason. Demand drives the price. I found both the aluminum knuckles on Amazon from the GM factory store. I scored with the “not Orig packaging” section for 1/2 off.

P/S Alum Knuckle 22842315
D/S Alum Knuckle 22842314

Purchased them for $45 & $50.14 shipped free w/ prime.

I got both the D/S & P/S Alum upper control arms for $95.99 ship’d free off eBay
22840983
22840984

Keep in mind that GM assigned new part numbers to make it appear as though Gen 4 (NNBS) & Gen 5 front suspension parts were not interchangeable.

If you’re not thorough searching for parts you’ll find that the aluminum UCA, LCA & knuckles are priced as high as $300 ea LOL.

Can you tell me if these upper control arms will replace my OEM alum arms on my 16 Yukon Denali?
Parts search does not find any OEM alum for my year model and GM parts guys say they have heard of alum upper arms

Thanks for any info you can provide

 

[petethepug]

Yes, the aluminum upper control arms / UCA fit your ‘16 Yuke as long as it is fitted with aluminum knuckles or already had aluminum UCA ….

To run aluminum UCA on a truck not equipped with them you’ll need to swap the existing steel knuckles to the aluminum version. That’s what I’m doing on my ‘09 Esky

The aluminum lower control arms / LCA are interchangeable with steel on Gen 4 / 07-14 / NNBS and Gen 5 / 15-20 whether the truck has aluminum or steel knuckles.

 

[SpyShops212]

It's front-end refresh time. I'm fast approaching 180K miles on our 09 Esky ESV. It has the original everything on the suspension. The front sway bar bushings have been replaced with poly recently because they were ready to disintegrate. While looking around at parts I saw that aluminum upper and lower control arms were an option for 07-14 / NNBS full size SUV. No info really nailed down who, what, why, when and where aluminum was used except little snippets on the interwebs.

@iamdumb did nail it here ...



In 09 GM offered the XFE package for 2WD Tahoe that included bits and pieces of aluminum suspension and a spare tire rim. The Hybrid, PPV & SSV also got a bunch of aluminum parts as well as odd ball trims. I'm interested in using both upper and lower control arms made of aluminum because the Esky has boat anchor 22" rims. GM boasts that using all that aluminum on the XFE gives it a 1 MPG increase and takes 32lbs off each side of the front end. I figure that by the time I get the Brembo BBK installed each front corner will have at least 40lbs shaved off.

IN REGARD TO NNBS TRUCKS ...

View attachment 418997


So, on to the differences in forged & stamped steel as well as aluminum NNBS control arms that have been buried for so long.

* 2016-2017 stamped steel control arms have been recalled by GM for inadequate welds near the control arm bushing that may allow it to separate. Just ditch them.
* The forged steel upper and lower control arms for our 07-14 NNBS SUV are also used on the next Gen 15-20.
* The aluminum upper and lower control arms from select 07-14 NNBS SUV are also used on the next Gen 15-20.
* Both the forged steel and aluminum hubs from select 07-14 NNBS SUV are also used on the next Gen 15-20.
* In 1500 Pickup Trucks 07-13 were always cast steel, 14-16 had all three and 17-18 were always aluminum.
* Aluminum lower control arms can be run on any 07-14 NNBS Tahoe / Yuke / Burb / Esky.
* Only the aluminum upper control arms have a specific ball joint. The stamped steel and aluminum ball joints are not cross compatible.
* Aluminum upper control arms must have aluminum hubs to accommodate the difference in taper of the aluminum specific ball joint.
* The lower aluminum control arms are cast aluminum. The upper aluminum control arms are forged.
* Products in the control arms contain chemicals known to the State of CA to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
* The thread and pitch on all ball joint studs for both aluminum and steel are identical.

As the parts are ordered and arrive, I'll post up the source and pricing. I'm in the parts procurement phase and the work will be carried out by my trusted diesel Indi tech. The Esky is my daily and I'm over stressing out about getting a job done so I can drive the vehicle the next day.

Anyone know if the aluminum control arms have any torque to yield bolts that may be specific to them?

The Duralast Gold upper and lower control arms are the best for your truck. They have grease fittings and lifetime warranty. If the part ever fails you can walk into any autozone for the rest of your life and get a new one. They are a little more than OEM but are made so much better. If you look at the parts you will understand what I am telling you. I changed my control arms in my 2008 60k miles ago and the new owner says there is no issues. I would do the sway bar and end links OEM also the outer tie rods. The hub bearing should also be OEM too.

 

[rmuszynski]

any opinions on replacing entire lower aluminum control arm versus just replacing the ball joint which is bad (per MD inspection)? Seems like pressing the old ball joint may be more trouble than its worth. Hoe has 250k miles.

 

[petethepug]

Sent you a IM w/ info

@rmuszynski

 

[petethepug]

Please don't tell my wife I had car parts on her new digital scale. Let's assume the L/R knuckles are the same weight. I'll have to wait until the steel knucks are removed to weigh them.

It's 4.2lb. ea for the Alum UCA.

The Alum knuckles are 8.4ea.

It’s 15lb ea for the Alum LCA. They're almost 3x the size of the UCA.

 

[j91z28d1]

did you guys sort out what had aluminum and what didn't? I keep meaning to check mine and forgetting.

 

[petethepug]

Here's the list of vehicles spec'd for aluminum lower control arms ...

It's in this ad from a vendor if the screen shot won't blow up big enough to read ...

GM Genuine Parts 19256481 | Front Lower Suspension Ball Joint (Vehicle Custom Fit)

Fits: 07-14 Cadillac Escalade, 07-13 Cadillac Escalade ESV, 07-13 Cadillac Escalade EXT, 07-13 Chevrolet Avalanche, 07-13 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 07-13 Chevrolet Suburban 1500, 07-14 Chevrolet Tahoe, 07-13 GMC Sierra 1500, 07-14 GMC Yukon, 07-1

partshawk.com

 

[petethepug]

For those of you lucky enough ...
to have z55 or z95 (09-14 Esky) active struts, here's the breakaway diagram for the assembly order. On my truck there is no dust boot or spring insulator visible. This leads me to believe that an installer decided it was easier to just get er done since he forgot or didn't know to order them.

I've been poking around looking at Dorman & Arnott's loaded front z55/z95 assemblies that retail for 5-$6h each. There's a big red flag on both items. Dorman and Arnott state that they're compatible for both z55/z95 (Denali / LTZ & Esky) They're not the same. One is filled with hydraulic oil and the other is filled with magnetorheological fluid. Both are valved differently, and both have a different control module.

It appears as though Arnott & Dorman are selling their z55 struts as z95. They state that they're cross compatible strut has magnetorheological based fluid. This just can't be. The z55 hydraulic filled struts would ride like **** if that were the case. I saw that Arnott is offering money for z55 cores. It also states they do not want the z95 cores. What do you think they're reselling as their z55/z95 cross compatible struts?

The reviews on Amazon for Dorman lifetime struts are not friendly. The word leak appears often. Arnott reviews show as good for their 2 year warranty. Prior to July 2023 all Arnott z95/z55 have a lifetime warranty. Purchasing after that give you just a two year warranty.

 

[j91z28d1]

buying good quality replacement parts seems harder for these trucks than anything I've been around.

I happen to be under mine yesterday and yeah, 2011 yukon hybrid didn't use aluminum. Definitely steel and still had a bar code on them.

 

[iamdub]

For those of you lucky enough ...
to have z55 or z95 (09-14 Esky) active struts, here's the breakaway diagram for the assembly order. On my truck there is no dust boot or spring insulator visible. This leads me to believe that an installer decided it was easier to just get er done since he forgot or didn't know to order them.

I've been poking around looking at Dorman & Arnott's loaded front z55/z95 assemblies that retail for 5-$6h each. There's a big red flag on both items. Dorman and Arnott state that they're compatible for both z55/z95 (Denali / LTZ & Esky) They're not the same. One is filled with hydraulic oil and the other is filled with magnetorheological fluid. Both are valved differently, and both have a different control module.

It appears as though Arnott & Dorman are selling their z55 struts as z95. They state that they're cross compatible strut has magnetorheological based fluid. This just can't be. The z55 hydraulic filled struts would ride like **** if that were the case. I saw that Arnott is offering money for z55 cores. It also states they do not want the z95 cores. What do you think they're reselling as their z55/z95 cross compatible struts?

The reviews on Amazon for Dorman lifetime struts are not friendly. The word leak appears often. Arnott reviews show as good for their 2 year warranty. Prior to July 2023 all Arnott z95/z55 have a lifetime warranty. Purchasing after that give you just a two year warranty.

View attachment 421344

I thought they just had resistors built into them so they weren't active, but kept the system happy while being plug-and-play.

 

[petethepug]

Interesting, this is referring to Arnott MR-3568 specifically, the loaded strut assembly they tout as cross compatible for z55 & z95 control modules when GM advertised and diagramed for years about their internal and software differences.

It is discussed on Summit’s website on the Gen 5 z95 replacements that the harness connector on top of the strut has a built in resistor and then it’s discussed it doesn’t. Scroll down to the Q&A on the link. IDK wot to make out of it. The manufacturers refuse to acknowledge the hard questions on their advertising or spec sheets.

Arnott Air Suspension SK-3354 Arnott New OE Magnetic Shocks and Struts | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - Arnott New OE Magnetic Shocks and Struts with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Shocks and Struts at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

 

[iamdub]

According to Arnott's site, NOW they're offered: https://www.arnottindustries.com/magnetic-ride-struts-shocks/

And your #MR-3568 specifically: https://arnott.mycarparts.com/items/MR-3568

They list an SK-2954 that has a "sensor" to bypass the electronic shock. It reads to me like they're saying the one you're looking at fits and performs the same as OE.

 

[petethepug]

Good info …

* Arnott 3436 is z95 Magneride rears.
* Arnott AS 2708 is z55 Autoride rears.

That’s why I can’t figure why Arnott & Dorman are stating the fronts struts are cross compatible for z55 & z95 because one is filled with hydraulic fluid and the other with magnetorheological fluid.

 

[iamdub]

Good info …

* Arnott 3436 is z95 Magneride rears.
* Arnott AS 2708 is z55 Autoride rears.

That’s why I can’t figure why Arnott & Dorman are stating the fronts struts are cross compatible for z55 & z95 because one is filled with hydraulic fluid and the other with magnetorheological fluid.

I saw no mention of Z55 for the fronts. I looked up my '08 Tahoe LTZ, which has Z55.

They have an AS-3430 (rear ALC shock) that says "Can be used for both Magneride RPO Z95 and Autoride RPO Z55". But, I'm sure this is because it also says "Incl. Solenoid Resistor To Bypass Electronic Ride".

So, it's still confusing. Z55 uses a variable orifice to control the volume of fluid in the shock that passes from one chamber to the other. Z95 alters the viscosity of the fluid itself. The Z95 has a much wider range of variance and faster response than the Z55.

I can see them being cross-compatible if the Z55 is filled with the ferrofluid from the Z95 and re-valved to perform like original considering the ferrofluid's viscosity when uncharged. Also, the variable orifice would have to operate on the same scale of values as the Z95. In this case, one could bolt-on upgrade their Z55 to Z95. Theoretically, they'd operate the same since the Z95 is (allegedly) unchanged and the two functional factors between the two are "dumbed down" to operate with the Z55 system.

Do you think they actually engineered this?