07 Escalade lowered ride quality

[Blackie]

I lowered my 2007 Escalade with the Belltech 2/4 spindle/spring kit and installed new Arnott struts/air shocks along with the 4" shock mount extenders so I lost no travel in the rear. I've also done the free travel mod and installed smaller bump stops. I really like the look with the lowering kit but it feels like I can feel EVERY single bump in the road. I have the factory 22's with 285 45 22 tires. I've read in random places that the Belltech springs are stiffer than other lowering springs and changing out the lowering springs to another brand (I believe I read Maxtrac) improves the ride quality. I've also read that Arnott's are great but others say they are horrible and do not last. I've been thinking of removing the lowering kit and putting everything back to stock but I'm trying to find a way to improve the ride quality and keep the lowering kit installed.

Does anyone have any tips/feedback on how to improve the ride quality?

Thank you in advance.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

When you lower a vehicle, the suspension has less vertical room to travel, so the springs must be stiffer to compensate. That's why your ride feels significantly harsher. Shocks could be stiffer, as well.

You could consider a 20" wheel with a tire with a higher aspect ratio than a 45, while still maintaining the same overall diameter. The higher tire aspect ratio will provide some additional cushion for road bumps.

 

[Doubeleive]

the problem is not the armott's
****** ride comes with lowering the vehicle in many cases
did you adjust the ride height sensors?
I assume you bypassed the system otherwise with resistors?
is the air pump working? are the rear shock bladders holding air? if there is a leak or if the pump is not running or if the pump relief valve is bad you will get a crappy ride.
if you are not sure on the pump, there is testing you can do that is pretty basic.
on the front you could try some adjustable struts but that will only help a little bit.

 

[Blackie]

When you lower a vehicle, the suspension has less vertical room to travel, so the springs must be stiffer to compensate. That's why your ride feels significantly harsher. Shocks could be stiffer, as well.

You could consider a 20" wheel with a tire with a higher aspect ratio than a 45, while still maintaining the same overall diameter. The higher tire aspect ratio will provide some additional cushion for road bumps.

Thanks for the reply.

I thought when the front is lowered with drop spindles that you lose no travel in the front? I know in the rear you lose distance from the top of the spring mount to the axle where the bottom of the spring sits. The Belltech kit only comes with a 2" shock mount relocator for the rear which means you lose 2" of shock travel when you lower 4" in the rear. That's why I bought a 4" shock mount relocator so I lost no shock travel. I thought the Arnott's are just an aftermarket OEM rebuild?

When I bought the truck, it was bone stock suspension/wheels/tires on OEM shocks/struts but the bags were blown in the rear. I did the lowering kit 6 months after I got it but from what I remember, it rode so much smoother than now.

On my 2004 Yukon, it came with 24" wheels with 35 series tires and I did what you said by dropping down to the same 20" wheels on your truck in your signature and it rode much smoother.

 

[Blackie]

the problem is not the armott's
****** ride comes with lowering the vehicle in many cases
did you adjust the ride height sensors?
I assume you bypassed the system otherwise with resistors?
is the air pump working? are the rear shock bladders holding air? if there is a leak or if the pump is not running or if the pump relief valve is bad you will get a crappy ride.
if you are not sure on the pump, there is testing you can do that is pretty basic.
on the front you could try some adjustable struts but that will only help a little bit.

Thanks for the reply.

When I first installed the kit, I used the included shortened ride height sensor rods but found that even at their shortest length, it was raising the rear up too high so I bought some threaded rod and made shorter ones.
I bought the Arnott's that plug right into the air system and have no error messages on the dash.
The air pump is working and the bladders do hold air.

Am I correct in that I should not have lost any front end travel with the lowering spindles?

When I had the 2" shock mount relocators in the rear, it felt like the rear end would bottom out on hard bumps (California roads are horrible) but after I put the 4" shock relocators it doesn't bottom out anymore.

 

[Doubeleive]

not sure on the travel with spindles.
do you have a tech2 by chance? you can connect the scanner and see the shock activation percentage readings.
as for the rear shock bladders are they very hard/stiff or can you squeeze them a little bit like a balloon.
the normal psi is around 20 give or take, normally a little less than 20 depending on how much weight is in the back or if a trailer is attached.
I know you probably can't tell by hand 20 psi, but if they are rock hard that indicates the pump relief valve is not working and this would not throw a code and would make the ride rough, same would happen if the shocks were flat or barely held any air.

 

[Blackie]

not sure on the travel with spindles.
do you have a tech2 by chance? you can connect the scanner and see the shock activation percentage readings.
as for the rear shock bladders are they very hard/stiff or can you squeeze them a little bit like a balloon.
the normal psi is around 20 give or take, normally a little less than 20 depending on how much weight is in the back or if a trailer is attached.
I know you probably can't tell by hand 20 psi, but if they are rock hard that indicates the pump relief valve is not working and this would not throw a code and would make the ride rough, same would happen if the shocks were flat or barely held any air.

I don't have a tech2. When I started the truck for the first time of the day this morning, I hear the compressor turn on to air up the bladders. After it turned off, I squeezed the bladders and they do have give and can be squeezed so they compress some. I never tow anything and it's usually just me and my two young daughters (one in the front seat and one in the backseat) in the vehicle.

 

[Doubeleive]

I don't have a tech2. When I started the truck for the first time of the day this morning, I hear the compressor turn on to air up the bladders. After it turned off, I squeezed the bladders and they do have give and can be squeezed so they compress some. I never tow anything and it's usually just me and my two young daughters (one in the front seat and one in the backseat) in the vehicle.

can you take pictures of the front shocks and upload them here, just like turn the wheel out so there is a clear view and snap a picture of each side.

 

[Blackie]

can you take pictures of the front shocks and upload them here, just like turn the wheel out so there is a clear view and snap a picture of each side.

Here's pictures of the Arnott front struts/springs.

I bought the front struts as an assembly with the springs and the rear air ride shocks from Rock Auto.

The front are the SK2954:

More Information for ARNOTT SK2954

The rear are the AS3430:

More Information for ARNOTT AS3430

 

[91RS]

The rear Belltech springs suck and Arnott is garbage for ride quality. The original front springs are also going to be worn and sagging due to age. Maxtrac rear springs are much better feeling. I prefer the OEM Z55 shocks on a 900. I don’t have a good recommendation for the front springs because the OEM ones are discontinued and all gone.

 

[mikez71]

Do you have caster max'ed out?
It looks like the front upper arm bolt is all the way out, so I'm guessing the back bolt is all the way in..
Curious what your caster is with those settings? (Because I want to adjust mine, though I'm not lowered)

 

[91RS]

Do you have caster max'ed out?
It looks like the front upper arm bolt is all the way out, so I'm guessing the back bolt is all the way in..
Curious what your caster is with those settings? (Because I want to adjust mine, though I'm not lowered)

A lot of the end up like that, especially with age once the bushings are worn.

 

[Blackie]

Do you have caster max'ed out?
It looks like the front upper arm bolt is all the way out, so I'm guessing the back bolt is all the way in..
And what is your caster with those settings?

When I took it to the alignment shop, the guy did say that he could not get it in perfect alignment even after he maxed out available settings.
Here's the numbers on the paperwork he gave me:

Left Front
Camber -1.5 degrees
Castor 6.2 degrees
Toe 0.01 degrees

Cross Camber
0.0 degrees
Cross castor 0.3 degrees
Total Toe 0.11 degrees

Right Front
Camber -1.6 degrees
Castor 5.9 degrees
Toe 0.10 degrees

 

[mikez71]

Thanks for that.
Guess the belltech spindle changes alignment some.. Maybe your rear bolts aren't all the way in if they can't get any closer...
Personally I like more neg camber than stock anyway, which call for -.7 to .5 positive..
I don't know why they let positive camber be in spec at all..

 

[Blackie]

The rear Belltech springs suck and Arnott is garbage for ride quality. The original front springs are also going to be worn and sagging due to age. Maxtrac rear springs are much better feeling. I prefer the OEM Z55 shocks on a 900. I don’t have a good recommendation for the front springs because the OEM ones are discontinued and all gone.

The Arnott front struts came with new springs. Do you think the Maxtrac springs in the rear will improve the overall ride quality? I'm at the point where I don't like the ride quality of the truck anymore but I don't really want to spend more money on suspension components.

Are these the rear springs?

2007-2014 Cadillac Escalade 2wd/4wd 4" Rear Lowering Coils - MaxTrac 271240

MaxTrac Suspension Store Lowering Kits, Lift Kits & Leveling Kits

maxtracstore.com

 

[91RS]

They improved mine significantly over the Belltech springs but I also have the OEM Z55 shocks, which were all new and my front springs were brand new OEM. I do not like the fell of aftermarket “replacement” quality parts.

 

[petethepug]

The trucks with z55 / z95 are lowered and keep the stock suspension quite often because there’s no better option until it’s lower beyond a certain point.

07/08 Esky have z55 suspension. z55 & z95 are both active systems.

Unfortunately the Arnott struts installed on your truck are standard hydraulic (passive) struts. If the original springs were kept in back, they’re NOT matched to regular struts.

The front Arnott struts are essentially Monroe. The factory z55 with active damping will give the best ride.

 

[Blackie]

The trucks with z55 / z95 are lowered and keep the stock suspension quite often because there’s no better option until it’s lower beyond a certain point.

07/08 Esky have z55 suspension. z55 & z95 are both active systems.

Unfortunately the Arnott struts installed on your truck are standard hydraulic (passive) struts. If the original springs were kept in back, they’re NOT matched to regular struts.

The front Arnott struts are essentially Monroe. The factory z55 with active damping will give the best ride.

Thanks for the reply.

When I lowered the truck and replaced the shocks/struts, they looked like the original OEM's that came on the truck in 2007. The rear bags were definitely blown. The truck had 84,000 miles on it when I got it. Is it really possible the old original shocks/struts would ride better than the new Arnott's?

The rear springs are the Belltech 4" lowering springs.

 

[petethepug]

@91RS , whaddah you think?

 

[91RS]

That's a tough call but I'd be inclined to say they'd probably both be bad. I replaced the OEM Z55 shocks on my 2008 that I thought were fine because they weren't blown or leaking and I thought the ride quality improved noticeably. I would suggest starting by changing the rear springs to Maxtrac springs.