ALC, AutoLevel, Autoride, Magnaride, Premium Ride

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73Vetteman

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It seems there is great confusion regarding the above terms. To make it more confusing, your vehicle can have 2 of the systems at the same time.

Premium ride appears to me to be just an advertising gimmick. Someone chime in and correct me if I am wrong.

Autoride, or magnaride utilizes electronically controlled shock absorbers frequently combined with slightly softer springs but at the same ride height. Top of the line vehicles such as LTZ Tahoe and Yukon Denali have that system and it was not available on lower option models. The processor for that system controls how stiff the shock action is by controlling the magnetic particles of the oil inside the shock.

Autolevel or ALC is part of the optional trailer tow option. That option replaces Standard rear shocks or the Autoride rear shocks with air leveling shocks. Linkage rods attached to rear control arms send a signal to the controller to raise the rear of the vehicle if a drop in height is detected such as when the vehicle is loaded or trailer attached. Air pressure is released after the load is removed to lower the vehicle back to normal height. Vehicles with both Autoride and Autolevel will then have magnetically controlled shocks in the front only and air controlled shocks in the rear. Vehicles with standard suspension with the trailer option will have standard shocks in front and air controlled shocks in back.

When lifting or lowering a vehicle with the Autolevel option, the length of the linkage rod has to be adjusted in order to calibrate the controller so it inflates the shocks when the vehicle is lower than the new chosen height or deflate when the height is higher than the chosen height. I purchased 3" long all threaded 1/8" bolts from Home Depot and after cutting the heads off screwed the end caps off of the original rods to make the rods adjustable. A 1 /16" adjustment in the length makes a significant difference in vehicle height calibration.
 

iamdub

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Basically, yeah. lol

The term "Autoride" is all too commonly misused when referring to the Auto Level Control (ALC). It makes things confusing when shopping for drop components or when diagnosing issues after a drop.

If I'm not mistaken, the Premium Ride is actually a third spring option from GM. There's the standard coil setup, the one for the ALC-equipped units and then the Premium Ride package which I believe is standard on the Escalade. I could Google it but I'm kinda preoccupied elsewhere at the moment.
 

swathdiver

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It seems there is great confusion regarding the above terms. To make it more confusing, your vehicle can have 2 of the systems at the same time.

Premium ride appears to me to be just an advertising gimmick. Someone chime in and correct me if I am wrong.

Autoride, or magnaride utilizes electronically controlled shock absorbers frequently combined with slightly softer springs but at the same ride height. Top of the line vehicles such as LTZ Tahoe and Yukon Denali have that system and it was not available on lower option models. The processor for that system controls how stiff the shock action is by controlling the magnetic particles of the oil inside the shock.

Autolevel or ALC is part of the optional trailer tow option. That option replaces Standard rear shocks or the Autoride rear shocks with air leveling shocks. Linkage rods attached to rear control arms send a signal to the controller to raise the rear of the vehicle if a drop in height is detected such as when the vehicle is loaded or trailer attached. Air pressure is released after the load is removed to lower the vehicle back to normal height. Vehicles with both Autoride and Autolevel will then have magnetically controlled shocks in the front only and air controlled shocks in the rear. Vehicles with standard suspension with the trailer option will have standard shocks in front and air controlled shocks in back.

When lifting or lowering a vehicle with the Autolevel option, the length of the linkage rod has to be adjusted in order to calibrate the controller so it inflates the shocks when the vehicle is lower than the new chosen height or deflate when the height is higher than the chosen height. I purchased 3" long all threaded 1/8" bolts from Home Depot and after cutting the heads off screwed the end caps off of the original rods to make the rods adjustable. A 1 /16" adjustment in the length makes a significant difference in vehicle height calibration.

Basically, yes.

Z71 Off-Road Suspension Package - HD Springs and Rancho Shocks and Struts

ZW7 Premium Smooth Ride Suspension - HD Springs and ACDelco Shocks and Struts

Z55 Autoride Suspension Package - Softer Springs out back, Air Shocks in the rear, standard springs and shocks up front. Air Compressor to control level (G69)

Z95 Magnetic Ride Control - Mangeride electronics shocks and strusts all around.

These are certainly the RPOs for the previous generation, some of them may have changed for the K2s, not sure.
 

iamdub

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Basically, yes.

Z71 Off-Road Suspension Package - HD Springs and Rancho Shocks and Struts

ZW7 Premium Smooth Ride Suspension - HD Springs and ACDelco Shocks and Struts

Z55 Autoride Suspension Package - Softer Springs out back, Air Shocks in the rear, standard springs and shocks up front. Air Compressor to control level (G69)

Z95 Magnetic Ride Control - Mangeride electronics shocks and strusts all around.

These are certainly the RPOs for the previous generation, some of them may have changed for the K2s, not sure.

Ah- there's four options. I forget about the Z71 stuff. I had a feeling you'd step in and set it straight! :thumbsup:
 

GCATX

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Maybe someone knowledgeable can help. My wife's 18 escalade rides like crap, to me anyway. I went as far as putting 20's with more rubber than the factory 22's. It certainly helped, but you can still feel every little imperfection in the road, concrete roads are horrible. Aired tires down to 30, I still don't like it. It's probably a deal where the dealer will say it's normal, but I don't think it is acceptable.

I have seen kits with new shocks and a resistor, curious if just adding the resistor would allow the shock to go to full soft position. I assume, with my luck, that the shock will probably default to the full stiff position.

Anyone know?
 

Doubeleive

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Basically, yes.

Z71 Off-Road Suspension Package - HD Springs and Rancho Shocks and Struts

ZW7 Premium Smooth Ride Suspension - HD Springs and ACDelco Shocks and Struts

Z55 Autoride Suspension Package - Softer Springs out back, Air Shocks in the rear, standard springs and shocks up front. Air Compressor to control level (G69)

Z95 Magnetic Ride Control - Mangeride electronics shocks and strusts all around.

These are certainly the RPOs for the previous generation, some of them may have changed for the K2s, not sure.
close Z55 has computer controlled front struts and rear shocks and alc
Z95 also has alc
Z55: Autoride automatic load-leveling suspension system, using computer-controlled shocks and struts that adjust to road conditions •
Z71: Conventional monotube shocks that can be replaced with aftermarket monotube units •
Z95: MagneRide magnetorheological damper system, utilizing magnetically controlled shocks and struts •
ZW7: Premium Smooth Ride suspension, using conventional shocks in the front and self-leveling Nivomat shocks in the rear
 

swathdiver

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Maybe someone knowledgeable can help. My wife's 18 escalade rides like crap, to me anyway. I went as far as putting 20's with more rubber than the factory 22's. It certainly helped, but you can still feel every little imperfection in the road, concrete roads are horrible. Aired tires down to 30, I still don't like it. It's probably a deal where the dealer will say it's normal, but I don't think it is acceptable.

I have seen kits with new shocks and a resistor, curious if just adding the resistor would allow the shock to go to full soft position. I assume, with my luck, that the shock will probably default to the full stiff position.

Anyone know?

Which suspension system does it have? Can you post up the "G" and "Z" RPO codes please?
 

swathdiver

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close Z55 has computer controlled front struts and rear shocks and alc
Z95 also has alc
Z55: Autoride automatic load-leveling suspension system, using computer-controlled shocks and struts that adjust to road conditions •
Z71: Conventional monotube shocks that can be replaced with aftermarket monotube units •
Z95: MagneRide magnetorheological damper system, utilizing magnetically controlled shocks and struts •
ZW7: Premium Smooth Ride suspension, using conventional shocks in the front and self-leveling Nivomat shocks in the rear

What does the computer do to the front shocks on Z55? Are they still using Nivomats in the K2s? I was beginning to think that I was wrong and that they stopped using them in the 800s.
 

Doubeleive

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What does the computer do to the front shocks on Z55? Are they still using Nivomats in the K2s? I was beginning to think that I was wrong and that they stopped using them in the 800s.
it's magnetic ride control, it's just not the "good" magnetic ride control, z95 has some special fluid in it so it works slightly better.
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