Blew another strut.

[SpareParts]

Well i have blown another front strut today. Driver's side this time and the 3rd strut due to off-roading. It's locked almost fully extended. No suspension code this time though.
I do not think the Z55 struts are designed for anything other than pavement. I must be working them too hard but i don't know how. It's not like im driving fast over bumps. Generally over the rough rocky places im doing less than 5 mph. Several times i have driven the wife's Z71 Avalanche the same places and no problems at all.
I just can't keep replacing struts so i hate to lose the Z55 but i think i will put Z71 struts assemblies on the front and see if they hold up.
I will try a set of used ones first and see if they will hold up. I don't expect them to hold up like new Bilstein struts, but it will be a good experiment and let me know if im heading in the right direction to solve this problem and give me the Z71 springs and non Z55 top plates.

 

[Marky Dissod]

Just skip straight to Bilstein 5100 (NOT 4600).

 

[SpareParts]

I really liked the ride 4600 gave me on my 1998, 2500 suburban.

 

[Marky Dissod]

OK, full disclosure: compared to Caprice PPV handling I've enjoyed for 25+ years, Z71 handles sloppy I avoid emergency lane changes I once enjoyed doing well
(luckily my 2010 Suburban brakes stop my Z71 to my standard)
If you favor a ride that will not pyss off your family and friends, 4600. If you prefer stiffer handling, 5100. I consider my 4600 a mistake in my case.

 

[SpareParts]

The wife's Z71 Avalanche rides fine to me but not as smooth as my Z55 over small bumps like cracks and such.
Im not generally a spirited driver and go with the flow type anymore. Guess at some point i just grew out of it, although 5 mph over the posted limit is still the norm.
Anyway i don't want what i would consider a harsh ride the 5100 would probably give being stiffer then the 4600.
With my experience using the 4600 on my 98, 2500 suburban they worked very well and 5100 would have been too stiff for me.

As an aside. Driving an 8 axle semi weighing 105,500 with a potbelly chip trailer through a windy canyon if no other traffic close is a blast!. You would not believe how well they are glued to the road. Some of the funnest driving ever!!

 

[Marky Dissod]

To me that's not an aside.
Caprice PPV ride & handling balance is clever, no luxury at all yet not unnecessarily rough, no one sleeps, every coffee cup always stays closed, safe at 130MpH.
I've done a few full-tank-both-ways road trips in several different Caprice PPVs, and have been spoiled differently than most other people.
If I'm not 10MpH over posted, I'm stuck behind someone who thinks I'm an @$$h01e, who'd've moved aside for my previous 9C1/PPV Caprices without delay.

Read enough 5100 reviews, you'll get a better idea between 'stiffer' and 'harsh', but I guess you'd need to drive it to be sure.
You already have a long wheelbase. 5100 might make it a lil more difficult for a rider to sleep, but I did not find it 'rough'.

 

[SpareParts]

Agree. Perhaps I should say, I'm pretty sure I will like the more supple ride the 4600 offers over the firmer ride of the 5100.

 

[Marky Dissod]

Was lucky enough to find someone with a Tahoe with 5100 Bilsteins in NJ, although it was AFTER I'd already installed 4600s on my Tahoe.
It might be subtler for an XL, but if you want people sleeping in back while you drive over a local gov't's oversight/lack of pride, then yes to 4600.
I'm the nut who's gonna get 17" wheels for more-and-better tire selection while finding the stiffest GM OE alternatives available for torsion bars and swaybars.

 

[SpareParts]

Before i went to the wrecking yard to get a couple front struts i checked Rock Auto and ran across These
Cheaper than used wrecking yard parts. All i will need to do is change the struts out and the setup will be all new.

 

[West 1]

I replaced the front GM autoriide shocks on our 2007 Escalade, it drove fine but my wife liked the softer ride of the factory shocks. So far I have kept the factory shocks on our Denali to keep the wife happy.

 

[Charlie207]

I must be in a small group of people who's wife/significant other doesn't care what I do to my car, and just likes seeing me happy.

 

[B-train]

Well i have blown another front strut today. Driver's side this time and the 3rd strut due to off-roading. It's locked almost fully extended. No suspension code this time though.
I do not think the Z55 struts are designed for anything other than pavement. I must be working them too hard but i don't know how. It's not like im driving fast over bumps. Generally over the rough rocky places im doing less than 5 mph. Several times i have driven the wife's Z71 Avalanche the same places and no problems at all.
I just can't keep replacing struts so i hate to lose the Z55 but i think i will put Z71 struts assemblies on the front and see if they hold up.
I will try a set of used ones first and see if they wilhold up. I don't expect them to hold up like new Bilstein struts, but it will be a good experiment and let me know if im heading in the right direction to solve this problem and give me the Z71 springs and non Z55 top plates.

I bought a set of 2019 struts from a Tahoe for my 2008 Denali and put in the resistors. At the time, I didn't want to spring for the OEM stuff because it was my beater. After that, I took a couple trips out west and hit MANY back roads and they performed just fine. I still have the rear OEM shocks and they don't seem to care about anything.

I sourced them from car-parts.com and it was really affordable for low mileage OEM stuff. Struts from 2007 to 2020 are all the same mounting. Took less than an hour to replace. For what it's worth.....

 

[SpareParts]

I love the factory Z55 ride.
My wife does not care what i do to Cracker. She has her Avalanche or ***** as i call it.
The stock Z55 struts do not hold up to off-road use and being lifted about 3 1/2 inches. A lot of the places i like to go i could not without the little extra height i have.

I needed to buy complete struts. For some reason the top mount is different between active and passive suspension. It was cheaper to buy the new Monroe struts than a used set.
Hoping the Monroe strut will be acceptable but if not i'll put Bilstein 4600 on it. For sure im gonna find out.
The rear Z55 shocks do not seem to be a problem.
I am wondering though, how having resistors on the front will affect the ride in the rear?

These Denali's are not made for off-road at all and i get that. It would be easier to start with a non AWD with passive suspension but im not getting rid of Cracker. I'm in far too deep now to give up.
I just have to solve the problems as they develop.

 

[Marky Dissod]

... her Avalanche or ***** as i call it.

What? This forum still insists that George Carlin is wrong, which is horseschidt.

 

[SpareParts]

I call it S P O O K

 

[B-train]

I love the factory Z55 ride.
My wife does not care what i do to Cracker. She has her Avalanche or ***** as i call it.
The stock Z55 struts do not hold up to off-road use and being lifted about 3 1/2 inches. A lot of the places i like to go i could not without the little extra height i have.

I needed to buy complete struts. For some reason the top mount is different between active and passive suspension. It was cheaper to buy the new Monroe struts than a used set.
Hoping the Monroe strut will be acceptable but if not i'll put Bilstein 4600 on it. For sure im gonna find out.
The rear Z55 shocks do not seem to be a problem.
I am wondering though, how having resistors on the front will affect the ride in the rear?

These Denali's are not made for off-road at all and i get that. It would be easier to start with a non AWD with passive suspension but im not getting rid of Cracker. I'm in far too deep now to give up.
I just have to solve the problems as they develop.

My guess is having the resistor in the front fools the system into thinking you are driving on glass and the rears won't change damping rates as quickly. When I did all new OEM front and rear on my 2017 Denali, I could tell the front talk to the rear and work together for a better ride. But.....for Beater it works just fine and the OEM Tahoe struts ride pretty decent.

I still have the OG Denali struts and had actually thought about putting them back in as a test after seeing how the system works on my 2017 to see if I notice any immediate difference.

 

[SpareParts]

I'm not sure but i don't think the struts give any feedback.
I think the feedback comes from the sensors that feed the suspension module. The suspension module then sends the desired voltage to the strut via the two wire connection.
Wonder what will happen if i just unhook the plug from the front strut that is locked up. I'll try it tomorrow.

 

[B-train]

I'm not sure but i don't think the struts give any feedback.
I think the feedback comes from the sensors that feed the suspension module. The suspension module then sends the desired voltage to the strut via the two wire connection.
Wonder what will happen if i just unhook the plug from the front strut that is locked up. I'll try it tomorrow.

That makes sense, and what I probably meant to convey.

The ride was garbage on my 2017 when all components were getting up there in mileage, especially the rears. The input from the ride height sensors is the input (road feedback), and the voltage output then changes the damping rates. When all things work as they should, the ride is great.

 

[SpareParts]

Unplugged the two front struts and installed the necessary resistors. No service suspension light.
Left front strut is still extended and unmoving.
After i change the struts out, I'm going to cut it open so i can see how they are failing.

 

[SpareParts]

Got the new Monroe struts on today.
Driving now it feels pretty normal. The only place i really notice a difference is when hitting small road imperfections. With Z55 i almost could not even feel them without Z55 you do but nothing harsh, just normal. Driving over bigger bumps they are slightly stiffer then Z55 struts but not much. Maybe they will loosen up a little after driving a few days?

Pretty sure i figured out why i keep blowing struts. The struts are fully extending before the control arm is hitting the bump stop. Struts are not made to take the place of bump stops and at full extension the weight of the suspension wheel/tire is too much and it breaks something inside the strut.

The new Monroe struts are a little longer than stock struts and at full extension there is maybe 1/8in between the bump stop and the control arm. Stock struts at full extension there was about 1/4in between the two.
I'm thinking this weekend i will take some flat iron and tack it to bump stop so the control arm hits before the strut reaches full extension. If that work over the winter next spring ill get new Z55 struts and add more to the bump stops.