Looking for Advice on Replacement Shock/Spring Options

[Geotrash]

Nothing wrong with option #3, but I just want to tease apart your concerns about #1 a little bit if I may. The OEM air ride shocks are only $250 each from RA, and the Dorman compressor is $180, for a total with shipping a little north of $700. This is the setup I have in my '07 now and it works great. The Dorman compressor is reliable, and with the OEM shocks it'll go another 100K+ before I have to touch it again. Of course, I do tow a camper with it sometimes (normally use our '12 for towing though), so I wanted the air ride for that as well, but I found the system very easy to work on. It took me maybe 90 minutes to do the whole shootin' match, and that was with stops to drink beer.

I know peeps are happy with their non-OEM setups, but moving to a conventional suspension when the Z55 is so good and so easy to work on has always been a head-scratcher for me.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Nothing wrong with option #3, but I just want to tease apart your concerns about #1 a little bit if I may. The OEM air ride shocks are only $250 each from RA, and the Dorman compressor is $180, for a total with shipping a little north of $700. This is the setup I have in my '07 now and it works great. The Dorman compressor is reliable, and with the OEM shocks it'll go another 100K+ before I have to touch it again. Of course, I do tow a camper with it sometimes (normally use our '12 for towing though), so I wanted the air ride for that as well, but I found the system very easy to work on. It took me maybe 90 minutes to do the whole shootin' match, and that was with stops to drink beer.

I know peeps are happy with their non-OEM setups, but moving to a conventional suspension when the Z55 is so good and so easy to work on has always been a head-scratcher for me.

My understanding from mechanics in the trade is that the air ride is a long-term recurring maintenance item, and each time that something needs to be repaired or replaced, it is significant chunk of money out of your pocket. I cannot personally validate this claim, but I am very comfortable with a conventional shock and spring suspension system, and my only towing consists of towing a 1000 lb. trailer once a year for 600 miles.