Suspension Replacement 2015 Yukon Denali XL with Z95

[msjs91011]

Hi! i did some searching here and didnt come up with the results I was looking for. I need to replace the suspension on my truck, front and rear. The fronts are leaking oil a bit and the rears are 10 years old as well, so it's time to just knock it all out. I also have to locate the air leak for the air assist suspension on the rear, started a few months ago and is not supplying air to the rears - the compressor runs, and it sounds like the air line came off of the compressor output itself. Haven't been under there to verify.

What I am looking for, with any luck, is a complete parts list to replace the front and rear suspension - front is magnaride, rear is air. I will do this all myself, because I was quoted over $5k by 3 different dealers. I am also considering adding the 1 inch lift to the front.

the final thing i need to handle while i have the front end tore apart is this thump I get from the driver side wheel when I switch from drive to reverse, or reverse to drive, then begin moving. its replicable a bit more if the wheels are turned when i make the shift, and it happens once torque is applied. It sounds pretty low to the ground in the area, so I am suspecting one of the control arm to frame bolts itself as the culprit. I am considering replacing the control arms, sway bar links etc too since theyre already 10 years old and likely getting worn, so if anyone has a part number list for that job too I would really appreciate it.

truck has 59k miles on it.

 

[slupie]

You have Magneride on all four corners, rear is load leveling on top of it. If you hear a leak and your compressor is running then it is most likely one or both of the airbags are have cracks/splits in them. Use one of the online GM parts catalogues to get part numbers by your vin. Then locate the parts on Rockauto. When I did the suspension on my 18 Suburban Premier couple years ago Rockauto was about 1/2 the price of GM part houses online.

Thump could be anything, sway bar end links, bushings, axels, drive shaft u-joints, front axle mounts, engine mounts, trans mount, transfer case mount etc...

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

Pics of the truck, please.

Lots of threads here on the Z95 suspension and its replacement.

Go to GMPartsDirect.com, enter your VIN, go to the Suspension section, and look at the exploded parts diagram. You will find the parts, along with part numbers and prices, which will be way cheaper than the dealer. You can also go to RockAuto.com and compare prices.

For the front suspension, with your low mileage, you probably only need to replace the struts themselves and reuse the rest of the parts of the strut assembly. If you want to lift the front, though I really don't know why, when you have a Denali that self-levels, you can add 1" blocks to the bottom of the struts. The kits is available at many retailers, but you can check with Summit Racing for pricing.

For the rear suspension, the same thing holds. You only need to replace the shocks themselves, which are also Z95 Magneride shocks, but with the air lift combined into the shock itself. If you hear the compressor run on startup, it may still be OK, and you air loss could be just a ruptured shock air bladder.

For the front sound, I'm guessing it is related to the front differential, but if you want to get to the source of your issue quickly, do the following. Find a trusted local repair shop, and get the truck up on the lift with a person in the driver's seat, and shift into Drive and give it some gas. Another mechanic with a mechanic's stethoscope will be under the truck, tracing down the source of the sound. When I had this done with my truck, they found that the front differential mounts' bushings were shot, and after replacing the mounts and their bushings, the sound went away.

 

[msjs91011]

Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

Pics of the truck, please.

Lots of threads here on the Z95 suspension and its replacement.

Go to GMPartsDirect.com, enter your VIN, go to the Suspension section, and look at the exploded parts diagram. You will find the parts, along with part numbers and prices, which will be way cheaper than the dealer. You can also go to RockAuto.com and compare prices.

For the front suspension, with your low mileage, you probably only need to replace the struts themselves and reuse the rest of the parts of the strut assembly. If you want to lift the front, though I really don't know why, when you have a Denali that self-levels, you can add 1" blocks to the bottom of the struts. The kits is available at many retailers, but you can check with Summit Racing for pricing.

For the rear suspension, the same thing holds. You only need to replace the shocks themselves, which are also Z95 Magneride shocks, but with the air lift combined into the shock itself. If you hear the compressor run on startup, it may still be OK, and you air loss could be just a ruptured shock air bladder.

For the front sound, I'm guessing it is related to the front differential, but if you want to get to the source of your issue quickly, do the following. Find a trusted local repair shop, and get the truck up on the lift with a person in the driver's seat, and shift into Drive and give it some gas. Another mechanic with a mechanic's stethoscope will be under the truck, tracing down the source of the sound. When I had this done with my truck, they found that the front differential mounts' bushings were shot, and after replacing the mounts and their bushings, the sound went away.

thank you! I was just considering raising the front end an inch, it wasnt set in stone. i do like the look of leveled vehicles tho and mine certainly is not. might just leave it alone, see how things look once i know my suspension is good. I've looked through some of the threads on the z95 suspension and quickly learned that arnott are not the way to go (in my case), so i will use that gmpartsdirect to get what I need.

pics sometime soon, truck isnt at home.

finally, the air leak I hear in the rear, if it is an air bag then its a big fat split, the air coming from the compressor sounds like its blowing right into the air itself instead of through a line. my current problem is that I havent found a way to trigger the compressor to run so I can find the leak. something I need to search for, here.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

thank you! I was just considering raising the front end an inch, it wasnt set in stone. i do like the look of leveled vehicles tho and mine certainly is not. might just leave it alone, see how things look once i know my suspension is good. I've looked through some of the threads on the z95 suspension and quickly learned that arnott are not the way to go (in my case), so i will use that gmpartsdirect to get what I need.

pics sometime soon, truck isnt at home.

finally, the air leak I hear in the rear, if it is an air bag then its a big fat split, the air coming from the compressor sounds like its blowing right into the air itself instead of through a line. my current problem is that I havent found a way to trigger the compressor to run so I can find the leak. something I need to search for, here.

Yes, I would strongly recommend that you go with GM OEM replacement shocks. Arnott shocks are quite good in general, but there have been some sporadic complaints about their Magneride replacements (but, I have no data to support this). Your shocks should run about $375 each at GMPartsDirect.com, if memory swerves me correctly.

When your truck's suspension is set up correctly with good working parts, it will self level on every startup. That's part of the beauty of it. Also, if you have a quality bi-directional scanner, you can run the Automatic Level Control (ALC) process to re-establish the level set of the truck (In most cases, this process is not necessary for a simple shocks replacement). (If you do not already have a quality bi-directional scanner, GET ONE. It will pay for itself within 1 year.)

I would recommend that you pull the fuse for the compressor in the main fuse box in the engine bay. These compressors will literally beat themselves to death, if a major air leak exists. When the system is running correctly, the compressor will do a self check within 10 seconds of full startup (not remote startup), and run for 5-6 seconds, and you will hear it, if you stand outside the second door on the drivers side of the truck.

Let me add that if you have difficulty in finding the correct shocks part number to purchase, let us know. It can be verified in the RPO codes for your truck, and you can upload a photo of your RPO code sticker, and we will assist.

 

[Loki223]

So over the last year or so, i've replaced all 4 corners. Fronts i went with Arnotts because they send out loaded strusts up front. And i didn't want to deal with the land mine of unloading them. And to run into town to get them unloaded in a cage would be a 45 minute drive each way. I haven't ha a single issue with them.

In the rear, i was going to get Arnotts as well, but when i went to order them, the GM units were cheaper, so i went with the GM ones. The notes on the GM units said to get a wiring pigtail, which i recommend. When i did mine, the stock connector on the driver's side would not go into the new GM shocks. they would slide on, but woudln't seat. So i replaced it. Which is much easier to do with the shock back off. the truck and the wheel off. You might guess that until i got to the wiring, i hadn't touched the rear wheels. On the passenger side, the connector would be a PITA to swap. However, that one seated just fine into the new shock, so i left it alone. The upper bolt on the passenger side will fight you because of all the fuel lines right there. Driver's side is pretty easy to do without issues. Also, i would recommend just replacing the air compressor. If yours is old, just replace it. I pulled mine first, and that gave pretty easy access to a everything. You just need to loosen the mounting nuts and it pops out. I sourced all my parts from Rock Auto for front and rear.

And i can attest, the Z95 suspension is worth keeping. Every time i drive the burb, i get reminded why people complain about 1 ton suspension.....