Will z95 shocks work with z55 system, any definitive answer?

[Doubeleive]

I am contimplating buying some Z95 shocks a ran across for a good price. They are used, and came off a 2014 Esky, with low miles (40K), for 200 bucks.

Have a couple questions for you @Doubeleive
I am going to try and put these on my 2006 Esky

The dimensions are only 1/4 inch different in overall height, and 1/8 inch in expanded/collapsed length. So I am not worried about anything here.

They are generationally different, does this affect what you are trying to accomplish? These would be going on a generation that is different than what you have (NBS vs NNBS), any affects here?

Trying to help the community as a whole, if the information I would get from this would not help you in what you are trying to accomplish, and others involved on the thread, I might consider going a different route.

Anything I am not thinking about that would affect your goals?

I still cant understand why the Z95 shocks are cheaper than the Z55 shocks, being that the Z95 shocks are supposed to have more engineering and science to them.

I am not aware of any of the nbs having z95, the z95 shocks have electronic dampening and therefore have a electrical connector on each shock, if the nbs have some form of electronic ride control the connector may be different

 

[TollKeeper]

They do have a electrical connector, and from all the research I have done, the connectors are the same. Wont know until I get the shocks.

Not sure if this idea will help in your endeavors thou.

 

[Doubeleive]

They do have a electrical connector, and from all the research I have done, the connectors are the same. Wont know until I get the shocks.

Not sure if this idea will help in your endeavors thou.

well if it rides ok and you don't get any error codes.... even then without a scientific test, no telling.....

 

[TollKeeper]

well if it rides ok and you don't get any error codes.... even then without a scientific test, no telling.....

I have a Tech2, and I could try it, even with no codes, and see if its reading correctly? Would this even help you at all?

 

[Doubeleive]

I have a Tech2, and I could try it, even with no codes, and see if its reading correctly? Would this even help you at all?

couldn't hurt, I haven't messed around with what the tech2 reads from the shocks other than to get a code definition, I had a loose connector on one it took me right to it.

 

[TollKeeper]

Well. the Z95 shocks from a 2013 Escalade with 42k miles are installed, in my 2006 Esky where my Z55 Air-Ride shocks used to be.

No error messages, no odd voltages in the Tech2. The ride is amazingly different. I dont know if its better or worse.. Just different.

Its hard to judge ride, my old bags were completely blown, and I think my drivers side shock might have been blown as well. A little bit of oil came out of the air tube.

 

[Doubeleive]

Well. the Z95 shocks from a 2013 Escalade with 42k miles are installed, in my 2006 Esky where my Z55 Air-Ride shocks used to be.

No error messages, no odd voltages in the Tech2. The ride is amazingly different. I dont know if its better or worse.. Just different.

Its hard to judge ride, my old bags were completely blown, and I think my drivers side shock might have been blown as well. A little bit of oil came out of the air tube.

ya going from blown out to working properly I'm sure is a big difference, I could tell the difference with mine just having a slow leak and being spongy

 

[TollKeeper]

Here in a few weeks, I am heading to my cabin, and I will be able to test how well they function on a 50mph dirt road. That should tell me all I need to know..

Now the big question.. Do I replace my front shocks with Z95, or Z55???

 

[Doubeleive]

Here in a few weeks, I am heading to my cabin, and I will be able to test how well they function on a 50mph dirt road. That should tell me all I need to know..

Now the big question.. Do I replace my front shocks with Z95, or Z55???

if there are no errors I don't see why not if the price is right.

 

[Doubeleive]

makes me wonder if the z95 thing is just some gm shenanigan and the system could be used on any of the trucks with electronic shocks.

 

[TollKeeper]

$150 for the used shocks, and I should get 100 of that back when I sell the old Z55's to Arnott.
200ish for the new Dorman Air Compressor. All in, 350, plus 90 minutes of my time.

 

[TollKeeper]

I am still getting used to the ride. Its a disjointed feeling in the rear of the truck.. I might have to replace the front shocks to get the "feel" right. But those shocks are expensive!

 

[petethepug]

Update on this … Robert, nice guy, however totally wrong. Glad I quoted who I spoke to because… I got corrected info from another forum and Arnott recently.

Z55/Autoride is an active ride strut electronically controlled with signals to vary the pressures inside the shock body filled with hydraulic fluid.

Z95/Magneride is also an active ride strut electronically controlled with signals to vary the pressures inside the shock body. It’s filled with their “Mag fluid” which is also energized to further control the ride while the valves are doing their job.

Both have different control units and both are made by BWI in Mexico. Recently I was also told by Arnott they source their new struts from BWI. For GM vehicles at least.

Glad to be corrected by Arnott. The bag below is why I’ve stuck with them. It’s for an 02 allroad 6MT 2.7t front (air strut). They evolved it with an aluminum surround to protect the bag. I’ve been enjoying the lifetime guarantee on them since nice about 09. Apparently they get their Audi bags from Continental.

Per Robert at Arnott, the Z55 & Z95 are the same suspension units. Cadillac cleverly created a new part number and began calling autoride magneride to justify charging a premium for high line parts.

 

[Geotrash]

Update on this … Robert, nice guy, however totally wrong. Glad I quoted who I spoke to because… I got corrected info from another forum and Arnott recently.

Z55/Autoride is an active ride strut electronically controlled with signals to vary the pressures inside the shock body filled with hydraulic fluid.

Z95/Magneride is also an active ride strut electronically controlled with signals to vary the pressures inside the shock body. It’s filled with their “Mag fluid” which is also energized to further control the ride while the valves are doing their job.

Both have different control units and both are made by BWI in Mexico. Recently I was also told by Arnott they source their new struts from BWI. For GM vehicles at least.

Glad to be corrected by Arnott. The bag below is why I’ve stuck with them. It’s for an 02 allroad 6MT 2.7t front (air strut). They evolved it with an aluminum surround to protect the bag. I’ve been enjoying the lifetime guarantee on them since nice about 09. Apparently they get their Audi bags from Continental.

View attachment 397646

Crazy timing - I was just reading through this thread this morning! It seems that Arnott doesn't make a Z55 front strut assembly. Only one I can find is made by Dorman and runs $440 but it also says it fits Z55 and Z95, so I'm still at a loss to find a front replacement I know is 100% for my '07 with Z55.

 

[petethepug]

It’s not you, people do interchange them. Z55 we’re down to $199 ea last mo on R/A w/ the 5% discount. Those are all gone now. In general, even though Arnott is rebranded BWI / AC Delco, the sticking price for z95 is about $50-$75 more than the z55.

For the life of me I can’t see how GM can offer a lifetime guarantee on them. I’m not complaining though.

 

[Longhorse]

Been a couple years since I’ve been on here and forgot to report on the experiment of trying the newer (2015-2019 K2XX platform z95 front shocks with the pig tail wiring) in the older gmt900 platform (2007-2014). The short answer is they don’t work together. The signal from the older control computer doesn’t actuate the newer dual opposed magnets inside the shock, so even though the computer is happy and doesn’t report any codes, there was ZERO dampening happening…rode like boat on a wavy water front. I was hopeful that I would pick up a stiffer dampening rate with the thicker shaft and dual magnets inside, but ended up wasting a bunch of time, money and being super disappointed in the result, and put a new set of OE Z95s on all 4 corners.

I wish there were a life time warranty on the z95 shocks! I’m replacing mine AGAIN… for the 5th or 6th time, but just the rears this time.

I agree with petethepug’s last quote from Arnott. Very good and accurate description of Z55 vs Z95. I have cut both shocks open and examined the internals. Z55 just has shock oil and regular valving with a solenoid valve in the center that is naturally closed, but can be commanded open to allow an even softer ride.
The Z95 on the other hand has much larger open ports on the internal valve head that allow a special ferrofluid to pass thru. There is also a magnet on the valve head that can be commanded “on” to “thicken up” or increase the viscosity of the ferrofluid making it harder to flow thru the valve ports, so the z95 magneride benefit is a wider, more variable and fine tuned dampening spectrum than the Z55.

I now have a mason jar with GMs ferrofluid in it. My kids love putting a magnet on it to see the wild shapes the fluid takes on under the influence of field. The ferrofluid does settle out over time and takes some work to get mixed back to a homogenous consistency.

Oh, and I also now have both z55 and z95 controllers mounted on the frame near the stock location so I can plug the harness into either computer. The wiring is the same for both, I think they’re just programmed differently.

I also installed Helwig sway bars front and rear, which improved stability and cornering.

 

[petethepug]

Good to hear from ya. That’s slick keeping the 55 & 95 controllers back there for ease of running both.

I wonder if the 15+ z95 controller has the same harness connector as the 07-14.

Oh, and I also now have both z55 and z95 controllers mounted on the frame near the stock location so I can plug the harness into either computer. The wiring is the same for both, I think they’re just programmed differently.

 

[Longhorse]

Seems like I checked the possibility of putting a K2xx controller under there as well, but I think the wiring, connector and software architecture is completely different. Even if you did re-pin the harness connector so it would plug in to the most compatible circuits, I’m not sure it would communicate with the bcm, ECM and other modules on the network properly.

Heres a couple pics of the gmt900 platform suspension controllers.

 

[petethepug]

XLNT info and thank you for clearing up the cross compatibility possibilities in the 07-14 z55 / z95 & +15 z95 architecture.

It took me over two years to verify what you found by cutting open the z55 & z95 struts to now, be 100% sure, one was filled with Mag fluid and the other with hydraulic fluid.

All the best!