Chevy Suburban and Tahoe Autoride Suspension
suburbangirl
Member Posts: 1
Does anyone have any feedback good or bad, on the autoride suspension. Is it squirrely on the road? Is it worth the expense when you have to replace the shocks and autoride parts? I have heard it is $600 a piece????
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Comments
As far as the auto-ride with regular driving, I can't compare it to anything else. However, most agree it is a superior ride because it adapts to the road quality.
Dave
Thanks
Todd
I have a 2001 3/4 ton and I asked the same question on another board. This is the reply I got,
"There is no load levelling on the 3/4 ton Suburbans--only on the 1/2 tons. Autoride on 3/4 ton is adjustable valving shocks only."
Seems to me that the 3/4 would need the load leveling more than the 1/2 ton but what do I know.
Lee
Dave
I have the same problem happen to my '01. Did you find out what the issue was with your truck?
If the sensor feeds back that a particular corner is low, pump turns on, and that solenoid opens to allow the pump to pump up that shock. If the sensor feeds back that a particular corner is high, that solenoid will open to let some air out.
I have an 07 LTZ, and although this is not something that I would have ordered if it wasn't included in the package....it's actually quite nice.
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And you will love it until your warranty is over and the system starts to have problems. Mercedes had the air suspension on their 560SEL series for years and possibly still uses the air ride today for some models. The MB 420/560SEL cars differed in only two ways, both were the big flagship sedan models but the 420SEL had a smaller engine and standard suspension. Every 560SEL eventually has a problem with the air ride...and it is extremely exensive to repair. I have known several 560 owners who had their shop convert the rear suspension to standard and totally remove the air suspension. It was just not worth it in terms of cost.
I do all the work on our vehicles myself, so it shouldn't be too bad. I know the air shocks are more expensive, and the other parts appear to be easy enough to swap out if required.
I figure worse case, I can always just override the sensors with a resistor as another poster had previously indicated, and I have a normal suspension...... (the electrical engineer in me taking over).
Is there any way to adjust for this back end high position? How about aftermarket replacement shocks with air lift capabilities? GMC wants two arms and four legs for what appears to be simple airshocks.
If you look at that leverarm, it is adjustable. Make the arm longer, it will in effect cause the vehicle to be raised up. Make the arm shorter, it will lower the vehicle.
If you look at that leverarm, it is adjustable. Make the arm longer, it will in effect cause the vehicle to be raised up. Make the arm shorter, it will lower the vehicle.
This assumes of course, that the rear solenoids are letting air out of the shocks, when the suspension is sitting too high.
I'll check it tomorrow morning. The system is fully functional and engages the pump mechanism when I load the trailer hitch. Will let you know what I encounter with adjusting the load arms.
Eagle
Is having this feature essential?
2178
I wouldn't say Autoride is necessary for the situation you described, but most people who have it seem to really like it. Not knowing any better, I personally wouldn't pay the extra $$$ for it, but I don't tow great distances with any regularity
I've only towed once with a 19' travel trailer (rented), and will go again with a 24' next week. But we frequently load up with five people, all our camping gear, and a loaded hitch haul platform hanging off the back for ice chest, firewood, etx, and I've never had it sag in the rear. (05 Yukon XL 1500) It "levels off", but I've never felt it was overloaded with regards to weight. All that to say that the load you described should not cause the rear end to sag on a Suburban with the standard suspension.
What I'm most interested in when we eventually trade up, is the new 6-speed transmission that's standard for 2009. We have the 4-speed auto and 3.42 gears, and it does provide relatively good fuel economy. But when towing, I kept the speed around 55-60 mph and avoided cruise control, otherwise the transmission would want to kick down fairly aggressively to maintain speed on the slightest incline. I believe it had more to do with the wind resistance of the trailer than the weight (only 3500-4000 lbs).
Now, if I was going to tow long distances frequently, I'd seriously consider a 2500. A cousin has one and says while he barely gets 12 mpg unloaded, downhill, with a tailwind, when he does tow, he doesn't even feel the trailer back there and has no problem maintaining higher speeds.
Anyway, that's my two cents, maybe someone else will chime in for you.
I elected to purchase the same part from a salvage yard and had it installed. I took the truck back to the dealer to have the system reprogrammed and the same DTC C0660 code comes up again. They continue to point to the module as being the problem, but I'm concerned it may be something other than that.
I'm looking for info or suggestions on what the process is to abandon the autoride system and just have heavy duty shocks installed? Anyone got suggestions? Please help. Thanks!
Thanks!!!
- A pump, which is able to pump up air pressure.
- A vehicle height sensor on each wheel, which measures the distance between the frame and the axle.
- An air shock, on each wheel
- A solenoid (for each wheel), which will either stay shut (holding the air in the shock), open-out (open to allow the air out of the shock), open-in (open to allow the pump to pump up the shock pressure).
- Some brains to monitor the heights, turn the pump on/off, and open/close the solenoids.
- Some air tubing, which runs from the pump and solenoids out to the shocks.
So before you go randomly replacing parts......What's not working in your system?
Shock dampening, is to resist all change. The shock dampening should want to slow the ability for shock to be depressed, and slow the ability for the shock to be extended.
Forget about the air piece of this, to start with. It is an hydraulic shock. The dampening effect, keeps the shock from extending out too fast, and closing too fast. Go to an autoparts store, and try to pull open a new shock, it is very hard to pull out. Try to compress it, it is very hard to compress. If you tried that with a worn bad shock, you would be able to pull the shock open, and close it easily. A bad shock provides reduced dampening effect.
If your shock is defective from a standard shock perspective, the tire will bounce all over the place. You need that hydraulic dampening effect to keep the tire on the road.
The height of your vehicle is determined by your springs. If you put in stronger springs, your height would be higher. Your shock would remain the same, still dampening up and down.
Now lets treat it like the air lift shock that it is. The air lift is the same as if you put in stronger springs. When the air is pumped up it will lift the vehicle up. The lift piece, is different than the hydraulic dampening piece.
If I go out in my Suburban, with the car off and sitting in the driveway, and then start loading it up with suitcases, people or stuff, it starts to squat down lower. If I then start the vehicle, you'll hear the pump turn on, and then see the vehicle raise up to level again. When it gets to level, the pump turns off.
If your dampening is bad, the hydraulic shock is bad.
If you are hearing the solenoids open and close, you should also hear the pump turn on.....as indicated in previous note.
You may have two or more separate problems (e.g. bad shock, and bad pump, or bad sensor, or bad solenoid, or leaking hose. These shocks are not cheap.
Make sure you cap off the line that was going up to the front shocks. Whatever resistor you chose, would designate that the pump has to let air into or out of those lines. You need to have a closed air system at whatever resistor you chose, otherwise the pump might run all of the time....trying to 'pump up' an empty line and never being able to get the reported resistance to change.
How did you determine what resistor to put in the line? Only if you put in the resistor that matched the target 'normal' resistance the controller was looking for, would your solution work.
As an example, let's say (hypothetically) that the target resistance was 1,000 ohms. If the resistor you chose was different than the target, then the control would open the solenoid and either let air out of the system, or pump air into the system, to try and get the reported resistance up to the target resistance. Since in your case you have some fixed resistor, the controller would never be able to achieve the target. If you chose a resistor with the wrong resistance one way, the pump would run continuously trying to pump it up. If you chose a resistor with the wrong resistance the other way, the solenoid would be constantly energized and open all the time trying to let the air out. Only if you chose the resistor 'just right', would the controller be happy, and faked out to think the vehicle was at the correct height. In that situation it would not try to pump up the line to the shock, or release air from that line.
So your random resistor might have been okay to turn the error light off, but it may be the wrong resistor and cause the pump to run continuously, or the solenoid to be energized continuously.