2015 GMC Yukon XL Shock question

Jalexa5834 said:

Sorry if posted elsewhere; searched and had no luck.

2015 Yukon XL with 135,000 miles. Used to ride GREAT, but now rides like basic truck. Stopped by GMC dealer today to determine which suspension I have so I could look at repairs, if needed. They checked my VIN and still couldn’t determine what I have because the book/site showed it to be the magni-ride (or whatever they call it) but when we actually looked, there are NO wires or connections. Next, they thought air ride. But, again, no air lines nor compressor (on my chassis type) per their information. They looked at my truck and there are no wires or air lines anywhere. Per the VIN, it shows ‘premium’ system. Anyway, I can see that the front driver shock is leaking. I can’t seem to find the correct/replacement shocks. Dealer wasn’t a lot of help. But, to their credit, they suggested buying the replacements on-line instead of through GM because of the insane prices!

So, can anyone point me towards a proper shock replacement option? They specifically called them shocks and not struts, but I don’t trust them at this point.

Thanks in advance!

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Big Mama said:

It sounds like someone may have switched it to a passive setup. Look at the RPO codes in your glovebox.

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swathdiver said:

Do you electrical connectors at the top of the front struts? Any stickers on the shocks, struts and springs? Looking for codes like ABWS, ABZW, AB69, etc.

RPO codes might be ZW7, Z95, Z85.

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Joseph Garcia said:

As stated above, your RPO codes in the glovebox should tell you what shocks were installed on the truck at the date of manufacture. Please post a photo of your RPO code sticker for us to review.

The online sourcing recommendation was spot on. Folks here like RockAuto.com and GMPartsDirect.com. Go to GMPartsDirect.com, enter your VIN, go to the Suspension section, and look for the exploded diagram of the suspension components. You should find what you are looking for along with the correct part number. And, the cost will be significantly cheaper than the local dealer.

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Jalexa5834 said:

@swathdiver - Thanks for the reply! All four shocks look like regular shocks. There are no electrical connections anywhere, nor any air lines on the rear shocks.

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curte said:

My replacement shocks probably aren't an option for your ZW7 system. My 15 Tahoe has the Z95 Magnaride. Also had really great ride but started riding like a lumber wagon; 3 of 4 shocks were leaking, went out around 146k early 2023. I wanted to keep the OEM capability, but balked at dealer ~$4000 price tag. Replaced at a local truck shop with the Strutmasters Magnaride front and rear kits for ~$2100 installed.

I think the Strutmasters are 'stiffer', for lack of a better word, in that I don't think the ride quality is as good as the factory system was. I still question myself if the $4000 would have been worth it, since I'm not as satisfied with the ride as I think I should be. I did take the Tahoe back for the installer's required 500 mile warranty check and mentioned the ride quality; no installation problems found.

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