2015 Yukon Denali + Arnott Suspension Rides Rough - SOLVED

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Kublanov

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Hello folks. I've been helped by this forum quite a bit so I'm hoping someone has some guidance for the following issue.

Vehicle:
2015 Yukon Denali 4WD 6.2L with 174k Miles. z95 Magneride factory suspension.

Quick backstory:
Purchased the car 2 years ago at 135k miles, factory suspension was insanely harsh, found all four corners leaking and seized up, ordered the following parts: Arnott SK 3354 for the fronts, Arnott AS3066 for the rears. Installed everything. The ride understandably improved quite a bit from failed factory parts.
While better than before, the vehicle seems to ride far more harsh than my 2011 f-150. It jolts me around over bumps, the entire cabin, including steering wheel seems to shake when running over even small bumps. It just doesn't have the ride quality most people associate with this vehicle. I am still within the 2 year warranty for the Arnott parts, but I am not sure if they are responsible for this issue or if its something else. Below are some considerations:

1. There are absolutely no codes in the suspension control module. The height sensor values do respond to weight, so i'm assuming they work.
2. The rear shocks do inflate when the pump runs, however I don't know if they inflate enough. Its pretty difficult to sqeeze them after the pump shuts off ~10 seconds after it starts running so it would appear they have enough. Some inflation remains after a day or so of not driving, but nowhere near what it is when the vehicle is running. At no point is there prolonged pump engagement like one would expect with a leak in the system.
3. There are no fluid leaks of any sort from the front or rear suspension parts.
4. All fasteners on the shocks/strut assemblies are tight and everything is installed correctly to spec
5. No other suspension parts are compromised. This has been checked several times. (inner/out tie rods, upper/lower arms, sway bar links and bushings, front / rear bearings, front/rear brakes)
6. The vehicle has brand new michelin defender ltx tires which softened the ride ever so slightly from the 4 year old tires. The wheels are freshly balanced and aligned.
7. the engine and transmission have been well maintained and there are no issues on that end.

At this point I'm stumped. I wonder if there is a communication error between the pump and the rear shocks or something like that. It seems like the pump is doing just fine. I'm in DFW and we don't have rust, so the visual inspection doesn't yield any glaring issues. The shocks seem to operate but the ride just doesn't feel right. If anyone is in DFW or nearby, I'd be happy to bring a case of beer and have a look!

I appreciate any further assistance for diagnostics.
 

Thrust

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I have a 2012 F150 and concur that the F150 rides better than our 2015 Denali XL.
That being said I've had both Arnott and GM replacement struts and shocks.
The only thing I can suggest is get the trim height calibration done.
 
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Kublanov

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I have a 2012 F150 and concur that the F150 rides better than our 2015 Denali XL.
That being said I've had both Arnott and GM replacement struts and shocks.
The only thing I can suggest is get the trim height calibration done.
Thanks Thrust! I have used my xtool d8 to perform the calibration at level ground successfully in the recent past, but nothing changed about the ride.
 

ivin74

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Thanks Thrust! I have used my xtool d8 to perform the calibration at level ground successfully in the recent past, but nothing changed about the ride.
Unplug the shocks from the electrical connection and see it they ride better.

I bought some arnotts in the past and they rode like crap. Ended up going oem after the fact.
 
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Kublanov

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Well, i have an outcome. I bit the bullet and ordered the active Arnott replacements (mr3626 + mr3840) Now this thing drives like a dream. I either got bad passive shocks or they ride terribly for everyone, and i’ll likely never find out. All i can say is that this swap completely changed how the vehicle handles bumps.
 

Joseph Garcia

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Well, i have an outcome. I bit the bullet and ordered the active Arnott replacements (mr3626 + mr3840) Now this thing drives like a dream. I either got bad passive shocks or they ride terribly for everyone, and i’ll likely never find out. All i can say is that this swap completely changed how the vehicle handles bumps.
I'm glad that you were able to resolve your issue.

Please add the word "FIXED" or "SOLVED" to your thread's title, to let others who are experiencing a similar issue know that this thread has an identified solution.
 
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Kublanov

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I'm glad that you were able to resolve your issue.

Please add the word "FIXED" or "SOLVED" to your thread's title, to let others who are experiencing a similar issue know that this thread has an identified solution.
For the life of me, I cannot figure out how to do this.
 

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