Advice Needed re Replacing Front Strut (Shock?) on 2017 Tahoe

[KevenE]

I have several questions after the service dealer advised I have a front strut leaking on my 2017 Tahoe Premier. They advise it is an “electronic shock absorber,” about a $900 part and the repair cost is quite high. First, what is the difference between a front strut and a shock? The terms seem to be used interchangeably, or I see the front suspension parts referred to as struts and the rear as shocks. This is important to my last question. Second, should I have the repair done with OEM parts at the dealership? Third, do I need to do both front shocks at the same time? Fourth, I have an extended warranty that clearly covers “suspension systems” but excludes “shock absorbers.” I haven’t had the repair done because the warranty claim is not being approved (they say it’s a shock absorber), and the service dealer says this is because GM changed what it calls it part numbers. Finally, the vehicle rides just fine but I need to drive from OH to Fl on Jan 5 and don’t want to be stupid. Must I get this done before that trip?
All advice very welcome. I don’t know much about cars and often feel kind of vulnerable at the dealership.

 

[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.

A 'strut' is the term used when the shock absorber and the spring are combined into one unit. You have struts on the front.
A 'shock absorber' is typically independent of the spring. You have shock absorbers on the rear (probably with integral air bags).

Dealers are notorious for high prices for parts and service. My recommendation to you is to purchase the proper shock absorber portion of the strut and take it to a local repair shop that has a high capacity spring compressor (most shops do), and let them disassemble the bad strut and re-assemble it with the new shock absorber portion and re-install on your truck.

$900 for the part (shock absorber alone or an entirely new strut assembly) is VERY high, and you can certainly do much better on pricing from GMPartsDirect.com or RockAuto.com. For the first site, you can enter your VIN and go to the Suspension section and find the front shock absorber portion of the strut that will fit your truck. I have listed a link below to the site and the Suspension section, and you can see that any of the shock absorber portions of the strut listed are MUCH cheaper. With your VIN entered, you can find the specific part for your truck

https://www.gmpartsdirect.com/v-201...er--5-3l-v8-gas/suspension--shocks-and-struts

If you don't feel anything unusual (a particularly harsh or soft ride), then I believe that you are good for your trip, and you can take care of this issue after you return.

Let us know if you have any additional questions.

 

[KevenE]

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.

A 'strut' is the term used when the shock absorber and the spring are combined into one unit. You have struts on the front.
A 'shock absorber' is typically independent of the spring. You have shock absorbers on the rear (probably with integral air bags).

Dealers are notorious for high prices for parts and service. My recommendation to you is to purchase the proper shock absorber portion of the strut and take it to a local repair shop that has a high capacity spring compressor (most shops do), and let them disassemble the bad strut and re-assemble it with the new shock absorber portion and re-install on your truck.

$900 for the part (shock absorber alone or an entirely new strut assembly) is VERY high, and you can certainly do much better on pricing from GMPartsDirect.com or RockAuto.com. For the first site, you can enter your VIN and go to the Suspension section and find the front shock absorber portion of the strut that will fit your truck. I have listed a link below to the site and the Suspension section, and you can see that any of the shock absorber portions of the strut listed are MUCH cheaper. With your VIN entered, you can find the specific part for your truck

https://www.gmpartsdirect.com/v-201...er--5-3l-v8-gas/suspension--shocks-and-struts

If you don't feel anything unusual (a particularly harsh or soft ride), then I believe that you are good for your trip, and you can take care of this issue after you return.

Let us know if you have any additional questions.

Thank you very much, that is very helpful!

 

[CrashTestDummy]

They're actually a shock absorber, although they are available as an assembly with the spring and attaching parts in a strut-like assembly. Even as a separate part, magnetic ride shocks aren't cheap, They seem to run in the $300 range for aftermarket parts, and the strut assembly in the $500-$600 range, so a dealer charging $900 for one isn't out of the ordinary.

Changing the part as an assembly is not terrible but changing out just the shock involves removing the whole assembly, putting it in a strut compressor to remove the sparing from the old shock and reinstalling the spring and top assembly.

If the ride is fine now, I'd not fret the trip. At worst, it will get a little more 'bouncy', but no total failure of the suspension will result. Just annoying.

Funny (NOT) that they excluded shocks on the extended warranty. While it is a wear item, I guess they noticed the magnetic ride shocks and decided an exclusion was going to be handy for them.

 

[gnx7]

If it rides fine don't rush.... but it will need replacing once the ride degrades. My '17 Yukon Denali with MagRide and 65K miles drives nice up front.... but the rear suspension is leaking and locked up..... so on anything but perfectly flat roads it rides like a stagecoach out back. $500/each for those shocks plus install. Not happy about that....

 

[RST Dana]

If it rides fine don't rush.... but it will need replacing once the ride degrades. My '17 Yukon Denali with MagRide and 65K miles drives nice up front.... but the rear suspension is leaking and locked up..... so on anything but perfectly flat roads it rides like a stagecoach out back. $500/each for those shocks plus install. Not happy about that....

Install is easy. Basic tools and you can get it done before your coffee gets cold.

 

[gyukon1978]

I have several questions after the service dealer advised I have a front strut leaking on my 2017 Tahoe Premier. They advise it is an “electronic shock absorber,” about a $900 part and the repair cost is quite high. First, what is the difference between a front strut and a shock? The terms seem to be used interchangeably, or I see the front suspension parts referred to as struts and the rear as shocks. This is important to my last question. Second, should I have the repair done with OEM parts at the dealership? Third, do I need to do both front shocks at the same time? Fourth, I have an extended warranty that clearly covers “suspension systems” but excludes “shock absorbers.” I haven’t had the repair done because the warranty claim is not being approved (they say it’s a shock absorber), and the service dealer says this is because GM changed what it calls it part numbers. Finally, the vehicle rides just fine but I need to drive from OH to Fl on Jan 5 and don’t want to be stupid. Must I get this done before that trip?
All advice very welcome. I don’t know much about cars and often feel kind of vulnerable at the dealership.

Just replaced both front and rear shocks on my 2017 Yukon Denali with Arnott mr3840 front and Arnott mr3626 rear (magneride z95). Couldn't be happier. Took 6hrs total on my own. Yukon is rock solid back to factory specs (I didn't level and kept the front bias). I also replaced the sway bar links and bushings while i had the truck up on jack stands. Easy, cheap. Used ACDelco links and bushings. Carparts.com for shocks, rockauto for sway bar links and bushings. 2k v 5k+ at dealership.