Aluminum / XFE NNBS Front Suspension Rebuild

[petethepug]

Please don't tell my wife I had car parts on her new digital scale. Let's assume the L/R knuckles are the same weight. I'll have to wait until the steel knucks are removed to weigh them.

It's 4.2lb. ea for the Alum UCA.


The Alum knuckles are 8.4ea.



It’s 15lb ea for the Alum LCA. They're almost 3x the size of the UCA.

 

[j91z28d1]

did you guys sort out what had aluminum and what didn't? I keep meaning to check mine and forgetting.

 

[petethepug]

Here's the list of vehicles spec'd for aluminum lower control arms ...




It's in this ad from a vendor if the screen shot won't blow up big enough to read ...

GM Genuine Parts 19256481 | Front Lower Suspension Ball Joint (Vehicle Custom Fit)

Fits: 07-14 Cadillac Escalade, 07-13 Cadillac Escalade ESV, 07-13 Cadillac Escalade EXT, 07-13 Chevrolet Avalanche, 07-13 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 07-13 Chevrolet Suburban 1500, 07-14 Chevrolet Tahoe, 07-13 GMC Sierra 1500, 07-14 GMC Yukon, 07-1

partshawk.com

 

[petethepug]

For those of you lucky enough ...
to have z55 or z95 (09-14 Esky) active struts, here's the breakaway diagram for the assembly order. On my truck there is no dust boot or spring insulator visible. This leads me to believe that an installer decided it was easier to just get er done since he forgot or didn't know to order them.

I've been poking around looking at Dorman & Arnott's loaded front z55/z95 assemblies that retail for 5-$6h each. There's a big red flag on both items. Dorman and Arnott state that they're compatible for both z55/z95 (Denali / LTZ & Esky) They're not the same. One is filled with hydraulic oil and the other is filled with magnetorheological fluid. Both are valved differently, and both have a different control module.

It appears as though Arnott & Dorman are selling their z55 struts as z95. They state that they're cross compatible strut has magnetorheological based fluid. This just can't be. The z55 hydraulic filled struts would ride like **** if that were the case. I saw that Arnott is offering money for z55 cores. It also states they do not want the z95 cores. What do you think they're reselling as their z55/z95 cross compatible struts?

The reviews on Amazon for Dorman lifetime struts are not friendly. The word leak appears often. Arnott reviews show as good for their 2 year warranty. Prior to July 2023 all Arnott z95/z55 have a lifetime warranty. Purchasing after that give you just a two year warranty.

 

[j91z28d1]

buying good quality replacement parts seems harder for these trucks than anything I've been around.

I happen to be under mine yesterday and yeah, 2011 yukon hybrid didn't use aluminum. Definitely steel and still had a bar code on them.

 

[iamdub]

For those of you lucky enough ...
to have z55 or z95 (09-14 Esky) active struts, here's the breakaway diagram for the assembly order. On my truck there is no dust boot or spring insulator visible. This leads me to believe that an installer decided it was easier to just get er done since he forgot or didn't know to order them.

I've been poking around looking at Dorman & Arnott's loaded front z55/z95 assemblies that retail for 5-$6h each. There's a big red flag on both items. Dorman and Arnott state that they're compatible for both z55/z95 (Denali / LTZ & Esky) They're not the same. One is filled with hydraulic oil and the other is filled with magnetorheological fluid. Both are valved differently, and both have a different control module.

It appears as though Arnott & Dorman are selling their z55 struts as z95. They state that they're cross compatible strut has magnetorheological based fluid. This just can't be. The z55 hydraulic filled struts would ride like **** if that were the case. I saw that Arnott is offering money for z55 cores. It also states they do not want the z95 cores. What do you think they're reselling as their z55/z95 cross compatible struts?

The reviews on Amazon for Dorman lifetime struts are not friendly. The word leak appears often. Arnott reviews show as good for their 2 year warranty. Prior to July 2023 all Arnott z95/z55 have a lifetime warranty. Purchasing after that give you just a two year warranty.

View attachment 421344

I thought they just had resistors built into them so they weren't active, but kept the system happy while being plug-and-play.

 

[petethepug]

Interesting, this is referring to Arnott MR-3568 specifically, the loaded strut assembly they tout as cross compatible for z55 & z95 control modules when GM advertised and diagramed for years about their internal and software differences.

It is discussed on Summit’s website on the Gen 5 z95 replacements that the harness connector on top of the strut has a built in resistor and then it’s discussed it doesn’t. Scroll down to the Q&A on the link. IDK wot to make out of it. The manufacturers refuse to acknowledge the hard questions on their advertising or spec sheets.

Arnott Air Suspension SK-3354 Arnott New OE Magnetic Shocks and Struts | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - Arnott New OE Magnetic Shocks and Struts with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Shocks and Struts at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

 

[iamdub]

According to Arnott's site, NOW they're offered: https://www.arnottindustries.com/magnetic-ride-struts-shocks/

And your #MR-3568 specifically: https://arnott.mycarparts.com/items/MR-3568

They list an SK-2954 that has a "sensor" to bypass the electronic shock. It reads to me like they're saying the one you're looking at fits and performs the same as OE.

 

[petethepug]

Good info …

* Arnott 3436 is z95 Magneride rears.
* Arnott AS 2708 is z55 Autoride rears.

That’s why I can’t figure why Arnott & Dorman are stating the fronts struts are cross compatible for z55 & z95 because one is filled with hydraulic fluid and the other with magnetorheological fluid.

 

[iamdub]

Good info …

* Arnott 3436 is z95 Magneride rears.
* Arnott AS 2708 is z55 Autoride rears.

That’s why I can’t figure why Arnott & Dorman are stating the fronts struts are cross compatible for z55 & z95 because one is filled with hydraulic fluid and the other with magnetorheological fluid.

I saw no mention of Z55 for the fronts. I looked up my '08 Tahoe LTZ, which has Z55.

They have an AS-3430 (rear ALC shock) that says "Can be used for both Magneride RPO Z95 and Autoride RPO Z55". But, I'm sure this is because it also says "Incl. Solenoid Resistor To Bypass Electronic Ride".

So, it's still confusing. Z55 uses a variable orifice to control the volume of fluid in the shock that passes from one chamber to the other. Z95 alters the viscosity of the fluid itself. The Z95 has a much wider range of variance and faster response than the Z55.

I can see them being cross-compatible if the Z55 is filled with the ferrofluid from the Z95 and re-valved to perform like original considering the ferrofluid's viscosity when uncharged. Also, the variable orifice would have to operate on the same scale of values as the Z95. In this case, one could bolt-on upgrade their Z55 to Z95. Theoretically, they'd operate the same since the Z95 is (allegedly) unchanged and the two functional factors between the two are "dumbed down" to operate with the Z55 system.

Do you think they actually engineered this?