Swapping out MagneRide for different option?

[2018DenaliGuy]

Hey midwestdenaliguy, when you put the converting kit on your truck, did you have to perform the TRM procedure? The guys at xineering told me to get that done because the sierra’s send so much current that it may cause the bypass kit to fail.

[TK9]

On 11/10/2018 at 12:58 PM, Bultaco956 said:

2015 Tahoe LTZ 3rd owner 75K-  20 inch wheels - We love the ride it after replacing front shocks with revised part number 84176631 for $700

 

We bought our LTZ from the local Chevy dealer used car lot to replace our 2003 Expedition XLT in part because the 2015 LTZ's reputation of more sports car like handling compared to the 2016 and later GM models that have a reputation for significantly softer handling  Admittedly the test drive was short, in traffic, on a smooth road.  After we bought it and started driving it the ride was so bad (and the engine was leaking oil) that  we basically ended up parking it for 9 months until I had time to deal with it. 

 

I wasted all kinds of time on the internet reading about the harsh ride of the 2015 Tahoe, Denali, Escalade and even came close to ordering 18 inch wheels or trading it in.  

 

When I finally got around to working with the dealer to address the ride and engine oil leak the dealer found both front shocks bad, both were leaking (which I had identified also) and one shock was completely out of oil and locked into an extended position.  No wonder the ride was rough!  The dealer quoted almost $2400 to replace the 2 front shocks.  A little research into their  quote showed that price was for replacement of the whole strut assemblies not just the shocks.

 

If you don't know the front springs and struts on the 2015 and later Tahoe, etc. are assembled into a single unit, kind of like a McPherson strut but not quite as there are both upper and lower A arms.  My guess is the dealers don't want to fool with breaking down and rebuilding the strut/shock assemblies.  It is possible other parts may need replacement such as the rubber bump stops etc. but in my case all of the original parts except the shocks themselves were reusable.

 

I'm 62 years old and trying to work on cars less but in this case I decided to just change the shocks myself.  My Tahoe has the heavy duty towing package and compressing the front springs was simply not possible with a loaner coil spring compressor from the local auto parts store.  The total cost of the job was $736 ($301 each for two OEM Delco magnaride shocks from Rock Auto (use the updated shock GM part # 84176631) plus $134 labor at the local tire store to swap the new shocks into the old strut assembly - thanks to them for doing that in a couple of hours on a busy Saturday).  It took me about 4 hours to remove and reinstall the strut assemblies from pulling the truck into the garage to test drive.  The rear shocks were fine - with the HD towing package they are not electric.  If I had it to do again I could probably do it in two hours - There are only 5 bolts holding each strut/shock assembly in plus one to loosen on the sway bar link.  I reused the existing magnaride electrical connectors but those took a lot of patience to disassemble.  If I had to do again I would buy the connector kits (part # 22836728) which I think are about $7 per side.  I didn't have a service manual so based on the internet research the torque specs I used were 47 ft lbs for the strut towers and shocks, and 17 ft lbs for the drag link.  That seemed to feel right during reassembly.  Getting the strut towers out was easy (I used an air tool with an 18 inch extension and a deep socket (17mm I think) on the top tower bolts ) but plan to spend some time  removing and reinstall the electrical harnesses and clips on the towers.  It's all very straightforward though. 

 

Savings from dealer quote - almost $1700. 

 

In the end the dealer fixed my oil leak at no cost under the transferrable 100,000 powertrain warranty by replacing the oil pan (there is a GM SB on that) and the truck now drives, rides and handles like a dream - I love it! - and it does corner like a sports car.  

 

I just purchased a 2015 Suburban LTZ with 29,000 miles (one owner, dealer serviced).  Everything is in pristine condition with the exception of the MRC.. I read so many conflicting forum posts and would like your advice on how I can make the ride "softer", I'm a mellow driver and value ride comfort above all.

 

On the highway or over newly paved roads, the experience is great!  The issue is over train tracks and other road imperfections.. it sounds and feels pretty bad.

[Mags83]

Any updates from guys that used these?  Have a 2015 Seirra Denali that needs fronts put on.  Replaced the rears only to have one leak again 2 months later.  Hoping this system works. TIA

http://www.xineering.com/shocksims.html

[Macb]

On 4/23/2019 at 9:21 PM, Juanito said:

In need of some help here guys!  I have a 2015 Sierra Denali. 1500 5.3L 2wd. My front struts are trash... I ordered the bilstein kit for my truck. 5100 series. My rears went on just fine, the fronts on the other hand will not go thru the strut mount or the washers/cups. (Washer that sits on top of the small steel ring on the stem few inches below threads) and also the washer that sits on top of mount under the stem nut... Serious help !!!

 

[Macb]

How did you solve this problem???

[midwestdenaliguy]

On 11/10/2018 at 1:01 PM, midwestdenaliguy said:

I ended up swapping out wheels and suspension all at once. Here's my write-up on it...

 

 

 

UPDATE - TL;DR I can no longer recommend HaloLifts.

 

Their design completely changed from the first set you see in my original post. They source their parts from Elka now and the ride is WAY softer than the original design. The front of the truck bounces up and down like an old school Cadillac. Also, the new design started squeaking and clunking not too long after install. It was time for me to update ball joints, sway bar bushings, end links, tie rods etc. so I assumed the noise/clunk was coming from one of those. Nope, everything got replaced and it was still there. Had a dealership look at my power steering rack and they couldn't find any issues.

 

I lived with the squeaking/clunking for a while, hoping I could pinpoint what it was after it became more obvious. Then it dawned on me maybe the newer HaloLift kit was the problem. I rocked and bounced the truck and sure enough the squeaking was coming from the front coilovers. After looking closely at them I could see what looked like grease coming out of the bushing on the top hat. Thought this may be the source of my clunk as well. So I took advantage of a black friday deal and bought the Eibach Pro Truck Stage 2R kit. Installed it this weekend and holy cow what an improvement. No more squeaking or clunking. The ride performance is perfect as well, not too soft or harsh. It takes bumps well and doesn't have all the roll/bounce that the HaloLifts did. 

 

I think part of the design issue on the HaloLifts front coils is the universal top hat they use. It has multiple holes to set the studs for different setups and uses a bushing at the top that allows the shock/coil to pivot all around vs staying in place like other designs. When I removed the coilovers the top hat was loose and sloppy. The bushing must have failed early. Looks like they should have used a top hat designed specifically for the Sierra/Silverado vs trying to save money on a universal top hat for various makes/models.

 

If interested, here's a link to the new setup I have from Eibach. Way better performance at the same price point.

 

https://eibach.com/product/E86-23-032-02-22?epsid=2282