Low Cost (Cheap) Aftermarket GM Air Ride Rear Shocks - Waste of money or Worth it? 

Good tip 👍...might work indeed vs. having to make the tapers.

Thanks man 👍

Hey man ! No problem, glad the video helped some 👍. Pushing the shock up to bolt it In must have been a bear, but sure shows it can be done 👍👍👍. All the best ! Steve

@@StevesDIYs actually it wasn't that bad. Just used a screw driver as leverage to adjust the shock as need to fit the space. I used Arnott air shocks too.

Thanks 👍. Yep, it does take a bit to push the rubber tapers over the tube flare for sure lol. All the best ! Steve

You as well thank you again for the assist​@StevesDIYs

Thanks man ! Good to know that the suspension is similar for the different year models 👍. All the best ! Steve

Ggeo55 Push , that’s good to know 👍. I didn’t contact the company since I got mine off eBay (you may have as well) so figured they would not respond, but that’s good that a seller is willing to take the extra step to get the right size orings so they will work.

Could you give more details about the orings? Are they bigger and to be inserted at the botton of the plug? I'm having the same issue but cannot find those vacuum connectors localy...

Hey man ! For mine (2008 Base ESV) I used these in the link for the rear: facebook.com/109400450606405/posts/156017219278061/?d=n . Not sure if yours is the same as mine with the air leveling suspension though since it is a Platinum edition and may be electronic ride in the rear as well. For the front ones, mine was electronic ride, but I didn’t like how it handled so I switched them to heavy duty gas shocks and tricked the electronic suspension with a resistor (that’s also in a video on the channel under the Escalade Playlist). You may have to look up your suspension code (mine is a Z55 I believe) to see what options you can change yours to if you don’t go with the direct replacements. Hope this helps and all the best ! Steve

Thanks man, glad the video helped 👍. For the service ride control warning, mine actually flashed that a couple of times after I installed them and got them holding air, but then went away after a few starts and drives. Not sure if it needs to check things a few times or something. Maybe yours will do the same after a few trips now that it is pumping up to the correct height again within the acceptable time limit for the pump to run. Thanks again and all the best ! Steve

@@StevesDIYs I believe that end on the new shock is supposed to have a hose go over it instead of inside.

@@Dat550go , hello, that could be as the inside was definitely not the correct size for the OE orings. They were supposed to be direct replacements though so I think these particular ones were just designed incorrectly or incorrectly sold as direct replacements. Looks like there are a ton of this low cost model sold on eBay though so I’d say this might be an issue for quite a few people since they say direct fit. All the best ! Steve

Field Street , hey man, I looked them up and it looks like they do fit the 2005 if the truck is equipped with the air ride and compressor. Mines a 2008 Escalade ESV AWD (with non electronic in the back) if you wanted to look up what p/n options go on it compared to yours to be sure. Here’s a link to a seller on eBay I got them from, but there are several sellers (even non-eBay sites out there) selling the exact same ones: facebook.com/109400450606405/posts/156017219278061/. All the best, Steve

Hello, it’s hard to tell, but sounds like the height sensor on the axle is telling the pump controller that the axle is too high so it’s opening the vent in n the pump and letting the air back out. Might check the height sensor to see if the wires are damaged or there’s water in the connector or something maybe.

Packerman1468 , hey man, yep...still holding up fine after 10 months or so. They air up and level the rear up every time...even when I hook up my 24’ trailer to haul stuff. Don’t forget the pack o’ vacuum line tapers though 👍

Hey ! I haven’t really looked at good replacement options for the rear springs on mine as it seems to haul my tandem trailer and 24’ pontoon boat easily without much bounce. There may a heavy duty set someone makes or possibly helper air bags that would fit inside the spring that could be aired up when hauling. Sorry I couldn’t help.

@@StevesDIYs thank you sir

Thanks man ! Glad the video helped some 👍. All the best, Steve

Rj Vp , Glad the video helped 👍. Lol...that’s actually is one of my nicknames ! I originally named my Channel “Boomhauer’s DIY’s” as well because of my accent since that is my other nickname 🤣.

@@StevesDIYs one smart guy !

@@ohioyodertoter6827 , thanks man 👍.

Yep, I always listen for the compressor to pump up and then stop on mine when I first start it up as I’d hate to burn the compressor out if one of the bags failed. So far the Vigor ones I put on when I made their install videos for them are still doing fine, but for the front ones, I replaced the OE mag ride ones with standard heavy duty shocks as I didn’t like how the vehicle rode and took curves. I do agree that sometimes simpler is better, but I do like how the air ride ones lift up the trailer to level it when I pull it.

@@StevesDIYs I just hope it doesn't make the computer system go crazy and start lighting up the dashboard. The rears are completely blown out and the compressor is burned out and we haven't gotten any lights from that, so I think it'll be okay.

@@bkilpatr100 yep, the computer doesn’t seem to monitor anything on the compressor, but it does look for the two sensors that are on top of the air shocks I believe (they are little induction coils). I’d probably give it a try without with the connectors hanging loose to see if it gives the suspension error. If it does, you’ll probably have to disassemble the shock and get the induction coil off, stick a short piece of steel tube (or a small piece of the original shock shaft) in the coil and zip tie it up somewhere then reset the code to clear it. I don’t think it needs to see movement to keep from throwing the codes, but probably needs to have a complete circuit. It will be interesting to see if the coil sensor is needed to prevent the suspension from throwing codes for sure as the replacement ones have the coil so I didn’t try that to see. If you do end up having to do that, let me know if you would as that would be interesting to know 👍.

@@StevesDIYs We will find out tomorrow. I will let you know either way. Thanks for the tip!

​@@StevesDIYs I put on the RS5000x, Sunday. So far no dash lights and the ride is so much better. I towed a heavy trailer just to test it out, thinking that would trigger the dash lights once the computer figured out that it couldn't level the rear end, but that didn't trigger any lights either. I think I'm good to go.

Hey man ! I’m not 100% sure what that sensor does, but I think it tells the body control module if the shock is compressed so if it tries to inflate the air bags and the shock doesn’t extend, it will give a suspension error code. I would say that the cheap aftermarket shocks just have a resistor in them to defeat the suspension signal so the vehicle always thinks the shock is not compressed. For the expensive original shocks, it would probably tell you when the shock was going bad. I don’t think it is doing much, but it does need to be connected to avoid getting a suspension error message on the dash. All the best ! Steve

Hey man ! The Vigor ones currently on mine (they are still the ones out in when I did the install video) are a bit stiffer than the low cost ones I had on it I got off eBay, but they seem to do fine. I’m running 22” rims on mine so the suspension gets a workout since the tire side wall has a lower profile, but it feels pretty smooth. Unfortunately I don’t have a comparison of how they are to the OE ones as the OE ones were blown and the compressor was bad when I bought the vehicle used. Is there any squeaking or popping sounds coming from the suspension when a bump is hit or the vehicle weight shifts when turning hard? If so, it might be something in the other suspension components possibly?

Thanks 👍

Hey ! Not real sure...If the lift kit allows the use of the original shocks then it probably won’t change much (depends on the lift kit I would think). I put a 6” lift kit on an old Dodge Ram 1500 and it changed the whole way the truck handed...and not to the good, lol. I ended up making ladder bars for it just to prevent the rear axle wrap. For it, I just went with some load leveling rear shocks that I could air up and leave them at the same pressure, but they were much longer than the stock ones.

Hey man ! Yep, the ones I bought had the fitting molded into the shock so it couldn’t be removed.

Gotcha, good job on figuring out how to make it work. 👍

Aljahni 2010 , hello, the shock itself is basically the same, but having the air suspension (the air bags that are surrounding the shock) allows the truck to have the auto leveling ability. As you add weight to the vehicle, the pump inflates the air bags to level the vehicle back out. Regular gas shocks will ride the same unless the vehicle is loaded heavily. Hope this helps

Hey man ! The Vigor shocks and compressor are still doing fine (they are still on the vehicle). I’ve not had any issues with them so far 👍. Thanks and all the best! Steve

@@StevesDIYs thanks for the great news... Got the shocks and waiting on the compressor as well. If I remember correctly when you test fit the partial air line / O ring onto the Vigor shock on the bench during the comparison , the line & O ring fit just like OEM correct ??? Wasn't it the " cheap ebay " ones that needed the custom adapter you made ?

@@rolandlluis3153 hey again ! Yes, that’s correct, the Vigor shocks had the correct fitting size for the factory orings…the low cost eBay ones were the ones I had to make the little rubber tapers for 👍

@@StevesDIYs Thanks for making my day ... ✊💯

Ryan Ingram , hey man ! Still holding up fine (amazingly enough for their price, lol). Still no leaks after the fix to the tube connectors and they pump up each time I start the truck or put a load on the hitch. They level out my 24 foot tandem trailer really well even with my tractor on it. For the price if they only go 5 years that’s only $20 per year to have the adjustable air ride still...that’s not even a half o’ tank of gas in the big girl, lol

Matthew Clifton , I have a set of Monroe Max airs on my Nissan Pickup...they have been on there like 6 years now and have never had a single problem with them...they are really good IMO 👍. My little truck doesn’t have the adjustable air system like the Escalade so dialing in the pressure took some trials, but they haven’t leaked down any in the 6 years.

Hello, the rubber taper is just pushed onto the tube by using petroleum jelly to allow it to stretch over the bump that is molded onto the tube end. It is then clipped onto the shock using the 90 degree plastic piece that was originally on the tube. Hope this helps and all the best ! Steve

Pretty good fix. I had a different problem. Got a set from Napa for $115, pulled the stock set out, cleaned everything up, Installed the new set only to run into the issue of the airline connector not able to fit onto shock. O-rings fit , the actually connecter was a mm or 2 short where the snap ring slips into the groove on shock nipple. I tried and tried, couldn't get it. Ended up taking it all apart and put old parts back on, ordered OE shocks from GM direct. Just under $300 for the two (on sale) decent I suppose. Hopefully they get here tomorrow. Lots of work for sure, almost seemed pointless but a lesson surely was learned.So it wasn't a total waste Thanks for sharing your video.

@jbucks166 thanks man 👍. Yep, it’s hit or miss with aftermarket parts for sure sometimes…even from the stores like NAPA, Autozone, and the like. I’m on my 5th or 6th purge valve on the Escalade that I bought the replacement from AutoZone (they only last about a year or so it seems)…it keeps going bad and they keep replacing it for free as they have the lifetime warranty on them. I told the store manager that I kind of felt bad after bringing last one back to be exchanged since I’ve exchanged so many over the years, but to Autozone’s credit, he said it doesn’t bother him a bit and to just keep on bringing them back…that’s what the warranty is for lol !

Marionfam , hello...shrink tubing over the orings might work...as long it will seal it should be good. Spraying soapy water on it after install will make it easy to tell for sure. I’d only be worried that it might leak between the shrink tube and the orings if more than one layer was needed. If it does work, comment back as that would be another option as well for these shocks 👍. Thanks, Steve

Passive shocks would definitely hold up longer I’d imagine, I guess you could just pull the fuse or relay to the compressor so it didn’t just keep trying to level the suspension (not sure if it would throw an error code though). Mine are still holding up after several years…actually a company saw my video and wants me to make a video compare theirs to these low cost ones so I’ll be making a comparison video soon for theirs 👍. They are a bit more expensive than the cheap ones I got, but still not as high as OE so it will be interesting to see how they do.

Hello, if you disconnect the fitting to the air shock and let the air out and then put it back and start the vehicle up, when the compressor cuts on you should see it lift the vehicle up just a bit and then cut off. Also, If you let the air out of the bag and then squeeze the air bag while it’s inflating, you should feel it getting firmer as it inflates. If it’s not doing that, then there must be an air leak in the system somewhere. Hope this helps and all the best! Steve

@@StevesDIYs thanks for the reply, i find out that my compresor line were blocked from dust and the main lines that come out from the compressor had a small hole that it was causing a leak but at the end got fixed

Thanks and glad the video helped some 👍

Nicolas Roman , hello...if the Tahoe is like the Escalade with these, it has an air pump on the driver side behind the rear wheel that pumps them up with the little air lines that go to the shock. They are automatically aired up by the pump based on the height of the rear of the SUV (like when it is loaded or when a trailer is attached). Not sure if it’s that way on the Tahoe though but it should be something similar I’m guessing. There’s another video on the channel under my Escalade 6.2L DIYs that shows the pump replacement...it’s not much of a video, but shows the tricky items to replace the shocks and pump. Hope this helps 👍, Steve

@@StevesDIYs thanks.

Raptor *7 , hello, not really sure for these trucks as I went with the standard gas shocks up front to eliminate the vibration caused by my OE mag ride ones and then just kept the air ride in the back with the cheap ones. I pull a pontoon boat and a 24’ tandem trailer periodically, but nothing super heavy so the cheap setup seems to do fine. For my other cars and trucks I usually go with Monroe or Bilstein as they typically offer different levels of shocks and struts based on how you want the ride to be. For my BMWs I go with Bilstein as they feel a bit stiffer when cornering.

go with the hydraulic shocks the pump up by themselves from suspension travel and there self leveling and handle a load they also don go bad untill they start leaking

Hey man ! Yep, I believe it did pump back up after reconnecting the battery and then clicking the key over to the run position the first time. For the time it took, that was probably from start to finish and taking my time. You are right that the job is really simple and is only a few bolts so probably wouldn’t take much time at all with all of the tools ready 👍.

@@StevesDIYs oh okay. I just wanted to be for sure! Lol I want to do the conversation to passive so bad, I just don't want a horrible ride. So, now I'm on the fence 😡

@@theme61 yep, I was a bit worried on taking the active system off the front, but mine had this crazy vibration that was awful so I figured it couldn’t make it worse, lol. Actually having the regular shocks up front now made the ride so much better...it handles basically like a full sized truck now (I have 22” rims on mine so I think the active system just wasn’t built for that much rim mass). The back air ride shocks I have are basically a passive system as well...they just have the little air bags on the shock that allows it to level the load. If yours doesn’t have the load leveling air ride, I’d say heavy duty regular shocks would do just fine. I think they even make aftermarket shocks where the static air assist pressure can be increased or decreased to adjust the ride. I have those on my ‘84 Nissan 720 Pickup I did a 6” body drop on and I can adjust the rear shock air pressure if I want it to ride low and soft or add pressure if I need to carry something in the bed.

@@StevesDIYs I think the adjustable ones would be my choice if I was to spurge and the load handlers will be my first attempt; Because I have the 22's as well and still use it like a truck. I really appreciate the information.

Hey ! Yep, if they aren’t strong enough for the vehicle they make for a bouncy ride for sure 👍. I put some on my little Nissan 720 PU years ago and they are so strong it launches the rear of the truck up in the air when you hit an uneven pavement line in the road, lol. All the best ! Steve

Jon Bri , hey man! These get pumped up by the rear suspension air compressor so I’m not real sure what they get pumped up to. It has a sensor on the suspension that turns the pump on and then pumps till it levels the rear of the truck out. These are low cost aftermarket replacements for the OE ones that use the compressor for the load leveling. Not sure what a static pressure would be for these.

Steve’s DIYs I thank you I called my mechanic and he said I can pump them up to 60, 65 pounds ...I did and they were fine. I had them about two years and never put any air in them.

Jon Bri , thanks for replying back...that’s good to know for the static pressure they can hold 👍. Someone asked me this in the past and I wasn’t sure so others will find the comment helpful for sure. All the best ! Steve

Thanks man ! I’ve pieced a few old cars back together over the years from aftermarket parts (half of my refrigerator is covered with Rock Auto magnets if you know what those are (when you buy something from them, they put a magnet with a picture of a car on it that was rebuilt from Rock Auto parts) 🤣🤣🤣 ...sometimes things just don’t fit like the OE and need a little modifying. The original OE ones on the truck only lasted 11 years and I’ve already gotten 3 years out of these cheap ones for 1/5 of the price of the OE ones...I’m money ahead at this point, lol. All the best ! Steve

Thanks man 👍

james waller , hello...got them from eBay, they are like $100 a pair. The title was something like “2002-2014 Escalade Rear OEM Quality Electronic Air Ride Shocks - PAIR New”. Once you search eBay and see the pic of them, you should see several different sellers of the exact same ones since they are aftermarket. Hope this helps.

Hello, on mine, the back ones were just the adjustable air ride suspension (it pumps up the shock bladder based on the load placed in/on the vehicle). I had magnetic ride struts on the front, but changed them to the heavy duty gas filled type as I was getting a lot of vibration up front from the failing system (I bypassed the mag ride with resistors). I think some are magnetic all the way around though.

Hello, here’s a link to a picture of the ones I bought that were on eBay: facebook.com/109400450606405/posts/156017219278061/ . I also made another video of how they are holding up after a year that’s on my channel as well under the Escalade’s playlist if you wanted to have a look. So far they are doing good with no issues 👍

@@StevesDIYs thank you. no partnnumbers or some SKUs left((

@@dmitriyplaksin5272 , the ones I got are aftermarket so it looks like there are many places selling them. I googled “2002 - 2014 Escalade rear shocks” and it pulled up several places to buy. I would say that one company is making the ones like I got and then little companies are selling them. Looks like they are still around the same price that I paid for them still 👍. Hope this helps, Steve

@@StevesDIYs are they like these but cheaped? www.monroe.com/en-US/e-catalog/MA830

@@dmitriyplaksin5272 , they are similar to the ones you have in the link, but the ones you show do not have the electrical connection for the Z55 electronic suspension. I think the ones you show are for the standard suspension with just the rear load leveling (the connection for the air only). If you do not have the Z55 suspension, this type would be the ones to use I think.

Hello, I got it from the local auto parts place...I believe it was Autozone. I think I showed the little kit of vacuum lines in the video, but not sure at what time mark. Hope this helps and all the best ! Steve

Hello, my Escalade has a leveling pump on it that pumps these up based on how much load is put on (or in) the back

Thanks ! All the best ! Steve

Hey ! I actually got these off of eBay, but I found after a couple of years they had gone bad. About a year ago a company called Vigor Air Suspensions sent me some of theirs to make them some install videos so I took the opportunity to compare them to the low cost ones in this video. Here’s a link to that video that compares them if interested as so far the Vigor ones are holding up fine (they are still on the Escalade currently after being on for just over a year). ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Um19LSaKUrE.html . Hope this helps and all the best ! Steve

@@StevesDIYs thanks boss I appreciate the advice

Also I'm looking for the fronts air shocks as well

@@lanskygoodwin9295 I’m actually not sure where to get the OE front shocks from as I swapped mine out to regular heavy duty truck shocks and bypassed the electronic ride function. Mine developed a jitter at high speeds from the active front shocks that I didn’t like so I took them off.

DjSegwon , hello...there’s a couple of links to where I got mine in the comments. I got mine from eBay...here’s a link to a picture of them from where I got them, but there are several places to get them from different sellers or websites so I didn’t want to recommend just one company as I don’t promote any specific seller or site if possible: facebook.com/109400450606405/posts/156017219278061/ As for how they are holding up, they are still doing fine and I’ve not had any issues with them. They still hold air with no leaks and the compressor pumps them up each time I start the truck or hitch up my trailer. They easily level out my 24 foot tandem axle with a tractor on it and also my 26 foot pontoon boat. Hope this helps 👍. All the best, Steve

Chad McCurry , for sure...I would have gladly paid 4 bucks more for the shocks if they had just thrown a pack of them in the box since they were way cheaper than the OEs, lol. Mine are still doing great with no issues since I installed them.

Hey man ! The cheap ones I got were from eBay, but when I looked up where I got them from they are no longer sold from the eBay seller. Here’s a link to ones that look just like them though from a different seller (the link is to my Steve’s DIYs Facebook page since RU-vid won’t allow pictures in the comments ). facebook.com/109400450606405/posts/156017219278061/ . Hope this helps and all the best ! Steve

Hey man ! Since they are aftermarket, they go by lots of different part numbers, but if you type in “Rear Air Suspension Shock Strut For GMC Yukon Escalade Avalanche Suburban 02-14” in eBay, you should find them. The ones I bought are no longer listed on eBay, but looks like several sellers still sell them. One is ECCPP that popped up when I searched for them. Hope this helps and all the best ! Steve

@@StevesDIYs awesome sir, thanks

Hello, to get the tapered piece of the vacuum connector over the flared part of the plastic tube, I just used some Vaseline (petroleum Jelly) so the vacuum connector would stretch and slide easily over the tube end. You can pop the line out of the plastic piece that shapes it into the 90 degree bend for easier access to the end, then put the plastic piece back on. Hope this helps 👍. Steve

Hello, the connectors are plastic as well as the thin tubes. They are sealed by small orings 👍

@@StevesDIYs thank you did you have a o ring set you got it from or just random parts

@steverodriguez4871 I had some extras from the other compressor I swapped out, but they should be standard orings 👍

@@StevesDIYs do you remember what size I’m at Home Depot as we speak I’m just going to get #10#5#20 and see what happens

@steverodriguez4871 hey again, I actually don’t remember the size, but seems like the plastic tube was like 1/8” OD

Hey man ! When I first turn mine on, the compressor runs for a few seconds and then it will exhaust the extra air for just a second, but it doesn’t continue to hiss air or anything. It’s how it tests the air pressure each time I think. If it has a continued hissing for quite a few seconds I would definitely suspect one of the air lines or fittings either at the compressor or on the air shocks to have a leak. You might be able to spray soapy water on the fittings to find the culprit. If it does have a leaking fitting it will just wear the new compressor out making it run for extended cycles trying to pump up the shocks. Hope this helps and all the best ! Steve

Mark Henry , here’s a link to my Steve’s DIYs Facebook page with a pic of it. facebook.com/109400450606405/posts/156017219278061/

Thanks

Hello, here’s a link to a picture of the shocks I used. facebook.com/109400450606405/posts/156017219278061/ . The seller may not still be selling them now, but if you google the “2002 - 2014....” Item description from the picture, it should pull up current sellers of them. The aftermarket ones seem to all look the same so I think there must be one aftermarket company making them and then a bunch of small companies selling them. Hope this helps, Steve

@@StevesDIYs no I wanted the part you used to fix the problem l

@@lazaerll7300 , oh...sorry...most folks ask for the shock info. For the little rubber tapers, I got them from Autozone: “Dorman- AutoGrade Soft Vacuum Tubing Connector Assortment 6 Piece. Part number 47432. “. 👍

Hello, actually they did pretty good to absorb bumps and stabilize very quickly 👍. They did fine on the vehicle for normal driving and load conditions, but weren’t really made for heavy duty use (like the loads I put on them pulling my 24 foot tandem axle trailer). Eventually the air bags would not carry the weight so I changed them after a couple of years, but even with the damaged air bags, they did ok when not pulling the heavily loaded trailer. Hope this helps and All the best ! Steve

@@StevesDIYs Thank you sir that was very helpful im looking for new shocks i had mine for 11 years OEM. still works great but the air bags are not in good shape .. so i installed 4 new shocks from Formula Plus now my truck feels so bouncy very rough ride zero absorption the rear ones only i dont know why is it like that ..

Lol, yep the little tapered bigger thing did the job ! It is pretty funny for me to go back and listen to what I actually say in the videos…in several on the channel I say “little” like 100 times when referring to things while in others I say “all right” a ton, lol. I figured by now someone would have done a drinking game using the videos when a particular word was said…probably wouldn’t be anyone standing after watching one of the 15 minute or so videos 🤣🤣🤣. Thanks for the comment…it made my day ! All the best ! Steve

Thanks man 👍

@@StevesDIYs I still gotta figure out the correct remedy for my 03 DTS. The rear shocks need replaced, but I can find the right ones, not the right conversion kit. Any other info will be appreciated thanks

@@Iloveyhwh_1974 , 👍. I’ve never worked on a DTS before but I’ll bet there’s someone out there on the Cadillac forum that has that could provide some info. The site is Cadillacforums.com and they cover most all makes and models of the Cadillac if I’m not mistaken.

Hello, I actually don’t know how much pressure they pump up to as the vehicles leveling air compressor pumps them up automatically.

Did you ever figure out what psi? I did mine last night and put 35 psi to them, and they seem a bit stiff.

Kendell062 , lol ! I should make those little adapters and sell them 👍...I’d probably sell a ton 😃

@@StevesDIYs That company should have done what you did before the shocks were put out for sale because what you had to do should not have been necessary in the first place. But it was great that you did.

For sure 👍....lower cost is always good, but when they miss easy stuff like the hole diameter it sure is frustrating for people

YKBT , good that you found some you like that are even lower in cost 👍

What's the link for those YKBT

YKBT , hello...they are installed the same way the original OE’s were installed. I guess you can try to install them on yours how ever you like if you are working on your truck...to each their own 👍