Good day everyone! I just replaced my rear air shocks and now it seems the new shocks are being over-inflated because the ride is extremely stiff and jerky. I hear the pump run almost every time I start the engine, but I read that's normal. It just feels like they have too much air in them. I want to replace the fronts soon, but I want to make sure the rears are working properly before moving ahead. I don't have any error lights or messages on the computer. Does anyone have any recommendations?

 

Welcome to the forum.

The air affects the ride height, not the shock stiffness. The BCM adjusts the stiffness IAW speed, load, road surface, etc.

 

Unless they are over inflated. Long time ago I had air shocks on my hot rod and I would use them to jack up the rear. OH my that rear got stiff.

 

I'm tempted to pull the fuse from the pump to see if the ride improves without air being added. I nearly lost a filling going over a speed bump yesterday!

 

DO it, when they go out it still rides fine. Did same on my denali

 

On my 07, I was convinced this was the case too, shortly after replacing my rear shocks with new arnott's. I was measuring heights, doing all sorts of crazy stuff. In my case, the reality was my previous shocks were toast, and as toast, rode differently.

What I did learn is that the compressor has a valve in it that will "vent" pressure when necessary. This is why it can "pump up" every time you start the truck for a few seconds, to test whether the system is working properly or not. It will vent out whatever air isn't needed. You likely won't hear this as it will be very little.

Since I gave up on that notion, mine still checks when it starts. If it was continually pumping air in without venting, the bags would likely have popped by now. Since I tow, I would definitely have noticed such a thing lol.

As for the fronts, there are no "bags". Just fluid filled shocks that adjust based on the computer. The rears also have this dampening fluid as well as the bags.

Now, if you want for fun, you can remove the air lines to the rears, letting all the air out and hook them back up to reset it to normal if you think it will help.

Also, not as much fun, you can look up the cost of replacing the 4 shocks with new stock AC delco stuff, or with replacement arnott stuff which varys from deleting the air system altogether or just parts of it. Either way, its not for the faint of heart.

As for the speed bump, there isn't one I don't crawl over, so no experience with loosing a filling lol.

 

Thank you for the info! I might be overreacting to new tight shocks. I dunno. But, I will try disconnecting the air lines like you say.