Yes, another air bag to coil spring question.......

New Envoy

Original poster
Member
Oct 20, 2012
56
Ok, Ive read a lot of topics on the conversion. In fact, Ive read to many, they are all starting to run together and confuse me. What Ive got is an 2006 GMC Envoy denali with the rear air suspension. They are leaking out overnight and need replaced. I am going with the coil spring conversion. I have read that the arnott stuff is overpriced. Ive read that the suncore stuff isnt any good. Ive read that I can get the moog stuff from my local parts store, but I dont remember/cant find the part numbers. I also dont trust the counter guys enough to figure it out. What I would love is the correct part numbers for the rear springs I need and the rubber isolators. Also, while Im there Im thinking I might as well change out the shocks. Should I get the stock shocks, or will I need something special after the new springs are installed?
 

IllogicTC

Member
Dec 30, 2013
3,452
If you're getting something that resembles the stock coil suspension, and you're not looking to alter the ride characteristics (just keeping it the same minus the air ride component), a direct replacement of the stock shocks should be all you need. The question is, which stock spring part numbers WOULD you need? There's literally tons, as when GM was building these vehicles part of their "Premium Ride Suspension" system was to allow a computer to select spring stock numbers for each corner. I imagine the goal here was to make up with the springs what couldn't be made up for by design in things like weight distribution across the tires.

In the glovebox there is a big set of RPO codes. There's four codes in particular I'm interested in.

6XX (the two X will be letters)
7XX
8XX
9XX

Not sure if it would include 8XX and 9XX with the air ride suspension, but I can hope. These are the four codes relating to your suspension, and they tell just about what strengths you would require to maintain stock ride and trim.
 

New Envoy

Original poster
Member
Oct 20, 2012
56
6FU, 7FU, 8JN, 9JN are the RPO codes. Looking for something to resemble the stock height and ride.

AND, thanks for the replies!
 

New Envoy

Original poster
Member
Oct 20, 2012
56
OK, from what I can tell, this is what I will be getting.

One pair of Moog springs, #81049
One pair of Moog spring insulators, #K160072
One pair of Monroe Reflex shocks, #911509

Just wanted to double check with everybody and make sure I had everything right. Is that a good setup/package? Anything else I will need? Anything else I should do while Im under there in that area?
 

Steevo

Member
Oct 7, 2012
194
Why would you want to get rid of the nice air ride and do that big conversion when all you probably need is a few hundred dollars worth of those arnott OEM type air bags? I wouldn't buy the arnott replacement type. Just the OEM. FWIW I got mine before Arnott got the OEM parts, I'd have preferred those.

I can't see a reason to change. I replaced my leaking air bags and I have had no further problems, and the arnott parts are lifetime warranty, I will never have to pay for those again.

It took about a half hour to change them.
 

BRomanJr

Member
Dec 9, 2011
371
New Envoy said:
OK, from what I can tell, this is what I will be getting.

One pair of Moog springs, #81049
One pair of Moog spring insulators, #K160072
One pair of Monroe Reflex shocks, #911509

Just wanted to double check with everybody and make sure I had everything right. Is that a good setup/package? Anything else I will need? Anything else I should do while Im under there in that area?
I didn't check your shock part numbers above, but make sure they are coil spring shock replacements and not the air bag shock replacements, IIRC there was a slightly different length and valving between the two.
 

New Envoy

Original poster
Member
Oct 20, 2012
56
Just wanted to give everybody the update. The springs are in! Didnt really have any problems. Took about two hours. I did have to use the bottle jack trick, but it made a easy job even easier. I did not use the new spring insulator. I was planning on using them, but the parts house messed up my order and they did not come in on the truck. So, I tried it without them, no problems, no noises. Also, the ride height is about 5/8 inch higher now, than with the air bags. I expect it to drop slightly once it settles in, so it should be real close to original height.

This is the girlfriends envoy, and she is happy with the ride now. She says it drives/rides better now than it did before. Says it rides like it use to. Now, I think that is mainly from the new shocks more than the springs. But either way, she likes it so all is good.

Everything said and done, I spent right at $135. for the parts, about two hours of my labor, and couldnt be happier. Lifetime warranty on all the parts, And never have to see the back end squatting again.

Thanks for all the help!!
 

The_Roadie

Lifetime VIP Donor
Member
Nov 19, 2011
9,957
Portland, OR
Thanks for coming back with the report. Shocks get noticed a lot when changed, because old ones mostly wear out so slowly that many owners never detect the deterioration.
 

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