List of Suspension Issues in the Yukon Denali (3+ Expert Tips)
By
Vroomouk
In this brief article, we are going to discuss the issues that occur in the General Motors Yukon Denali Suspension, what the causes are, and Troubleshooting Tips.
Top 10 Suspension problems in Yukon Denali
- Vehicle was bouncing excessively
- Harsh Ride
- Clunk noise
- Rattling noise
- Creak or squeak noise
- Popping or knocking noise
- Uneven ride/trim height
- Suspension System warning message
What Suspension does the Yukon Denali Have?
The Air Ride Adaptive Suspension available on the reworked 2021 Yukon AT4 and Denali trims. It is a suspension with automatic level control and a variable rate Air spring design.
The components of this system are :
- Air Suspension Compressor
- Air Dryer Assembly
- Automatic Level Control Module
- Pneumatic Control Unit
- Air Intake Muffler
- Air Intake Port
- Air Intake Particulate Filter
- Exhaust Air Vent
Driver Ride-Height Controls
The driver control system allows the selection of 4 different ride heights. The Driver Information Center displays the selected modes:
| Entry/Exit Ground Clearance | Lowers the vehicle to ease entry and exit |
| Normal Ground Clearance | Default vehicle height for normal driving |
| Increased Ground Clearance (4WD HI) | Raises the Ride height 1 inch (25 mm) above Normal |
| Maximum Ground Clearance (4WD LO) | Raises the vehicle 2 inches (51 mm) above Normal |
| Service Mode | All air suspension raising and lowering the vehicle and air compressor operation are disabled |
| Alignment Mode | Enable this mode when the vehicle is about to drive onto an alignment rack. |
Magnetic Ride Control
This feature is standard on Denali and AT4 trims of the Yukon. The system uses sensors to continuously sense suspension movement and acceleration and alter the damping rate of the shocks. The Air Ride Adaptive Suspension, paired with Magnetic Ride Control, helps provide a tight handling and at the same time a smooth ride, with very little compromise on the two.
Vehicle was bouncing excessively
- Feeling of instability while driving and changing lanes; poor handling
- Excessive Bouncing over rough patches
- No warning lights or error/warning messages displayed
- Common in 2019 and newer Yukons
Troubleshooting vehicle bouncing excessively
- Known issue whose root cause is the new strut design that was introduced in 2019.
- The issue is related to supplier quality. Original Struts were marked as manufactured in Mexico, whereas the dealer replacements were marked as manufactured in Poland. A replacement part should therefore solve the issue.
Yukon Z95 suspension Harsh Ride on one side
- The ride quality on one side feels extremely harsh,
- It almost like there is no suspension at all.
Yukon Z95 Clunk, Rattling, Creak or squeak, Popping or knocking Noises
- During driving over normal moderate uneven road conditions, there is intermittent noise distinctly coming from one or two corners of the vehicle
- Noise increases with speed
Suspension Warning message
The Warning will appear as
“Service Suspension System” or
“Service Ride Control”
And will be displayed on the Driver Interactive Controls
Troubleshooting Yukon Z95 Harsh Ride, Clunk, Rattling, Creak or squeak, Popping or knocking Noises, Uneven ride/trim height & Suspension System warning message
- The Z95 is the RPO code for Magnetic Ride Control Shocks.
- All other elements remaining the same, the shock absorber plays a major role in ride quality of any one corner suspension
- In this case, it is clearly the shock absorber that is at fault. A leaking shock absorber is the reason for a vast majority of Ride problems
- As a DIY Magnetic Ride Control Shocks are not as simple as a conventional shock in terms of installation. The MagneRide Shocks have connections to the Ride control system that need to be carefully removed from the old shock and properly connected to the new shock
- Top connector of the strut not available in the replacement part. So you would need to reuse the connector from the old strut.
- Use a hydraulic or wall mounted Spring compressor to remove the spring because the Yukon springs are High-rate springs of ~ 600 pounds preload. Normal car coil spring compressors may not work
Conclusion
In this brief article we have discussed the issues that occur in the General Motors Yukon Denali Suspension, what the causes are, and Troubleshooting Tips.
