Taking out the old air bag suspension...

[CHIEF BIG RIDGE]

It's long overdue but I am finally taking out my air bag suspension. Just not real sure what to replace them with. I figured I would get some some insight from everyone on what spring/shock combination sounds best for my truck. I have a 03 Envoy and I plan on going on mild trails and I already hit a lot of mud pits. I would love some input fellas.

[Rob93]

You can go with z71s for lift... but if not I have a set of stock rear springs for you

[Saxis]

I replaced mine with Z71s, and 2" BDS lift... Make sure you get the rubber isolators. Next time I have the rear suspension apart, I'm putting them on top and bottom of the spring. Lots of clunking noises, but it could just be from the spacers being a little loose.

[Harry Moto]

I'm changing my TB from springs to airbags. It will have cab mounted switches to manually manipulate the bag pressures. The reason I'm bringing it up is because I'd like to score a set of the stock ride height sensors; being an electronics guy, I figure I can adapt some kind of gauge to the height sensors so I can easily hit my ride height when running a different load or something. Anybody got the old hardware for me?

[Saxis]

I'm changing my TB from springs to airbags. It will have cab mounted switches to manually manipulate the bag pressures. The reason I'm bringing it up is because I'd like to score a set of the stock ride height sensors; being an electronics guy, I figure I can adapt some kind of gauge to the height sensors so I can easily hit my ride height when running a different load or something. Anybody got the old hardware for me?

Mine are still attached to the truck, as well as the working compressor. I also have the airbags in a box somewhere, but I cut the lines right above the bags when I removed them. Not ready to remove the compressor quite yet, but don't need the sensors or bags. I don't know how you'd wire them in without the connections from the compressor though...

I eventually plan on putting in the Tahoe AirLift bags and the AirLift Quickshot compressor/tank. I'm just waiting for it to go on sale again. Found it for $290 on Amazon once down from its usual $365, but didn't jump on it. I won't let that slip by again.

[The Roadie]

You not only have to be an electronics guy, you need to be an ambitious electronics guy, to use the OEM sensors. If I read the shop manual correctly, they're non-contact LDVT sensors, not simple pots, since pots would wear out quickly in the wheel well environment and the wiper signal would be pretty noisy. So your control box would have to have the excitation AC signal for the coil, and a synchronous millivolt detector/amp circuit. I put in AirLift bags and just remoted the compressor switch and pressure dump button to my console. Too little benefit to a fully-automatic system for what I do.

http://www.lvdt.co.uk/howtheywork.html

[Harry Moto]

Dang! That's bad news. I did have them figured to be pots; big industrial wire wound types in an uber-sealed case. Noise is easliy averaged out on a system this slow. But hey, it's probably cheaper for someone like GM to use the LDVT stuff; a big lifetime pot ain't cheap, nor is the uber-sealed case.

I didn't plan to go full auto, BTW, just wanted an in-cab indication of the rear height. I guess I'll have to fabricate something.

Thanks for the quick and knowledgable replies!

[SYNNER]

I know I'm digging up a very old thread but this is what I came up with for what I was looking for. I plan on the Z71 springs and removing the factory air. My question is, will the on board compressor still be usable? Like for airing up a mattress or beach toys for the baby. So on and so forth. Sorry if a dumb question bit learning.

[KingBird]

After converting mine to springs and shocks, my onboard compressor would only get to 15psi under load. My air shocks were blown when I got my Bravada so I'm not sure whether my compressor is just worn out or wouldn't go any higher due to the open lines to the shocks.

Either way, I'd cap off the lines to the original airshocks and solely use the accessory port.

[SYNNER]

That's what I was wondering thanks