Early Signs You Need to Replace Your Jeep Grand Cherokee Suspension

by Troy Hammond on September 05, 2022 Categories: Tech Talk

Fans of the wilderness and comfort alike have come to love the Jeep Grand Cherokee for its versatility. From a classy and luxurious ride around town to locations more off-the-beaten path, the Grand Cherokee can get you pretty much anywhere. There’s one thing that can keep your Jeep from getting you where you want to go, however. A faulty Quadra-Lift air suspension. Here are some early signs you might need to replace your Jeep Grand Cherokee suspension.

What does the suspension do?

Your Jeep’s suspension performs some important functions, all of which keep you safe and comfortable while your car is rolling.

First of all, your suspension connects the wheels to the body of the vehicle. Your suspension system allows the wheels to move freely up and down, as opposed to being rigidly connected to the vehicle. When you hit a bump, for example, the body of the vehicle remains stable, while the wheels adjust.

Your suspension also increases stability and comfort when you are driving. The suspension in your vehicle absorbs vibration and keeps your vehicle stable while taking turns, ultimately leading to a more comfortable ride.

Your Jeep Grand Cherokee can be outfitted with a Quadra-Lift air suspension. This is an automatic adjustment system, meaning that you don’t have to stop the vehicle if you want to raise or lower the suspension. For Jeep users, this allows ample amounts of utility. That is, until the system fails and leaves you in park until you can get it repaired. This might have something to do with why Jeep is not including the Quadra-Lift suspension on it’s new Grand Cherokee L models.

With your Jeep Grand Cherokee, however, there are some early warning signs of a failing air suspension. Looking out for these signs can help save you time and money, and help you avoid the danger of driving on a faulty suspension.

Warning signs of a faulty suspension

Because your suspension is integral to the safe functioning of your vehicle, driving on a failing suspension can be extremely dangerous. And, like all air suspensions, the Quadra-Lift is not without its problems. Eventually, they fail and need repair or replacement.

Like most modern vehicles, your Jeep is equipped with a warning light that indicates problems within the system. However, if you keep an eye out for these early warning signs, you may be able to stop the problem before it becomes outrageously expensive.

Here’s a list of some things to be aware of:

Compressor malfunction

Air suspensions are run off of the air. The compressor is what fills the air bags that support the car, and it relies on a motor to generate air. If your compressor begins to fail, you might notice some strange noises. If you hear excessively loud grinding, clicking, or whining, this may be your compressor’s motor dying. Your compressor could eventually fail and disable your vehicle if you ignore these sounds for too long.

Vehicle looks or rides low

A noticeably lower vehicle, whether visually or by ride height, is one of the most common symptoms of a problem with your air suspension. Your car may look like it’s sagging forwards or backwards, and this is because the air suspension is unable to keep the vehicle at the correct height.

Trouble stopping

One of the more worrisome symptoms of a failing air suspension is having trouble with stopping your vehicle. You may also experience “lurching,” a problem that makes the car feel like it’s nose diving when you come to a stop. When this essential task is compromised, it’s more than likely due to a problem with your air suspension.

Other signs and symptoms it might be time to replace your Jeep Grand Cherokee suspension

Besides these more common signs and symptoms, there may be some other indicators that your air suspension is in jeopardy.

Another sign of trouble with your air suspension is leaking air. Your system has multiple components which are susceptible to holes or small punctures. Be on the lookout for any signs of this, including condensation rust or any hissing noises.

If you notice a bumpier ride than usual, or you feel like your car goes out of control when you’re taking a turn, these are likely warning signs you may need to replace your suspension. It’s important to be aware of things that look, feel, or sound abnormal with your Jeep Grand Cherokee. It’s also possible to proactively check for issues with your Jeep’s suspension.

The bounce test

The bounce test is an efficient and proactive way to check for any suspension issues with your Jeep Grand Cherokee. It shouldn’t take long, and performing this test can go a long way as far as preventative maintenance. Here’s how to do it:

Choose one corner of your vehicle to start with
In that corner, push down hard on the bumper
Observe how the bumper springs back up
Repeat on each corner

If you don’t have any suspension problems, each corner should pop right back up into place. However, if it takes a long time, or bounces up and down before settling in, you likely have a problem.

If your car fails the bounce test, or you notice any of the other warning signs of a faulty air suspension, make sure to go and get your car looked at. A bad suspension is a serious hazard, and the longer you wait to get it fixed, the more expensive it can get.

Replace Your Jeep Grand Cherokee Suspension

So you think you may need to replace your Jeep Grand Cherokee suspension…

If you think you have a suspension problem, you’ll want to go to the dealer and get it checked out. While mechanics at your Jeep dealership are more than equipped to help you with any problem, they’re also likely to charge you a premium price. The quote to fix a suspension, especially an air suspension, is more than likely to leave you reeling.

Perhaps you’ve done an internet search for aftermarket parts, and found a deal that looks better than what they quoted you at the dealer for factory OEM parts. While this may initially seem like a great option, air suspensions are super complicated. That means they take a long time to fix. Once you factor in the time of labor for air suspension repairs, the dollar signs
start rolling.

The real bummer here? Air suspensions are unreliable, and you may end up back in the shop with the same issues as before. There’s good news, though. One way that you can eliminate your air suspension problems is by replacing it altogether!

A better alternative for your Jeep

If you replace your Jeep Grand Cherokee’s suspension with a traditional coilover suspension, it can help you get rid of your air suspension problems forever. The team of engineers at American Air Suspension have worked to develop a coilover suspension replacement kit, and it costs a fraction of what replacing your air suspension would cost you...

In place of a complicated system with delicate components, this replacement kit allows your Jeep to sit on heavy duty steel struts and springs. Every kit is made with top quality materials, precision manufacturing, and it’s all done right here in the USA.

American Air Suspensions’ engineers have spent hours obsessively adjusting these cold-wound springs to come as close as possible to replicating your Jeep’s original ride. With American Air Suspensions’ patented Glide Ride Technology, you’ll easily fall in love all over again with your Grand Cherokee.

This straightforward solution has also been designed so that it’s easy to replace your Jeep Grand Cherokee suspension. With just a few bolts, installing them is much easier than what it would take with a complex air suspension. It’s even possible to install them yourself. As long as you’ve got a sturdy car jack, a couple of common tools, and a few hours, installation of one of our kits can be done right at home.

If you trust your mechanic more than yourself, however, the ease of installation means a lot less time spent in the shop, and a repair bill that’s much smaller, too.

Replace your Jeep Grand Cherokee suspension and fix your problems once and for all

We’re confident in the quality of each of our products, and if you decide to replace your Jeep Grand Cherokee suspension, we want you to be as well. Because we stand behind our products, every kit comes with a one-year warranty on the springs themselves.

If you’re ready to say goodbye to air suspension problems with your Jeep Grand Cherokee, you can order one of our kits online today. Still have questions? We’re here for you. Our suspension experts are standing by to help you on email info@americanairsuspension.com.