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Rear suspension damage

100jacks

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I did it with the whole thing on the ground, the kinetic suspension doesn't affect the springs/shocks it is just fancy sway bars.

The pump housing has spring clips you'll need to pry off with a small pick or screwdriver but be sure to not break them was you'll need them to seal the whole thing again.

Yes you have to drain from all 4 corners and with air pressure to each corner to clear out all the fluid then vacuum it otherwise you will not be able to fill it properly as air will be trapped in the lines. That step is messy so make sure you have your floors covered with cardboard or something to catch the oil spray. If there is air in the lines you won't be able to pressurize correctly as air compresses. Vacuuming without draining doesn't really work well as you'll have air bubbles trapped between fluid due to the small diameter of the pipes. There really aren't many shortcuts to this procedure though I did bypass the pressure tank rig and used a 100psi water pump instead.

You didn't need to change the valves as you could have just purchased OE compatible fittings instead. 1/4" NPT ISO 7241-B. Once you refill properly any opening of the lines means you have to redo the whole thing.

Just keep in mind here any shortcuts will mean you get to do the whole thing again, it is a tedious and messy job so take your time and do it right the first time. Before you fill the fluid make sure the system can hold a vacuum for a few hours to ensure there are no loose fittings and make sure to purge the air in the supply lines before opening the valves
I appreciate your detailed reply! I went back to instructions from the Rivian and looked if I could combine the RIDE draining the system and refilling it using the custom made Pump contraption.

I did buy the original female NPT valve connectors and I'll reinstall instead of Swagelock ones, since it's less expensive option and can be maintained by Rivian. Thanks for sending the ISO!

I also ordered the CH202 Fuchs Titan fluid, that Rivian recommends, instead of CHF11S which I had delivered previously.

I will remove the pump today and continue with the procedure. Do you connect the compressor to the valve connectors after blipping the pump and solenoids and you pump the air through each line that way? Just checking, that I'm not blowing the air through the line on the strut itself?

Also, did you blip both solenoids or just one?
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Nixapatfan

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I appreciate your detailed reply! I went back to instructions from the Rivian and looked if I could combine the RIDE draining the system and refilling it using the custom made Pump contraption.

I did buy the original female NPT valve connectors and I'll reinstall instead of Swagelock ones, since it's less expensive option and can be maintained by Rivian. Thanks for sending the ISO!

I also ordered the CH202 Fuchs Titan fluid, that Rivian recommends, instead of CHF11S which I had delivered previously.

I will remove the pump today and continue with the procedure. Do you connect the compressor to the valve connectors after blipping the pump and solenoids and you pump the air through each line that way? Just checking, that I'm not blowing the air through the line on the strut itself?

Also, did you blip both solenoids or just one?
Yes blow the air through the same valve connectors for filling and vacuum. Just open jounce line at each corner and blow air until all fluid is drained one at a time, close jounce line and move to the next corner until all 4 are done.
 

100jacks

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Yes blow the air through the same valve connectors for filling and vacuum. Just open jounce line at each corner and blow air until all fluid is drained one at a time, close jounce line and move to the next corner until all 4 are done.
@Nixapatfan I did blow compressed air through All the lines separately. However, Can you please explain to me like to a child how to disassemble the air compressor pump once I take it out of the housing. I cannot find the reservoir tank cap and with all the foam I cannot find a way to easily remove the pump without damaging it.
Do I disconnect all the pump lines first and then you take the thing out of the housing and then you refill it and put it back?
 

Nixapatfan

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@Nixapatfan I did blow compressed air through All the lines separately. However, Can you please explain to me like to a child how to disassemble the air compressor pump once I take it out of the housing. I cannot find the reservoir tank cap and with all the foam I cannot find a way to easily remove the pump without damaging it.
Do I disconnect all the pump lines first and then you take the thing out of the housing and then you refill it and put it back?
I'll have to dig up a picture I took of it. But no further disassembly is needed once you get it out of the foam shell. The reservoir tank is the round plastic tank on top with a small hex plug,you remove the plug and fill it with a tiny funnel and a piece of tubing. It's a slow process as the hole is small and have to wait for air bubbles to come out as you fill.
 

100jacks

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Did you have to remove the line going to the solenoid assembly to remove the pump out of the housing?
I took the pump down and removed all the clips holding it . It seemed like bump doesn't want to move out of the housing. I didn't want to yank it out because I wasn't sure if anything else is holding it and don't want to damage any lines, after reading Cuz's experience.
I appreciate your help!
 

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Nixapatfan

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Did you have to remove the line going to the solenoid assembly to remove the pump out of the housing?
I took the pump down and removed all the clips holding it . It seemed like bump doesn't want to move out of the housing. I didn't want to yank it out because I wasn't sure if anything else is holding it and don't want to damage any lines, after reading Cuz's experience.
I appreciate your help!
I did not disconnect the line. You'll need to get it out of the foam to see the filler plug. Foam is just friction fit into the housing.
Rivian R1T R1S Rear suspension damage 20250311_145405

Rivian R1T R1S Rear suspension damage 20250311_145426


I wedged the pump between the tire and wheel well and bumper trim to get access to the fill hole.
Rivian R1T R1S Rear suspension damage 20250311_145504


Made a filling tube with funnel and parts from a brake bleeder. Hindsight might be easier with a squeeze bottle.
Rivian R1T R1S Rear suspension damage 20250311_151731

Rivian R1T R1S Rear suspension damage 20250311_152013
 

100jacks

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Thanks again @Nixapatfan for all the details.
I finally removed the pump and refilled it with fluid to the brim. It was a royal pain to remove it from the housing. (I needed to separate the grommet by holding the pipe on the side of the pump and pulling the grommet away from the plastic, to allow some space) so I can pull the pump from the housing without putting too much tension on the pipe. That pipe does look very fragile. I took your advice and used a squeeze bottle.
I ran the pump for a few seconds and blipped both solenoids one at the time.
After that I ran the vacuum pump and pressure filled the system.
Restarting the car helped, the turtle mode is off and I can change the ride height and into off-road mode. However, the red damper warning is still on the dash. I'll try to get RiDE tomorrow and perform some resets.
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