Gen 1 Rolling Suspension changes

[meshugy]

Damn, I hope my Gen 1 dampers end up leaking.

Me checking for leaks every day now

It’s my understanding that if you hear chirping at low speeds they’re pretty much required to do the replacement..

I honestly can’t say my suspension is really noisy at all. I’m guessing by late Gen 1 they already corrected some of the noise issues with the suspension, but I may also be lucky. However, at low speeds, below 20 mph, if my sound system and HVAC are off, I can hear slight chirps from the suspension when going over bumps.

Sponsored

 

[meshugy]

I bought my R1S in December 2023.

Could you look up the build date and/or vin? If you open the driver side door the build date is part of the info on the B pillar info plaque.

My Quad was also originally purchased in Dec 2023 (built Aug.2023/ vin 18xxx.) If yours was built around the same time or later, it may validate my theory that there were already significant changes made to the suspension for late model Gen 1s, so much so that having your dampers replaced with Gen 2 ones wasn’t been that noticeable. People who have earlier Gen 1s are probably more likely to have the chirping and clunk sounds as well more ride quality issues. However, probably too early to come to that conclusion as I feel like I’ve read a few accounts of people with late model Gen 1s also having these issues.

 

[Jonger1150]

It’s my understanding that if you hear chirping at low speeds they’re pretty much required to do the replacement..

I honestly can’t say my suspension is really noisy at all. I’m guessing by late Gen 1 they already corrected some of the noise issues with the suspension, but I may also be lucky. However, at low speeds, below 20 mph, if my sound system and HVAC are off, I can hear slight chirps from the suspension when going over bumps.

I had the jounce lines replaced, my issue is the damper clunk on corners.

 

[River Ghost]

@meshugy: I think all the Gen 1 had the original dampers. My service was in the summer after the switch to the Gen 2 so I would guess they put in the Gen 2 dampers due to the leak in the original ones. It did result in some improvement but I would not replace the original ones just for that small improvement. I did not ask them to replace the front dampers but was told about it when I picked up the car.

The reason I think this is likely is that Rivian renegotiated a lot of the components with the suppliers for the Gen 2. When they negotiated the original supply chain for Gen 1 the projected production rate was smaller and this was a startup so they could not get great pricing. It also was during the pandemic and there were supply chain issues (according to RJ). Now they can put in a much larger order to suppliers and possibly with future size increases for the R2. Not only does this allow them to negotiate better terms but some manufacturers that may not have been interested before may now be available. These would be better quality components that are in higher demand. So a lot of the components changed in the revamp for Gen 2 in addition to the same components now being cheaper. They probably had a contract with the suppliers for the components for Gen 1 in order to get the pricing. Unless the contract was violated Rivian likely has limited ability to just switch to another supplier.

There are always going to be improvements and especially as Rivian ramps up their production numbers. We get the software improvements but it is not realistic to also expect to get the hardware improvements. If the front dampers are working it does not make sense to mess with them. The improvements is not that significant.

 

[jpmc86]

thanks for that! The taper and lack of white plastic is also what I noticed on the newer dampers. They’re just replacing the dampers (the top part with the rubber boot,) and not the air spring which is below, correct? If so, do you know what the part number is for the just the damper?

They replace the whole assembly. Damper, and airbag at the front.

At the rear, it’s the airbag itself.

 

[jpmc86]

@meshugy: I think all the Gen 1 had the original dampers. My service was in the summer after the switch to the Gen 2 so I would guess they put in the Gen 2 dampers due to the leak in the original ones. It did result in some improvement but I would not replace the original ones just for that small improvement. I did not ask them to replace the front dampers but was told about it when I picked up the car.

The reason I think this is likely is that Rivian renegotiated a lot of the components with the suppliers for the Gen 2. When they negotiated the original supply chain for Gen 1 the projected production rate was smaller and this was a startup so they could not get great pricing. It also was during the pandemic and there were supply chain issues (according to RJ). Now they can put in a much larger order to suppliers and possibly with future size increases for the R2. Not only does this allow them to negotiate better terms but some manufacturers that may not have been interested before may now be available. These would be better quality components that are in higher demand. So a lot of the components changed in the revamp for Gen 2 in addition to the same components now being cheaper. They probably had a contract with the suppliers for the components for Gen 1 in order to get the pricing. Unless the contract was violated Rivian likely has limited ability to just switch to another supplier.

There are always going to be improvements and especially as Rivian ramps up their production numbers. We get the software improvements but it is not realistic to also expect to get the hardware improvements. If the front dampers are working it does not make sense to mess with them. The improvements is not that significant.

Agree with everything, BUT, to me the airbags not only improved the noise area, it made the car softer and I believe fixed 99% of the porpoising I used to experience. The only sound I have on ours, is axel in all four corners. That is not something that gen2 has fixed either.

 

[Jblaze121]

Agree with everything, BUT, to me the airbags not only improved the noise area, it made the car softer and I believe fixed 99% of the porpoising I used to experience. The only sound I have on ours, is axel in all four corners. That is not something that gen2 has fixed either.

The porpoising was greatly improved with a software update (was that summer? can't keep up)

Honestly would love to be able to roll back to the original 2022 software and show people how rough we had it.

Then again you could drive it like you stole it from any drive mode. Kind of miss that...

 

[Jonger1150]

@meshugy: I think all the Gen 1 had the original dampers. My service was in the summer after the switch to the Gen 2 so I would guess they put in the Gen 2 dampers due to the leak in the original ones. It did result in some improvement but I would not replace the original ones just for that small improvement. I did not ask them to replace the front dampers but was told about it when I picked up the car.

The reason I think this is likely is that Rivian renegotiated a lot of the components with the suppliers for the Gen 2. When they negotiated the original supply chain for Gen 1 the projected production rate was smaller and this was a startup so they could not get great pricing. It also was during the pandemic and there were supply chain issues (according to RJ). Now they can put in a much larger order to suppliers and possibly with future size increases for the R2. Not only does this allow them to negotiate better terms but some manufacturers that may not have been interested before may now be available. These would be better quality components that are in higher demand. So a lot of the components changed in the revamp for Gen 2 in addition to the same components now being cheaper. They probably had a contract with the suppliers for the components for Gen 1 in order to get the pricing. Unless the contract was violated Rivian likely has limited ability to just switch to another supplier.

There are always going to be improvements and especially as Rivian ramps up their production numbers. We get the software improvements but it is not realistic to also expect to get the hardware improvements. If the front dampers are working it does not make sense to mess with them. The improvements is not that significant.

At some point I might ask for a test drive of a gen 2 R1T and see if the suspension is improved enough from those parts to ask what it's going to cost me to get those changes.

I had the jounce lines fixes and the knuckle fix, but the dampers and half-shafts are still OG. Fixing the half-shaft chatter would be nice.

 

[jpmc86]

At some point I might ask for a test drive of a gen 2 R1T and see if the suspension is improved enough from those parts to ask what it's going to cost me to get those changes.

I had the jounce lines fixes and the knuckle fix, but the dampers and half-shafts are still OG. Fixing the half-shaft chatter would be nice.

Half shaft has no fix yet

 

[Jonger1150]

Half shaft has no fix yet

Oh I know.

 

[meshugy]

@meshugy: I think all the Gen 1 had the original dampers. My service was in the summer after the switch to the Gen 2 so I would guess they put in the Gen 2 dampers due to the leak in the original ones. It did result in some improvement but I would not replace the original ones just for that small improvement. I did not ask them to replace the front dampers but was told about it when I picked up the car.

The reason I think this is likely is that Rivian renegotiated a lot of the components with the suppliers for the Gen 2. When they negotiated the original supply chain for Gen 1 the projected production rate was smaller and this was a startup so they could not get great pricing. It also was during the pandemic and there were supply chain issues (according to RJ). Now they can put in a much larger order to suppliers and possibly with future size increases for the R2. Not only does this allow them to negotiate better terms but some manufacturers that may not have been interested before may now be available. These would be better quality components that are in higher demand. So a lot of the components changed in the revamp for Gen 2 in addition to the same components now being cheaper. They probably had a contract with the suppliers for the components for Gen 1 in order to get the pricing. Unless the contract was violated Rivian likely has limited ability to just switch to another supplier.

There are always going to be improvements and especially as Rivian ramps up their production numbers. We get the software improvements but it is not realistic to also expect to get the hardware improvements. If the front dampers are working it does not make sense to mess with them. The improvements is not that significant.

Are the Gen 2 suspension components not still made by Monroe? If you look at the photos Donald provided of the Gen 2 suspension on his Tri, the labels still say Monroe so I don’t think Rivian changed suppliers for suspension parts.

Perhaps the reason you don’t notice as much of a difference in ride quality is because only the front air springs were upgraded on your vehicle. @jpmc86 also had the rear air springs upgraded and he reports a very noticeable improvement in ride quality.

Luke, the head of vehicle dynamics states that a redesign of rear damper was one of the main changes for Gen 2.

 

[meshugy]

@jpmc86 I see in another thread your front dampers on your 2023 R1S originally had this part # C100055319-B

What part number is displayed on the current retrofitted dampers you have now?

My 2023 R1S (Aug build) has part number C200055318 - A on the left side and C200055320 - A on the right side. Identical to this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1671325212...lp:2332490&itmmeta=01JEVV65MX3GBD06Z8XA2AJT70

Anyone familiar with Rivian’s part numbering system? I would assume since @jpmc86 has a car built a month later than mine, 55319-B designates a later revision of my 55318-A and 55320-A dampers. I’m guessing 55319-B was the right one and 55317-B was the left one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/335529423643


However, 55317-B/55319-B sequentially looks earlier than 55318-A/55320-A. So maybe even though @jpmc86 has a car built a month later, his dampers were somehow an earlier revision.

@jpmc86 do you have a Quad or a Dual? Maybe different part numbers for the Duals?

And what’s the difference between the C2 series of my damper part # and the C1 series of @jpmc86 part?

@Donald Stanfield has a Gen 2 TRI with damper part number PT200055318 - E.

So maybe some of the problem dampers where the 55317/55319 series 1 parts. some later Gen 1 models got an earlier version of the 55318/55320 series dampers found on Gen 2s which solved some of the chirping and ride quality issues.

that would explain why I have only the faintest chirping sound and generally pretty nice ride quality on a 2023 Gen 1.

thoughts?

 

[meshugy]

Ok, after studying some photos of various Rivian G1 front suspension units, I’ve concluded the following:

The air springs have these numbers:

Right: C100055319-B
Left: C100055317-B

I’ve also seen, not sure what the difference is.


Right: P00055319-B
Left: P00055317-B


Right: PT00055319-D
Left: PT00055317-D

And these which maybe were what the 2022 launch models had:

Right: C10002753-G
Left: C10002751-G



The dampers have these part #

Right: C100055320-A
Left: C100055318-A

or


Right: PT00055320-C
Left: PT00055318-C

Right: PT00055320-D
Left: PT00055318-D


And these ones (2022 Launch?)

Right: C10002754-G
Left: C10002752-G


The Gen 2 dampers are:


Right: PT200055320 - E
Left: PT200055318 - E

 

[jpmc86]

The porpoising was greatly improved with a software update (was that summer? can't keep up)

Honestly would love to be able to roll back to the original 2022 software and show people how rough we had it.

Then again you could drive it like you stole it from any drive mode. Kind of miss that...

100%, and the timing was very odd. That update that fixed a lot of suspension issues was launched right when gen2 launch happened. I bet a lot of improvements were software on gen1 and gen2.

 

[BlueR1S]

It's great to hear that Gen 1 and Gen 2 dampers and springs are interchangeable and repairs are done with improved Gen 2 parts.

As far as rolling/phased in updates, I have a 2024 Gen1 R1S QM, vin 31xxx. In this late build, my rear Rivian/Monroe shock PN is PT00055237-E. Does anyone have a gen2 PN for the rear shock? And where is the PN on the rear air spring?

Sponsored