Rate the following shocks

[chopped39]

HD

I know, old thread. I've been getting a thump which only happens with a passenger in the car. It happens over small bumps in the road. Or large bumps too. I thought it was from around the transmission area. Drive shaft doesn't seem to be hitting, nothing in the rear appears to be hitting. All upper body bushings are in place. Put car on lift and mechanic found a nice clean spot on the rf coil spring where it was rubbing against the frame. I don't see how that could cause a thump but what do I know. He is certain that is the cause of the thump. So I dropped the shock and spring to reposition the spring and found out the Monro sens a trac shock is completely dead. When I pushed the plunger in it does not come out at all. I haven't inspected the other shocks yet but I ASSume they are on the way out too. I installed them in june 2011. They were cheap, about $20 each if I recall. Should shocks wear out in 3 years and maybe 25k miles? I just bought 4 kyb shocks at Jegs for about $35 each. This is 1/2 the price that Advance and AZ sells them for, plus no tax and free shipping. My mechanic says 3 years is all you get out of shocks these days.

Is the car stock height? If it is lowered the sensitrac will not work properly and will wear prematurely . The valving is set in the shock at a desired spot depending on application. When they first came out they were decent and then they went to shit. I worked for Midas when they dealt with Monroe and over time the quality went away. They wanted the shock inspected every 12k. If I was taking them off to inspect them they were bad.lol. I put a set of Monroe response shocks on my 95 century and they were leaking in less than a year . Who did you buy them from. Midas was giving life time warranty on sensitrac shocks and struts back when I was there. I ran them On my Limited and it road pretty nice. My whole suspension was moog at the time.lol

 

[GNRick]

I checked at Oreilly's but they didn't have a record of me purchasing them. I'll try Advance. I can't seem to find the receipt. The car is at stock height.

 

[GNRick]

Has anybody tried Sachs shocks from Auto Zone? http://www.zf.com/na/content/en/united_states/corporate_us/homepage/index.html

 

[Tori]

I work at at shop, and we only install KYB. (We'd sell and install Bilstien too, but they are not readily available like the KYB.) Nothing else seems to last more than about a year. We have been very satisfied with KYB. I recently put the Gas-Adjust on the rear of my 87 but they were too stiff for my liking, so i went with their GR2 model. I'm happy with them. I want my car to ride nice, i'm not after a track stiff suspension. HTH

 

[GNRick]

Tori,
I ordered the gas adjust for the front and rear. I can still change the order since they won't ship until Monday. Should I leave the gas shocks on the front and get the GR2 for the rear or get GR2 on the front too? Thanks.

 

[Tori]

It just depends on the ride your looking for. The GR2 is more of a stock replacement, while the Gas Adjust will stiffen things up a bit. Are you looking for a Buick Regal kinda ride, or Corvette type ride?

I wouldn't mix and match them as you'll notice a difference between how the front and rear responds. One end will have finished moving while the other is still settling on its last stroke.

All that said, i just came from the shop where i replaced the factory original fronts with GR2's . As a tip for replacement of the fronts, leave the bottom of the shock bolted in place, then jack the front of the car from cross member, this will get you the clearance you need to remove the nuts at the top of the front shocks. Front wheels can stay on the car.

 

[DavidM]

How do the Bilstein AK and HD shocks differ?

 

[GNRick]

It just depends on the ride your looking for. The GR2 is more of a stock replacement, while the Gas Adjust will stiffen things up a bit. Are you looking for a Buick Regal kinda ride, or Corvette type ride?

I wouldn't mix and match them as you'll notice a difference between how the front and rear responds. One end will have finished moving while the other is still settling on its last stroke.

All that said, i just came from the shop where i replaced the factory original fronts with GR2's . As a tip for replacement of the fronts, leave the bottom of the shock bolted in place, then jack the front of the car from cross member, this will get you the clearance you need to remove the nuts at the top of the front shocks. Front wheels can stay on the car.

Thanks for the info Tori. I just canceled the Gas Adjust order and placed the order for GR2's. What else have you done to your new GN since you got home?

 

[John Larkin]

KYB Gas Adjusts are stiff. I had a set on my old 64 Grand Prix and didn't like it even on a heavy car.

I just ordered a front pair of Sensatracs for the GN. GR2 were the same price.

 

[scot w.]

Bilsteins. $300 +/-
VariShock single adj. $650 +/-
VariShock double adj. $950 +/-

but if money is Not a hindering factor,
you could go with RideTech triple adj. with remote reservoir.
$2300 +/-

John your absolutely correct, if money isn't a hindering factor then the RideTech triple adjustable's are killer !! But in most cases a bit of an over kill....

You forgot the RideTech Single adjustable front & Rear from us for $1,500 (Shipped ) Plus all RideTech shocks carry a 1,000,000 mile warranty so they will most likely be the last shock you ever buy.. let's see the others warranty on their shocks!

Then there is the RideTech "Smooth Body" regular bolt on shocks which are as follows:

Non Adjustable smooth body shock = $125.00 ea.

Single adjustable smooth body shock = $175.00 ea. and they mount Exactly like the stock shocks and yet you have single adjustability in rebound just like you do with their SA coil overs....

 

[GNRick]

KYB Gas Adjusts are stiff. I had a set on my old 64 Grand Prix and didn't like it even on a heavy car.

I just ordered a front pair of Sensatracs for the GN. GR2 were the same price.

I just got done replacing the four Sensatracs with the GR2's. Three of the four Sensatracs were totally "dead". They were only 3 years old. No more Monroe shocks for me. I hope the KYB's last longer.

 

[T What?]

Does anyone have experience with Strange shocks? Feedback

 

[shifty6]

Does anyone have experience with Strange shocks? Feedback

Strange single adjustables here....luv em!

 

[6cylboost]

What was strange about them?
sorry. had to say it

 

[TexasT]

You couldn't get me to install another kyb if you gave them to me. Lifetime warranty is worthless. I had one spit a seal. Tried to warranty and the place I bought them acted like I was trying to put.one over on them. Bilstien or I might be swayed into the ride tech single adjustables. Those sound interesting.

Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

 

[DavidM]

You couldn't get me to install another kyb if you gave them to me. Lifetime warranty is worthless. I had one spit a seal. Tried to warranty and the place I bought them acted like I was trying to put.one over on them. Bilstien or I might be swayed into the ride tech single adjustables. Those sound interesting.

Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

I have KYBs now and if I have time tonight I will have the Bilsteins in.

 

[TURBOPOWERED68]

I have KYBs on my 3800# car and can't wait to get rid of them.
the shocks are so stiff the car feels like the suspension doesn't move. Add small side walls to that mix and it feels like shit on a bumpy road.
I do want a stiff suspension but the shocks should at least budge a little bit.
now as far as life of the KYBs i used them for years. On my car now over 4 years and they still feel just as stiff as the day I installed them. I've also used KYBs on my previous car 01 GTP shock spring combo and loved them. I guess the KYBs are not for every car.

Anyways i am looking to replace the KYBs and i am leaning towards Bilstein.
i also considered
Vicking coil over adjustables
Koni adjustables
and
QA1 coil over adjustable

 

[scot w.]

You couldn't get me to install another kyb if you gave them to me. Lifetime warranty is worthless. I had one spit a seal. Tried to warranty and the place I bought them acted like I was trying to put.one over on them. Bilstien or I might be swayed into the ride tech single adjustables. Those sound interesting.

Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

Rich,
We will be running a Black Friday sale on All RideTech products which will get you a pretty good deal on the RideTech SA coil overs and I will tell you that we Will stand behind what we sell and RideTech has a Million Mile warranty on All their shocks and if there is any problem with the shocks they work with us in a very timely manner to keep you happy...