New Shocks and Struts

[AJ52486]

My car has 146,000 miles on it, and I believe it still has the original shocks and struts. They all say "De Carbon" on them.

So I'm thinking about new shocks and struts for a couple of reasons. My car rides pretty rough; worse than my lowered pickup with the cheapest shocks I could find. Also, the back of my car seems to be sagging. I'm not sure if it is the shocks or the springs, but I figure shocks wouldn't hurt anyways.

I'm not trying to make it ride like a Cadillac, but it would be nice if I didn't have to feel every crack in the road. I don't plan on autocrossing it, but I do enjoy the occasional curvy road. I'm also interested in drag racing, but I will definately spend more time on the street. Price is also a consideration. In case you were wondering, I don't plan on lowering my car, and the suspension is completely stock.

Today I was quoted $281 after tax for Monroe Sensa-Trac shocks and struts all the way around. Are these shocks going to offer what I want, and is that a good price? If anyone has any suggestions for other brands, please post them, but I don't want to spend much more than $300.

The Monroe part numbers are as follows:

Struts - 71290
Shocks - 5867

[LarryMow]

Glad you posted that, my 93 Firebird is fairly close to the same milage...and I too, have been thinking of doing the same thing.

[WhiteSmoke]

Your best bet is to do a search first, I see some intersting posts under Springs and shocks

[Rob B (shoebox)]

You can get a set of Bilstein HDs for around $300. BTW, they are all shocks. 4th gens don't have struts on the front.

[Injuneer]

Your main complaint seems to be a harsh ride ("My car rides pretty rough" - "it would be nice if I didn't have to feel every crack in the road."). That's not the usual symptom of worn shocks. They will make the ride "floaty" and uncontrolled, not harsher - lots of uncontrolled bouncing up and down.

Replacing the shocks will "firm it up" and eliminate the excessive bounce and "float". With a healthy suspension, these cars handle very well, generating some decent cornering numbers for a solid axle setup. But that level of handling is achieved in part by firm shocks.

Sag in the rear would most likely be the springs or damaged upper spring isolators. Gas-filled shocks apply a slight upward pressure, but not enough to cause visual sag when they wear out.

[AJ52486]

I thought that they were all shocks, but the guy at Monro informed me that they had struts on the front. I figured "he does this for a living, so he should know what he is talking about."

The ride is harsh when I hit a bump that compresses the suspension. If I go over a hill, the car feels really soft when the suspension is uncompressed (I forget the technical term for this). Maybe my springs and shocks are worn out. The car might hit the bumpstops when I hit a bump, causing the harsh ride. And when the car goes over a hill, the suspension moves away from the bumpstops and the worn-out shocks make the car feel really soft. I did notice that the rear axle was smooth and relatively clean right below the bumpstops.

How can I tell if the springs are worn out? Fred also mentioned the upper spring isolators. If I support the car by the frame, and support the axle with a jack, then remove the rear shocks, then lower the axle until I can get the springs out, will I be able to check the spring isolators. Is that an acceptable method for removing the springs, or is there a better way?

[Rob B (shoebox)]

I hate to tell you that the "Monroe guy" obviously does not know what it is he is selling. The fact is that 4th gens have shocks on the front. There is no doubt about this. 3rd gens have struts on the front. Maybe he is confused.

With 146k miles, I would recommend springs and shocks, just to cover all bases. The front springs have to be separated from the shocks to change either one, so it makes more sense (IMO) to replace them both at the same time. The rear springs are easy, so do whatever you want to do there. Changing all as a matched set is best, though.
If you want a particular type of ride you might consult an expert like Sam Strano to customize something for you.

[Injuneer]

Even front end shops are confused about what kind of suspension the 4th Gens have. Several shops have told me they couldn't align my front end because the "strut" front suspension has no adjustments. That was right before they told me they wouldn't even work on cars with modified suspensions (the car was lowered at the time). Even the guy that eventually did the work (and did it well) didn't realize there was a difference between the 3rd Gens and the 4th Gens, but after I explained it to him, explained what was modified in the suspension, and gave him the alignment specs I wanted, he managed to align it and get it right.

[toddwirges]

You can get a set of Bilstein HDs for around $300. BTW, they are all shocks. 4th gens don't have struts on the front.

+1. Much better than Monroe's.

[4THGEN Z]

I also have Bilsteins but they are the SLP spec set as part of their Level 1 setup. They are definitely an improvement over the deCarbons.