Can't find front shocks!

[Whisper1]

Originally Posted by Risingson05

I agree - if it came down to replacing all 4 - I would defiantly do coil
Overs

Thanks for running that to ground. I was not alarmed by the price per unit for repair. Are you reading that the shipping costs are for a set of 4? Can't imagine that it would be for one but I have not weighed a strut and gone through a calculation. Thanks

[ZMEnow]

Originally Posted by Whisper1

Thanks for running that to ground. I was not alarmed by the price per unit for repair. Are you reading that the shipping costs are for a set of 4? Can't imagine that it would be for one but I have not weighed a strut and gone through a calculation. Thanks

Seems like they are charging just slightly less than US list price is for one. I would still buy them while you can at 450 new. I have been stocking up..

[Whisper1]

Originally Posted by ZMEnow

Seems like they are charging just slightly less than US list price is for one. I would still buy them while you can at 450 new. I have been stocking up..

That's backs only though, correct?

[ZMEnow]

Originally Posted by Whisper1

That's backs only though, correct?

I got a couple of sets of fronts from Amazon back in the day when they had late night algorithm sales that moved overstocked items of high value with low activity. $183. ea.. have only lost one front which was the right at 10k and the dealer swapped the old with a warranty replacement and I put it on. So good on struts for the fronts, it’s the back that seem to keep going. My guess is it’s just to much squat for them with the extra hp over stock, and I say that because there is a history of rear failures in the Cadillac CT’s-v forums with higher hp.

[Risingson05]

Originally Posted by Whisper1

Thanks for running that to ground. I was not alarmed by the price per unit for repair. Are you reading that the shipping costs are for a set of 4? Can't imagine that it would be for one but I have not weighed a strut and gone through a calculation. Thanks

They just got back to me - the shipping and customs quote is for all 4

[FASTFATBOY]

My car was riding like a covered wagon, the left rear was leaking. I bought some used rears and I am now Cadillac'n again.

[Whisper1]

Originally Posted by ZMEnow

I got a couple of sets of fronts from Amazon back in the day when they had late night algorithm sales that moved overstocked items of high value with low activity. $183. ea.. have only lost one front which was the right at 10k and the dealer swapped the old with a warranty replacement and I put it on. So good on struts for the fronts, it’s the back that seem to keep going. My guess is it’s just to much squat for them with the extra hp over stock, and I say that because there is a history of rear failures in the Cadillac CT’s-v forums with higher hp.

Ah, I must have missed your HP in your signature. Excellent theory on your part. Mine is bone stock with an A6 and what is that - a paltry 470 HP at the tire? Have never heard a link between HP and strut failure mentioned but when it squats under heavy load that force is sure transmitted. If I do a little pulley, tune, injectors, and brick and get to maybe 520 RWHP I doubt that's going to be a show stopper. Good to know you have a stockpile of parts and some knowledge to go with it. These boards are great - filled with smart people.

[Whisper1]

Originally Posted by FASTFATBOY

My car was riding like a covered wagon, the left rear was leaking. I bought some used rears and I am now Cadillac'n again.

Where's a good place to start a search? Did they look at the struts you purchased and give you some idea that they were not leaking? BTW. when these struts fail do they normally have the leaking symptom first or can they just stop working unrelated to the amount of fluid they hold? Glad your up and running - thanks for the info.

[Whisper1]

Originally Posted by Risingson05

They just got back to me - the shipping and customs quote is for all 4

That makes sense - it's an option which might be better than no option depending on your situation. Thanks for the information. I'm starting to feel better about my 10 year old antique.

[FASTFATBOY]

Originally Posted by Whisper1

Where's a good place to start a search? Did they look at the struts you purchased and give you some idea that they were not leaking? BTW. when these struts fail do they normally have the leaking symptom first or can they just stop working unrelated to the amount of fluid they hold? Glad your up and running - thanks for the info.

They start leaking most times and then the shocks kind of "freeze up" and ride really rough.

When you go up an embankment or a dip in a driveway the rear shock will not extend and the tire will come off the ground.

When I went to Deals Gap going back down the mountain on the sharp right handers with a dip my right rear would come off the ground and activate traction control.

When you are on a bumpy bridge you can feel the rear shocks shove bumps right up your butt.


I started looking for guys who did 15 inch rear conversions for drag racing, they change the rear shocks. I found mine on here a few weeks ago. Ebay also sometimes has used rears

[Brutale arancia]

Originally Posted by Risingson05

They just got back to me - the shipping and customs quote is for all 4

After watching their video I'm interested. I wonder if 340 USD is labor and then parts cost as well. Given the distance and potential customs issues I would not be willing to send my rears overseas and hope it all works out. If I had a set of bad rears I would be willing to take a chance. I don't want to give up the mag ride.

[Beachguysc]

I’ve been contacting all sorts of dealers, vendors and suppliers to find these zl1 magride struts. I finally reached out to the manufacturer name on the actual shock, BWI group. The only way to contact was Facebook messenger and they actually had an informative back and forth with me. At first the said discontinued, good luck in your search. I told the, it was a shame that GM discontinuing these struts on such a nice car would eventually give magneride a bad rep, by association. And that I hoped the people buying any new GM magride cars realize their 70k+ investment today will be worthless in less than 10 years.. I then got this response back a few days later: (the last half of the response deals with questions I had asked about rebuilding):

“Hello, Mr. Xxx, we have been advised that GM is going to undo their
obsolescence of ZL1 service dampers but the timing for this is unknown. MagneRide dampers are not engineered to be rebuilt.
That said, it is well-known that there are companies out there that advertise this service. I will inquire as to the differences between coupe and convertible parts. My speculation is that the parts are identical from an external perspective and that the difference (s) are internal to the damper.
Those differences would likely be in the mechanical tuning of the piston gap and or the hydraulic bypass, and I would also guess that those differences are small. It would not be surprising to find that the electronic calibrations are also different from coupe to convertible as the structure of the vehicle is quite different between the two.”

[LevonH]

Positive news. Thanks for the great follow up. BTW who are BWI group. Can you share ?

[Beachguysc]

Originally Posted by LevonH

Positive news. Thanks for the great follow up. BTW who are BWI group. Can you share ?

I had never heard of them either, but every used strut I looked at had their logo on it. So I found their website. They are in Mexico and just purchased by a Chinese company. No phone contact. But they did reposed to a Facebook message. And whoever was answering has follow up skills, and technical knowledge. Which was not expected.