Front struts - Interchangeable between Deville, Seville, and Eldo?

twinbopilot · #1 (**permalink**) 07-19-09, 05:16 PM

Spent the afternoon yesterday at the "Man-Mall" (junkyard row) looking for a set of electronic front struts for my 1999 Concours. Found a bunch of neat stuff, lots of Devilles, Sevilles, and Eldo's but only one Concours and the struts were already gone. Started looking at the Seville electronic struts and they looked IDENTICAL to my Concours strut I had just removed from my car for comparison. In fact there were loads of Sevilles and Eldos that still had electronic struts in them - it was only the Concours that was so hard to find. So I took the Seville strut to the front counter to pay ($75 - 90 day warranty) and the counter guy said that the strut would only work on Sevilles and not to waste my time trying to put it in a Concours. I said Ok and left. Figured he must know, right? I mean, he just lost a sale. No other yard had a Concours so I went home empty-handed (Well not quite - I got a clean ashtray, Homelink unit, and center console cover for $15 total).

So I got home and called a mechanic specializing in Cadillac and he says the struts are interchangeable between Devilles, Sevilles, and Eldos of the same model years! What?!? I just drove 50 miles R/T to get the struts and had one in my hand? What a waste of my time. If I had known this I'm sure I could have found a low mileage set off of a wrecked Seville or Eldo with electronic struts.

Sorry to be so long winded, but is this true?

If it is, I'm headed back out there Monday morning to grab a set!

Thanks and I hope you all are having a great weekend.

CadillacSTS2003 · #2 (**permalink**) 07-19-09, 05:22 PM

1999 are NOT the same

96-97 Seville STS
96-02 Eldorado ETC

twinbopilot · #3 (**permalink**) 07-19-09, 05:45 PM

Thanks for the reply but I'm a still a little confused - you are saying that the 96-97 Seville STS and 96-02 Eldorado ETC will interchange with a 1999 Concours strut?

CadillacSTS2003 · #4 (**permalink**) 07-19-09, 05:48 PM

yup
i got a pair of 97 ETC front electronic struts but your way to far to pickm up haha

twinbopilot · #5 (**permalink**) 07-19-09, 06:00 PM

What a shame

I'd sure try to take 'em off your hands!

00 Deville · #6 (**permalink**) 07-19-09, 08:10 PM

Just go to RockAuto.com and look up the AC Delco part number that you need then click on the blue part number and it will tell you every model and year that it will fit.

twinbopilot · #7 (**permalink**) 07-20-09, 08:49 PM

Went back to the "yard" today and grabbed that electronic strut from the '97 Seville. It wasn't an STS but it must have had RSS as an option. I just got through installing it on the Concours and everything is riding great. For me personally, $75 is a lot better than $750, even if it is used.

CadillacSTS2003 · #8 (**permalink**) 07-20-09, 09:53 PM

only the STS has the RSS option
you sure it wasnt debadged?

twinbopilot · #9 (**permalink**) 07-20-09, 11:34 PM

I never actually saw them remove it. It was in the trunk of a Deville. Their computer said it was off of a standard Seville, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was really from an STS. They had a couple of STS's in the yard, so they prolly just didn't inventory the strut correctly. I'm surprised they inventory anything as much cr*p as they have laying around there! There were Allantes, Sevilles, Devilles, Concours, Eldos most with nice interiors still in them. I was really surprised how much stuff is available and how CHEAP it is.