I'm going to change my shocks soon, the ones in the car are old. They're so old that they have corroded to match the color of the rest of the chassis, although in new england, that doesn't always take a long time.

Anyway, i was wondering what fellow late 80's brougham owners were using as shocks, and which they feel provide the best ride. I'm willing to sacrifice any performance for ride quality. It's a luxury car, not a race car. I'd be willing to go expensive as well.

Thanks for any input you guys have.

I upgraded to Bilsteins last spring, cost me $320 for the shocks and considerably less for the install. If you're looking for the smooth ride, I believe either the Delco or Monroe shocks might be what you're looking for.

Best=Bilstein

That is what I have on my Fleetwood. The ride is stiff but not harsh.

Agreed on the Bilsteins, and I don't even have them at the moment. That's what was on our '02 Avalanche, and compared to models without them, they made the ride/handling feel AMAZING. Especially notice the difference in the Suburban that replaced that truck, with essentially the same springs, frame, tuning, etc., but with cheapo GM shocks...nice, but not as controlled or well damped as the truck with Bilsteins.

So I think it's safe to say what will be on my car next as well:thumbsup:

Others can be had cheaper, such as Monroes and Gabriels, but even a lot of people who use them on these cars for that reason end up wishing they had spent the extra in the beginning because they a) don't have nearly the level of performance and b) wear out much quicker. Still good, though, but not the best.

I wish I had the Bilsteins too, but funding doesn't support it now. So for bucks down, I got the Gabriel Ultra shocks for a 9C1 (cop car Caprice). They are much better than stock shocks. They have a ton more control. And now with 40K miles or so on them, they would use replacing, but I am shock picky, the average driver would have no clue they are "bad", as they do a pretty good job still (60-70% of new efficiency would be my guess). You still don't wallow or wander, they do pretty decent really. I highly recommend, only $28 each @ Autozone. If you are nutty like me, get a set of polyurethane end links for the swaybar and put them on the shocks, they make the shock more effective....

Monroe has the SS shocks, but I think they are in the $50-$70 range. I don't know how they perform. But in that range, it doesn't cost much more to get Bilsteins....

I have my "test road", State Line road here on the border of WI and IL and it is a road test nightmare. Most every car I have taken on this one part has bounced it off the ground >50 mph. I have seen 70 with my Cad and it almost is nothing of a bump now. The car is in MUCH more control with the Ultra's. Cars tested: 91 Bonneville with added G Body shocks to help, 91 Cadillac Deville with decent struts, 90 Aerostar 4WD van (new shocks all around), 2 Aerostar 2WD vans (new shocks too), and my old 96 Suburban with new shocks. All are a handful. I haven't tried my 99 Sub K2500 454 with factory 129K mile Bilsteins, but will one of these days.

They have a ton more control.

What if you have Zero interest in control and just want the cushiest most floaty riding shock around? It seems the appeal for the Bilsteins is because of their performance.

What if you have Zero interest in control and just want the cushiest most floaty riding shock around? It seems the appeal for the Bilsteins is because of their performance.

Regular Gabriel shocks will do the trick them. They are ~$65 for the set of four.

Don't get 9C1 shocks, they are excellent for control... We wouldn't want too many cars out there like that :)

Yup, the Gabriel's are the shock for float. When I was looking for new shocks, I was thinking of actually looking for the shock with the most float possible. But honestly, I'm glad I went with the Bilsteins. They are comfortable but they handle much better than the stock shocks.

So what shocks would you use for less float but something to allow for keeping the auto-level system? :confused:
I haul too much junk from time to time and the auto-level has been VERY handy.

What if you have Zero interest in control and just want the cushiest most floaty riding shock around? It seems the appeal for the Bilsteins is because of their performance.
Best ride comfort; Monroe Gas-Matic Plus , (not the yellow Gas-matic at Advance Auto). Available at Pep Boys, and Napa under their "Response" brand. At $13.99 a shock, Made in U.S.A. with lifetime warranty who cares if they don't last as long. (Gabriels: made in Mexico).

All this talk about handling, control, float, blah blah blah, comes at a price: A smooth, comfortable ride.

Frankly, I think it's ridiculous to buy a Cadillac and then complain about the handling.:cookoo:
The Cadillac ride was intentionally designed that way to absorb road impacts and harshness. They weren't stupid, Cadillac and GM engineers knew how to make a vehicle handle well, but thats not what Cadillac is/was, (should be?) about.

I highly agree. I'm not looking to run an obstacle course in my car, I just want it to be incredibly smooth. Even with the old rotted shocks on it, it's still smoother than any of my friend's cars, so i can only imagine what it would be with fresh shocks.

If i wanted performance, i would have bought a corvette. And i didn't buy a corvette.

What about the upgrade from the monroe gas-matics? I forget what they called it, but they'e more expensive. Are they even nicer? I would imagine...

I dunno, my friend just bought a CTS-V....

My car has the "Ride and Handling" package. I would say mine was intended to handle better than the soft and cushy....

I dunno, my friend just bought a CTS-V....

My car has the "Ride and Handling" package. I would say mine was intended to handle better than the soft and cushy....

I think we're talking about Cadillac land-yachts, not their dingys. :thumbsup:

Thanks for the float shock suggestions!

I've worked at just about all the auto parts stores you can imagine, so I know what comes back to the counter when someone isn't happy. My advice: 1) Stay out of the Zone unless you know EXACTLY what you are looking for. Gabriel shocks are junk. I've seen too many replaced under warranty in less than a year to suggest anyone buy them. 2) Monroe makes good shocks, but you might want to check out their web-site to find exactly what you're looking for because the high-end shocks might be more responsive (in a bad way in this case). If you want a personal recomendation, then I would say that the Bilsteins or the Delco's are the way to go. Johnny Bravo said it when he said GM knew what they were doing, and Declo would be the factory replacement - can't get any better than the ride of a Cadillac the way the General intended.
Bilsteins are about $120 each.
AC Declo are roughly $50 each.
Hope that helped.

What about the upgrade from the monroe gas-matics? I forget what they called it, but they'e more expensive. Are they even nicer? I would imagine...
If you mean the Sensa-Tracs, forget it. I hated them, too bouncy, not excessive but enough to be annoying.
I don't like the strut cartridge version in my girlfriends 1995 Olds Cutlass either, too harsh, you feel every bump in the road.

I didn't try AC-Delco, they once made excellent quality shocks, but considering some of their current replacement parts I wouldn't get my hopes up. What came new on the car from the factory, and what you'll get now are two different things.

Moreover, GM has consolidated the part numbers. I could only find two shocks, regular and heavy duty, covering many years and models of full size Cadillac, Buick, Olds, B/D bodies.
A Bread and butter Chevy Caprice, or Cadillac, both get the same part#.

Yup yup. One size fits all.... Or one damening rate fits all....

I haven't liked ANY shocks I have used except the Ultras in my price range. Considering the mileage, and how it rides now, most of you probably would like it now, not when new, when new, I like it! When new you KNOW the shock is in full control, and it is nice. The car handles better, rides in control, no bounce bounce bounce when you hit a bump (sorry to me that is a shock that didn't do its job!) and the car feels solid and stable on the road. Now it doesn't bounce bounce bounce, but just does about 1 to 2 tops (2 a bad bump). The suspension is able to fully articulate nicely and doesn't do anything bad. (wheel hopping on bumps, just hopping in general, good compression, but bad extension, or bad compression and good extension, etc) Some shocks valving is just plain crap, even new. The Ultra's are a very nice balanced shock, and the price, $28 out the door isn't too bad. The quality is there, most shocks are done at 15K miles, these aren't even close.

ALWAYS take a new shock right there in the store and pump it fully compressed to fully extended a few times. I found one that was stuck OUT. We could not compress it no matter what we did. Great QC from Gabriel eh?

Gabriel used to be good, but I agree, junk now. Ahh the days of the old Special "E" shocks....

Being front suspension on our 77-96 D Bodies is the SAME identical as my 80 Turbo Trans AM, I know there is a LOT of handling ability in it. Enough to make the car fun! There is no reason a Cadillac can't handle well and not lose the ride. I spend too much time in my car for a ride that is scary in corners, not to mention slowing into a corner and then accelerating out just wastes gas, good handling helps mpg.... People rag on me all the time why I push my Cad in corners. Because it does pretty darn good! Just needs a lot more sway bar, but else does pretty well. It leans, but not too bad. Needs more bar.... Pontiac did pretty well getting the 73-77 cars to handle in the LeMans, GTO, and Grand Prix. Our cars are the same car, just longer. I won't change spring RATES, they are fine, most complain they are stiff when compared to a FE1 car. If you have ridden in a 94-96 Impala SS, you likely are pretty familliar with the ride in my Fleetwood, factory too.

Mine has AC Delco air shocks in back, they do pretty decent, but need to be replaced, they just don't do well anymore.

Yes these cars can be made to handle. I have basically rebuilt/upgraded almost all the parts on my front & rear suspension. To test it out I made a bet with my buddy who has a 2002 Camaro SS. We hit our favorite exit ramp and he could not lose me and his car started breaking loose way before mine. My Fleetwood plants in the corners and does not wallow one bit.. it is a tad bit stiff, but just the way I like it :thumbsup: I have yet to take it to an AutoX, maybe this coming Spring when I have more free time.

Yeah, time to get my Rancho racing front bar off my T/A on my Cad. 900 lb/in spring rate... Far stiffer than Herb Adams or the HO 1 3/8" front bar.... (as per Ken Crocie at HO)

Just has the heim joints, so not super street friendly.

Good catch on the Delco shocks, guys. They got that one past me when I wasn't looking. :bigroll:

I'm sort of looking for new rear shocks for my '79 too, the ones on it right now were put on by the last owner, and compared to my other caddys, are way to hard. If you go over a speedbump it doesn't even bounce once, just up, then down. right now I have six bags of river pebbles in the trunk and it only goes down an inch. I'll also probably replace the front ones to even things up, I think their original.

Now, did I miss something, or didn't these cars have "air shocks" originally?

So Delco is the way to go for a soft ride and major leaning?

Yes, I believe at least by the early 90's the level ride was std. Might have been std on the Fleetwood/Broughams earlier than that.

So Delco is the way to go for a soft ride and major leaning?
Three pages of discussion and that's the conclusion you come to? :suspect:
Moreover, Shock absorbers have little, if anything, to do with body lean, thats what stabilizer bars are for.

By the way, I'd check if your previous owner swapped in new rear springs as well. Often times, people replace the rear springs with cargo coils thinking "heavy-duty" must be better, then it rides like a 3/4 ton pickup.:thepan:

Well yeah that's what I got, so the right answer was Monroe Gas-Matic Plus? I don't want handling, I want my '79 to feel like my all stock '83 Coupe. Very cushy, but not bouncy. That thing rides perfect.

I didn't think about him swapping the rear springs, how would I be able to tell? Right now I can push down with all of my strength on the back bumper and it will go down 2 inches for maybe half a second. Where as on the '83 it's almost effortless - to me - to get it to compress, much softer feeling(not bounce, soft :D )


Sorry, I'm a suspension noob.

I'll bet the AC Delco shock isn't as bad as a Gabriel or Monroe shock. The autoparts store claims that the cheapest shock isn't the softest ride.

I would bet the AC Delco shock is a pretty good balanced shock, very likely riding firmer than the Sensatracs or other mush shocks from the other companies.

Do this, go to Autozone or the like, get them to bring you all the shocks for the car they have, and compress and extend them on the bench there (try to be later in the day when it isn't busy) you will see quickly which shocks are mushy or firm. Pick your fancy.

For giggles and grins, get a set for a 9C1 Cop Car too (1989 is a good year) and compare it with all flavors of shock. See what you think on it.

All I want is for the thing to ride like it did when it was new.

AC Delco is your best bet, but honestly there are likely no new parts from GM are out there. Check the dealer and have them search and see if the original p/n still exists and if it is still around at any dealer.

I thought shocks were pretty much one size fits all when it comes to these cars, why would they be so hard to find?

Also I was thinking of getting some of those adjustable air shocks for heavy loads so that I could slightly raise/lower it when I want to. Any comments? Main reason would be under-inflation to ride a couple inches lower than it does now in the rear. For the front I'd still just get standard ones.

Well yeah that's what I got, so the right answer was Monroe Gas-Matic Plus? I don't want handling, I want my '79 to feel like my all stock '83 Coupe. Very cushy, but not bouncy. That thing rides perfect.

I didn't think about him swapping the rear springs, how would I be able to tell? Right now I can push down with all of my strength on the back bumper and it will go down 2 inches for maybe half a second. Where as on the '83 it's almost effortless - to me - to get it to compress, much softer feeling(not bounce, soft :D )
.
Does the 83 have automatic level control? I believe Cadillac used very soft rear springs with air shocks to maintain proper ride height. Also, Cadillac was constantly tweaking spring rates from year to year to improve ride comfort. hence, a 1979 verses a 1983 may not be a fair comparison.

The cargo coils are very easy to spot, they have tightly wound coils on one end and normal spacing on the other, plus they have a massive look to them. However, even if they aren't cargo coils that doesn't eliminate the possibility someone installed higher rate springs at some point.

I'm surprised no one has yet mentioned KYBs. Maybe I'm the only one with experience with them.

I put a set of KYB GR-2 (http://replacement.autopartswarehouse.com/parts/autopartswarehouse/wizard.jsp?year=1989&make=CD&model=FLEE-BROUGHAM-002&category=All&part=Shock%20Absorber&dp=true) shocks on my '64 Impala last year and loved the results. The car already had a great ride (back in the early 60s, Chevrolet advertised it as the Jet-Smooth ride; they were right), but I love what better shocks did for the car.

One of the things I always liked about these cars is that even though they were softly sprung with coils all around, they never had a lot of float or wallow over bumps. There was considerable body lean, but I fixed that with wider tires and a rear stabilizer bar. I've driven many newer cars that feel much sloppier than my old Impala (even a friend who owns a BMW drove it on my favorite roller-coaster road and couldn't believe how well this big old car took the turns). These shocks deliver excellent control without any loss in ride quality. It's still Jet Smooth, and if you hit a big dip or bump, the shocks dampen it down beautifully.

I understand you're not looking to turn your Brougham into a stealth hot rod, but you may find that a good quality shock like these KYBs will actually improve the ride. Finally, they're inexpensive <$20 each for your Brougham.

I have always wondered how well they do. Maybe I should go with some of them next time around. My bummer is lack of high performance shocks for level ride.... :(

I have always wondered how well they do. Maybe I should go with some of them next time around. My bummer is lack of high performance shocks for level ride.... :(
If you're talking about the KYB shocks, I think you'd be pleased. There are more performance-oriented KYB shocks available, but I was mostly looking to preserve my Impala's smooth ride while improving control, so that's why I went with the GR-2 shocks.

I've heard the KYB's are also known as "kill your backs".:cynic:

I wouldn't recomend KYB for "cush"; they've gotten too much R&D in their race shocks that I'm afraid their Cadillac line wouldn't be so "Cadillac". Delco's are a safe bet, but I still stand by Bilsteins...and yes, I think you should check your spring-rate as well.

The idea of the shock is to dampen undesired bounce and maintain the control of the suspension so the tire remains in contact with the road at all times. Anytime the tires leave the road, there is a loss of traction and safety. Not to mention a major annoyance in ride.

You can overdampen, which makes it fight the springs, you can underdampen and it will let the car go up and down and up and down, and up and down, or be just plain blown, and the tire will bounce on the road and dive when you nail the brakes and such. Which means you aren't getting effective braking or vehicle control.

The ideal is for the shock to be somewhat firm (in control) at normal ride, and to allow full suspension travel at the limits when you hit a bump. Most people want a wallow ride so that is what the shock manufactures tend to make. Majority rules...

The shock needs to be matched to the sprung weight, unsprung weight, spring rate and the suspension travel.