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4K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  bob2231 
#1 ·
My 92 deville's rear air riders are just about shot, and I heard that they're not cheap (~$200 each). Has anyone retrofitted cheaper alternative shocks instead? I'd be willing to sacrifice ride quality if the price is right.
 
#2 ·
there are normal passive shocks for devilles, and i dont think it would be to hard to put them on, just make sure to take out or unplug the air pump so its not on all the time trying to put air in a shock thats not there.
 
#3 ·
Is the air pump/compressor under the hood of the car or in the trunk? I sometimes hear buzzing noise from the front of the car, especially when I try to jack up the car's front end; I thought it was that load-leveling system working the pump. When should these air bags expected to fail so that the car's rearend begins to sag? I have about 140,000mi and carry almost no one else in the car 99% of the time. Just wondering if it's even worth bothering with replacing the air bags in the first place.
 
#5 ·
there are no air bags, they are air shocks....and it isn't the auto level thing that will kill ya, it's the speed sensitive supsension, they are electronic shocks, and that is why they are alot of money to rpelace, you can still get air shocks and hook them up to the compressor, but you woudln't have the comptuer command ride thingy....
 
#6 ·
Night Wolf said:
there are no air bags, they are air shocks....and it isn't the auto level thing that will kill ya, it's the speed sensitive supsension, they are electronic shocks, and that is why they are alot of money to rpelace, you can still get air shocks and hook them up to the compressor, but you woudln't have the comptuer command ride thingy....

I'm told by my mechanic that I DO NOT have computer controlled shocks (and I heard they're far more expensive to replace). However, he said I do have "air riders", and I'm sure they're not air springs as I saw coil springs there. I guess my original question was: can I retrofit cheaper replacements instead of factory ones?

And DeVillish, my battery is on the passenger side of the car. And yes I do agree that it's under the hood, as I heard buzzing noises coming from there, although now I would have to find out where it came from.
 
#7 ·
blkchrry92dvl said:
I'm told by my mechanic that I DO NOT have computer controlled shocks (and I heard they're far more expensive to replace). However, he said I do have "air riders", and I'm sure they're not air springs as I saw coil springs there. I guess my original question was: can I retrofit cheaper replacements instead of factory ones?

And DeVillish, my battery is on the passenger side of the car. And yes I do agree that it's under the hood, as I heard buzzing noises coming from there, although now I would have to find out where it came from.
ok, I am sorry, '92 it was an option, '93 and it became standerd.

about the shocks, I am sure you can, we did that with my mothers '89 Brougham, and still have th auto-level thing....

....also with that car, cargo springs helped out ALOT
 
#8 ·
Night Wolf said:
ok, I am sorry, '92 it was an option, '93 and it became standerd.

about the shocks, I am sure you can, we did that with my mothers '89 Brougham, and still have th auto-level thing....

....also with that car, cargo springs helped out ALOT
Can you tell me what brand/model shocks you used in that 89 brougham if you remember? BTW, 89 brougham uses the same body as 92 deville, right?
 
#9 ·
I don't remember the brand or name...... the '89 Brougham and '93 DeVille are 2 completly differnt cars, the Brougham is the big, older RWD body on frame platform, the DeVille is the smaller uni-body FWD platform....

.... I remember they were air shocks, and you can lower or raise them by a normal air hose, and then we bought the kit to make them work with the compressor built in the car for the auto level thing...... they weren't that expensive either, I think we got them at Napa or something like that.
 
#10 ·
Hello everyone!

I'm brand new here. This has got to be ultimate Cadillac website!

The above topic is one I've been searching about for years.


I have an 89 coupe deville with an air compressor thats turns on frequently, even when parked completely empty and level. It's annoying.
The shocks and struts are good, new front strunts about 8 years ago.

How can I disable the compressor or fix it? Factory service manual doesn't help.

Regards,

Bill
 
#11 ·
Hey Bill, welcome aboard. The factory service manual is NO HELP? Yikes!
Anyway, if the compressor is coming on, at least that shows it works. Just sounds like there's an air leak in either the lines to the shocks or the shocks themselves. Pretty easy to diagnose with a spray bottle of soapy water.
 
#13 ·
blkchrry92dvl said:
My 92 deville's rear air riders are just about shot, and I heard that they're not cheap (~$200 each). Has anyone retrofitted cheaper alternative shocks instead? I'd be willing to sacrifice ride quality if the price is right.
Parts stores carry Monroe replacements for $60-110 depending on what you want. Air replacements w/auto leveling and w/o electronics are about $63 each. Not too bad.
 
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