F45 Conversion
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 81
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From: San Diego CA
F45 Conversion
Has anyone converted their f45 suspension to regular shocks, will this work? I got this from a web sight. :
#007 is equipped with F45 Real Time Damping (RTD). While RTD was a neat gimmick when I bought the car, reality is that the only time I moved the dial in the last 4 years was to switch from "Perf" to "Tour" when drag racing. The F45 RTD shocks were manufactured by Delphi. Unlike Bilstein who offers a rebuild service for the FX3 shocks ($55/shock), the Delphi units are "Throwaway". A review of the cost of replacing these shocks (~$600 was the best price I could find), indicated the gimmick was no longer very attractive. With that in mind, I settled on '90 Z51 Bilstein shocks. Having previously owned a '90 Z51 car, I somewhat knew what to expect relative to ride. The Z51 shocks combined with the F45 springs (same as the base suspension springs), provides a ride that's controlled in both rebound and compression, but not harsh. While not a "9/10s" solution like adjustable Koni's or a "100%" solution like coil-overs, it is a nice upgrade to a base suspension or F45 equipped car.
For those who still have the original shocks, I highly recommend checking them. Most likely they'll need replacement. A simple test is to remove one of the front shocks and see if you can compress it by hand. Two of mine had 0 rebound and the other two were easily compressed.
In order to avoid setting the "SERVICE RIDE CONTROL" (SRC) Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL), I snipped the connector ends from the old F45 shocks. I modified each connector to accept a 220 ohm resistor and then plugged them into the female connectors that are part of the chassis wiring harness at each corner. No MIL and a factory wiring appearance to all but the most astute observer :-) I did have a brief bout with confusion (some may say it's not brief [grin]). While checking the wiring modifications, I turned the key to "RUN" and got the SRC MIL (!). I pulled the SRC codes and found DTCs indicating out of range position sensors. After a moment of thought, I realized that the codes were set because I had yet to install the new shocks and the suspension was "sagging". I temporarily propped the suspension, turned the ignition key to "RUN" and the problem was solved.
#007 is equipped with F45 Real Time Damping (RTD). While RTD was a neat gimmick when I bought the car, reality is that the only time I moved the dial in the last 4 years was to switch from "Perf" to "Tour" when drag racing. The F45 RTD shocks were manufactured by Delphi. Unlike Bilstein who offers a rebuild service for the FX3 shocks ($55/shock), the Delphi units are "Throwaway". A review of the cost of replacing these shocks (~$600 was the best price I could find), indicated the gimmick was no longer very attractive. With that in mind, I settled on '90 Z51 Bilstein shocks. Having previously owned a '90 Z51 car, I somewhat knew what to expect relative to ride. The Z51 shocks combined with the F45 springs (same as the base suspension springs), provides a ride that's controlled in both rebound and compression, but not harsh. While not a "9/10s" solution like adjustable Koni's or a "100%" solution like coil-overs, it is a nice upgrade to a base suspension or F45 equipped car.
For those who still have the original shocks, I highly recommend checking them. Most likely they'll need replacement. A simple test is to remove one of the front shocks and see if you can compress it by hand. Two of mine had 0 rebound and the other two were easily compressed.
In order to avoid setting the "SERVICE RIDE CONTROL" (SRC) Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL), I snipped the connector ends from the old F45 shocks. I modified each connector to accept a 220 ohm resistor and then plugged them into the female connectors that are part of the chassis wiring harness at each corner. No MIL and a factory wiring appearance to all but the most astute observer :-) I did have a brief bout with confusion (some may say it's not brief [grin]). While checking the wiring modifications, I turned the key to "RUN" and got the SRC MIL (!). I pulled the SRC codes and found DTCs indicating out of range position sensors. After a moment of thought, I realized that the codes were set because I had yet to install the new shocks and the suspension was "sagging". I temporarily propped the suspension, turned the ignition key to "RUN" and the problem was solved.
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Joined: Apr 2000
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From: Texas
Considering I wrote the above, yes it that is one approach that works 
I've since switched to adjustable Koni's and pulled the Service Ride Control bulb since I also removed the suspension movement sensors
I've since switched to adjustable Koni's and pulled the Service Ride Control bulb since I also removed the suspension movement sensors
