Degraded F55 shocks? Time to replace?
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Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 79
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From: San Diego County, CA
St. Jude Donor '21
Degraded F55 shocks? Time to replace?
Looking for input.
Hello all, I picked up a set of DRM Bilsteins a while back but did not have a Tech 2 (clone) to program out the F55 RPO on my car. It's a 2003 with 106000 miles. A couple of years ago I installed c5 z51 sway bars. Now that I have a Tech 2 I want to verify my shocks are in fact in need of replacement before I go through the trouble of replacing them. Not to mention i don't want to make my car NOT an Anniversary Edition if I don't have to. That having been said, I LIKE having selectable suspension, but I'm not sure it's completely necessary. Ultimately it's my decision, but is replacing like with like worth the money? Was it for you? Were there any regrets about replacing F55 shocks with conventional? What other tests or procedures can I do to verify the condition of the shocks?
I have suspected one or more of my f55 shocks are bad, though I have not really had a good way to test them. When I bought my car in 2018 there was a good coating of oil on the left rear shock. Not dripping, just a good coating, more than misting. I have wiped it off a couple of times since then and it has become damp again each time. When I wash the car I also notice what looks like dirt sticking to a few small oily residue droplets on the left rear wheel. I suspect that oil to be from the shock. My brake is not leaking.
The right rear shock was dry when I got the car, but it has become damp since the last time I wiped it, maybe 1000 miles (?) ago. It was not all that damp before. About that same 1000 miles ago I wiped off my front shocks which were damp, and at least one of the lower control arms was showing what appeared to be oily residue at the bottom of the shock mounting point, maybe dark amber/brownish in color.
I compared the coating of oil to the published TSB (elsewhere on the forum) regarding replacing MRC shocks due to leaking, and the oil coating, while not wet/dripping, does cover the entire lower shock body rather than 1/3 to 1/2. It's a damp and dirty coating.
When I drive, I can feel a pronounced difference between the two settings. The Tour setting felt too soft with the original swaybars but it did provide what felt like a smooth ride keeping the car level over minor undulations in the road surface, and even providing a relatively smooth ride over rough surface street imperfections. With the original sways I remember going around a curve onto a freeway entrance ramp with some imperfections in the road and feeling like the left rear was losing contact over those imperfections. Also during sporty country road drives I would perceive what I thought was shock fade after about 30 to 40 minutes from one or both rear shocks. When I installed the z51 sways, the ride became a bit flatter around turns, with less roll, especially in Tour. The ride became less soft but I still get the smooth and level ride over minor undulations. I suspect the sways are making up a little bit for any lack of pressure inside the shocks.
When I park the car and leave it for a while (several hours or so at least) in a parking lot, when I return the front looks a little lower than when I left it. Maybe that's just my perspective or imagination. But I could swear it appears roughly level when I park it, then it settles into a litle bit of a raked look over several hours. Again, maybe that's just my imagination. But when I drive it for two or more days in a row, the shocks feel better on the second day than they did at the beginning of the first day. And that is after not driving for several days or a week or more. (I don't drive the car as much as I used to since I now work 2.5 miles from home.) I suspect that is from seals getting lubed and sealing better, and maybe the magnetic particles redistributing.
When I got my Tech2 I connected it and explored the menus and options. I was able to perform the shock solenoid tests. All shocks went from 0 to 95% and back during the shock test. I have no codes. My height transducers are all working and I could see the voltages change as I rocked the car. Other than the shocks themselves, it seems everything is working as it should. What other tests or procedures can I do to verify the condition of the shocks? If I were to remove the shock and compress it, should it extend itself with gas pressure? I just want to make sure I am on the right track. I have not driven any other F55 Corvette, but I did drive a Camaro with MRC once. The Camaro felt quite a bit more damped.
Shock availability: The f55 shocks are available now and come with warranty. BUT will they be even be available later if I ended up having to use that warranty. Also there was post on the forum about a guy that had a new one fail after two months. Not to mention the cost. While the price seems relatively reasonable, it's still a pretty high percentage of the value of the car, and I don't think I would recoup it. I think the biggest sticking point on new F55 shocks for me is future availability of the shocks later on per cost. The car is not a collector's item, not all that rare, I'm not going to Barret-Jackson. Ultimately it's my decision, and I'm looking for input.
Thank you all for reading. Your opinions are appreciated.
Hello all, I picked up a set of DRM Bilsteins a while back but did not have a Tech 2 (clone) to program out the F55 RPO on my car. It's a 2003 with 106000 miles. A couple of years ago I installed c5 z51 sway bars. Now that I have a Tech 2 I want to verify my shocks are in fact in need of replacement before I go through the trouble of replacing them. Not to mention i don't want to make my car NOT an Anniversary Edition if I don't have to. That having been said, I LIKE having selectable suspension, but I'm not sure it's completely necessary. Ultimately it's my decision, but is replacing like with like worth the money? Was it for you? Were there any regrets about replacing F55 shocks with conventional? What other tests or procedures can I do to verify the condition of the shocks?
I have suspected one or more of my f55 shocks are bad, though I have not really had a good way to test them. When I bought my car in 2018 there was a good coating of oil on the left rear shock. Not dripping, just a good coating, more than misting. I have wiped it off a couple of times since then and it has become damp again each time. When I wash the car I also notice what looks like dirt sticking to a few small oily residue droplets on the left rear wheel. I suspect that oil to be from the shock. My brake is not leaking.
The right rear shock was dry when I got the car, but it has become damp since the last time I wiped it, maybe 1000 miles (?) ago. It was not all that damp before. About that same 1000 miles ago I wiped off my front shocks which were damp, and at least one of the lower control arms was showing what appeared to be oily residue at the bottom of the shock mounting point, maybe dark amber/brownish in color.
I compared the coating of oil to the published TSB (elsewhere on the forum) regarding replacing MRC shocks due to leaking, and the oil coating, while not wet/dripping, does cover the entire lower shock body rather than 1/3 to 1/2. It's a damp and dirty coating.
When I drive, I can feel a pronounced difference between the two settings. The Tour setting felt too soft with the original swaybars but it did provide what felt like a smooth ride keeping the car level over minor undulations in the road surface, and even providing a relatively smooth ride over rough surface street imperfections. With the original sways I remember going around a curve onto a freeway entrance ramp with some imperfections in the road and feeling like the left rear was losing contact over those imperfections. Also during sporty country road drives I would perceive what I thought was shock fade after about 30 to 40 minutes from one or both rear shocks. When I installed the z51 sways, the ride became a bit flatter around turns, with less roll, especially in Tour. The ride became less soft but I still get the smooth and level ride over minor undulations. I suspect the sways are making up a little bit for any lack of pressure inside the shocks.
When I park the car and leave it for a while (several hours or so at least) in a parking lot, when I return the front looks a little lower than when I left it. Maybe that's just my perspective or imagination. But I could swear it appears roughly level when I park it, then it settles into a litle bit of a raked look over several hours. Again, maybe that's just my imagination. But when I drive it for two or more days in a row, the shocks feel better on the second day than they did at the beginning of the first day. And that is after not driving for several days or a week or more. (I don't drive the car as much as I used to since I now work 2.5 miles from home.) I suspect that is from seals getting lubed and sealing better, and maybe the magnetic particles redistributing.
When I got my Tech2 I connected it and explored the menus and options. I was able to perform the shock solenoid tests. All shocks went from 0 to 95% and back during the shock test. I have no codes. My height transducers are all working and I could see the voltages change as I rocked the car. Other than the shocks themselves, it seems everything is working as it should. What other tests or procedures can I do to verify the condition of the shocks? If I were to remove the shock and compress it, should it extend itself with gas pressure? I just want to make sure I am on the right track. I have not driven any other F55 Corvette, but I did drive a Camaro with MRC once. The Camaro felt quite a bit more damped.
Shock availability: The f55 shocks are available now and come with warranty. BUT will they be even be available later if I ended up having to use that warranty. Also there was post on the forum about a guy that had a new one fail after two months. Not to mention the cost. While the price seems relatively reasonable, it's still a pretty high percentage of the value of the car, and I don't think I would recoup it. I think the biggest sticking point on new F55 shocks for me is future availability of the shocks later on per cost. The car is not a collector's item, not all that rare, I'm not going to Barret-Jackson. Ultimately it's my decision, and I'm looking for input.
Thank you all for reading. Your opinions are appreciated.
