1970s 73 Deville shock absorbers

[34837]

Hello, my Coupe Deville has 83000 original miles and has been always garaged and taken care of. I know the original owners son (currently 93 yrs old) and the gentleman I purchased it from only put roughly 10000 miles on it since he bought it in 2017., replacing the fuel pump. The tires when I bought it a few months back, looked brand new but had been put on the car in 2001. Replaced tires , battery and some front bushings in an alignment shop.  Having engine work done as we speak, car in a  trusted shop. I have only driven the car less then 40 miles and the ride seems as it should be but I dont have much to compare it to, my other vehicle is a 1 Ton truck.  So- the shocks show no leakage and may be the originals, I would think it would be prudent to replace them at this time. Should I go down to a local parts store and throw on what fits or attempt to go to a specialty online source or whatever? Open to any suggestions and thanks for reading my novel.  A. H..

[Seville Life]

I agree, time to replace. In the workshop manual there is (usually) a bouncing-type procedure to test the recoil of front shocks? Certainly later manuals had this?

I would suggest the best versions of either Gabriel or Monroe if you're looking for an original ride?

Here in Britain I do know folk that fit Bilstein and KYB, both I believe might be too stiff for your year Cadillac?

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

If you really want to replicate the original ride, don't replace the shocks with Gas types, as these will make the ride stiffer.

Not sure what Cadillac specified as to type, but Cadillac was more about soft riding, as against any stiff ride like sports cars.

Bruce.

[James Landi]

I suggest that you take some time to consider your options carefully, and as suggested above, test and inspect the shocks.  Usually, a failing shock will show signs of leakage... and as Bruce urges, if you decide to replace them, don't go with gas filled.  ALso, selection of tires is really important, and the ride will be greatly affected by the product you purchase... Check the owner's manual for tire inflation!  Modern shops will always inflate tires to 34 or 35 pounds, and this  higher inflation than is specified by Cadillac will deeply negate the kind of ride these older Cadillacs were known for. Hope this helps, James

[TJ Hopland]

Tire pressure is a good tip since most 73's still came with bias tires so the factory spec won't be correct for radials.  Anyone with say a 76 care to look up what the pressure spec was for radials?  And hopefully the alignment shop was using radial specs for the alignment assuming you put radials on.  I don't think its a huge deal with these cars but some cars are really bad if you don't use later specs or at least a tech that just kinda knows what needs tweaked.

I would not worry about shocks for now till you notice its bouncing or they are leaking.  Its not likely that the options will change in the next 6 months to few years.  The actual factory style OE ones have not been made for quite a while now and what were likely decent aftermarket options are also long gone so like many things we are left with having to settle for the least bad or only available option.

[bctexas]

I switched my '65 CDV to modern gas shocks when I rebuilt the front suspension.  It was awful.  The gas shocks transmit much more of the road irregularities into the chassis than Cadillac intended, and ruin the ride with no noticeable change to handling.  I went back to the shocks that were on the car when I got it and all returned to normal.  So if you do decide to install modern gas filled shocks, be sure to keep the originals.  You may well decide to put them back on.

There is an outfit that sells non-gas filled shocks.  They actually take new gas filled shocks and let the gas pressure out!  They aren't cheap and I can offer no info on how well they work.  But I am tempted to try a set on my '70 SDV that came to me with gas shocks....

https://www.shocks2springs.com/

Happy Motoring!

[34837]

Appreciate the responses folks, this forum is terrific. Apparently '73 was the first year radials were offered as an option to bias, so I replaced the  older tires with radial. Will need closer attention to shock issue, may get some info from 93 year old previous owner. Of course until I spend time behind the wheel won't know answers to these questions and sure  will have many more. Im lucky to have found a shop with over 50 yr. old mechanics who have a clue about these cars, at least engine wise. I am near Rapid City S. Dakota, if anyone is familiar with like minded folks   in the area ,would love discussing my issues. Thanks again, A.H. Update: the previous posters advice for a source of original shocks offers many choices, about $240 a pair.

[TJ Hopland]

I just took a quick look at the shocks2springs site.   They are for sure not Cadillac people, they list leaf springs for 66-78 Eldo.  There is more than one flaw in that statement.  Doesn't mean they are all bad but for sure have some flaws in their catalog and applications.

[64\/54Cadillacking]

Everyone should do the railroad crossing test in your Cadillac. If the car shakes, rattles and vibrates badly while driving over them, that's a sure sign that your shocks are gas-shocks with hardened old control arm bushings and driving on radial tires.

You should barely feel anything when these cars were new with the original setup.

+1 on ditching gas-shocks for the good ole standard hydraulic versions. One thing that I read up on, and know this for a fact because I own a couple of them, is that the old Lincoln Continentals from the 70's used very low gas pressured shocks compared to GM cars of the day, including Cadillacs. Fords shocks performed more like the old hydraulic shocks. This is why the full size Lincoln's, and all big Ford sedans from around 1970's all the way up into the 80's, all had a very soft and floaty ride even compared to a Chevy or Cadillac which had a more balanced ride.

I guess a lot of Ford customers complained about shocks wearing out prematurely and having to get multiple replacements over the years because of how undersized and low pressure they were.

IMO gas shocks suck, and aren't meant for our old Cads. Tires are also another huge factor when it comes to a smooth soft ride.

If your car originally came with bias-ply's, install bias-plys if you want the softest, smoothest, cushiest ride of your life. The handling will be terrible but who cares! Cadillacs are meant to be floating down the highway in absolute silence and comfort where anyone can fall asleep in it, not taking twistys around sharp bends at perfectly flat levels.

[James Landi]

We long time Cadillac owners have seemingly all experienced grave disappointments after "up grading" shocks and tires.  I made the RADICAL decision to under inflate radials for around town driving --- road harshness disappears.   Especially with the torsion bar suspension on Eldorados radials on old Cadillacs inflated to 25 pounds yield a much improved ride.  Radial tuned suspensions didn't happen until the 80's James

[TJ Hopland]

Just curious but maybe a question for someone with original 70's parts manuals.  Did the part numbers for the shocks change when radials became standard?   Did they list different part numbers depending on if you had the radial option for the years it was an option?

[Roger Zimmermann]

Interesting question...Have a look at the document: as spare part, they used more or less the same part, but the original OEM part numbers are telling a different story.

[James Landi]

Roger,

Your spec sheet with different part numbers is begging the question! What is going on here?... could it be that if you wanted a "Cadillac ride," you had to buy a new Cadillac??  James

[Roger Zimmermann]

Roger,

Your spec sheet with different part numbers is begging the question! What is going on here?... could it be that if you wanted a "Cadillac ride," you had to buy a new Cadillac??  James

Maybe...Sort of marketing tactic!
When I let overhaul my '72 CdV by Brian in Pennylvania, we agreed to replace the shock absorbers. I ask him to put the "old" ones (20K miles) into the trunk.
When I got the car, the ride was not what I expected: harsh. One day, I exchanged the front shock absorbers by removing the new ones and installing the original ones: it was like day and night.

[James Landi]

"When I got the car, the ride was not what I expected: harsh. One day, I exchanged the front shock absorbers by removing the new ones and installing the original ones: it was like day and night."   

I've experienced several such disappointments back in the late 60's and 70's , and it's especially painful when the Cadillac service departments put in replacement shocks that create an uncomfortable ride.  I just replaced the rear shocks in my high mileage SRX, and my mechanic gave me an INFORMED choice-- the non-Cadillac replacements are available and cheap, but the Cadillac replacement shocks are twice the price but truly restore the ride---he researched this.  I went for the 800 dollar (plus) rear shocks, and the ride is "like new." (When I had to replace four "adaptive" shocks on my 1990 Allante, the original spec were not available in 2005, and the replacements were AWFUL... when I spoke to the service manager at Cadillac, she glibly said, "It is what it is."  (since then, whenever someone uses that phrase, I recoil in  disgust)