Rear Shocks

[gnonne]

2012 LT Sedan. Rear shocks have been shot for some time now. I think this is a common issue. Thinking of replacing them, does not seem too hard.

KYB are $95 shipped. I can also get some on eBay for $40 shipped, brand not listed.

Has anyone used the cheap ones? Are they OK? The car already has 90k miles and these have been bad for a long time, so anything would be an improvement, especially when cold.

 

[skurtov]

2012 LT Sedan. Rear shocks have been shot for some time now. I think this is a common issue. Thinking of replacing them, does not seem too hard.

KYB are $95 shipped. I can also get some on eBay for $40 shipped, brand not listed.

Has anyone used the cheap ones? Are they OK? The car already has 90k miles and these have been bad for a long time, so anything would be an improvement, especially when cold.

Stick with OEM or the KYB's. gmpartsdirect.com is a good resource for part numbers. I use what they provide and cross reference that with ebay and amazon. Few dealers sell parts through those vendors.

 

[gnonne]

Just ordered OEM Monroe shocks on Rockauto.com. Some websites said they are "good," but give a softer ride than KYB. Since I've been looking at used Buicks lately, these might be good. (They must be better that no-name eBay shocks.)

How difficult is it to remove the lower mounting bolt on a 2012? Should soaking the bolt with penetrating oil for a few days, a good 18-inch breaker bar, and a HF impact wrench be enough?

 

[gnonne]

I installed new Monroe OESpectrum rear shocks today. Shipping was delayed due to the holidays, but other than that, very good price and experience from Rockauto.com. About $30 each, $70 total with tax and shipping.

All I can say is, if you have a 2012 Sonic, order a pair of these... On the test drive, it literally felt like a completely different, and better, car. Ride is quiet and soft, cornering is better.

I'm not easily impressed, but I was today. How long were the old shocks bad?

 

[wpgsonic]

They still are poor.I bought a new 2018 in the fall and once the weather got cold,the poor ride and rattling noise started up like crazy.I had a 2014 before and it was the exact same thing.Looking at changing my shocks too.

 

[JTee2017]

I installed new Monroe OESpectrum rear shocks today. Shipping was delayed due to the holidays, but other than that, very good price and experience from Rockauto.com. About $30 each, $70 total with tax and shipping.

All I can say is, if you have a 2012 Sonic, order a pair of these... On the test drive, it literally felt like a completely different, and better, car. Ride is quiet and soft, cornering is better.

I'm not easily impressed, but I was today. How long were the old shocks bad?

Good to hear and thanks for posting!
Were they difficult to remove the old ones and install the new? Able to do it with just jack stands? Any install or removal challenges?

 

[gnonne]

Not too bad to remove/install. 17 mm socket loosened the bottom bolt by hand, 15 mm for the two top bolts. Only real problem is with the wheel well liners. They block the two top bolts. I thought about using a propane torch to melt some holes in the liner, but the passenger side one is very close to the fuel filler, so I took off the liners, about 12 assorted fasteners each.

Once off the car, you need to use a big vise grips on the old shaft to remove the 15 mm nut on the top, which was rusted in place fairly well. But, the new shocks came with a new nut. The two top mounts are aluminum and are marked L and R, so you can't really get it wrong on re-install. I used air tools for re-install and that saved some time on the long bolts. I also used 10mm, 7 mm, and T20 bits on my drill/driver to save time re-installing the liners.

One odd part is finding good jack points on the rear of the car, with uni-body construction there isn't much of a frame back there. Ended up using a block of wood to get the second side up high enough to put the jack stand under it.

 

[Tormach]

Awesome, thx for the info gnonne. I can add one thing, when I installed my ZZP rear sway bar, I jacked the car up using dead center on the torsion beam axle with a 2x6 x 18" and located the stands at the rear pinch welds on the rockers.

Not sure if I can jack it up the same way once I do mine this spring as it lines up close to the torsion beam.

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[Ameyejesus]

I'm looking to replace my worn out struts and shocks on my RS. I have ZZP lowering springs so I dont want to buy the whole GMPP suspension kit. The dealer told me I can order replacements separately but is unsure on the part numbers. Does anyone know what the part numbers are for the shocks and struts that come with that kit?


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[Tormach]

I'm looking to replace my worn out struts and shocks on my RS. I have ZZP lowering springs so I dont want to buy the whole GMPP suspension kit. The dealer told me I can order replacements separately but is unsure on the part numbers. Does anyone know what the part numbers are for the shocks and struts that come with that kit?


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These should be them, I referenced a 2016 RS:

Rear shocks for sport suspension - GM (95481255)
https://www.gmpartscenter.net/oem-p...mbz1zb25pYyZ5PTIwMTYmdD1ycyZlPTEtNGwtbDQtZ2Fz

Front Struts
Left - GM (95366423)
https://www.gmpartscenter.net/oem-p...9c29uaWMmeT0yMDE2JnQ9cnMmZT0xLTRsLWw0LWdhcw==

Right - GM (95366424)
https://www.gmpartscenter.net/oem-p...9c29uaWMmeT0yMDE2JnQ9cnMmZT0xLTRsLWw0LWdhcw==


Rear suspension
https://www.gmpartscenter.net/auto-...gine/rear-suspension-cat/rear-suspension-scat

Front suspension
https://www.gmpartscenter.net/auto-...ont-suspension-cat/struts-and-components-scat

Not 100% sure these are the ones from the kit but hope this helps.

 

[Ameyejesus]

These should be them, I referenced a 2016 RS:

Rear shocks for sport suspension - GM (95481255)
https://www.gmpartscenter.net/oem-p...mbz1zb25pYyZ5PTIwMTYmdD1ycyZlPTEtNGwtbDQtZ2Fz

Front Struts
Left - GM (95366423)
https://www.gmpartscenter.net/oem-p...9c29uaWMmeT0yMDE2JnQ9cnMmZT0xLTRsLWw0LWdhcw==

Right - GM (95366424)
https://www.gmpartscenter.net/oem-p...9c29uaWMmeT0yMDE2JnQ9cnMmZT0xLTRsLWw0LWdhcw==


Rear suspension
https://www.gmpartscenter.net/auto-...gine/rear-suspension-cat/rear-suspension-scat

Front suspension
https://www.gmpartscenter.net/auto-...ont-suspension-cat/struts-and-components-scat

Not 100% sure these are the ones from the kit but hope this helps.

Awesome thanks I'll check it out when I have some time.

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