How long will aftermarket shocks last before needing replace

[Capt Pie]

Hello!

Quick bullet points:

- 2002 WS6 Trans Am
- 36,000 miles
- Eibach Pro kit
- Bilstien shocks

I think the current suspension setup has been on there since 2003. The owner put 25,000 very gentle miles on it. Since I bought it two years ago, I noticed going over bumps or cracks on our oh-so-wonderful California highways will sometimes hit like a sledgehammer. BOOM BOOM!!!!! Shakes the whole freaking car.

But beyond that, the car handles like a freaking champ in corners. Drives perfectly straight. I did a few spirited laps at a race track and couldn't believe how well it dug in.

Question - What is the general length of time should a setup like this last? I've had to replace a few things already simply due to the car mainly sitting for the last 13 years in a garage, so I wasn't sure if shocks were one of them.

Second - If I were to replace, what is the most popular setup these days? Back in the mid 2000's, Eibach Pro-kit was where it was at. I'd love the same or close ride height, but would prefer not to have to wear ear plugs when I accidentally hit a pothole. Is there a solution for this?

[pajeff02]

No set time frame for how long a shock will last. General rule of thumb is to replace them as a set (F or R) when one leaks, has been damaged, or when the bounce test fails. To bounce test the shocks, open the hood and hatch so you have somewhere to push down on the car other than a body panel. Pick a corner of the car and forcefully push down and immediately let go. The car should only "bounce" once and then stop. Repeat at all four corners. If it bounces more than once you may have a weak shock on that corner. The rear shocks can also be easily removed at the bottom to test individually on the the force required to compress and extend them.

[DarrenWS6]

I have the same setup on my WS6, love the stance and it feels good going straight and in corners. But bumps and cracks it hits quite firmly. Just the nature of lowering with firmer handling springs, and Bilstein shocks are much firmer than the OE DeCarbons.

Dampening adjustable shocks like the Koni yellow shocks may help keep a smoother ride. Or an adjustable coil-over kit like Tein, Viking, or QA1 would probably also be more improved than the non-adjustable economy setups we both have. Then you have the ability of adjusting your height where you perfectly want. Only downside is the high cost of a quality kit. UMI just produced a coil-over kit for the F-body platform designed by them and Sam Strano.

Link to UMI coil-over kit

[Naaman]

I'm also in the market for shocks. Based on what I've been reading, it seems like 50,000 miles is the "standard" for the life of a shock.

If I had my way, I'm dead set on the KW V3s, because I hate wishing I had sprung for the "good stuff." However, the harsh reality is that I need shocks now, and I'll likely be putting in a fresh set of Konis at all four corners in the next month. The cost after parts and labor being about half for the Konis, I can't really justify the KWs at this time.

If I were in your shoes, I would get the Konis, unless I had the cash for the KWs.