Got rid of my Mag Ride Shocks!

[randingo8]

Hello everyone, I just wanted to let everyone know that it is possible to get rid of your Mag Ride Shocks on your XLR. I had a "clunk" in the front suspension going in and out of driveways and over speed bumps. I have several friends in the automotive repair business. I took my 04 XLR to three different shops to try to figure out what was loose in my front suspension. All three times we could not find anything wrong with my front suspension. Except that all four shocks where leaking. I knew that I needed to replace my shocks, so I started to research part numbers and prices. Mag Ride shocks are crazy expensive. The cheapest I could find them for was on Amazon for approx. $1800, delivered to my front door. I could get a set of four Bilsteins on Ebay for $396 to my front door. I had read in several Corvette sites that they where able to deprogram the F55 function in their Body Control Module with a Tech2. I also read that a lot of Corvette guys where using plug in simulators to trick the Body Control Module into thinking they still had Mag Ride Shocks in their cars. From everything I read, the simulators where effective about 50% of the time. 50% of the Corvette guys where happy with the simulators and 50% of the guys said they where junk and a waste of money. With all of this info and a couple of months of going back and forth in my head on the best solution, I finally decided to buy the Bilstein Shocks and deprogram my Body Control Module. I replaced all four shock here at home, pretty straight forward, no issues. I test drove the XLR in town and on freeway. Car was super smooth and no more "clunk", but the dreaded -MAX SPEED 80 MPH- displayed on the DIC. Next day I take my XLR to my buddy's transmission shop. He borrowed one of his friends Tech2 for us to use. We spent the entire afternoon trying to deprogram the F55 function in the Body Control Module to no avail. We tried everything we could think of, nothing worked. If we lied to the Tech2 and told it my car was a Corvette we could see the F55 function, but the Tech2 knew the car was not a Corvette, so it would not let us turn off the F55 function. When we would tell the Tech2 that my car was an XLR, we where not able to find the F55 function in the Body Control Module. We even tried using a second Tech2, same thing. We even tried looking for the F55 function in every other Control Module, just in case GM was sneaky and tried to hide it somewhere else. What we came away with was that, some Corvettes have Mag Ride suspensions, others do not. All Cadillac XLR's have Mag Ride suspensions, it's not an option. GM must have written the software differently for the XLR's and Corvettes Body Control Modules. As they come down the assembly line the Corvettes with Mag Ride get the F55 option turned on. Corvettes without Mag Ride do not get the F55 option turned on. XLR's it's not an option, they all have Mag Ride, so no need to have an F55 option to turn on or off. So, no need to write it into the software of the XLR's Body Control Module. It's not an option on the car, It's not an option in the Body Control Module. Now, what to do? The XLR runs and drives great, but the dreaded -MAX SPEED 80 MPH- displayed on the DIC. So, I started to research simulators. I decided to take a chance and ordered a set from Eckler's via Ebay for $218.88 to my front door. A few days later my order from Eckler's arrived. I installed the four Shock simulators and Walla! No more dreaded -MAX SPEED 80 MPH- displayed on the DIC. I didn't have to do anything else, the Body Control Module reset itself. I'm So Happy!! It can be done!! It worked on my 04 XLR. My XLR feels like a brand new car.

 

[05 GRAND DADDY]

Hello everyone, I just wanted to let everyone know that it is possible to get rid of your Mag Ride Shocks on your XLR. I had a "clunk" in the front suspension going in and out of driveways and over speed bumps. I have several friends in the automotive repair business. I took my 04 XLR to three different shops to try to figure out what was loose in my front suspension. All three times we could not find anything wrong with my front suspension. Except that all four shocks where leaking. I knew that I needed to replace my shocks, so I started to research part numbers and prices. Mag Ride shocks are crazy expensive. The cheapest I could find them for was on Amazon for approx. $1800, delivered to my front door. I could get a set of four Bilsteins on Ebay for $396 to my front door. I had read in several Corvette sites that they where able to deprogram the F55 function in their Body Control Module with a Tech2. I also read that a lot of Corvette guys where using plug in simulators to trick the Body Control Module into thinking they still had Mag Ride Shocks in their cars. From everything I read, the simulators where effective about 50% of the time. 50% of the Corvette guys where happy with the simulators and 50% of the guys said they where junk and a waste of money. With all of this info and a couple of months of going back and forth in my head on the best solution, I finally decided to buy the Bilstein Shocks and deprogram my Body Control Module. I replaced all four shock here at home, pretty straight forward, no issues. I test drove the XLR in town and on freeway. Car was super smooth and no more "clunk", but the dreaded -MAX SPEED 80 MPH- displayed on the DIC. Next day I take my XLR to my buddy's transmission shop. He borrowed one of his friends Tech2 for us to use. We spent the entire afternoon trying to deprogram the F55 function in the Body Control Module to no avail. We tried everything we could think of, nothing worked. If we lied to the Tech2 and told it my car was a Corvette we could see the F55 function, but the Tech2 knew the car was not a Corvette, so it would not let us turn off the F55 function. When we would tell the Tech2 that my car was an XLR, we where not able to find the F55 function in the Body Control Module. We even tried using a second Tech2, same thing. We even tried looking for the F55 function in every other Control Module, just in case GM was sneaky and tried to hide it somewhere else. What we came away with was that, some Corvettes have Mag Ride suspensions, others do not. All Cadillac XLR's have Mag Ride suspensions, it's not an option. GM must have written the software differently for the XLR's and Corvettes Body Control Modules. As they come down the assembly line the Corvettes with Mag Ride get the F55 option turned on. Corvettes without Mag Ride do not get the F55 option turned on. XLR's it's not an option, they all have Mag Ride, so no need to have an F55 option to turn on or off. So, no need to write it into the software of the XLR's Body Control Module. It's not an option on the car, It's not an option in the Body Control Module. Now, what to do? The XLR runs and drives great, but the dreaded -MAX SPEED 80 MPH- displayed on the DIC. So, I started to research simulators. I decided to take a chance and ordered a set from Eckler's via Ebay for $218.88 to my front door. A few days later my order from Eckler's arrived. I installed the four Shock simulators and Walla! No more dreaded -MAX SPEED 80 MPH- displayed on the DIC. I didn't have to do anything else, the Body Control Module reset itself. I'm So Happy!! It can be done!! It worked on my 04 XLR. My XLR feels like a brand new car.

I had that ANNOYING CLUNK on the drivers side when I bought my XLR a man hole or bridge split sounded like it was coming up through hood, that's when I had to change them in 2011 then I had to replace the rears this pass spring. Sounds like for less $$$ then 2 mag shocks you installed all 4 This is good to know I still can't quite understand how a shock with less 53k went bad and leaking that quickly! My old Ford truck had 150 k on her before I had to changed them and they weren't leaking they made me replace because of rust and falling apart to pass PA Inspection.


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[randingo8]

Yes, All four Bilsteins for $396 plus simulators for $218.88, grand total of $614.88. Plus the car rides like a dream, as a Cadillac should.

Oh Yeah! My XLR has 81,000 miles, so I didn't fell bad that I had to replace the shocks. I have owned the car for two and a half years. It never road quite right, then the "clunk" started and kept getting worst. It was the shocks the whole time.

If you want a little stiffer/sporty ride you could buy KYB's or Koni's. You could also use Z51 or Z06 shocks too. It opens a lot of doors for the XLR.

The simulator kit that I purchased came with the four shock simulators, and it also came with four ride height simulators too. So, you could disconnect your ride height sensors and lower the car. If you buy the simulators from Caspers website they are only $175.

Part #'s:
Front Shocks, Bilstein B8, 24-029773
Rear Shocks, Bilstein B8, 24-029780
Simulators, Caspers Electronics, 109096
RTD Simulator C6 'Vette

If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. I'll be happy to help if I can. I did a lot of research on this subject.

See Ya! Randy

 

[05 GRAND DADDY]

Yes, All four Bilsteins for $396 plus simulators for $218.88, grand total of $614.88. Plus the car rides like a dream, as a Cadillac should.

Oh Yeah! My XLR has 81,000 miles, so I didn't fell bad that I had to replace the shocks. I have owned the car for two and a half years. It never road quite right, then the "clunk" started and kept getting worst. It was the shocks the whole time.

If you want a little stiffer/sporty ride you could buy KYB's or Koni's. You could also use Z51 or Z06 shocks too. It opens a lot of doors for the XLR.

The simulator kit that I purchased came with the four shock simulators, and it also came with four ride height simulators too. So, you could disconnect your ride height sensors and lower the car. If you buy the simulators from Caspers website they are only $175.

Part #'s:
Front Shocks, Bilstein B8, 24-029773
Rear Shocks, Bilstein B8, 24-029780
Simulators, Caspers Electronics, 109096
RTD Simulator C6 'Vette

If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. I'll be happy to help if I can. I did a lot of research on this subject.

See Ya! Randy

Thanks again but since my was changed and redone with OEM Shocks and she gets garaged more with less miles they should be lasting for quite awhile! Happy Holidays


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[Smoothran]

Yes, All four Bilsteins for $396 plus simulators for $218.88, grand total of $614.88. Plus the car rides like a dream, as a Cadillac should.

Oh Yeah! My XLR has 81,000 miles, so I didn't fell bad that I had to replace the shocks. I have owned the car for two and a half years. It never road quite right, then the "clunk" started and kept getting worst. It was the shocks the whole time.

If you want a little stiffer/sporty ride you could buy KYB's or Koni's. You could also use Z51 or Z06 shocks too. It opens a lot of doors for the XLR.

The simulator kit that I purchased came with the four shock simulators, and it also came with four ride height simulators too. So, you could disconnect your ride height sensors and lower the car. If you buy the simulators from Caspers website they are only $175.

Part #'s:
Front Shocks, Bilstein B8, 24-029773
Rear Shocks, Bilstein B8, 24-029780
Simulators, Caspers Electronics, 109096
RTD Simulator C6 'Vette

If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. I'll be happy to help if I can. I did a lot of research on this subject.

See Ya! Randy

This is excellent news. My car only has 63,000 on it but the ride isn't smooth as I'd expect from a Cadillac. I replaced the tires which corrected much of the ride but riding on rough roads are clunky sounding. This info is good to know although I'm not in a position to install myself. I may have to drive to your place for help... lol

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[vette100]

randingo8,

Great post. Thank you for the information. I have a 2004 with 30,000 and I have that clunking noise same as you. I figured that a tie rod or something in the suspension was broke. It is probably the shocks. When I was at the Cadi dealer they said all 4 shocks were leaking and for only $5000 I can get them replaced. You have given me options. Thanks again.

Hello everyone, I just wanted to let everyone know that it is possible to get rid of your Mag Ride Shocks on your XLR. I had a "clunk" in the front suspension going in and out of driveways and over speed bumps. I have several friends in the automotive repair business. I took my 04 XLR to three different shops to try to figure out what was loose in my front suspension. All three times we could not find anything wrong with my front suspension. Except that all four shocks pwhere leaking. I knew that I needed to replace my shocks, so I started to research part numbers and prices. Mag Ride shocks are crazy expensive. The cheapest I could find them for was on Amazon for approx. $1800, delivered to my front door. I could get a set of four Bilsteins on Ebay for $396 to my front door. I had read in several Corvette sites that they where able to deprogram the F55 function in their Body Control Module with a Tech2. I also read that a lot of Corvette guys where using plug in simulators to trick the Body Control Module into thinking they still had Mag Ride Shocks in their cars. From everything I read, the simulators where effective about 50% of the time. 50% of the Corvette guys where happy with the simulators and 50% of the guys said they where junk and a waste of money. With all of this info and a couple of months of going back and forth in my head on the best solution, I finally decided to buy the Bilstein Shocks and deprogram my Body Control Module. I replaced all four shock here at home, pretty straight forward, no issues. I test drove the XLR in town and on freeway. Car was super smooth and no more "clunk", but the dreaded -MAX SPEED 80 MPH- displayed on the DIC. Next day I take my XLR to my buddy's transmission shop. He borrowed one of his friends Tech2 for us to use. We spent the entire afternoon trying to deprogram the F55 function in the Body Control Module to no avail. We tried everything we could think of, nothing worked. If we lied to the Tech2 and told it my car was a Corvette we could see the F55 function, but the Tech2 knew the car was not a Corvette, so it would not let us turn off the F55 function. When we would tell the Tech2 that my car was an XLR, we where not able to find the F55 function in the Body Control Module. We even tried using a second Tech2, same thing. We even tried looking for the F55 function in every other Control Module, just in case GM was sneaky and tried to hide it somewhere else. What we came away with was that, some Corvettes have Mag Ride suspensions, others do not. All Cadillac XLR's have Mag Ride suspensions, it's not an option. GM must have written the software differently for the XLR's and Corvettes Body Control Modules. As they come down the assembly line the Corvettes with Mag Ride get the F55 option turned on. Corvettes without Mag Ride do not get the F55 option turned on. XLR's it's not an option, they all have Mag Ride, so no need to have an F55 option to turn on or off. So, no need to write it into the software of the XLR's Body Control Module. It's not an option on the car, It's not an option in the Body Control Module. Now, what to do? The XLR runs and drives great, but the dreaded -MAX SPEED 80 MPH- displayed on the DIC. So, I started to research simulators. I decided to take a chance and ordered a set from Eckler's via Ebay for $218.88 to my front door. A few days later my order from Eckler's arrived. I installed the four Shock simulators and Walla! No more dreaded -MAX SPEED 80 MPH- displayed on the DIC. I didn't have to do anything else, the Body Control Module reset itself. I'm So Happy!! It can be done!! It worked on my 04 XLR. My XLR feels like a brand new car.

 

[05 GRAND DADDY]

randingo8,

Great post. Thank you for the information. I have a 2004 with 30,000 and I have that clunking noise same as you. I figured that a tie rod or something in the suspension was broke. It is probably the shocks. When I was at the Cadi dealer they said all 4 shocks were leaking and for only $5000 I can get them replaced. You have given me options. Thanks again.

Wow what a great deal only 5K .... LOL
That's a $1000 a shock (which is about the cost from dealer $1020) and another $1000 to install!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[randingo8]

randingo8,

Great post. Thank you for the information. I have a 2004 with 30,000 and I have that clunking noise same as you. I figured that a tie rod or something in the suspension was broke. It is probably the shocks. When I was at the Cadi dealer they said all 4 shocks were leaking and for only $5000 I can get them replaced. You have given me options. Thanks again.

Yes vette100, just like you I thought that something was loose or broken in my front suspension. Isn't it a shame that at 30,000 miles your shocks are already shot and $5000 bucks to replace them. It's insanity! That's what motivated me to try to find a solution that made sense.


Smoothran, If you're not one to work on your car yourself, with this information you should be able to go to any reputable Corvette shop in your area and have the shocks replaced at a reasonable price.


Also, while I was replacing the shocks, I added a rear sway bar. What a difference that makes. I cant believe GM didn't install a rear sway bar at the factory. I used the 1", corvette 2005-2009, Z51, Pt# GM10339124.

Here is the link for that mod:
Rear swaybar parts list '04-'09

See Ya! Randy

 

[mongoose]

Life saver!

Yes vette100, just like you I thought that something was loose or broken in my front suspension. Isn't it a shame that at 30,000 miles your shocks are already shot and $5000 bucks to replace them. It's insanity! That's what motivated me to try to find a solution that made sense.


Smoothran, If you're not one to work on your car yourself, with this information you should be able to go to any reputable Corvette shop in your area and have the shocks replaced at a reasonable price.


Also, while I was replacing the shocks, I added a rear sway bar. What a difference that makes. I cant believe GM didn't install a rear sway bar at the factory. I used the 1", corvette 2005-2009, Z51, Pt# GM10339124.

Here is the link for that mod:
Rear swaybar parts list '04-'09

See Ya! Randy

 

[pure zen]

why pay more,,,,

Great information,,,, that should help many XLR owners save some big $$$

p z

 

[onalaska]

Mag Ride vs. Conventional shocks

Something to consider if you are trying to save money and can't afford new OEM shocks, but you will sacrifice some of the ride, performance and handling designed into the XLR.

I would never suggest spending $5,000 at a dealer to replace the shocks when you can buy them for about $500 each from Amazon or Rock Auto and other places and install them yourself or have an independent repair shop replace them for a fraction of what this dealer quoted you. It's not anymore difficult than replacing shocks on a corvette or most other cars for that matter.

I kind of place this decision in the same category as buying tires. You can spend a little or you can spend a lot, sometimes spending a little doesn't get you a lot!

For those that don't understand the benefits of magnetic ride control here is a brief explanation of how it works and the benefits and why it was designed into your XLR.

Magnetic Suspension explained - Why High End

 

[mongoose]

Suppliers

Hello everyone, I just wanted to let everyone know that it is possible to get rid of your Mag Ride Shocks on your XLR. I had a "clunk" in the front suspension going in and out of driveways and over speed bumps. I have several friends in the automotive repair business. I took my 04 XLR to three different shops to try to figure out what was loose in my front suspension. All three times we could not find anything wrong with my front suspension. Except that all four shocks where leaking. I knew that I needed to replace my shocks, so I started to research part numbers and prices. Mag Ride shocks are crazy expensive. The cheapest I could find them for was on Amazon for approx. $1800, delivered to my front door. I could get a set of four Bilsteins on Ebay for $396 to my front door. I had read in several Corvette sites that they where able to deprogram the F55 function in their Body Control Module with a Tech2. I also read that a lot of Corvette guys where using plug in simulators to trick the Body Control Module into thinking they still had Mag Ride Shocks in their cars. From everything I read, the simulators where effective about 50% of the time. 50% of the Corvette guys where happy with the simulators and 50% of the guys said they where junk and a waste of money. With all of this info and a couple of months of going back and forth in my head on the best solution, I finally decided to buy the Bilstein Shocks and deprogram my Body Control Module. I replaced all four shock here at home, pretty straight forward, no issues. I test drove the XLR in town and on freeway. Car was super smooth and no more "clunk", but the dreaded -MAX SPEED 80 MPH- displayed on the DIC. Next day I take my XLR to my buddy's transmission shop. He borrowed one of his friends Tech2 for us to use. We spent the entire afternoon trying to deprogram the F55 function in the Body Control Module to no avail. We tried everything we could think of, nothing worked. If we lied to the Tech2 and told it my car was a Corvette we could see the F55 function, but the Tech2 knew the car was not a Corvette, so it would not let us turn off the F55 function. When we would tell the Tech2 that my car was an XLR, we where not able to find the F55 function in the Body Control Module. We even tried using a second Tech2, same thing. We even tried looking for the F55 function in every other Control Module, just in case GM was sneaky and tried to hide it somewhere else. What we came away with was that, some Corvettes have Mag Ride suspensions, others do not. All Cadillac XLR's have Mag Ride suspensions, it's not an option. GM must have written the software differently for the XLR's and Corvettes Body Control Modules. As they come down the assembly line the Corvettes with Mag Ride get the F55 option turned on. Corvettes without Mag Ride do not get the F55 option turned on. XLR's it's not an option, they all have Mag Ride, so no need to have an F55 option to turn on or off. So, no need to write it into the software of the XLR's Body Control Module. It's not an option on the car, It's not an option in the Body Control Module. Now, what to do? The XLR runs and drives great, but the dreaded -MAX SPEED 80 MPH- displayed on the DIC. So, I started to research simulators. I decided to take a chance and ordered a set from Eckler's via Ebay for $218.88 to my front door. A few days later my order from Eckler's arrived. I installed the four Shock simulators and Walla! No more dreaded -MAX SPEED 80 MPH- displayed on the DIC. I didn't have to do anything else, the Body Control Module reset itself. I'm So Happy!! It can be done!! It worked on my 04 XLR. My XLR feels like a brand new car.

Hey Randy. This is a God send. I looked under Caspers electronics and couldn't find the RTD simulator. Do you have a part number for Ecklers. They listed a simulator for 2005 and up C6. Also who did you get your shocks from? Thanks so much.

Mongoose (My name is Randy also )

 

[XLR_7254]

Hey Randy. This is a God send. I looked under Caspers electronics and couldn't find the RTD simulator. Do you have a part number for Ecklers. They listed a simulator for 2005 and up C6. Also who did you get your shocks from? Thanks so much.

Mongoose (My name is Randy also )

Hey Mongoose,

here is the link:

RTD Simulator C6 'Vette

they are about $50 cheaper than ecklers. I am going to do the conversion closer to the time I can pull my car out Of the garage depending on the weather. Let me know how they work out.

This was a great and very helpful writeup for us wanting to do the conversion.

 

[XFireXLR]

Great research and write up......thanks!!!!

 

[PTpro]

Hello everyone, I just wanted to let everyone know that it is possible to get rid of your Mag Ride Shocks on your XLR. I had a "clunk" in the front suspension going in and out of driveways and over speed bumps. I have several friends in the automotive repair business. I took my 04 XLR to three different shops to try to figure out what was loose in my front suspension. All three times we could not find anything wrong with my front suspension. Except that all four shocks where leaking. I knew that I needed to replace my shocks, so I started to research part numbers and prices. Mag Ride shocks are crazy expensive. The cheapest I could find them for was on Amazon for approx. $1800, delivered to my front door. I could get a set of four Bilsteins on Ebay for $396 to my front door. I had read in several Corvette sites that they where able to deprogram the F55 function in their Body Control Module with a Tech2. I also read that a lot of Corvette guys where using plug in simulators to trick the Body Control Module into thinking they still had Mag Ride Shocks in their cars. From everything I read, the simulators where effective about 50% of the time. 50% of the Corvette guys where happy with the simulators and 50% of the guys said they where junk and a waste of money. With all of this info and a couple of months of going back and forth in my head on the best solution, I finally decided to buy the Bilstein Shocks and deprogram my Body Control Module. I replaced all four shock here at home, pretty straight forward, no issues. I test drove the XLR in town and on freeway. Car was super smooth and no more "clunk", but the dreaded -MAX SPEED 80 MPH- displayed on the DIC. Next day I take my XLR to my buddy's transmission shop. He borrowed one of his friends Tech2 for us to use. We spent the entire afternoon trying to deprogram the F55 function in the Body Control Module to no avail. We tried everything we could think of, nothing worked. If we lied to the Tech2 and told it my car was a Corvette we could see the F55 function, but the Tech2 knew the car was not a Corvette, so it would not let us turn off the F55 function. When we would tell the Tech2 that my car was an XLR, we where not able to find the F55 function in the Body Control Module. We even tried using a second Tech2, same thing. We even tried looking for the F55 function in every other Control Module, just in case GM was sneaky and tried to hide it somewhere else. What we came away with was that, some Corvettes have Mag Ride suspensions, others do not. All Cadillac XLR's have Mag Ride suspensions, it's not an option. GM must have written the software differently for the XLR's and Corvettes Body Control Modules. As they come down the assembly line the Corvettes with Mag Ride get the F55 option turned on. Corvettes without Mag Ride do not get the F55 option turned on. XLR's it's not an option, they all have Mag Ride, so no need to have an F55 option to turn on or off. So, no need to write it into the software of the XLR's Body Control Module. It's not an option on the car, It's not an option in the Body Control Module. Now, what to do? The XLR runs and drives great, but the dreaded -MAX SPEED 80 MPH- displayed on the DIC. So, I started to research simulators. I decided to take a chance and ordered a set from Eckler's via Ebay for $218.88 to my front door. A few days later my order from Eckler's arrived. I installed the four Shock simulators and Walla! No more dreaded -MAX SPEED 80 MPH- displayed on the DIC. I didn't have to do anything else, the Body Control Module reset itself. I'm So Happy!! It can be done!! It worked on my 04 XLR. My XLR feels like a brand new car.

Just curious to know, Does your traction control and stability track still function fine?

 

[randingo8]

Just curious to know, Does your traction control and stability track still function fine?

Yes, Traction control, stability track everything works as it should. No problems with any of the systems. Thanks for asking.

Mongoose also made the exact same changes on his XLR and I believe he's very happy with the way his car turned out too.

 

[PTpro]

Yes, Traction control, stability track everything works as it should. No problems with any of the systems. Thanks for asking.

Mongoose also made the exact same changes on his XLR and I believe he's very happy with the way his car turned out too.

Thank you for the GREAT information!

 

[onalaska]

Mag Ride Discription

FYI, here is a blurb on the benefits of magnetic ride control quoted from Cadillac's literature:

"The XLR also is one of the world’s first vehicles to be equipped with Magnetic Ride Control – electronically controlled, magnetic-fluid based real-time damping. The system uses four wheel-to-body displacement sensors to measure wheel motion over the road surface and responds by adjusting the shock damping at speeds approaching one millisecond. That’s five times faster than previous “real time” damping systems. The secret is the magneto-rheological fluid contained in its dampers, replacing traditional mechanical valves. Suspended in this fluid are tiny iron particles that respond to an electromagnetic charge.In the presence of a charge, the iron particles align themselves into fibrous structures that almost instantaneously create precise and wide-ranging damping characteristics. With sensors reading the road surface at a rate of 1 inch at 60 mph (25.4 mm at 97 km/h), the system responds by commanding constant changes in damping force at all four corners. The goal is to maintain tire contact with the road surface and to keep the body on an even plane, with smooth, well-controlled body motions even during aggressive maneuvers or on uneven road surfaces."

 

[randingo8]

Great research and write up......thanks!!!!

Thank you for the GREAT information!

Hey XFireXLR and PTpro, Thank you guys. I spent many, many hours researching this topic over a six month period on three XLR and three Corvette forums to come up with a solution that worked for my 2004 XLR.

I'm super happy with the ride and handling of my car. It literally rides like a dream. I have owned it for two and a half years and it never has ridden or handled this good. I believe it rides and handles better than new, with the Bilstein B8 Shocks and the C-6, Z51 rear sway bar.

That being said, this information really opens up a lot of doors for XLR owners. Example #1: If you want a little stiffer/sportier ride you could buy KYB's or Koni's shocks. You could also use Corvette Z51 or Z06 shocks too. Trust me I looked into all of these options too, before deciding to go with Bilsteins. Example #2: The simulator kit that I purchased from Caspers came with the four shock simulators, and it also came with four ride height simulators too. So, you could disconnect your ride height sensors and lower the car.

So, if you want to have fun with your XLR. Like the Corvette guys get to do with their cars. You can try different shocks and/or different springs, as well as different tires and wheel combinations. Make you XLR ride and look the way you would like your XLR to ride and look. You don't have to be restrained by the original Mag Ride Shocks, Body Control Module and the dreaded -MAX SPEED 80 MPH- displayed on the DIC. It can be done, I did it! That is what this thread is all about, you have options. Get out there and have fun with your car.

See Ya!
Randy

 

[PTpro]

Hey XFireXLR and PTpro, Thank you guys. I spent many, many hours researching this topic over a six month period on three XLR and three Corvette forums to come up with a solution that worked for my 2004 XLR.

I'm super happy with the ride and handling of my car. It literally rides like a dream. I have owned it for two and a half years and it never has ridden or handled this good. I believe it rides and handles better than new, with the Bilstein B8 Shocks and the C-6, Z51 rear sway bar.

That being said, this information really opens up a lot of doors for XLR owners. Example #1: If you want a little stiffer/sportier ride you could buy KYB's or Koni's shocks. You could also use Corvette Z51 or Z06 shocks too. Trust me I looked into all of these options too, before deciding to go with Bilsteins. Example #2: The simulator kit that I purchased from Caspers came with the four shock simulators, and it also came with four ride height simulators too. So, you could disconnect your ride height sensors and lower the car.

So, if you want to have fun with your XLR. Like the Corvette guys get to do with their cars. You can try different shocks and/or different springs, as well as different tires and wheel combinations. Make you XLR ride and look the way you would like your XLR to ride and look. You don't have to be restrained by the original Mag Ride Shocks, Body Control Module and the dreaded -MAX SPEED 80 MPH- displayed on the DIC. It can be done, I did it! That is what this thread is all about, you have options. Get out there and have fun with your car.

See Ya!
Randy

Thank you again for the follow up note! I've owned my 2006 XLR-V since December 2006 when I bought it as Certified Pre-Owned with only 1300 miles on it. It came with 4 years warranty and after that I bought from Cadillac another 3. It only required a few minor issues fixed on it, so I never got any more warranty. It now has 72,000 miles on it and completely stock. It doesn't need shocks yet because the originals are not leaking, yet! I will greatly appreciate the information you provided when I do need shocks. I'd like to keep it stock in every way, but now reconsidering the stock aspect because I never really liked the hard ride of the magnetic shocks and to put big money into replacing them on a 10 year old car doesn't make much sense to me. I never use the car on a track, and would love to enjoy a softer ride. I put all your information in safe keeping until I need it. Again, thank you for the awesome information on the shocks, simulators and most important, the results!!!