1990 Cadillac Eldo Rear Shock replacement

I'm looking to replace my rear shocks. They are the auto-leveling kind that came stock with the car when new.

I see a variety of shocks by Monroe, all related to my car.

Has anyone had experience with replacing these types of shocks?

A mechanic quoted me $541 to replace them, charging $132 per Monroe shock.

I see them for much less and I'm thinking I can replace them myself for under $200.

Any comments are appreciated.

 

Hello fellow DIY'er.
Although I am not a fan of Cadillac, I have much experince working on them. Here we go. First off you are right, there are alot of choices when it comes to suspension. I personally like to stick with OEM if you can afford it or a name like MONROE or GABRIEL as an alternative. They usually have all the new bushings and such you will need for the repair. It is a pretty straight forward repair. On a scale or 1 to 10, 10 being the hardest, I would say it is a 4. I don't know what your mechanical skill level is but a decent skill DIY'er can definitely handle this. Let me know if you have any issues.

 

Thanks for the encouragement. If I don't trade this pest in, I may give it a go. I have a fair amount of electro/mechanical expertise and do much of my own maintenance. I've never had the opportunity to install this type of shock so I just may try it.

 

That particular Caddy with the self leveling shocks are really expensive if you go back with the same set-up. A friend was quoted $900 to replace his. For my money, on that old of a car, I would eliminate the self leveling and go with an air shock. A lot cheaper and work great. They won't, however, adjust for the added weight of people, luggage, etc.. The reason why regular shocks won't work is that there usually isn't much of a spring, if any, on the car. The shock does all the work. I replace the shocks on my son's Lincoln, same deal, at a cost to ME of $400. (Free labor). He then sold the car!! Good luck.