PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post - Gabriel Shock Absorber

elchivito · #24 12-10-2009, 02:11 PM

If the gabriels ride ok for you, what the heck, and they do have a lifetime warranty..my earlier comment about them is based on my experience...my old Zuki had a crappy ride, the oem shocks had gone 170K+ and were leaking some. I didn't want to spend a fortune (sorta like your car, it's a beater) so got the gabriels at AZ for about the same price you paid, but the zuki needed struts in the front rather than shocks, so they cost a bit more....the ride has gone from crappy to downright awful and the suspension is making all kinds of moans and groans it didn't make before that I can't figure out and am unwilling to spend any time or money on, as the car is basically a stump puller and animal hauler. I got cheap shocks, but I'd been better off leaving well enough alone. I just paid 55 dollars for OEM bilsteins for the Euro including shipping. In total, a hundred bucks more than the gabriels. Worth every penny, but this car's not a beater and we're trying to keep it as cherry as we can while still driving it every day. I have to cut corners sometimes too, but find that it pays off maybe half the time if I'm lucky. I do figure there is some wisdom in sticking with parts that were originally specified by the company that made the vehicle whenever possible in spite of the increased cost. Not so much for any purist ideal, but because of compatibility.