F45 longevity & F55 retrofit kit

[fhturner]

Initially posted in C5 Mods. It isn't really mod-specific, and I figured there was a greater chance of an answer here. Hope y'all don't mind the cross post!

I just bought a 2000 coupe with F45 Selective Real-Time Damping. It has 61,000 miles on it now. The ride seems fine to me and I haven't seen any oil leakage from the shocks, but I'm wondering about what point one should start considering replacement of the F45 shocks due to wear. At corvetteforum.com, I saw people reporting anywhere from under 30,000 miles to 75,000+. I'm sure it depends on driving style and conditions, but what should I expect, roughly, under average driving/conditions? Does anyone have any recommendations on how much I should expect to pay, and where a good place to purchase replacement shocks would be?

My ears perked up as well with the mention of the F55 MSRC retrofit option. From the previous 2 posts, this looks like a sure thing-- just a matter of time. Does anyone have any idea how much this might cost, compared to replacing the F45 shocks? Is there an ETA in the rumor mill for when GM SPO will stop holding this kit up and release it?

Thanks,
Fred

 

[JBsC5]

I would wait until the f55 retrofit kit becomes available and the first wave of demand subsides..

from what I hear the F45 shocks cost 2100 dollars and the F55 complete upgrade should cost about 2800 complete.

Take your time, enjoy your car and imho I would wait for the original wave of demand occurs when the F55 retrofit releases.



I just put in the 2004 Z06 shocks into my 2001 Z06 and the writeups by Hib and many other magazines were dead on..

The upgrade I did which is no where near as expensive as what you are contemptlating was awesome.

I believe the conversion to F55 when your ready will be an exceptional mod..

REmember the F55 system is faster acting than the one on the 600, 000 Ferrari Enzo.

GM really did an amazing job here..

Good luck to you and just hang back till your ready..

JB

 

[fhturner]

Thanks, JB!

Is there no one else with the F45 suspension who would like to share his/her experience with it? Even if you haven't replaced your shocks, how many miles do you have on your F45 setup?

Thanks!
Fred

 

[usmcrtr]

I'm at 53K on a 98 coupe with the F45. I'm actually wishing mind would go out so I can justify the F55 upgrade to my wife. Prior to putting Z06 sway bars on I could tell a significant difference between settings. Now I can barely tell when I move the selector. I'm looking for the F55 to make my high speed runs on less than stellar roads a little safer and maybe be able to add a few more mph.