I need to replace the rear suspension (and eventually the front) on my 2012 Chevy Camaro (V6 2LT). I got a quote from the shop I usually use for OEM replacement, but I got to looking online and the majority of the aftermarket parts are cheaper than OEM and hopefully a bit better. The more I look, the more confused I am getting myself. I was hoping someone around here could help me get my thoughts straight.
I drive the car everyday and mostly on highways. I don’t need full out adjustable racing suspension, but I wouldn’t mind if it was a bit tighter than OEM. The car has 125k miles and the suspension has never been touched/replaced.
I assume I need to replace the spring and strut, but I can’t seem to find much info on which parts are worth the money online and which are not. Also is there anything other than the spring and strut I should order and replace at the same time? Could any offer some advice?
Cheaper AND better than the hyper-mass-production that came with the car is rather unlikely.
I’m certainly not a Camaro expert, but new bushings couldn’t hurt after 125k.
OEM is designed for a trade-off in comfort vs. handling. If you go aftermarket you’ll affect one or the other. If you don’t want to lower the suspension or feel every bump or rock in the road, I’d stick with OEM or OEM equivalent.
The only thing I’d suggest as absolutely going with aftermarket are installing improved suspension bushings.
So I had a Mustang GT that I changed up the suspension 4 times.
Started with OEM, never had a problem, just wanted something cooler.
Moved from OEM to adjustable racing suspension. Hated it, while the firm suspension was nice on the track, it showed it’s weakness everyday while I drove. The highways in our area are surprisingly bad at different times in the year. a Firmer ride will point this out every day.
Moved from adjustable to Air Ride. Figured I could have the firm ride when I needed it and soft ride when I didn’t. This was an awesome solution for a while. But, you will develop leaks, you have to wait for a compressor to charge a tank before you can leave, and these system need maintenance.
Moved from Air Ride to a lowered ride height OEM equivalent setup. This was the winning solution for me. Had the softer pleasant ride, but lowered my ride height about 1 inch. Had a bit less travel in the suspension, but I felt it was the best solution given all things. The car looked a bit more tricked out and never had to think about suspension.
Thanks for the input guys. I guess I will stick with the OEM option for the time being. Lowering a bit would be interesting, but I am replacing the rear suspension and tires only for the time being. Maybe when I get the money to do the fronts I can look into it.
I am going to see what Summit has in the way of bushings and replace those too.
Finally getting back on my feet after injury, so maybe now I can take care of the car a bit better.
My recommendation at 125k: keep it simple. Replace the shocks only, using parts sourced from GM or their supplier. It’s unlikely your bushings are worn enough to require replacement after only 5 years and 125,000 miles. Those things last a long time. Before dropping the cash, put the car on the lift and use some prybars to determine whether the bushings have gone soft, or if they’re visibly damaged or worn.
Manufacturers dump tons of cash into developing bushings that reduce NVH while retaining feel, and in many cases the bushings have different amounts of compliance along different axes, to allow the suspension to work in a specific way. This level of R&D is never replicated in the aftermarket, and aftermarket bushings, even “OEM-style” parts, rarely meet OE specifications in these areas. So unless you’re looking for a specific suspension dynamic or the parts have verifiably gone bad, you’ll probably only be making your car worse by replacing them.
It should not be necessary to replace the springs.
OE is best for most everyone who doesn’t track their cars on a regular(often) basis. Even then, unless you’re looking to do something specific to achieve a certain outcome. OE is still usually best overall.
If the suspension is truly worn out, the bushings would take a bit of extra stress. For sure: Check before replacement (unless you’re looking for a different feel).
The terms “OE” & “OEM” are frequently tossed around but never clarified.
OE (or OES) should be - in your case “original equipment” (GM/Chevy)
OEM should be “original equipment manufacturer” - meaning the supplier that made parts for the car as it was assembled at the factory. In your case for or example Chevrolet does NOT make shocks or struts - so you’d want to find the “OEM” that supplied them to the assembly plant - be it Bilstein, Koni, etc(I am not a GM guy - someone else may know). The point is “OEM” is the same quality as a “dealer sourced” part but it is not going to be in the pretty GM box.
“aftermarket” - that can mean anything from Ebay, Amazon, Autozone or anywhere - unknowns from the lowest no quality one size fits nothing correctly parts that I wouldn’t put on anything I drive…but to some - “the lowest price” is all that matters.
Bottom line, spend wisely, buy good parts but don’t piss your hard earned money away with many Chevrolet (insert any brand of car here) parts because the fact is - they don’t make them - they buy them too!
Awesome info. Honestly the suspension has been great on the car. Price isn’t a huge factor, I just don’t want to replace the struts with crummy parts, and I didn’t want to find out later that I should have gone with something else that was cheaper. The factory struts have lasted me quite a while and the suspension is only a little bouncy now. I am looking at replacing them because it is causing uneven tire ware (and it really needs to be done). My back tires are bald, one being down to no tread left in the middle, the other only a few months behind it. I wanted to replace the struts before I got new tires, so this weekend it is.
Thanks for all the info! I will find OEM struts and get this done.
Just throwing this out there: “strut” and “shock absorber” aren’t interchangeable terms. A strut refers specifically to the shock absorber/upper arm assembly in a MacPherson or Chapman strut suspension design.
While your car does employ a MacPherson strut front suspension*, the rear suspension is known as a Multilink suspension, which does not use struts to control suspension movement. The shock absorber is only used to dampen motion, rather than being a structural member.
*due to the double ball joint design, it isn’t technically a MacPherson strut, but none of the proprietary names for this type of suspension have caught on; in any case the principle is the same.
