Lacrosse Touring package rear shocks discontinued. Anyone know of any sources?

[goatbuick]

Hi all,
New member here. I have a 2010 Lacrosse CXS with the 19" wheels and Touring package with the electronic damping on the rear shocks. My shocks are shot. I have tried to find replacements to no avail. All of the dealerships here say that the shocks are discontinued and that they are unable to order them. They say that there is zero stock showing in any dealership inventories in the whole country. I have tried crossing them with numerous local parts houses as well as ones online with no luck. There is an electrical connector on the shock and from what I can tell, any sensor etc is integrated into the shock itself.

I have called AC Delco whom I thought were the OEM supplier but apparently we not, but they could not provide me with any further info. My local guy spoke at length with Monroe and was told that they couldn't provide anything, not even a conversion.

According to my VIN, the specified shock part numbers are:

84336155 for the rear left

84336156 for the rear right.


The codes associated with the VIN are;

F45 --- Real time damping

GNA --- Front struts

GNE ---- H-arm rear axle

VRN ---- Value Added Rear suspension

Any help with finding replacements for these would be greatly appreciated. At this point the car doesn't feel particularly safe to drive on a rough surface. The rear tires are chopped from the bad shocks.

The car is essentially parked because of the lack of availability of the rear shocks. Thanks for any input or info, Hope everyone has a great day!

Chris

 

[MelsRegal]

are you sure about those part numbers? Look at the link below
Shocks & Components for 2010 Buick LaCrosse | GMPartsDirect.com

 

[goatbuick]

Hi MelsRegal. Thanks for taking the time to reply. I am getting these part numbers from dealers who are going strictly off of the VIN for what it's worth. Several different dealerships have all given me the same two part numbers (and only those two) after I gave them the last 8 digits of the VIN.

I noticed that Rockauto, Carid and a few others have part numbers that are off only by the last digit, instead of 84336155 and 8433156, they have 84336157 and 84336158. When I was on the phone with AC Delco I asked him if those would possibly be compatible so he plugged them into his system that goes strictly off of the VIN and it did not show as compatible. He stressed that nothing else showed as compatible, not even any AC Delco part numbers or those from other manufacturers. Which is how he determined that they were not OEM manufactured by AC Delco.

He said that his system showed that those two numbers were the only ones listed as compatible based on my VIN and that they were showing as Dealer Only. So he said that they were never manufactured by an aftermarket manufacturer, AC Delco or anyone else.

I asked all of the dealerships that I spoke to if anything else was compatible or if there were any superceeded numbers possibly etc and everyone replied that those two numbers (84336155 and 84336156) were the only good/valid ones based on my VIN.

I have seen some that everything else matches in terms of F45, VRN, GNE, but the code for the front struts differs, GNB instead of my GNA. Apparently GNB denotes a high performance front strut. Maybe the damping parameters have to be matched between front and rear sets in terms of how they talk to the computer etc possibly?? I have no idea what the difference could be.

Thank you for sending the link...I agree that it seems to fit the bill in terms of the car specs, I just don't know why everyone, in different parts of the country are all only giving me the numbers that they are based on the VIN. I have to assume that they are correct I guess. Thanks again so much for the input, if there is any other info that I can provide just let me know. It's hard to believe that a car that is only 9 years old has to be essentially parked because no one makes shocks for it.

 

[goatbuick]

Apparently the one in the link isn't the correct one, when I clicked on it, a little more info came up. It is for the 4 link suspension, not the H-arm axle and it specifies that it is for cars without real time dampening.

"

• Description:
  Without awd, h-arm susp, with chassis control. LaCrosse. 3.6l. Left. Without real time dampening.
  

• Applications: W/4-LINK REAR AXLE. "

 

[MelsRegal]

did you click on the correct shock read the detail below it states real time dampening part number 20901066
Strut - GM (20901066) | GMPartsDirect.com

In addition did you look at AC-Delco part numbers, not GM part numbers, 560-1097 and 560-1098?

 

[goatbuick]

Hi MelsRegal. Thanks again for the reply. I apologize, I may have looked at the wrong link, I had dozens of tabs open on my laptop and they were all shock/strut pages.

I do see that that shock is compatible with real time damping, but it also specifies that it is for the 4 link rear axle and because of the touring package, I have the H-arm rear axle, which apparently will make it incompatible.

I spoke with someone at AC-Delco yesterday who tried very hard to find something that would work and he said that no matter what part numbers he plugged into my VIN, they were incompatible.

They do actually list the correct shock in their catalog and it's listed by the GM number 84336155 and 6156, but he said that it showed as "dealer only" and that they couldn't get it and that they were not the OEM manufacturer for it, otherwise he would have an ACDelco number for it. According to him, it was only manufactured by the OEM manufacturer, (whoever that was) and that an aftermarket version was never made.

I called a dealership in Houston who is supposed to call GM and get back with me, so maybe that will shed some light on things, hopefully. Thanks again for being so helpful.

 

[goatbuick]

I heard back from the dealership in Houston. They checked the "engineer's notes" on the page that stated the shocks were discontinued. The engineer's notes said that the shocks were in the process of being reinstated (reintroduced into production). The dealership called GM and spoke to a tech that confirmed this. He could not say when but speculated it would be within 4 weeks.

 

[Rich B.]

What interesting threads here and helpful. I’d imagine a separate vendor was used to provide shocks with certain operation parameters if nothing available through main sources.

An example, Ford shipped entire cars off to Car Craft for the original batch of Boss Mustang 429’s, may of been 428’s? Same with the Shelby’s. https://www.hotrod.com/articles/unb...ss-429-just-pulled-of-storage-after-40-years/

Pretty sure the lower option configuration for that model/year Buick can be retroed to work. Can’t picture on an assy. line major differences would be employed for minor changes, oh well......

 

[mikeam]

Hopefully he will back to you. I also have the Touring model (2013) with the mag ride shocks (42K).

I heard back from the dealership in Houston. They checked the "engineer's notes" on the page that stated the shocks were discontinued. The engineer's notes said that the shocks were in the process of being reinstated (reintroduced into production). The dealership called GM and spoke to a tech that confirmed this. He could not say when but speculated it would be within 4 weeks.

 

[MillenialCXS]

I have run into the same problem as goatbuick where my left rear shock absorber is starting to fail and a replacement still doesn't exist. VIN 1G4GE5EV0AF224297. F45, GNE, GNA, VRN.

I think I have found the new part numbers but the acdelco website doesn't give me enough information to confirm this.

84545200 rear left
84545201 rear right

Everything matches and the only thing different is the description of shock absorber vs. shock absorber kit.

I have an email inquiry into acdelco and gm to determine what the replacement part number is.

 

[Mad*Max]

Two ideas, one see if a wrecker has some from a wrecked car, second, you should be able to put regular shocks and have the tech reprogram the car to think there is no longer mag ride shocks

 

[G-834107]

I just replaced my left rear shock absorber. GM does give a replacement shock absorber for the left rear but doesn’t have a replacement for the right rear. The shock absorber part number for the left rear is 20901064.

If you decide to go this route you will need to take apart the old one to reuse the bumper (plastic cover over the steel rod), the upper mount, and a nut that holds the upper mount to shock absorber.

There is 3 bolts that mount the shock absorber assembly to the car (2 (15mm) on the upper mount and one 21 mm bolt on the bottom). GM recommends replacing the bottom bolt even if you loosen it. I think that is a little extreme but I did replace it. Torque specs are 74 ft lb on 15 mm bolts and 110 ft lb on bottom bolt (21 mm) for first pass and final pass is plus 60 degrees according to the Chilton manual. The part number for the 21 mm bolt is 11610720. I also replaced the 15 mm nut that holds the shock absorber to the upper mount and that part number is 11517996. I didn’t need to replace the right side shock absorber but I found the complete assembly on eBay for part 20901065 which is the replacement for the right side.

Few other notes for DYIers
1. Be careful with the blue plastic locking pin on the connector as it only needs to be pulled out about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch to disconnect the shock absorber connector.
2. You will need a special socket to disassemble the shock absorber and you can find it at Napa or Amazon. The size is a double d 8 x 6 mm shock absorber socket. $6 on Amazon and $3 at NAPA. You can use a pair of vice grips to remove the nut but you can damage the end of the shaft to a point you won’t be able to dissemble it ever again. The socket is used to prevent the shaft from spinning while you are using a deep 15mm box wrench to loosen or tighten the nut.

 

[MillenialCXS]

I replaced my left rear shock absorber with part 20901064 from GM and this is the correct part number. The right side is 20901065 and this has been discontinued by GM but you can find this on eBay.

The job itself is fairly easy and an independent shop should not charge more than .5 hr to replace it if the replacement is the complete assembly. The upper mount contains two 15 mm bolts with a torque spec of 74 ft lb and the bottom bolt is 21mm with a torque spec of 110 ft lb on first pass and final pass is plus 60 degrees according to the Chilton manual. GM recommends replacing the bottom bolt if loosened or removed from car and the part number is 11610720.

To replace the left side shock absorber, you need to dissemble the bad shock absorber to use the bumper ( plastic cover that protects steel rod from debris), upper mount and 15 mm nut that holds the steel rod to the upper mount. I replaced the 15 mm nut but it is not required. Part number for the nut is 11517996.

You will need a special socket called a double d shock absorber socket with a cut out sized 8 x 6 mm roughly. This socket allows you to prevent the shock absorber shaft from rotating while you tighten or loosen the 15 mm nut with a deep box wrench. You can buy this socket on Amazon or from NAPA for $3-6. You can use vice grips to loosen or tighten the nut on the end of the shock absorber but it could potentially prevent any further disassembly if needed.

To disconnect the electrical connector there is a blue plastic locking pin that you have to pull out carefully 1/8 to 1/4 inch.

 

[goatbuick]

Well, almost 7 months later and still no shocks being manufactured. The car has been sitting for 7 months, it's too dangerous to drive. 7 months of insurance premiums etc.

The gentleman at the Houston dealership suggested that I call him back every 2-3 weeks, which I have been doing, and he will check again each time with GM to see if they have a date for the shocks to be reinstated. So far nothing. Just an engineer at GM saying that they will be and an engineers notation on the part stating the same when the dealerships looks up the part number.

I thought that car manufacturers were required to make parts for 10 years? I have tried to be patient but I am out of patience at this point. They should not be able to sell a car that you can't drive. And from what I can tell, the shocks were unavailable as soon as 2017 possibly.

 

[goatbuick]

What interesting threads here and helpful. I’d imagine a separate vendor was used to provide shocks with certain operation parameters if nothing available through main sources.

An example, Ford shipped entire cars off to Car Craft for the original batch of Boss Mustang 429’s, may of been 428’s? Same with the Shelby’s. Unbelievable! Check Out This Low-Mile Boss 429, Just Pulled Out of Storage After 40 Years! - Hot Rod

Pretty sure the lower option configuration for that model/year Buick can be retroed to work. Can’t picture on an assy. line major differences would be employed for minor changes, oh well......

Hi and thanks for the input and reply. Months later and still no shocks.

And I totally agree with you that it makes sense that the shocks would be available from a different vehicle that crossed over etc. But apparently not. All of the other Lacrosse's have a 4 link rear end, and this one has an H-arm arrangement with different geometry and factory 19 wheels. The shocks are electronically dampened. It appears that only a few hundred of this configuration were made. Which would explain why it is a dealer only part. There production numbers were probably too small to justify the investment from an aftermarket company.

I read somewhere that the only other car that had this H-arm suspension was a certain type of Camaro, but that the shocks weren't interchangeable.

Here are a few writeups on the suspension.

2011 Buick LaCrosse CXS: Suspension Walkaround

What's the deal with the 2011 Buick LaCrosse CXS? Why has it been selected for a suspension walkaround? The 2011 LaCrosse is hiding something very interesting within its front wheel wells. But only the CXS model has what GM...

www.edmunds.com

GM Introduces HiPer Strut On 2010 Buick LaCrosse CXS

Aiming to improve ride, handling, and steering in front-wheel-drive vehicles.

gmauthority.com

 

[goatbuick]

I have run into the same problem as goatbuick where my left rear shock absorber is starting to fail and a replacement still doesn't exist. VIN 1G4GE5EV0AF224297. F45, GNE, GNA, VRN.

I think I have found the new part numbers but the acdelco website doesn't give me enough information to confirm this.

84545200 rear left
84545201 rear right

Everything matches and the only thing different is the description of shock absorber vs. shock absorber kit.

I have an email inquiry into acdelco and gm to determine what the replacement part number is.

Hi, sorry to hear that you are in the same boat. According to my guy at the dealership they are still not being manufactured. Were you able to find anything that could be used as a replacement. I hate to have lights lit up on the dashboard because the shocks aren't connected electronically. but at this point I just want the car useable and safely driveable. I haven't been on this thread in a while but I made some additional replies tonight and some additional info and links if you scroll up through the posts/replies. Thanks for replying. We definitely have the exact same chassis/suspension codes.

 

[goatbuick]

Hopefully he will back to you. I also have the Touring model (2013) with the mag ride shocks (42K).

I heard back from the dealership in Houston. They checked the "engineer's notes" on the page that stated the shocks were discontinued. The engineer's notes said that the shocks were in the process of being reinstated (reintroduced into production). The dealership called GM and spoke to a tech that confirmed this. He could not say when but speculated it would be within 4 weeks.

Hi, sorry that you are having the same issues. Have you found any solutions?

 

[goatbuick]

Two ideas, one see if a wrecker has some from a wrecked car, second, you should be able to put regular shocks and have the tech reprogram the car to think there is no longer mag ride shocks

Hi and thanks for the reply. Still no shocks available. This car has the touring package and 19" wheels. The touring package apparently has a completely different rear end, an H-arm vs the standard 4 link. So GM is telling me that it is not only a matter of the Mag ride not being available, but it is a different shock altogether/geometry etc,

 

[goatbuick]

I just replaced my left rear shock absorber. GM does give a replacement shock absorber for the left rear but doesn’t have a replacement for the right rear. The shock absorber part number for the left rear is 20901064.

If you decide to go this route you will need to take apart the old one to reuse the bumper (plastic cover over the steel rod), the upper mount, and a nut that holds the upper mount to shock absorber.

There is 3 bolts that mount the shock absorber assembly to the car (2 (15mm) on the upper mount and one 21 mm bolt on the bottom). GM recommends replacing the bottom bolt even if you loosen it. I think that is a little extreme but I did replace it. Torque specs are 74 ft lb on 15 mm bolts and 110 ft lb on bottom bolt (21 mm) for first pass and final pass is plus 60 degrees according to the Chilton manual. The part number for the 21 mm bolt is 11610720. I also replaced the 15 mm nut that holds the shock absorber to the upper mount and that part number is 11517996. I didn’t need to replace the right side shock absorber but I found the complete assembly on eBay for part 20901065 which is the replacement for the right side.

Few other notes for DYIers
1. Be careful with the blue plastic locking pin on the connector as it only needs to be pulled out about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch to disconnect the shock absorber connector.
2. You will need a special socket to disassemble the shock absorber and you can find it at Napa or Amazon. The size is a double d 8 x 6 mm shock absorber socket. $6 on Amazon and $3 at NAPA. You can use a pair of vice grips to remove the nut but you can damage the end of the shaft to a point you won’t be able to dissemble it ever again. The socket is used to prevent the shaft from spinning while you are using a deep 15mm box wrench to loosen or tighten the nut.

Hi, thanks for the reply and the great detailed write up, I appreciate it. Just to clarify though, I am still being told these shocks are not available. Can you confirm that your car has the touring package with the 19" wheels, H-arm rear end vs 4 link, etc.? When I give the VIN to the dealership, they are adamant that the codes that apply to the rear end and chassis only point to one part number for that shock and that nothing crosses over?

 

[goatbuick]

I replaced my left rear shock absorber with part 20901064 from GM and this is the correct part number. The right side is 20901065 and this has been discontinued by GM but you can find this on eBay.

The job itself is fairly easy and an independent shop should not charge more than .5 hr to replace it if the replacement is the complete assembly. The upper mount contains two 15 mm bolts with a torque spec of 74 ft lb and the bottom bolt is 21mm with a torque spec of 110 ft lb on first pass and final pass is plus 60 degrees according to the Chilton manual. GM recommends replacing the bottom bolt if loosened or removed from car and the part number is 11610720.

To replace the left side shock absorber, you need to dissemble the bad shock absorber to use the bumper ( plastic cover that protects steel rod from debris), upper mount and 15 mm nut that holds the steel rod to the upper mount. I replaced the 15 mm nut but it is not required. Part number for the nut is 11517996.

You will need a special socket called a double d shock absorber socket with a cut out sized 8 x 6 mm roughly. This socket allows you to prevent the shock absorber shaft from rotating while you tighten or loosen the 15 mm nut with a deep box wrench. You can buy this socket on Amazon or from NAPA for $3-6. You can use vice grips to loosen or tighten the nut on the end of the shock absorber but it could potentially prevent any further disassembly if needed.

To disconnect the electrical connector there is a blue plastic locking pin that you have to pull out carefully 1/8 to 1/4 inch.

I am so glad that you found something that works. Hopefully it works anyway lol. Does it seem to ride correctly? How did you arrive at those part numbers? I called AC Delco and the rep here tried extremely hard to find something that it would cross over to. He even let me go so that he could call some regional rep or guy at AC Delco in MI and was told the same thing, that there was nothing to cross over to.

Just to confirm, you have the touring package, 19" factory wheels, H-arm rear end and the electronic shocks? Thanks again for the detailed write up also.