New KYB Shocks
2005 Base coupe / Manual / 95,000 miles
Through a dealer friend, I was given the opportunity to get new KYB shocks on my XFire. They needed an Xfire to try them on as this would be a new product for KYB in the U.S. & Canada. Even at 95,000 miles, I thought my shocks seemed OK, but I also knew replacing them would likely be a good idea.
I met Tim from KYB at the dealer. The first thing we did was take the car for a ride. It was raining, cold and a bit slick, but, as best as I could, I did some quick lane changes, hard corner, hard braking, hard acceleration, and tried to drive on some different road surfaces, to get a feel for how the current shocks performed. To their credit, he said the OEM shocks were obviously worn, but performed well for their mileage.
Back at the dealer, Larry Roesch Chrysler, the tech replaced all four OEM shocks with the new KYB's. A couple of notes here:
- If you're a DIY guy, you have to tear into the rear exterior a bit to get to the top, rear shock bolts.
- The KYB shocks were longer than the OEM when uncompressed. That's how they're supposed to be. They fit perfectly. It doesn't change the ride height or anything. Maybe it will help keep me on the ground a bit more rather than getting airborne!
With the new shocks installed, we went for the same ride and put the car through the same maneuvers. Wow!! I honestly didn't expect there to be so much difference in so many ways! Overall, the XFire felt more solid, more confident. Although there was obvious improvement in handling the bumps and roads, the most notable improvements were in launching, braking and cornering.
With the OEM shocks, on hard launches, I'd almost always get the traction control light flashing a bit. I attributed that to the fact that my tires are about due to be replaced. With the new KYB shocks, the car launches better and I rarely see the TC light anymore.
I remember the first time I drove an XFire, thinking it handled like a slot car. In the corners and on/off ramps, my car definitely has that feeling again. It was there with the OEM shocks, but, I guess I hadn't notice how it had degraded over time.
The same is true with braking. With the OEM shocks, braking hard kicked in the antilock on the wet surface. With the KYB's in place, I jammed on the brakes and came to a quick, flat stop with no ABS kicking in.
Overall, I am highly impressed with the KYB shocks.
*** BIG NOTE ***
These shocks are not yet available in the U.S. and Canada. Testing them on my car was part of their process in determining if they would add them to their product line. As everything was positive, they WILL be available here, in about THREE MONTHS (which would be around April/May). They are sold through normal auto parts distribution channels, so you'll be able to get them at any auto parts store which carries KYB shocks (Pep Boys, AutoZone, NAPA, etc.).
I'll post a follow up when I hear they are available, and I'll also give my long term review then.