mrathell

So two months ago I purchased/installed a set of generic new rear shocks for my 2009 GL450 w/o ADS and today I replaced them with Arnott shocks.

Here is my comparison. I purchased this GL450 used with bad rear shocks so I don't have a base line as to how the GL450 suspension should feel.

Price: generic shocks $65/each. / Arnott Shocks $189/each.

visual comparison: they looked identical, same weight, welds looked the same. If I removed the Arnott stickers I would not of been able to tell them apart.

installation: exactly the same.

Longevity: I cant comment because I only had the generic shocks on my car for two months.

generic shocks ride experience: I used them in temps ranging from 50F to 6F. There was a huge improvement over the shocks I took off. After installation the GL handled great and it didn't feel like it wanted to run me into a tree every time I hit a bump as it did with the old shocks. The ride was a bit harsher than I wanted, some of the bumps I hit it was like a dead thump, reminiscent of driving a truck. As the temp outside got colder there was a small decrease in ride comfort. I used to own a ML320 and it reminded me of that truck-like suspension, not horrible but not great either.

Arnott shocks ride experience: I drove these when the temp was about 10F. They were a nice improvement over the generic, not a huge night-n-day difference but definitely an improvement. I drove the same roads that I drove on with the generic shocks so I could have a direct comparison. Most of the bumps in the road were not felt and the ones that were felt were minimal. The generic shocks had a dead thump sound on the big bumps that was felt as well, but the Arnotts were quiet over those same bumps with minimal shock being transferred through the car. My driving experience on the Arnotts was more of what I would expect when driving a MB.

Final thoughts: For the money the generic shocks were not bad especially for someone on a tight budget, $400 vs $130. I definitely didn't mind paying the higher cost for the Arnotts because I want my GL450 to ride like a luxury car not a Ford F150.

luxcar

I have same experience with generic (Suncore). They don't leak but ride quality is like worn out shocks/struts. Next time I change I will go with OEM Bilsteins

mrathell

I debated on purchasing the Bilsteins given cost and ride quality appears to be about the same but the following factors swayed me towards the Arnotts:
- Longer warranty
- prior/current users of Bilsteins report failure in 2 years.

drakecoldwinter

When I bought my car one of the struts was broken(ADS cannister perforated) and a second one in bad shape(the remaining 2 struts didn't have that much life left in them either). I drove the car 2 weeks before replacing all four struts. I was on a tight budget, so I decided on the generic ADS struts. Unfortenally I haven't never got to try the mercedes suspension so I can't compare. I can say that the generic suspension works well but doesn't impress me. Also the ADS system to switch between confort and sport suspension works well, but once again it doesn't impress me.

I expect the generic struts to live around 2 years(Ireplaced them 4 months ago), then I think I will try the arnotts or blistein.

SndsoftheSbrbs

The penny pinchers with Mercedes-Benz vehicles are killing me. You chose a brand known for being among the most expensive to maintain and repair whilst being cost sensitive. Mercedes-Benzes are also about the worst car to drive while trying to cut corners. Been there done that. It's a good recipe to get stranded on the side of the road, and to eventually pay much more to have everything sorted out.

drakecoldwinter

Yoni94, it's the first time I have a mercedes car. And yes I agree on the trying to cut corners with cheaper parts in the end it may become more expensive. As for me, I just bought the car and payed the taxes on it, so I was on a tight budget to repair the struts so I did choose the cheaper alternative knowing their lifespan will be for sure shorter. I just needed the fastest cheaper solution as I couldn't drive the car with broken struts.

We have all different life situations and we try to do the best we can with it.

TX07GL450

Nothing wrong with that.
Next time do consider buying from FCP euro or from Arnott. Both will offer lifetime replacement on struts as long as you own the car. Might be more cost effective in long run.

backdoc4you

I've gone through 3 sets of front Arnotts in 50K miles. They don't hold up well. They may be under warrantee but you still end up paying for the labor or doing it yourself. The kicker is that you're kindas stuck with them because they will replace the part for free for 2 years, so what are you gonna do?

arnottdoug

I'm very surprised. Arnott struts normally hold up really well. Did you get the Arnott designed new struts or remanufactured struts?

backdoc4you

Arnottdoug,
Funny (not for me) that you commented today. My left front shock started that super annoying tap tap tap noise again this week. Its on small bumps while moving slowly (5-45 mph). Not really audible when moving faster. Same thing that happened a few months ago. I was suspicious that it could have been something else suspension, but a replacement of the shock assembly (and nothing else) fixed it. I am not aware which shock my indy shop used (reman vs new), but the kicker is that I went there this week and they are out of business, leaving me with a bad shock and no recourse.

arnottdoug

It shouldn't be a problem. As long as you have your receipt, or the garage's information, our Customer Care Center will be able to track down the invoice if you need a warranty replacement.

https://www.arnottindustries.com/contacts

drakecoldwinter

Well, my generic chinese strut just broke on me after 6 months of usage, best buy ever... One of the bolts on the head broke and the strut itself bend.
I phoned Arnott, they shipped me both rears struts in just 3 days, replacing the strut tomorrow maybe.

Word of advice, don't buy generic struts, don't make my mistake.