How's Your Cadillac Ride?

[Evan Wojtkiewicz]

I know, I know. We all tell people it rides, well, like a Cadillac. I'm wondering how other Cadillacs traverse less than perfect roads. People rightfully complain quite a lot about the poor state of transportation infrastructure in the US today, but I doubt every square inch of pavement was perfect back when our cars were new. I'm not talking about the worst roads with potholes you could swim in on rainy days. I, of course, avoid those areas. It's the other 80% of roads that have been bandaged with crack sealant or cold patch, etc. Even when they replace certain strips of a concrete road and the new sections aren't quite even with the old portion. How much of that do you feel when out and about?

I ask because I feel as though my Cadillac isn't dramatically better than my 12 year old Mustang (with it's 12 year old shocks) over most "imperfections" and before tearing into it, I thought I see how much better it should be. I know it's a 49 year old convertible, but it shouldn't be that bad. Should it?

[savemy67]

Hello Evan,

In the few miles I have driven my '67 Sedan DeVille, I find that the difference in ride quality between it and my 1995 Impala SS is very different.  The Sedan DeVille is a much more comfortable ride than the Impala over the same lousy roads here in Maryland.

The Impala is 21 model-years old with 190,000 miles (I am the original owner).  The tire size is 255/50 R17.  I am currently running Kumho Ecsta tires at 28 to 30 pounds.  The tires have a relatively high UTQG tread wear rating which I suspect contributes a little to the harder ride of the car.  Also, the Impala was modified to be a more sporty sedan than the Caprice on which it is based.

The Sedan DeVille has ten (maybe 20) year-old Cooper Trendsetter radials, size 235/75 R15, which I inflate to 28 pounds.  The car has sat more than it has been driven, but the tires have not lost a pound of air in more than six months.  If your '67 rides like your Mustang, you may want to check into a few things.  What is the tire size on the '67?  What is the UTQG tread wear rating?  What is the inflation pressure?  What is the condition of the shock absorbers and all the suspension components?

Convertible bodies of this era were usually made stiffer to compensate for the lack of a fixed roof, but I don't think this would alter the ride-feel to a noticeable degree.  Especially to the degree that a Cadillac would feel similar to a Mustang.  Of course, the roads in your area might be so bad, that no car can compensate for the road conditions.

Christopher Winter

[Scot Minesinger]

My 1970 Cadillacs ride real well mainly due to the long wheelbase, original design, all suspension components (especially control arm bushings) are new or in perfect repair, got the right shocks, steering gear nice and tight, all steering wear components replaced and nice new Diamondback radial tires with the factory look of the double white wall stripe.  Very important in that I have replaced the body to frame bushings as well.

The way your Cadillac rides can be influenced by your choice of shock, tires and replacement body to frame bushings.  I don't care much for the float bounce, so have slightly more sporty shocks and polyurethane body to frame bushings.  On my four door convertible, I strengthened the frame by sistering it to a custom engineered 3/16" plate with "L" shape )7" x 3", and that actually is the best of the three.  The four door unaltered Cadillac frame had too much flex due to larger span of the two doors on each side.

The difference between a DVC and closed RWD Cadillac 1965-70 frame is not much, mainly different frame to body mount bushings.  The convertible can flex quite a bit when on jack stands or lift, if door will not open when properly jacked up the body to frame bushings likely need attention.  The back four and front three (under battery, rad and opposite side of bat) almost always are bad if 40 plus years old.

I can't stand squeaks and rattles or poor mechanical performance, so I strive to make the Cadillac as new in mechanical performance.  After all is stinks to drive a car that performs terrible. 

My 1970 Cadillacs ride better than my modern daily drivers, but of course do not brake and handle as well.  If a long wheelbase older Cadillac does not ride as well as a modern Mustang, likely some attention may be required to mechanicals, or could just be a matter of personal taste.

There are some things these older Cadillacs do that modern cars can never match, such as but not limited, impressiveness, ride, climate control silence, room, and etc. 

Enjoy your Cadillac!

[wearymicrobe]

My 57 with new suspension and modern tires is the most comfortable car I have ever own discounting the Bentley. On Bias Plys not so much. 

[LenInLA]

My 1976 Eldorado convertible squeaks and rattles. And the strange thing is that suddenly the squeaking (which appears to come from the passenger side) stopped. For two days. And now it's back. I have a brand new set of Coker tires.

Any ideas? Scott?

Thanks,
Leonard Grayver

[gary griffin]

Member Carl Fielding should come in on this one. He has many experiences off roading his cadilalcs through the years.

[64\/54Cadillacking]

In many cases, one can point out to the actual build of your car from when it was new from the factory. It's like if you were to hop in another person's 67 Cadillac and it rode like a dream, and then you get back in your 67, and it rides terrible even if your cars have the same exact miles and the overall conditions are the same.

So that is something to take into account.

My 64 still has some ways to go regarding replacing suspension bushings, but I know from experience when you replace the upper and lower control arm bushings, it really cushions the ride from impacts on the road. Small cracks and rough road conditions where the vibrations can enter the interior has a lot to do with body bushings, tires, and the overall body construction of the car. My 64 rides ok for it's age, but it can ride 10 times better once I get most of the original suspension/steering components replaced or repaired. It's not like riding on a cloud yet, or being able to drive over every rough patch on the road and not feel a thing.

Also when it comes to shocks, get the cheapies, like Gabriel Guardians. They are valved to be a softer shock and are of pretty good quality. I have ditched Monroe's because they never last. I've gone through 3 sets of front end shocks with Monroe in my 94 Fleetwood, and they all started leaking after a year. one pair leaked in less than 6 months!


Not sure how Cadillacs build quality was in the early to mid 70's, but from what I hear, many of those year Cadillacs were plagued with squeaks and rattles. Nothing you can do about that.

i know I will get flamed for this but my 78 Lincoln Continental destroys both of my Cadillacs (with it's original suspension) my 64 and my 94 Fleetwood in comfort, smoothness, ride quality, quietness, and interior space. The body itself feels tighter, and it just feels more solidly put together to be honest.

[64\/54Cadillacking]

Maybe someone can comment on here that remembers when these cars were new and how they drove at the time? Because I can't imagine a 12 year old mustang having a similar ride to a 60's Cadillac, no way! That just sucks!

You can't beat a 130 inch wheelbase, softly tuned suspension, and a 5.000lb car in ride quality. Most modern sedans today ride really well surprisingly and cushion road imperfections nicely. But even then, you will still get some harshness as the suspension travel and wheelbase in new cars aren't that long, hence, the harsh or stiff suspension. But an old Cadillac with lots a travel in the springs, allows for a smoother, less of a jolting ride. The old 4 link rear and front Short-L Arm suspensions are obsolete now in cars, unfortunately, but they were the best for ride quality compared to Macpherson Struts, and they can take a beating.

Another thing I would like to mention, all new replacement parts today will never give you the same feel, be it shocks, or even ball joints like when these cars were new. Everything is made for multiple different applications, so sourcing good NOS parts on Ebay, like shocks, and other suspension/steering related parts would be my first choice in trying to restore the original ride quality as close to possible.

[Caddyjack]

My '76 Eldorado Convertible rides like it's on a marshmallow that's on a cloud.

[Evan Wojtkiewicz]

Hey guys,

I wouldn't necessarily say my Caddy is a harsh riding car, I just feel way more of the road than I think I should be feeling. The route to the local club meeting is the same road I drive to work, so I think I'm able to make a good comparison between the two cars. The worst thing about the ride is that there's a constant wobble or undulation and it feels like I'm driving a 20 foot long skateboard.

I was driving down a stretch of road one evening a few weeks ago (SB Telegraph Rd between Maple and 13 Mile for anyone familiar with that area of suburban Detroit) and for a few fleeting miles I felt absolutely nothing at all. I finally found out what that "riding on a cloud" cliche meant. Ever since then it's been bothering me.

Christopher, my tires are the same size as yours but mine are Multi-Miles (Cooper private label) inflated to +/-30psi. I bought a new set of shocks last year, Monroe Sensa-Tracks, but I realized that the shocks already on the car were not only nearly new but the same kind! My front end has upper control arms which are freshly rebuilt, and the lowers didn't look bad.

Scott, I completely forgot about the body to frame bushings. They must've gotten markedly worse since I bought it three years ago: last time my car was on a lift I couldn't get the doors open. I don't remember it being that bad when I bought it. It started squeaking a while ago and I realized that it was coming from the passenger door latch area. You can actually see the gap between the door & quarter panel narrowing over bumps!

64, I suspected that my Sensa-Tracks might not be the softest, but I may try the Gabriels out. Any other good shock options worth considering?

[jwjohnson86]

What is a good source for the body to frame bushings discussed here?  As Scot noted, I have a few bad ones in the trouble spots he identified, my car being a Michigan salt and rust survivor (sold by McClintock Cadillac in Lansing, MI).

[64\/54Cadillacking]

Hey guys,

I wouldn't necessarily say my Caddy is a harsh riding car, I just feel way more of the road than I think I should be feeling. The route to the local club meeting is the same road I drive to work, so I think I'm able to make a good comparison between the two cars. The worst thing about the ride is that there's a constant wobble or undulation and it feels like I'm driving a 20 foot long skateboard.

I was driving down a stretch of road one evening a few weeks ago (SB Telegraph Rd between Maple and 13 Mile for anyone familiar with that area of suburban Detroit) and for a few fleeting miles I felt absolutely nothing at all. I finally found out what that "riding on a cloud" cliche meant. Ever since then it's been bothering me.

Christopher, my tires are the same size as yours but mine are Multi-Miles (Cooper private label) inflated to +/-30psi. I bought a new set of shocks last year, Monroe Sensa-Tracks, but I realized that the shocks already on the car were not only nearly new but the same kind! My front end has upper control arms which are freshly rebuilt, and the lowers didn't look bad.

Scott, I completely forgot about the body to frame bushings. They must've gotten markedly worse since I bought it three years ago: last time my car was on a lift I couldn't get the doors open. I don't remember it being that bad when I bought it. It started squeaking a while ago and I realized that it was coming from the passenger door latch area. You can actually see the gap between the door & quarter panel narrowing over bumps!

64, I suspected that my Sensa-Tracks might not be the softest, but I may try the Gabriels out. Any other good shock options worth considering?

As for shocks there's really only 2 softy shock options, Monroe or Gabriel. You could always try to get some AC Delco's, but most likely they are probably made by Monroe anyways, just rebranded AC.

How are your wheel bearings? If they are original and aren't adjusted to spec, they will allow too much play in the hub/drum assembly creating small vibrations while driving, and the wheel to not absorb some of the minor road imperfections.

My 94 Fleetwood which is basically setup like my 64, the wheel bearings were really loose on it. If I grabbed the front wheels at the 12 and 6 o'clock position, there was a lot of play in the bearings in both wheels! This play translates to minor shaking and the ride being not as smooth since the wheels (or hub) is is not completely contacting the pavement as it is rotating on the hub unevenly. Plus the handling felt sloppy, especially on turns, the wheels would lean heavily as well on the slightest curves.

After I tightened up the bearings, the car drove a whole lot better and the ride improved.

Something to look into.

[Scot Minesinger]

All,

If you want all the info on how to replace the body to frame bushings, including what kind to buy, e-mail me at rscotm@cox.net and I will send the info.  I wrote an article about it while it was fresh in my mind, and it includes pictures and sketches.

In 1976 when 16 got my license and drove many cars of the 1970's, and some from the 1960's.  There were not rattles and squeaks in any of Lincolns, Thunderbirds, and Cadillacs I drove.  Do not accept squeaks and rattles.  In 2009 my friends 1975 Cadillac Fleetwood had squeaks and rattles, after replacing rubber pieces, engine and trans mounts, tightening things in chassis and under hood after a lot of test drives it was nice again.

On shocks, I have Monroes on all my Cadillacs, probably one set is seven years old now, and there are no issues, they are Sen-satracks.  On tires the Hancook, and other affordable brands have not worked very well for me.  My last set of Hancook tires that came with the 1970 SDV I bought in 2012 were terrible - an audible tachometer - replaced with Diamondbacks.

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

To answer Evan's question, my daily drivers are my wife's 76 and my 75 Coupe deVilles.  The trip from San Antonio to the GN in St Augustine a few years back was just like sitting on our living-room couch and moving.,  The roads were "fair", and the weather was wet, but the car (76 Coupe) handled well and it was more a matter of pointing the car rather than driving it.  We travel a bit, and rent cars frequently.  MY opinion is the new cars handle like go-karts and perform briskly, but are no where near as comfortable as my Coupes.
As mentioned before, tires, shocks, suspension parts and a lot of bolt tightening is what many of our older cars need to return them to the condition they were in when they wer the king of the roads.
Greg Surfas 

[Glen]

It is amazing to me how much of the problems with the older cars like poor ride quality, poor braking etc. is passed off as “That was the way they were back then”.  No they were nowhere near that bad.  As Greg says, they were amazing cars. 

[gross707]

As a corollary to the adage that there is no replacement for displacement, I would suggest that there is no substitute for heft.  My '55 floats and soaks up imperfections with ease, coddling me in sofa-like comfort.  Comparing the ride of my much lighter 2011 DTS leaves the latter quite wanting.
GR

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

I could not understand why so many people were buying pick up trucks.  For the last several years I have been waiting for Cadillac to come out with a CAR (not a truck) that would have both the performance and the comfort of my mid 70's coupes.  I had some time a few weeks ago and dropped into a local Chevrolet dealer and was just browsing around the crew cab pick ups.  Then it hit me.  The "trucks" have a wheelbase between the (mid 70's) coupe devilles and the Fleetwooods, and an overall length and weight that is just about the same as the coupes.  The interior is as roomy, comfortable and well appointed (can be optioned to the moon) as (IMHO) anything currently available in Cadillac's "cars". Now I see.
Yes, Mass (weight) wheelbase, track and interior room (you don't bounce against the interior on rough roads) are what add up to create a "Cadillac" ride.
Greg Surfas

[Scot Minesinger]

Greg, Glen and others are right these 1960's 1970's Cadillac rode amazing and did not squeak and rattle.  The newer cars are like go carts. 

The pick-ups have the geometry and weight to be good riding cars, but usually they include a towing and four wheel drive package (in our area of the Country) with stiff springs to accommodate heavy loads.  Consequently my two modern full size Chevy trucks do not ride as well as the 1976 Talisman I drove yesterday (repairing power seats).  However, did own a Chevy truck in 1990 with a 155 inch wheel base with no towing or 4wd and it did ride like a 1976 Cadillac as Greg suggested.

Wish I lived in a snow free (then no salt) area of the Country, then I could use a mid 1970's Caddy as a daily driver and get a Cadillac pick up (the Mirage).

Anyway, back on topic, there should not really be a complaint about the way a 1954 - 1996 era RWD (or FWD 1967-85) Cadillac rides on a straight road unless there are mechanical issues.  Rode in a 1954 Caddy the other day and it was nice riding as well.  The pre 1954 Caddys may be nice riding, just never have yet.

[fellenzer]

My '76 Eldorado convertible floats like a cloud, even on rough pavement. Just the way I like it.

[64\/54Cadillacking]

New Trucks still use ancient leaf springs which ride like crap, and in many ways, Ford and GM overcharge the consumers for using such old suspension technology which cost them nothing to produce, but the buyer gets raped all the way to bank for the ever price increases for new trucks these days.  Our Caddys use coils up front, and 4 link coils in the rear. There's no comparison in ride, the coil springs ride a whole lot better than leafs 9 times out of 10.

Cadillac's design isn't anything special, but it works amazingly well at achieving a comfortable, cushy ride that they have always been known for.

It's interesting how the newer you go in years, Cadillac's started to become even softer riding. I find the early to mid 70's Cadillacs had a nice compliant ride, but not overly floaty and marshmallowy like they were in the early 80's with the full size RWD models. In comparison, Lincoln's ride extremely soft and have this wonderful float that was unique to the Town Car in the 80's, in some respects, I think Cadillac was trying to copy Lincolns float during this time.

But by around 92 or 93, the float was gone. The ride was tuned more towards handling for the big RWD Fleetwoods. You can tell just by taking a peak at the standard front and rear sway bars, they are extremely thick which resist a lot of wheel travel.

Springs stiffened up, including shocks. At the end of the day, spring rates makes the biggest difference on how a car rides. I replaced the rear coil springs that originally came on my 94 Fleetwood, they were variable rate cargo coils.

They were very stiff, and I could feel every bump in the road. I also could barely push down on the rear of the car. After a lot of research, I decided to replace them with Buick Roadmaster rear springs that were constant rate, and had a lower spring rate. After the install, it made a huge difference on the ride quality. The car actually leveled out and it didn't look like it's ass was in the air anymore either. I could finally push down on the trunk and the rear end moved with ease!

I am now looking to replace the fronts with springs from a Roadmaster as well as the stock ones are still too firm for my liking.