As others have posted worn shocks (as opposed to completely "shot" shocks) on our Gs do not necessarily mean a bouncy ride. The spring rates on the Gs, which are twice that on a Chevy Malibu, won't allow it.

A few techs, not intimately familiar with the G, road tested my car over speed bumps and RR crossings. Sure there was no obvious "bouncing" so they claimed the shocks had at least another 30K miles of useful service. They stated that the "harsh" impact feel on irregular pavement was "normal" and would not be reduced by replacing shocks. They were partly right and partly wrong.

The techs who serviced my car estimated that the dampers had about half their useful damping strength. True at 70K miles the shocks were not "shot" but the ride compliance and control was far gone from what it was new.

In areas with bad roads the high spring rates in our Gs give off rebound force that the shocks have to work hard to resist. Therefore the shocks are going to wear faster in areas such as the Midwest. I would bet that the G's driven in Phoenix can get 100,000 miles out of the same shocks.

The difference in spring rates between OEM sport and non-sport are probably not big enough to make a noticeable improvement in ride compliance.

If you want OEM ride compliance its probably good to go with OEM shocks (Tokico Blacks). They were valved specifically for the G's OEM springs. Some members of G35 driver have near new OEMs for sale in the "Classifieds" which are a more affordable alternative to brand new OEMs.

You can search for a couple other links on the G35 driver suspension thread which have reviews of Monroe Sensa-Tracs and Tokico HPs.

If a bushing has become worn the isolation between the moving metal components is no longer effective hence one typically hears groaning/ clunking noises when the metal parts move, such as in turns.

The only troublesome bushings on our Gs are the radius arm bushings which would make a clunking noise if failed. I did have both my arms changed (one primarily due being bent). I believe the bushings themselves did get a re-design.

One other major component which many fail to consider when it comes to ride compliance is TIRES (and tire pressures).

Certain tires offer less ride compliance due to stiffer sidewalls.

What tires are on your G?

 

I put stock size Fuzion VR1's (all season performance tire) on about 9 months ago. I bought the G with around 50k on it and am now almost hitting 60k. When I bought it the ride was definitely smoother and irregular surfaces didnt cause such a jaunting feel. I also believe it is probably the stock shocks nearing there end. I feel the stock sport springs I have are probably still ok since springs are rarely the culprit and usually have long life.

Now its just a matter of what shock to get and where to find them. I hear a lot of people use the tokico D-Specs. I am just looking for something that has good quality and is not ultra high performance.

 

Between 50K and 60K miles on the original shocks I too noticed the increased "crashing" over road imperfections especially over interstate frost heaves. After replacing with the near new OEM shocks, while I still feel road imperfections, gone the crashing/ slamming effect and the oscillation effect on newer asphalt. Now the car is more predictable in steering, braking is improved. The best part is that it's no longer "fatiguing" to make long commutes in the G.

I would say that if you prefer a more refined ride go with the OEMs. The local custom shop that did the install recommended OEMs or Tokico HPs. Or the KYB Excels. Tokico's tech support team out of LA explained to me that the least stiff setting on the D-specs is about the same as the valving on HPs.

Try to find a post of a set-up on this forum (or any other auto enthusiast forum) where D-specs were fitted with stock springs wheels and tires, where the contributor owned the car from new and claims better than OEM ride compliance. I tried and I couldn't.