Rear shocks bad? - Need replacement suggestions

While working on the rear wheels, I noticed quite a bit of oil (or grease) below the rubber bushing (not sure if that is what it is called) on the air shock. Also this rubber bushing is showing quite a few cracks. Finally, I also noticed quite a bit of bounce when I pushed down on the back end.

Are the rear shocks bad? Any other crude diagnostics I can do to determine if they are?

On rockauto.com they sell Monroe MA822 (?) in a set of two for about $90. Are these air shocks OK to use? ACDelco (set of two) run $140. I looked at another site that had GM oem for ~$130 apiece (ouch!).

Any ideas. I just put some new tires on the car and do not want to ruin them with bad shocks.

By the way, I have 1997 Aurora w/85k.

Thanks as always.

Brian.

I replaced my OEM shocks with the Monroe MA822s. The only real difference is that they are white. I paid $59 for a pair at O'Reilly's Auto Parts, and I know Advance Auto/Parts America had them for $56. I did have a discussion with someone from southern California though that got radically different prices from Advance Auto's web site when they put in their CA zip code instead of my Iowa one, though a TX zip code got them much closer in price.

Curious if you like the MA 822s from Monroe? At that price, just want to know that someone liked them? Can I assume the auto leveling continues to function?

Also, if the car bounces alot in the back when at rest, and there is oil on the old shocks, can I assume these rear shocks need to be replaced?

Finally, easy to remove the old and install these? I have the manuals and have not yet even looked.

Thanks for your time.

Brian.

I just put in MA822's. I actually got some epoxy black
paint and painted them first, so they don't standout.
I chose the MA822's because I just ran out of the
6-month period from the AC-Delco shocks I put on,
and the died at 6.5 months.

Rear shocks are real easy. Go into the trunk and
pull back the liner from the top of the shock towers.
You should find a black plasti cover over the shock stud
Remove the nut from the shock studs. Then go to
one wheel and jack it up, get the wheel off and
undo the 2 screws at the bottom the the shock.
Just push up the bottom, pull it out of the control
arm and then pull down. Installation is the reverse.

The MA822's have the exact same air-hose connection,
so the stock air-hose clips right on them. They seem
a little more rugged than the AC-Delco units.

GuMan
:)

I replaced the ones on my 97 with the monroes... all is fine