New Struts in car with 205k?

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wn1998

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I am debating on if my 97 cavalier with 205k is worth the investment of new struts. I have priced the project out at about $550 installed. The current struts are the originals. I do not notice any excessive tire wear but I do notice noisey left hand turns from the rear drivers side strut.

The car runs a little noisy (at idle) but the car runs great. If I do not notice any weird tire wear should I be ok? I just don't want to drop $500 into the car and have the engine or trans go out on me.
 
It all depends on how long you plan on keeping the car. Struts are a long-term investment IMO.

If you wait until next weekend, you can get 30% off at AAP. If you know anyone that can help you change them, it will be much less than $550.
 
that is always the tough call... That said, think of it this way - what will you do when your tires need replacement? That will probably cost $400-500, will you scrap the car because of that?
 
I just replaced the tires with treadwright re-treads for a total of $275ish. The only way I would scrap the cavalier is if I get a catrastrphic failure (engine or trans) for the most part I have been fixing the little things such as brakes, alternator etc.
 
If the only way you will scrap the car if your engine or trans blows up....

then by all means buy some new struts. Advance Auto Parts has struts on sale next week.
 
For safety's sake, replace the struts/shocks immediately.

Why play roulette with your life when (a) you know that your struts/shocks are waaay past prime and (b) you are gonna get yourself into serious trouble with life/death when you cannot even anticipate any road/driving conditions, especially during panic braking/emergency maneouvering?

No, life is too short/too important to me and my family to be cheapen out on a set of replacement struts. I would rather go on a diet to save up the bux for sake of my own safety.

Q.

p.s. struts aren't that long term of an investment for they tend to wear out/becomes weak as mileage reaps up. So, typically, I would say that struts are roughly good for about 100kmiles before you have to replace them, give or take 30kmiles. Yeah, I know there's gonna be naysayers about my point but hey? Who has the most rain during off-seasons here? Who has done enough panic-braking during winter time that would give you their true, honest advice here? It's gotta be us PNW folks.
 
Either it is VERY impressive that your OEM struts lasted that long or you look like the car I saw yesterday going down the hwy. It looked like it was powered by a pogo stick.

I'd replace them.
 
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Those struts were shot at 100K. I have both a 99 and 01 Cavalier I bought with 110K and 120K on the odometer. The struts in both were bad.

For around $200 in parts and another $50-$75 to have the alignment check/adjusted on the front end. I did the struts myself in an afternoon in my 99 Cavalier. Autozone will provide a strut spring compression tool if needed. Not that hard of a job to do it yourself.

Update: I see you have a noise when turning. That could mean the the top strut mount isolator maybe shot. The strut top mount is basically what the spring rides in and has a bearing that turn the whole strut when making the wheel turn.

If your $500 quote is also new top mounts for the front struts, then you are about that in parts to do it yourself and would be a wash.

After driving the 99 with the new struts and the 01, it is night and day in terms of ride quality.
 
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My ride is by no means a "Pogo stick". I have found kyb struts as well as Monroe sensotrac struts in my price range for about $61/each. I have a guy that would install them for $150 which includes an alignment. Since these are the originals I assume I will need new strut mounts and hardware which is another $100 for all four. Is there anything else I am missing?
 
You could have worn strut mounts, and maybe springs. You will not know until you get into the job. The Monroe preassembled sprint/strut is an option if you need to do everything and is cheaper than having your mechanic swap out everything.

I have a 94 Camry with 204K miles and hear some clunking noises in rear when going over speed bumps. But I have not decided to do anything yet. The ride is fine and the struts are probably not the original ones.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
I have a 94 Camry with 204K miles and hear some clunking noises in rear when going over speed bumps. But I have not decided to do anything yet. The ride is fine and the struts are probably not the original ones.
check the rear sway bar bushings
 
Originally Posted By: XCELERATIONRULES
The struts should be about $100 each,and shouldn't be much more than $300 for a complete installation.
$500 is a ripoff,IMHO.


Talking just the front or all 4? Math is a little fuzzy.
 
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