Uh, they absolutely do add to the lift. Any time a damper is gas charged, it has to add lift, you can’t avoid it.
Question about New Struts
- Thread starter krismoriah72
- Start date
I've changed numerous struts, reusing the same springs. I've yet to see a strut that I can't compress with my body weight. Springs hold up the car, struts dampen the bumps/ocillations.
What part number strut?
KYB says the strut nut spec is 30FTLBS on SR4270
Find the right, shock, strut or strut assembly for your vehicle.
Find the right shock, strut, or assembly. Select your year, make and model, or search by V.I.N., License Plate or by KYB Part Number.
www.kyb.com
I revise my answer slightly... It should be tight from the factory... no threads showing above the actual nut sounds suspicious to me though.
If you had an impact id have no issue putting a brapp or two on it ... but you said you don't have one...
Call KYB?
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- Sep 8, 2020
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Or the endlinks they had to remove are either loose or they were damaged and they didn't recommend replacement so now your hearing thrm
Since your Fusion seems to be a 2012, know that Ford offers Motorcraft quick struts for your car 
A good non-quick strut option is Bilstein. While they're not listed for your 2012, they will fit. Just use the 06-09 ones
A good non-quick strut option is Bilstein. While they're not listed for your 2012, they will fit. Just use the 06-09 ones
Those Excel-G struts that you bought, did they come with new springs?
Lot of reading in this thread, but I couldn’t find the part where you replaced the broken spring.
Lot of reading in this thread, but I couldn’t find the part where you replaced the broken spring.
I put Monroe quick struts on my Ford Edge. It's a better ride than it was new. I also put OE spectrum shocks in the rear. You have Monro Matics which is there inexpensive line of a quick strut. No more sway going around curves, a lot stiffer ride.
Get the front end of your car in the air. Both wheels off the ground by an inch.
Put a pry bar under each tire and lift and release quickly. If the top strut nut is in fact bad you'll hear it. Same with the end link.
What is your mechanical skill set and what tools do you have?
Put a pry bar under each tire and lift and release quickly. If the top strut nut is in fact bad you'll hear it. Same with the end link.
What is your mechanical skill set and what tools do you have?
Since your Fusion seems to be a 2012, know that Ford offers Motorcraft quick struts for your car
A good non-quick strut option is Bilstein. While they're not listed for your 2012, they will fit. Just use the 06-09 ones
Yes i called the Ford Dealership locally. Its a known issue with the OEM springs to break in these years lots of them in the Fusion forums etc. I asked if the part had been updated or changed they said no.. so i would be replacing a faulty part with another faulty part. I also had the throttle body failure like alot of the others and yes i bought the OEM part to replace it with knowing its going to have a short life as well.
KYB as far as i have read over the years on here have been a solid choice until now in my thread..they are dogs.
The clunking sound im hearing is dissussed on many google searches and alot of the fixes have been tightening that nut.. I wont know until the mechanic gives it a shot... but i just dont see the clunking being the struts bottoming out with the extra 2 inches of travel it now has.. and i dont see how both struts were shipped defective. Ive been wrong before though.
Maybe.. the OEM have a known defect to break. Maybe they updated the springs but i called and the assembly is not updated.
The strut bodies had oily residue so they were obviously leaking..
So i should have replaced the springs and also the strut body... kept the top hat?
I went the lazy way and bought the KYB assembly which up until my post has had a decent name on here.. its not a mustang or corvette its a Fusion.. my daily driver.. KYB should have been up to the task.
I owned my own garage and a fleet of trucks.. have plenty of tools just no air or impact.
Earlier on i talked about pulling it down and checking every bolt that was involved.. all were tight. Before the strut job even with a broken spring it was quiet and smooth.. after the install i have clunking. By my powers of deduction the only possible thing left is that top nut which i dont have an impact.
So its either that nut or faulty strut bodies...
I think the only reason KYB has a decent rep is that there aren't that many that are installed. Lots of people do Monroe. I've had good luck and bad luck with Monroe. I think I had a set once where the strut mount was no good, didn't even really know til I changed them out and a noise I heard all the time went away. There's also plenty of stories of people hating KYB but not as many. I think it maybe be because it's proportional to what they sell, not that they're much better than Monroe. I don't know why Ford can't make springs that don't break. I had that happen on my 2001 Ford Taurus and they even had a recall for it. The recall wasn't to replace the springs, but just to put a shield over it so that if/when the spring broke, it didn't puncture your tire.
Why not pick up an impact? They're not that much... The 2767 is probably overkill for a car, but might come in handy with the trucks. The mid torque is basically like a regular air impact gun, it's a decent deal, comes with the battery.
Milwaukee M18 FUEL 18V Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless 1/2 in. Impact Wrench with Friction Ring (Tool-Only) 2767-20 - The Home Depot
The 2767 M18 FUEL high torque impact wrench with friction ring eliminates the need to use a pneumatic tool for those stubborn and rusted bolts by delivering 1,000 ft./lbs. of fastening torque and 1400
www.homedepot.com
Milwaukee M18 FUEL Gen-2 18V Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless Mid Torque 1/2 in. Impact Wrench w/Friction Ring (Tool-Only) 2962-20 - The Home Depot
The MILWAUKEE M18 FUEL 1/2 in. Mid-Torque Impact Wrench w/ Friction Ring delivers the best power to weight ratio, most access in tight spaces, and faster removal speed. It provides 650 ft. lbs. of nut-busting
www.homedepot.com
Yes full assembly strut/spring/and mount... unbolt the old install the new.
The strut assemblies were $100 each from RockAuto.. $155 at the parts store.
Labor is $80/hr and i would have paid to have them dissassemble the old strut body, replace the springs, and replace the strut body, then pay to install..
So the full assembly was a no brainer as far as cost goes. Part and labor.
I think the only reason KYB has a decent rep is that there aren't that many that are installed. Lots of people do Monroe. I've had good luck and bad luck with Monroe. I think I had a set once where the strut mount was no good, didn't even really know til I changed them out and a noise I heard all the time went away. There's also plenty of stories of people hating KYB but not as many. I think it maybe be because it's proportional to what they sell, not that they're much better than Monroe. I don't know why Ford can't make springs that don't break. I had that happen on my 2001 Ford Taurus and they even had a recall for it. The recall wasn't to replace the springs, but just to put a shield over it so that if/when the spring broke, it didn't puncture your tire.
Why not pick up an impact? They're not that much... The 2767 is probably overkill for a car, but might come in handy with the trucks. The mid torque is basically like a regular air impact gun, it's a decent deal, comes with the battery.
Milwaukee M18 FUEL 18V Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless 1/2 in. Impact Wrench with Friction Ring (Tool-Only) 2767-20 - The Home Depot
The 2767 M18 FUEL high torque impact wrench with friction ring eliminates the need to use a pneumatic tool for those stubborn and rusted bolts by delivering 1,000 ft./lbs. of fastening torque and 1400www.homedepot.com
Milwaukee M18 FUEL Gen-2 18V Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless Mid Torque 1/2 in. Impact Wrench w/Friction Ring (Tool-Only) 2962-20 - The Home Depot
The MILWAUKEE M18 FUEL 1/2 in. Mid-Torque Impact Wrench w/ Friction Ring delivers the best power to weight ratio, most access in tight spaces, and faster removal speed. It provides 650 ft. lbs. of nut-bustingwww.homedepot.com
I had a fleet of 20 dump trucks along with a 6 bay garage for the public and had every tool and part i could imagine... now that i am out of the business i only do routine maintenance on my personal vehicles and sidebysides.
I dont have a need for an impact. The garage is about 10 miles from my house and they are fairly priced.
Even if i had an impact i would have to put a vice grip on the piston and i shouldnt have to do that after a shop installs it. There is a nut way up in there that you can only get to when the strut is off. There was no tag or warning saying to tighten the nut before install.. so i will see how it goes.
SR4269 and SR4270.What part number strut?
KYB says the strut nut spec is 30FTLBS on SR4270
Find the right, shock, strut or strut assembly for your vehicle.
Find the right shock, strut, or assembly. Select your year, make and model, or search by V.I.N., License Plate or by KYB Part Number.
I revise my answer slightly... It should be tight from the factory... no threads showing above the actual nut sounds suspicious to me though.
If you had an impact id have no issue putting a brapp or two on it ... but you said you don't have one...
Call KYB?
I just read the fine print on the part. Assembled in the USA.
Its gonna need the top nut tightened now that i saw that...
Monroe had problems with the top nut of their quick struts a few years ago, being undertorqued. It's possible KYB has that problem, too. Otherwise, it's the mount.
Some people have problems with KYB's aftermarket strut mounts. They seem to get the most complaints about their strut mounts compared to Monroe and other brands.
A lot of people who don't like quick struts complain about generic spring rates and poor quality mounts. Supposedly, almost all aftermarket OE replacement springs (Moog, etc) are made by the same factory.
You could also get H&R springs, though they do lower the car 2 inches. Steeda also makes springs for your Fusion. Another option is Racing Beat springs for the 03-08 Mazda6, which lower less than an inch
Those are likely the only aftermarket springs that are better than OE, except maybe OE Mazda springs from the Mazda6, but Mazda does have a bad reputation in terms of rust.
Any of those springs, OEM/Motorcraft strut mounts, and Bilstein shocks would be the best combo if you say no to quick struts.
Ford and Honda are the only ones to offer OE quick struts with OE springs and mounts from the dealer. Honda charges much more for theirs, while Motorcraft quick struts are more fairly priced. Mando offers some OE quick struts for some of the cars they are OE on, mostly Hyundai and Kia.
Some people have problems with KYB's aftermarket strut mounts. They seem to get the most complaints about their strut mounts compared to Monroe and other brands.
A lot of people who don't like quick struts complain about generic spring rates and poor quality mounts. Supposedly, almost all aftermarket OE replacement springs (Moog, etc) are made by the same factory.
You could also get H&R springs, though they do lower the car 2 inches. Steeda also makes springs for your Fusion. Another option is Racing Beat springs for the 03-08 Mazda6, which lower less than an inch
Those are likely the only aftermarket springs that are better than OE, except maybe OE Mazda springs from the Mazda6, but Mazda does have a bad reputation in terms of rust.
Any of those springs, OEM/Motorcraft strut mounts, and Bilstein shocks would be the best combo if you say no to quick struts.
Ford and Honda are the only ones to offer OE quick struts with OE springs and mounts from the dealer. Honda charges much more for theirs, while Motorcraft quick struts are more fairly priced. Mando offers some OE quick struts for some of the cars they are OE on, mostly Hyundai and Kia.
The advantage of letting the shop supply the parts is that in a case like this, you just drop off the car and tell them the new struts are noisy, and they diagnose and fix it. When you supply the parts, things can get sticky. This is one of several reasons many shops won't use customer-supplied parts.
My local shop is 10 miles from my house and i know the owner personally..so its not gonna be a big deal either way. However the only parts that they can get delivered is Autozone and the choices are Duralast or KYB by special order. Would you have chosen Duralast or KYB? Its a $16 price difference.
Curious thing is that the same part number fits both sides on the Duralast and the KYB has a left and a right part number.
If they supplied the parts i would be $200 poorer... but i am on my own dime to solve it now... hopefully the USA assembly guys didnt tighten that nut and it goes simply.
Jmlo96 gave the best answer in Post #18:
1. The springs never seem to be the same as the factory rate. True. There are six different spring setups for the 2012 Fusion (4-cylinder versus 6-cylinder, manual versus automatic, sport versus touring suspensions). The quick struts use a one-size-fits-all spring, often of thinner gauge.
2. Most of these are made out of parts that do not meet the same standards as the factory parts. True again. In fact, while assembled in the USA, I'd bet you a beer the individual components are from China, Indonesia, or Vietnam. You likely have a Chinese strut mount with a Chinese bearing mounted atop a Chinese strut sandwiching a Chinese spring between two Chinese strut cushions. What could possibly go wrong??
Your lowest cost and likely best course of action would have been to grab a pair of OE struts and springs from a salvage yard.
1. The springs never seem to be the same as the factory rate. True. There are six different spring setups for the 2012 Fusion (4-cylinder versus 6-cylinder, manual versus automatic, sport versus touring suspensions). The quick struts use a one-size-fits-all spring, often of thinner gauge.
2. Most of these are made out of parts that do not meet the same standards as the factory parts. True again. In fact, while assembled in the USA, I'd bet you a beer the individual components are from China, Indonesia, or Vietnam. You likely have a Chinese strut mount with a Chinese bearing mounted atop a Chinese strut sandwiching a Chinese spring between two Chinese strut cushions. What could possibly go wrong??
Your lowest cost and likely best course of action would have been to grab a pair of OE struts and springs from a salvage yard.
