Originally Posted by das_peikko
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Springs wear out just like struts and strut mounts. They might last a little longer than struts. But if you're going to change out the struts, you mind as well change out the springs. I have do the springs on my car. Ride height was fine at 100k and somewhere between that and 120k, the springs dropped a little.
No matter how many horror stories you hear about quick struts, just do the quick struts, you will always get them because so many people install them. You can try KYB or Moog, but as others said, it's a crapshoot whether they will be good or not. The odds are good that they will be decent, only the ones who get bad ones complain. I would always do a quick strut if it were available. Lifetime warranty and doesn't take that long to swap. You're not saving any money using old parts as labor is a big part of the job if you're doing it piecemeal. Quick strut with a lifetime warranty means easy in and out in 2-3 years if they turn out to be bad, 5-6 years or more if they're good. Cost is still cheaper if they're bad in 3 years as you just pay labor. Plus less likely to get killed by a spring...
I did have a set of Monroe at one point where the mount went after 2 years. Never knew it was the mount as I figured the noise was a sway bar bushing or some other front end piece and it didn't occur to me that the mount could go in just two years. Noise went away when I changed struts and the noise didn't come back with the new set. Like I said, luck of the draw sometimes.
What if the springs are purchased separately from the struts; would they be better quality that way?
By the way, the factory original struts say "Monroe Sensi-Track" on them.
Well if they were factory springs, they'd be better quality. But if not as others said, just the same as getting a quick strut.
Also as mentioned many times earlier, if you're going to get a quick strut, get one with a lifetime warranty and don't bother with the ones with a 30 day warranty. While the closeout part may have been a lifetime warranty item, when it wears out, you'll have to pay again for a new one. Because of the lifetime warranty, I ended up changing my struts every 60-80k or so instead of 100-120k like some people. You always notice the ride is better afterwards.
One of the dangers of aftermarket struts is that the spring rate isn't the same as the factory which could affect the ride. A thicker spring could just mean a harsher ride. Lifetime warranty and paying a little more is probably the only way to increase the odds you'll get something close to factory. In my case, I had the Ford Taurus where the factory made the springs too thin and so they tended to snap or sag, so having a thicker aftermarket spring like the Monroe meant they never snapped on me and the ride felt better anyway, plus they restored the ride height.
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Springs wear out just like struts and strut mounts. They might last a little longer than struts. But if you're going to change out the struts, you mind as well change out the springs. I have do the springs on my car. Ride height was fine at 100k and somewhere between that and 120k, the springs dropped a little.
No matter how many horror stories you hear about quick struts, just do the quick struts, you will always get them because so many people install them. You can try KYB or Moog, but as others said, it's a crapshoot whether they will be good or not. The odds are good that they will be decent, only the ones who get bad ones complain. I would always do a quick strut if it were available. Lifetime warranty and doesn't take that long to swap. You're not saving any money using old parts as labor is a big part of the job if you're doing it piecemeal. Quick strut with a lifetime warranty means easy in and out in 2-3 years if they turn out to be bad, 5-6 years or more if they're good. Cost is still cheaper if they're bad in 3 years as you just pay labor. Plus less likely to get killed by a spring...
I did have a set of Monroe at one point where the mount went after 2 years. Never knew it was the mount as I figured the noise was a sway bar bushing or some other front end piece and it didn't occur to me that the mount could go in just two years. Noise went away when I changed struts and the noise didn't come back with the new set. Like I said, luck of the draw sometimes.
What if the springs are purchased separately from the struts; would they be better quality that way?
By the way, the factory original struts say "Monroe Sensi-Track" on them.
Well if they were factory springs, they'd be better quality. But if not as others said, just the same as getting a quick strut.
Also as mentioned many times earlier, if you're going to get a quick strut, get one with a lifetime warranty and don't bother with the ones with a 30 day warranty. While the closeout part may have been a lifetime warranty item, when it wears out, you'll have to pay again for a new one. Because of the lifetime warranty, I ended up changing my struts every 60-80k or so instead of 100-120k like some people. You always notice the ride is better afterwards.
One of the dangers of aftermarket struts is that the spring rate isn't the same as the factory which could affect the ride. A thicker spring could just mean a harsher ride. Lifetime warranty and paying a little more is probably the only way to increase the odds you'll get something close to factory. In my case, I had the Ford Taurus where the factory made the springs too thin and so they tended to snap or sag, so having a thicker aftermarket spring like the Monroe meant they never snapped on me and the ride felt better anyway, plus they restored the ride height.
