When to replace struts?

[labman]

I have 140k on my 02 Cavalier and the OEM struts. I traced the funny noise my wife complained about to the strut. When you turn the wheels, the spring winds up a little and then snaps around. Likely binding at the top. Time to rip it all out and replace it? Is this something that can likely be put off for better weather?

If you give the bumper a good jounce, it goes down, up slightly past level, and then down to level. Seems good to me. Loss of ride and handling happens so slowly you never notice. I never ran any shocks or struts that long.

What is a good option? Monroe Sensatrac?

 

[Drew99GT]

The spring shouldn't actually move within the strut assembly. Sounds like the strut bearing is going out on top of the strut. You can pull the dust caps off the strut assemblies on top and check if they're out of grease or something.

With 140K, if you plan on keeping her awhile, I'd do struts. Get everything, including mounts and boots. I bet you'll be amazed and the difference in ride, handling, and braking.

 

[StevieC]

+1 for the bearing. Common on these chassis of cars... Bad design. Not the struts!

 

[tom slick]

Sensatracs are good and usually reasonably priced. as mentioned above make sure to change the strut mounts and maybe the rubber spring cups (i can't think of their technical name)

Monroe now sells an entire strut assembly with a new spring and hardware ready to install, they might be worth looking into.

 

[PandaBear]

Other good choices are KYB and Tokico. Between the two KYB is usually cheaper and still good enough for stock. I personally trust the quality of KYB better than Monroe (just word of mouth and personal opinion), but if you aren't comfortable with using spring compressor (they can be scary if you haven't done it before or aren't into those sort of thing), then by all mean pay extra and get the quick strut (the entire assembly that tom slick mentioned). They are usually $200-300 ea instead of the $70 strut + $60 bearing cap / strut mount + $10 dust cover + tool rental.


I once couldn't fit the spring compressor over the new strut after I took the old one out, and have to spend $40 to have a tire shop compress it for me (just one), an afternoon of waiting, and having someone to drive me to the place. If you live in the middle of nowhere, that's something you have to consider.

 

[oilboy123]

I had to use a couple of chains and a bolt to get the old springs off my compressor. They were too long for the compressor, that was not fun. I had visions of my head getting knocked off.

I put some Gabriel assembled struts on my Dad's Caravan and they were a snap.

My 98 Taurus has 120K and I believe the strut bearings are groaning. I would like to replace them with the strut kit to save time. They are not cheap though.

 

[AcuraTech]

No offense not trying to pull a "holier than thou" type of thing but.....

140k on a Cavalier is about as good as it gets. Those are Dixie cup cars, once they get used up they're done. Not meant to last 200k+.

However, if you want to drop money into it, sounds like a whole new strut assembly would be in order. New springs, struts, and bearing plates. Plus an alignment. If it were me, I would sell it and look for something else.

 

[moribundman]

Not even I am that brutally honest.

 

[AcuraTech]

Originally Posted By: moribundman
Not even I am that brutally honest.


Psssht. Trying to help the guy out. No reason to drop big money into a car that's gonna grenade sometime soon.

 

[Jim74]

Originally Posted By: AcuraTech
Originally Posted By: moribundman
Not even I am that brutally honest.


Psssht. Trying to help the guy out. No reason to drop big money into a car that's gonna grenade sometime soon.


That car isn't going to grenade. Cavaliers run forever, you just have to deal with all the other [censored] falling off the interior and occasional maintenance with the suspension and the muffler strap falling off every year. Other than that they will go 200k easily.

 

[labman]

Well fortunately I have been around long enough to know who to ignore here. So far, the only non wear items I have replaced were a window motor and a speaker. And I don't have a big buck timing belt as a wear item either. I haven't had to touch the exhaust system. Even the wear items seem to go longer these days. I haven't replaced any of the hoses. The only thing in the interior is the dog chewed off the cap on the cigarette lighter socket.

I have done a few struts. After I saw how little there was to the spring compressor I rented the first time, I salvaged the bolts and hooks from an old Hydrovac and have used it a time or 2.

I don't think the whole assembly saves enough work to be worth the cost.

 

[artificialist]

Monroe Quick struts are great here, because the old springs probably have too much metal fatigue, and so they sag, and/or have a lower spring rate that causes poor handling characteristics.

That, and I'm sure that the upper strut mounts are gone, as well as the rubber noise isolators that go between the spring and the strut.

Does your 2002 have the OHV engine? Those things often get head gasket failures which often cost so much that replacing them is hard to justify. The Quad Four and Ecotec, however, typically have the timing chain and chain hardware fail along with the water pump, and it is expensive to replace.

Even if the engine and suspension are fine, I can guarantee there will be electrical problems that often require dealer-only parts, stuck power windows, and probably an A/C that will quit blowing cold.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted By: Jim74
That car isn't going to grenade. Cavaliers run forever, you just have to deal with all the other [censored] falling off the interior and occasional maintenance with the suspension and the muffler strap falling off every year. Other than that they will go 200k easily.


+1

My aunt drove her's to almost 400K KM (250K Miles). Just with the problems mentioned above...

 

[dishdude]

If you have the old 2.2 OHV engine (with the coffin valve cover and the oil fill through the dipstick tube) don't overheat it and it will run forever. Seems like as soon as they get hot the head gasket blows

Other than that, Cavaliers are great for inexpensive, basic, reliable transportation!

When you swap them out, be ready for a big change in the ride. It seems like aftermarket struts make the car ride a lot rougher.

+1 on the quickstruts

 

[brianl703]

Originally Posted By: labman
Well fortunately I have been around long enough to know who to ignore here.


I ignore advice from the people who post questions that make me think that their automotive knowledge isn't all that great.

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: brianl703
Originally Posted By: labman
Well fortunately I have been around long enough to know who to ignore here.


I ignore advice from the people who post questions that make me think that their automotive knowledge isn't all that great.


Not sure who you are refering to, but OP's question seemed more than reasonable to me.

 

[Drew99GT]

Originally Posted By: artificialist
The Quad Four and Ecotec, however, typically have the timing chain and chain hardware fail along with the water pump, and it is expensive to replace.



Total Bull [censored] for the Ecotec.

Ecotecs "typically" DO NOT have timing chain failures. And the 2.2 OHV motor "typically" does not have head gasket leaks like the intake gasket leaks on many GMs.

I can see why you guys get tired of domestic bashers - me included.

I've said what I have to say about certain GMs that we've had problems with, but when people just spread lies - come one!

 

[tom slick]

I'm not saying you have to go that way but they are not as overpriced as you would think when you price out replacing strut mounts bellows, strut assy, spring dampers, etc., you only pay $25 extra per strut and you are getting a new spring.

 

[brianl703]

Originally Posted By: dishdude

Not sure who you are refering to, but OP's question seemed more than reasonable to me.


It is, and I'm not referring to him.

 

[StevieC]

My aunts Timing chain never failed in (250,000 Miles) and she drove the snot out of that car. She makes Nascar look slow!