Why Not to Buy a Cheap Quick Strut Assembly for Your Car
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- Опубліковано 12 лип 2018
- Strut and shock replacement. Why not to buy a cheap aftermarket quick strut assembly for your car, DYI with Scotty Kilmer. How to replace struts. How to replace shocks. Quick struts explained and how to avoid buying cheap aftermarket ones that don't work. Aftermarket quick strut assemblies review. DIY car repair with Scotty Kilmer, an auto mechanic for the last 50 years.
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Scotty Kilmer ,, I keep having issues with my spring lifters on my 5.3 when are you doing live chat.?
Scotty Kilmer What is your take on "plasma" plugs and/or ignition systems? Also, what do you think about reusable/washable oil filters?
Would something like that have any direct affect on alignment or camber? Say that the spring doesn't have enough give to it and causes more stress on surrounding parts?
Scotty Kilmer I replaced all 4 struts in my Expedition and it was made in Canada and they work fine.They have the same specs and thickness and it is very computable compare to the original that l removed.
Scotty Kilmer, Any thoughts on how to remove a really rusted stuck strut gland nut? I got the rear ones off, but they weren't as rusty as the front ones. The housings aren't rusty, just the darn nuts. Very odd to me the way some things in the suspension system are rusted like that. The frame and body are practically rust free. I've already mangled one nut try to get it off. Tried liquid wrench. Blasted it with a propane torch after drilling a hole through the nut to drain the oil out. I'm about to give up and cut them out with a grinder and a Dremel. (93 MR2, KYB cartridges, btw)
Update: I see what part of the problem is now that I cut one nut out of there. The front were replaced before I owned the car with the same KYB Excel G shocks I'm swapping out. The new ones pop back out 4x faster, so I think it's worth replacing them. The KYB gland nuts rust bad apparently. The back shocks were still original, so not that hard to do in comparison. lol
Hard to resist $88 compared to $790.
@The Little Patriot Camrys need repair? Show me 😎
@@thomasmoon4455every car wears out their parts eventually.
I was thinking the same thing. Of course I'd prefer the high end OEM parts, but for most of my adult life salvaging what I could from the scrap yard to keep my jalopy running was the only reason I still had a car to drive.
@@BenjaminRodandwhoopi i was kidding 😆
@@NoraTTanggood, I'm glad but some people have no idea and think they bought a toyota and it will run perfectly forever.
Scotty agree with you 99% of the time not on this one..i have bought many of these never had a customer complain after years of driving I'm a 40 year mechanic still learn from you thank you
You say so because you make a lot of money selling them 🤦🏻♂️
I just ordered some Monroe Quick Strut OE match for a 2004 Buick LeSabre. I guarantee you they are better than what are on there now! The passenger side is gone, it sways at highway speeds in crosswinds bad!
U don't hear from them cause they never come back. I learned my lesson
Put Monroe quick struts on my 2006 Chevy Malibu and it was soooo much better than the old worn out stock stuff. I def paid more than $80 a pop though
I agree on cheap aftermarket quick struts. If it costs < 1/2 the OEM then yeah, it's too good to be true. However, I've purchased strut assemblies (quick strut) from well-recognized, long-standing name brands (KYB, Monroe) and had quite good results. So I think we have to be careful not to generalize to all quick struts here. On the other hand, I'm totally a shade-tree amateur.
ty
Have you noticed that most owners don't realize and drive with leaked/busted struts? In other words, the reality is that unless they want to drive fast, the busted struts don't matter.... So it's a Waste of money to replace.
Yup, Rock Auto FTW, that little heart helps
yep buy a good brand, get good results
Same. Bought struts from Rockauto for $80 after looking up the exact same Monroe quick-struts in autozone and O’Reiley’s for $285. Never had a problem with them.
I have been a professional YT DIYer for decades and have seen countless hours of Scotty and of course many others. In hindsight, this video in particular is the internet at its finest. YT, mechanic, global economic relations GOLD.
I've never had a problem with a quick strut. But I will say that every time I've used them the struts they replaced were completely shot so the quick strut may have been of poorer quality than the original strut when it was new but they were a huge improvement over a completely shot old strut.
Same here
Lawrence Jensen i agree !!! I use KYB in my Lexus. That’s what installed on most the Lexus from the factory.
Im Ordering A Quick Strut To Replace Mine. Its Completely Broke In Half
Agreed and I think this is probably the general consensus of most. I just replaced struts and shocks on a 2013 Mustang v6 with 123k in 2022 with KYB struts at about $190 a piece reassembled. So far the ride quality seems good.
they rule
NEW COKE shown when Scotty says, "the whole thing was just a big mistake." VERY FUNNY!
Saying "VERY FUNNY!" after a ingenuine "hahahaha" is how my dad responds to jokes that aren't actually funny, it's obviously not genuine but he actually thinks he's fooling people
Ha ! Ha ! Ha ! please send to Jim !!!
What's funny is that majority of the coke we drink is technically new coke formula cause the main difference for new coke was the high fructose corn syrup.
Scotty looks like the model of little chuckie
Auto Auction Rebuilds guy (former Uberman) also does that fake heh heh heh. So annoying.
Mr. Kilmer you are absolutely right I have noticed tho after driving about 500 miles the springs did settle in and ride height was better thank you for your videos they are a life saver.
You are the most honest and informative mechanic. Thank you.
I feel like I just spent the last 7 minutes getting yelled at.
yeah some people have a good narrative voice, he just sounds like that cranky uncle that likes to yell at you. lol
@@DaytonCarCare and this why we love him
Yes, but did you learn anything.
Fred Rogers died: Welcome to Scotty Kilmer's neighborhood, 'Live free or die.' 🏍️
Cheers for the video content! Apologies for chiming in, I would appreciate your initial thoughts. Have you tried - Patlarny Vehicle History Principle (should be on google have a look)? It is a great one off product for discovering how to repair your car the simple way minus the normal expense. Ive heard some incredible things about it and my buddy got astronomical success with it.
Experimenting on your wife's cars. More dangerous than removing the spring. 👍🏽
Ashish Patel the shocks were not dangerous, his point was that they are not as good as the factory ones. Certainly not a safety issue and FFS he is a qualified mechanic so his missus is in good hands so get real
Intricate Korbz You totally didn't get the sarcasm in his comment!!
Intricate Korbz lol totally Went over your head. Obviously you have never been in the dog house.
The joke he was making is that no matter how good you are, your wife probably likes things the way they are and will just get upset if you try and fiddle with it.
experimenting other people's wifes
I’ve bought a lot of FCS and Monroe ones and had no issues, some cheap ones with varying results but the difference is marginal and more often than not those 17 year old springs have worn down and the strut mounts seize which causes failure. If you’re looking to save money, buy the cheap strut, it’s better than a bad worn out one, simple as that.
Has anyone ever dealt with PRT branded struts?
would you go with fcs rockauto or auto 1a ? thanks
Just installed quick struts in our 2003 Hyundai Elaborate and it rides much better than before. The old ones were shot and bounced the front making it difficult to hold the road. The new quick struts ride smooth and help to hold the road around curves. I saved hundreds over OEM shocks and struts and am completely satisfied. Plan on keeping the car for another 50,000 miles so these shocks and struts will serve their purpose.
How did it go? Any issue with those struts…I’m planning to buy after market ones brand new for cheap
Yea. No way I am messing with the springs.
what brand?
It will be interesting to see how long they last.
In our experience aftermarket don't last anywhere near the mileage of OEM and when you compare the quality, it's plain to see.
I bought some cheap quick struts for my 07 Impala. It only took like an hour and a half for both front tires. And it rides like a bmw now. So I don't know what Scotty's talking about.
with $600 difference between oem and aftermaket strut price, your wife better get used to rough ride
Very good sir. Total of $2400 price difference for the entire set on a very common vehicle. Avalon/Camry struts should fit perfectly on that vehicle if I'm not mistaken.
LMAO
And get an alignment...✔
😂😂😂👍
ive dealt with monroe on many cars they ride just fine.
Thanks Scotty for the very informative video. You advice is wise and precious as gold.
Hot DANG someone who is HELPING people legitimately. Good for you Scotty. Ever open up a Z55 front shock to see why they fail??? Would love it
Hey Scotty I've watched your videos for a longtime now, and I just want to say is that your a top notch kind of guy, your videos have helped me out tremendously throughout the years and I just wanted to say thank-you so very much for your hard work and that it's greatly appreciated, may God bless you and your family & have a safe and Happy up coming holiday season!!!!
I went to Strutmasters to replace the air spring assemblies on my MKVIII about ten years ago. They were excellent units. They went on nicely and the car rode great. I've read mixed reviews on Strutmasters, but I and a couple of others that I know had no problems whatsoever. I would recommend them.
I’ve used the KYB complete struts. They are good quality.
KYB, the highly regarded Japanese strut manufacturer, now makes an all-in-one strut too.
I just bought 4 KYB's and it says "Made in Malaysia" on them. What gives?
Anyone know if the KYBs are any good?
Apparently the black colored KYB stuff isn't Japanese and have read it's not as good either.
For my old Camry I got the cheapest quick struts from Rock Auto. I think it rides very well now. May not be oem quality but I'm not willing to pay OEM prices for a 20 year old car.
I did the same and at first i the springs sounded odd, but now after some hundreds of miles the quick struts from rockauto feel like oem. And the installion for front 2 quickstruts was only 100 bucks and an hour of work for the mechanic. Quick, cheap :)
Save the $100 and do it yourself next time.
Scotty quick struts are a GREAT idea. I bought Monroe's for a little over a hundred each. I replaced the originals that where over 25 yrs old. My car rides great. I also didn't have to risk my life by disassembling the spring.
Struts springs and those gas\ liquid filled internal shock absorbers work also to keep the Tyre stuck firmly to the Road as well as for passenger comfort ... thus your brakes work seriously better to stop you, as the wheel is not airborne due to weak springs and worn out Shocks...thus seriously ... reducing stopping distances ...
It's not dangerous to do the job. Done lots of struts, never got hurt cause i make sure I do it safe
Yup- it's no more dangerous than jacking up a car. the potential to hurt oneself exists, but if you use tools properly and follow some simple safety rules- nothing bad will happen.
Installed monroes on my car 2 months ago(front). So far they work without issue. Even if they only last me till next summer, totally worth the price(under 350). Rebuild my oems over the winter and I will have proper replacements when these ones go.*canada*
Scotty, you are always so helpful, your videos rock! I have learned much about car repair and saved us hundreds of dollars by watching your videos! Thank you for taking the time to help us novice mechanics out here!
Like any other kind of part, you get what you pay for. I like RockAuto because they actually list Economy and Original Ride Quality categories for struts.
I like using a quality strut assembly because you get new bushings, grommets, spring seats, bellows, bump stops, etc.. And of course you don't have to deal with a spring compressor. Use a reliable name like Gabriel, Monroe, or KYB and you won't have any issues.
I suddenly let go of my regret not buy quick struts, and instead spending days learning as i went, swapping struts and springs on my Volvo XC70 (bought Sachs, came about the same price; struts+ springs+linkage arms vs quick struts). The amount learned is directly proportional to the amount of cursing done during the process. I learned a lot.
I almost got quick struts earlier today! your video saved me from making a mistake. Thanks allot Scotty, you're really helping allot of people with your videos.
I just now seen this video and I sure do appreciate the information. I have a 2015 Nissan Rogue. I'm in between a great paying job and being in business for myself so in the meantime I'm doing uber. I started doing Uber when my car only had $54,000 Mi on it back in July and now it has over 100,000 Mi on it. I decided the other day that it's time to change the shocks and struts. Yes I have thought about just buying the whole assembly and now I'm glad that I watched your video. I decided that it's better to just get myself a spring compressor and do it all myself.
Thanks again for this video
Awesome... nice job with your experiment. I like that you provided qualitative and quantitative evidence to support your findings. 😉
I'm very happy with my quick struts. After the strut change, on the way to get it aligned, it drove like crap. After alignment Better then when I bought it used.
Awesome review Scotty!...sitting at Firestone now who quoted me a price of $841.00 for a quick strut replacement of my front struts for my 2011 FJ Cruiser & after seeing your review I will be doing a bit of research to get oem struts / bearings etc while keeping my springs.. You rock!
You gotta love Scotty and his honesty
So glad to find this video Scotty kilmer, 09 avalanche. 4 major parts stores and 2 online, reading strut reviews & details & so many struts lift your vehicle & reviewers say "rides higher, rough ride, returning struts!" Gmparts.....direct for OEM then. Thanks
I didn’t hear anything Scotty said for the first 30 seconds. I just wanted to vacuum all the pine needles from the cowl. OCD
That's on purpose; now the cabin has that fresh, natural pine scent without some chemical air freshener hanging off the rearview mirror
I know me tooo LOL
The OEM struts on my low-mileage 2008 Toyota Camry XLE v6 were all leaking badly after 9 years and less than 44,000 miles. Blame it on the Phoenix, AZ heat? As of May 2021, I'm now 4 years and 30,000+ miles into my Monroe quick struts on my '08 Camry, still without any issues (installed in May 2017). She still rides fine.
I was just going to ask about the monroe struts. Thanks for the comment. He put the absolute worst strut to the test.
I put one on today. I had to cut the sway bar off because toyota has a crazy way with the allen wrench that strips out. But moog makes a better one. I think the monroe is better. $200 for the strut 30 for the sway bar.
@@thecynic807 do you mean sway bar link?
About to do my avenger, seen the video and was thinking oh crap...! Glad to hear to his about Monroe that is what I'm looking at, ! Shewwww are they still good ?
just installed rear Monroe quick struts on 2010 Camry 162k, rides like new, will see how long it last. The difference I saw vs OEM, OEM sping upper ends is ground to flat seat of strut mount, while Monroe spring end piercing to the mount rubber, extra stress to the rubber, there is an extra turn from Monroe spring vs OE, 6 vs 5 turns
God Bless you Scotty Kilmer. Gotta Love your honesty.
KYB parts are by far the best bang for the buck.
This video helped my bro choose the cheap strut kits since his stock springs were less than optimal on our rough local roads.
His Camry rides considerably higher and somewhat stiffer and he's delighted. I warned him in advance since I found this video in my usual pre-maintenance Youtubing. I measured new and old spring OD and the new ones were indeed larger diameter. Shitbox maintenance is something of an art. Thanks for a useful video!
Lmfao
Monroe quick struts has 6 turns vs 5 on 2010 Camry rear, is it a good thing or not?
I just replaced struts on wife’s 2009 Chrysler t&c. The quick strut I used was Monroe. They are great so far. Only about 8,000 miles on them but van ride is like brand new. Plus I got a lifetime warranty!
I hope they're good. I'm waiting for delivery today of the Monroe Quick Struts for my wife's 2012 Accord from Rock Auto.
Time will tell. Results will vary. I did the same on a 2002 Camry. After a year or so the strut mounts failed and started making noise. Everything else works great besides the mounts. Was quite disappointed.
Pat Jago want the best, go with KYB.
Louis Casorla yes sir. I’ve had Monroe struts come bad right out the box. Those things are a hit and miss
Not sure about your quick struts (I hope you're still having good luck with them!), but when a lifetime warranty is given, I urge everyone to read the fine print! Most cases I've seen, it covers nearly everything except normal wear and tear, which makes it about as useful as a 1-yr warranty.
Thanks for your help bro. I'm fixen to put new struts on my car next week. I'll be watching for it. Thanks again.
Just replaced the front and rear struts from Detroit Axle on my sons 2003 Sable LS. rides smoother than my sisters Lincoln. Nice !
My wife introduced me to your channel. Thank you so much for what you do!!
Damn Scotty you did it again , thank you, I was about to buy the full assembly struts, now I'm going to buy the bare one, thank you.
I watch your channel often. In a previous vid you recommended kyb over a cheaper quick strut due to thicker coil springs. This vid seems to say the opposite. I have now replaced my 2008 jeep grand cherokee with the kybs. It does have an improved ride especially over tge old struts but i dont think its as good when it was new.
Scotty educates me yet again! THANK YOU!
"I bought this high quality strut bearing form Autozone". And Scotty said that with a straight face. HA.
Quick struts in the rust belt are a necessary evil. I would love to just replace the cartridge on a 10 year old car, BUT the spring is rusted out and the bearing/mount and snubber is shot. If you bought all OEM stuff and assembled one you would be out a small fortune.
Buy quality/name brand quick struts is the compromise. Spend the $120 per quick strut instead of the $80 and you will have much better results.
Yep. I had to replace factory original struts because they were rotted after 14 years and extremely soft. I bought an OREDY front set for $155 for my 2003 Subaru Outback and it has been solid for these last two years. I did a quick comparison between the two and they look exactly the same as my original minus complete rust rot everywhere. I'd take that any day over rusted and unsafe shocks.
I agree and I bet Scotty would too. When you're talking a car 10+ years old, in the rust zone, and an automatic transmission, there's no reason to spend the extra money on new traditional struts/springs. There's a high chance of a well used car developing an expensive drive train problem over the lifetime of the new struts, so why take the chance?
However, Scotty says don't buy CHEAP quick struts, he didn't say don't buy expensive/top of the line quick struts.
True that. I bought Monroe brand for my 95 Corolla a few years back and they've been great.
Agreed... 100% price vs quality vs reality vs needs all play into consideration... Don't get discouraged by quick struts... Guys like this would want u to spend $1000 on suspension on a car that costs $1000... SMH
@m fishing I would just buy the whole assembly instead of saving a few bucks to buy the struts only. It will save you much more time by just taking out the old assembly and putting in the new one compared to taking out the old assembly, disassembling it, putting the new struts on and reassembling it and hoping its lined up perfectly without having to take it back out and doing it again. Plus its always better to use brand new springs and mounts when getting new struts so they all wear the same
I put chinese front struts in my 2001 toyota. Like you say Scotty I was rather surprised the orginals were worn out. The chinese struts worked fine for about 12 months. After 1,6 years they were both totally done. I exchanged them for two new today. Brand is very important when talking shock absorbers.
Most are Chinese fyi
Bought monroe quick strut for my civic, very pleased-couldnt believe the difference in the ride and handling
I put some Gabriel assemblies on my wive's Avalon. At first the car sat about a half inch to an inch higher and suspension felt stiffer. After 10 months its running about the same height as the OEM and is soft like the OEM ones were. Happy with them so far; time will tell if they hold up
Good post, it might take time for the springs to conform to what the OEM springs were at since springs sag over time.
You the man Scotty! I was just about to buy some shocks/struts today.
Same here, supposed to pick mine up today.
Same lol im worried im gonna be starring at the part to much at the store
Fidel Cashflow bought cheap rear ones a month ago. Big mistake
Check out the junkyard maybe?
They aren't as bad as he claims... I've got two cars... One with factory and one with no name. Can't tell the difference in car ride quality. Even have cheap shock absorbers on the cheap strut one
Your videos are fun and great explanation for the layman. Easy to follow!
Very good video!!! Good thing I watched this video before working on my strut. I love Lexus ride and I do not want to lose the unique soft, smooth ride.
Good video that explains a lot. I put strut assemblies on my minivan and it did not drive well afterward. I'll keep the springs on my next car and just replace the leaking struts.
I am shocked!
lol
You must be springing me.
Real funny wiseguy, we'll see how funny you are when you're in the spotlight at vape con and boasted as the cloud chucking master but really being the worst vaper in history who can't even blow a decent cloud
Why
I’m exhausted!
Even if you don't feel comfortable using the rental spring compressors from the auto parts store you can just bring your old and new struts to a suspension shop and have the swap it over. Just had two swapped for my truck (rental one looked sketchy on the big truck springs) and it was only $100 for them to swap the hats over.
I absolutely enjoy your advice and especially your attitude.....very enjoyable!
We actually need one for the front passenger side for my Toyota Prius. I was looking around and found exactly what you said not to get and I was considering buying it recently but was waiting for next month after Christmas as expenses have been tight. Then I saw your video, crap, I'm gonna probably have to wait a couple months to get the repair done so that I can get the better quality. I constantly have to drive on a dirt road for my long driveway so I can't be going with a rougher ride. Makes no sense to do so. Thanks for the insight and the video. I truly appreciate it.
This was so comical and well made! So glad I stumbled across this channel lol thanks for doing what you do Scotty! Lol
Hi - Thanks for illustrating the difference between quality parts vs. cheap ones. I've been a car guy for about 37 years & use quality parts. I DID use a pair of Monroe quick struts on a Town & Country van recently (the original strut assembly came apart!) and they seemed fine, but it's great to see the differences in bearings, spring thickness, etc. - most of us just need to get the job done to get the car on the road & don't have a chance to test & compare parts like this. Thanks again!
I recently had to replace all 4 on a 1992 Saturn sl2 and also used Monroe quick struts all the way around. Such a huge difference. No more “bang” on the smallest of bumps.
Scotty is my go to master mechanic he knows his cars like a artist knows their painting.
I have always liked the look of the old gassers so naturally I put the biggest tires I could fit on the back of my PT CRUISER WITH A LITTLE modifying of the inner wheel well the 255/65R/16 tires fit. That put the front end down very low I drove it 216 k miles like that.I noticed the other week that my struts were getting to be crispy rust so I went to the junk yard and found a set of good after market blue metallic ones and put them on I love it they raised the front about 2" now it looks more like a old gasser.
I bought a set of those import struts with springs because I didn't want to deal with removing the compressed springs. They were a fraction of what the car parts store charged and worked just fine. I eventually sold the van 2 years later. Van drove nice and smooth. They came highly rated by other Ebayer's.
Thank you Scotty for giving the best tips and advice, im also from Houston, Tx 👍😊
ive done them both for years, the quick strut works the best becuase for a compatible price you get a new spring instead of using the old one with wear and tear. in a busy shop it allows more cars to get done in one day. it is also safer especially if you have younger less experienced guys workling for you.
Safety is top priority! And a cheap part that's new is better than an oem part that's broken. A bird in hand is worth more than two in the bush, as it were.
Scotty knows what he talks, good advice 👍
At my old work they slapped these cheap ones on a lot of old used cars. I used real Monroe quick struts on my wife's car and they were fantastic but it was clear just looking at them that they were better than the cheap ones we used at work.
I always suggest new bearings at when replacing someones struts, because we all know that anything we work on, the customer will think we are responsible when it fails 6 months later. I don't mind reusing a good spring, but nope, if you dont want to pay for new mounts, you can take your money down the road... just not worth the hassle for me as a small shop.
it's been a few years since you wrote this, I just picked out Monroe quick struts for my daughters mazda... I was concerned with the cheap options. you still recommend monroe's, other brands?
Thank you for taking the time and the effort showing us this man!!
Dera Scotty. Thank you very much for your great work. I should watch this video before replacing quick struts on my 1996 SAAB 900. They were made in China and they were good for only 2 weeks or so. Now my car drive worse that on my old struts and I have to redo them again. Sylvester F.
I love how he put the picture of a fiat 500 when he's talkin about junk. hahaha
I train technicians at all brand dealerships and every time I go to a fiat store it's the same story. That's why they say FIAT stands for Fix It Again Tony lol.
It was really funny.
Can confirm. I put quick struts on my car last year. One is already squeaking and the rubber bushing up top is deteriorating. I have to spray silicone on the strut mount once a month to keep them quiet.
I found KYB shock absorbers to be a better choice for many Japanese cars. In fact Toyota, Honda, Daihatsu etc uses KYB shock absorbers in many of their cars.
I put $99 Monroe quick struts from O'Reilly on my 97 CRV a few years back and it rode and drove fantastic! I also changed the differential fluid, finally, and got rid of the slight bucking these cars are known for. I checked and replaced as needed control arms, sway bar links, ball joints, tie rod ends, and boy was it worth it. That car was literally delightful to drive.
How did you fix the bucking?i have a 99 crv.
How’s your struts holding up? I’ve got to replace both rear on my 2007 crv
Monroe is a great company, they are cheap but great, they make ALOT of the worlds shocks even brand names youve heard if
Thanks again for the wise advice Scotty 👍😁👍
That dramatization of removing the spring wasn't even close! You should've really showed it so people that have never done it can be prepared. It has a lot more force than that.
Garage Built Hondas Yeah that damn spring comes flying off like cannon ball. Easily can go through a roof of a shop
I had the old rear springs out on my '04 Grand Marquis. I dropped one on the grass from head height, curios to see what would happen. I'm 5'5" dropped it, it bounced back up 20 ft in the air and landed 15 ft in front of me. I realized then don't screw around with springs.
Jared Ostler holy crap! That's awesome!
Just the spring? That's physically impossible for it to return more energy than was put into it falling from head height.
SkullDraizer well I also threw it down.
Used Monroe quick struts on my 2000 Camry because the whole assembly including the springs were toast. Springs sagging. Had them on for 4.5 years and 15k with no issues.
In the next few weeks I got to change my original front struts (280k) on my '99 Camry. I've had bad experiences with Monroe and couldn't afford the KYB struts, so I decided to buy Moog. Never tried their quick struts, but every other Moog part I've used has been top-notch, so fingers crossed. :-)
For some people 15k might be like a month of driving.
I put a set of these on my Expedition a year or so ago. The factory ones weren't really bad because they only had around 150000 miles on the odometer, and it still rode and handled ok. But my lower ball joints were squeaking so I bought a whole front end rebuild kit with new A arms, tie rod ends, and sway bar bushings so I figured what the heck, might as well replace the struts while I had it tore down. With the quick struts I received I immediately noticed the coil material of the spring was way, way smaller in diameter, but I thought, "what do I know about spring geometry, and spring metallurgy" and put them on anyway. When I test drove it I immediately noticed the front suspension was softer (not a good feeling on a heavy suv) and blamed it on the quick struts. It still has the same ride height so I left them on, but won't use them again.
I just see the reviews on that part and if I see a 4 or 5 star I buy it.
Thanks for this advice, Scotty. I recently had the struts and shocks replaced on my wife's 2010 Lexus RX. I considered buying the quick struts but after watching your video, I changed my mind. I ended up buying a set of KYB's (strut only, reusing the original springs) and rear shocks and the car rides like new again. Thanks again!
Mine was riding so bumpy on the MONROE oespectrum that i replaced my originals with. What a big mistake, now i gotta find an original to replace the Monroe.
@@motogp2375 Check with junk yards that might have used (and undamaged) OEM springs for your car.
@@rsharp897 ty!! Im definitely going to look there!
Is your car still riding smoothly on those shocks and struts?
@@Jsk06201 Yes.
"When it comes to buying a quick strut, hey, ya gotta do some research ... buh fore hand."
Yeah. Good advice.
Love your videos Scotty, always useful.
Thank you Scotty. This was very helpful.
You really know how to strut your stuff Scotty!!!
Get out
$83 vs $790. House poor people do what we got to and put up with what we have to
Agreed i have 02 Honda Odyssey i paid 200 bucks for lol
@@ginerbread84 LOL 200 all 4 for my BMW😂😂😂 Should have bought a NISSAN 300zx😂
@@AutoSia I found them online for 46 each
@@ginerbread84 hahaha
At least put a good aftermarket if you can't put OEM. But if she drives a lexus and that strut lasted 15 years then the 700$ per strut is worth it for another 15 years, sounds reasonable if you are going to drive your car until it dies.
Just bought a set from Detroit Axle and I'm very pleased.
My experience is that they have consistently delivered a quality product.
Purchased my entire front end from them. They are fantastic
Thanks a million Scotty much needed info because auto repair shops love putting in cheap after market quick strut because they know you will be back sooner than later for the next replacement set🤢
Sir...you are the bomb!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
I put Monroe struts on my wife's Ford Escape, and no issues at all. Like wise I did try the Leacree ones first to save money. Leacrees were junk.
Lesson learned
Probably the best Scotty's video I have ever seen. Whole package. Haha.
I just had these Monroe quick struts put on my '04 Century and I also have noticed my car doesn't ride as well and the front is at least an inch and-a-half higher and doesn't look right. I could really kick myself for letting them put these on my car, I knew changing the struts it likely would not ride as well and I was very happy with the way the car rode. I made this clear to the mechanic and he did offer the option to just replace my strut mounts but he was really leading me to do the whole strut and said it would likely ride the same and made the most sense and was most economical (I think for them! They charged 2 hours labor and I highly doubt it took half that). I actually called them back about a half an hour after okaying the new struts and told them I changed my mind and just wanted the new mounts but he said they had already started changing them. I should have stood my ground and told him I would cover whatever labor they had put in but I wanted my old struts back on but 20/20. The sad thing is I loved the way my Buick floated like an old land yacht, now it just rides like a boring Camry or something. I really hope the shocks start to smooth out soon or I might have to sell the car as it's ride was it's big redeeming quality, plus I really just like Buicks.
I bought one of those quick strut assemblies and I thought all the things that was stated in this video. I replaced my front pair and the car handled poorly.
But then I got an alignment and it drove perfectly. It wasn't the quick strut that was the problem. It was the poor alignment that resulted from putting on brand new srtuts after many alignment adjustment to my 14 year old car.
Moral of the story, get an alignment when you do suspension work.
Exactly! I replaced my tie end rods and control arms with alignment.
@@retiredsnowbunnyhunterx5106 Agreed, no problem with my quick strut I got from duralast.
I just bought a pair but always an alignment after due to the change of the strut of the new strut
Also brand new struts will sit higher and ride a bit rough at first because the springs need to settle or break in.
thanks for the advice, I'm doing my struts soon and have a free alignment from my tire package, i'll save it for after the struts go in!
I always chuckle when he rings that bell
Wow! This was very informative! I performed a strut change once and it was a lot of work not to mention dangerous. But I'm glad I didn't buy the cheap replacement and I know better for next time.
Thanks for the tutorial Scotty.👍👍
well you are a mechanic with 50 yrs i have 30 plus years. I do not want to mislead anyone. Not saying thease new struts are great or not. Fact is that I tell my customers it is going to change the ride hight. it is going to ride harder. they have to expect that. did you check the ride hight on the old struts. The new struts are going to settle in and the ride will soften just like the original struts did. The handling of the car is also going to change as well. I like several struts assemblys monro sensatrac and gabrial ultra are very good. the spring is what keeps the ride hight and the spring and mounts have just as much where as the strut. I use the quik struts because new vehicles are getting cheeper every day. 17 year old cars are not the same as the new cars are today. It dependes on the roads you drive on. New Orleans is hard on a car. Thank you and have a good day.
That made since
i 10 alone in your state is horrible. So I definitely see your point if the rest of the roads are anything like that.
Scotty or other mechanics should do a quick struts comparison on major brands. It is not senseble to spend $800 at each corner just on parts to replace struts on 10 years or older cars.
I just installed rear Monroe quick struts on my 2010 Camry 162k, ride is good, confident on highway. Not sure how long it will last. The Monroe spring at upper ends are not ground to flush with strut mount, the end is piercing into the rubber, not sure how long the rubber will last. I do not know if the extra turn of spring from Monroe is good or bad, 6 vs 5 turns.
@@JTA1961 I-20 in Louisiana is a lot worse.
Douglas Slayden thanks, see my Comments previous. Interestingly I always used or spec Monroe’s , 2007 CANYON/2 WD/SE 4 CUL, all four goo @ some 80,000 miles , ... Have 2015 Journey 2WD/4 Cyl to,get done soon...looking for experiences.... Dodge Journey.
Many car parts you are getting the same thing....just paying for mark up at the Auto Store. I got a window regulator with motor...in exactly one year it was all rusted out like it was 50 years old in the rain. Good thing it had a lifetime warranty. But I probably have to change it next year.
WE LOVE YOUR VIDEOS SCOTTYS !
Scotty is the best. Just saved my husband wasting his whole weekend ❤
I just switched the oem spring on a set of china loaded struts on my 06 seebring rides like stock.when you are broke its better to do what u gotta do..especially on a 1200 dollar car no way im putting 500 into struts while value of the car stays the same. Junk yard is another option if u got a old car u can find nice struts and stuff that u wouldn't usually buy at a junk yard u just gotta know wat to look for
Just share MOOG quick struts have been great in my 2000 Altima. Had them in 2-3 years now. Restored my ride height too
Are they expensive and how much you paid for them?
Awesome, thank you for taking time to teach us. ✌🏽