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
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
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 ...
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.
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 :)
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.
I also used Monroe - correct ride height, feels the same as the original Ford - no complaints. Haven’t had them long enough to say they’ll prove to be as durable, but it’s a cheap car and I’m not expecting another 14 years out of it.
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 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.
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
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!
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.
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.
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.
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*
used 1A Auto to replace the struts on my 233,000 mile ford explorer. I wasn't about to replace them with $1000 struts that were OEM. $284 replaced them both and I'm happy. Install was easy as hell.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with quick struts per se. In fact, you are probably a whole lot better off replacing your old, sagging springs along with your worn out struts. The key point here is that you don’t want to buy cheap, no-name quick struts. But this doesn’t mean that you need to pay big bucks for dealer parts. Rather than getting cheap junk, get a name brand such as KYB, Monroe, or Gabriel. Much of the time, the dealer part is just one of these brands sold at an inflated cost. For example, many Asian makes use KYB shocks and struts as the OE part. And although a KYB quick strut will be more expensive than a cheap knockoff, it will still be FAR cheaper than the dealer.
I can't even get a strut assembly in America for my 2008 Suzuki sx4. KYB struts are aboit $175 a piece after tax+shipping. I might need about an hour of labor to get them in, and the mechanic might charge a premium on new nuts & bolts on installation. I do not have any other options unless I want to pay $300 for an individual strut, without a spring through an oem dealer like subaru.
@@spooky5338 A year later, but I just checked the assemblies for your Suzuki at RockAuto, $140 each + tax + shipping for the KYB. They also have FCS for $60-$65 each. I don't know FCS, but folks have written about having good experiences with them. Those are the whole assembly, not just the strut.
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.
"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.
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 $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.
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?
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!
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
Had a shop not listen to me and and just throw on some quick struts without using my original springs. They were Monroe’s. They lowered the car about 3 inches up front and made creaking noises while turning. Ended up buying some used OE ones with lower mileage and they have been great.
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.
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.
Very good sir. Total of $2400 price difference for the entire set on a very common vehicle. Avalon/Camry struts should fit perfectly on that vehicle if I'm not mistaken.
I bought a set of speed struts for my 05 corolla. Work well, drives amazing. Paid 100 buck for pair with replacement links. Speed struts have new mount, new bushings, new dust sleeve, new hardware.
At least put a good aftermarket if you can't put OEM. But if she drives a lexus and that strut lasted 15 years then the 700$ per strut is worth it for another 15 years, sounds reasonable if you are going to drive your car until it dies.
I bought a set of kyb quick struts for my 06 f150 4x4, much better ride afterwards, plus a set of kyb monotube rear shocks. Quality units, yes, they're from japan, but the new coil springs were much more substantial than the factory units. The new ones had more turns in the coil. Many of the factory coil springs on these trucks weakened over time, and either cracked and broke, or adversely affected the alignment camber tearing up the inner edge of both front tires. Kyb parts are quality.
Eman 08 I completely agree, I shopped around for these parts, could have gone with motorcraft replacements, but as I stated, ford had problems with these coil springs weakening and cracking as they aged. I wasn't looking for super smooth ride, it's a 4x4, I'll take lasting durability instead. I was not aware that kyb was an arm of toyota. They were priced reasonably, and they perform well. The truck rides like it should, and my front tires aren't paying the price with abnormal wear patterns.
@@WPHSBandGeek yes, it’s all assembled as a unit. Remove the factory spring/strut assembly, replace with new one . Rockauto had a good price per component, so I ordered a full replacement for each axle.
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.
I learned this the hard way recently on my chevy Malibu. Switched out struts at les Schwab and i tell ya it took me 2 months of taking my car back every week because the new struts rode horrible and it made a nasty popping noise at every turn. They kept switching them out with 3rd party parts and greasing and blah blah that did nothing. I got fed up and told them i wanted my old parts on and my refund back. But the manager spoke to me and told me they would order gm dealership parts for my csr and guess what? They fit perfectly, rides better, steering is solid, and the big plus no more popping noises whatsoever.
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. :-)
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
@@jayneron7300 KYB should still be on the list regardless, but it should also depend on what kind of driving you do, how old the ride is and how long you plan to keep it. If you're just trying to keep an old car on the road, Gabriel would be another brand. The ride won't be as firm and sporty.
I've used KYB Struts-Plus with luck. Our 2003 Honda Odyssey had leaking rear shocks at 40k, and again at 80K, both times replaced under an extended warranty. But the front's started leaking at 130k, so we replaced them with KYBs all around, and they've worked great. In fact, it rides better than when new, and we have 60K on the new KYBs. I do agree with Scotty on his complaints about Honda Odysseys. I've done a lot work on the vehicle, including having the transmission rebuilt. Great vehicle in many ways, but in others, ugh! The list is endless to keep them running. But, still cheaper then a new model with all new problems. I didn't buy KYBs to save money, it's because next to Bilstein and Koni, KYBs reputation is pretty solid. But who knows? I mean, who knows what a brand name means today?
I've used Monroe quick struts many times with no problems. Interesting he can R&R the struts on that Lexus and not leave any witness marks on the heads of the bolts. (see frame at 2:38)
I recently replaced the struts on my 2004 Honda Pilot with Monroe quick struts. (355k miles) I had the opportunity to see this video beforehand and was this video that sent me to Monroe. I compared the new struts to the factory struts and they were identical. The smoother ride was immediately noticeable. Thanks for the education.
I broke my stock drive wheel strut when I first bought her.. Replaced both front struts with cheap internet front struts, and bent the right drive wheel spring after I got Tuned.. Then I went looking for another set on the cheap.. And I found these NO Named Brand cheap FCS loaded struts 3 years ago. After breaking and bending 2 drive wheel struts prior. I found these and they are still going strong.. I bought the pair of them for $150 plus tax and free shipping.. ((And they turned out to be the best out of them all, And 3 years later They are Now selling for $270 to $300 for the Pair.. So the word got out that these Cheap Loaded struts, were really MacPherson struts and way better than stock for half the price!!))
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
electronicsNmore my previous LS had 160K miles after 13 years and was running on the original suspension. The only things replaced after the 50K mile mark were the timing belt and water pump and one cooling fan and 2 door speakers.
My car is 15 years old and has done 254000 miles and is still on the original suspension system, it could do with replacing though its getting a little spongy.
not a matter of being lucky , all depends on who drives the car , and the climate where the car is being driven , 2 things engineers cannot control when they build the car.
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
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.
I wish I had seen this video before I bought Carquest aftermarket struts from Baxter. I replaced both of mine and it was almost terrifying how poorly they were made. They rattled and popped and clunked constantly. Baxter replaced them. Same issue. Finally went and just paid to have the originals rebuilt at Les Schwab, problem solved. Baxter refunded me 100% for the Chinese Carquest strut assemblies.
KYB makes high quality quick struts i highly recommend them. I installed them on my 2010 Lexus RX 350 and rides like new again and have held up perfectly one year later so far.
@Josh Fog $180 is very cheap for suspension components which are usually expensive. On Rockauto the KYB are like $300 for FRONT AND REAR quick struts which is amazing so no need to settle for Monroe. Ive owned both and the KYB are much better quality overall and better ride quality.
@@jontestory2628 yes but unfortunately as I'm sure you know these parts get rebranded as "Lexus parts" so if you don't know this you'll pay triple the price for these struts without even including the springs/entire unit.
Thanks Scotty! Its kind of hard to tell if you need new springs though, unless its sagging a lot. I always wonder when I change struts how good the springs still are. Any ideas?
johnny diy all you need is what the height measurement is and where it is measured from,some might be measured from a frame point or a wheel well. your local parts house may have the info or even the strut and spring manufacturer
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.
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.
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
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.
Cars always sit higer and ride firmer when you put new struts on... Especially after 17 years. There is no way that 17 year old struts are still good. Unless that car only has 50,000 miles on it. She just got used to the sloppy soft feel of the old struts. They should be replaced. But yes use quality parts.
David Taylor good point thanks... Interestingly I think my 2007 GMC CANYON SE/4 Cyl did some even at 65,000 and ,es than ten years, the Monroe’s seemed to be great : front struts,and rear shocks,... etc,
Aaron Thomas thanks, interestingly, used Gabriel Red Rydermon Córdoba Chrysler, KONI ON77 Trans Am ( really stiff most settings?), otherwise basically MONROE SYRUTS/ Shocks... So,expensive I hate to do,it, but 70,000 mi on my 2015 Journey 4 CYL... NEEDS PRETTY SOON: interestingly the new Nokian STUDDed HAKKEPILITA, &;, Summer SUV TYRES seem to be excellent handling , etc. hard to,get good info concerning much aftermarket.
@@opera93 Yeah, that's a problem I run into regularly. Try buying shocks/struts for a 2014 Dodge Dart aftermarket.... Plenty of options for front struts. Only options I've seen recently for rear is FCS, MOPAR, Monroe and Unity. So far, I've been informed that the Monroe shocks and struts result in the car feeling like it's floating. Can't find any reviews for the FCS or Unity shocks on the Dart, but found reviews concerning other vehicle models that were positive. Sometimes, you just have to risk a few bucks and hope for the best or spend the extra and buy from the dealer....
The problem is there are different trim levels, engine options (weight on front uses higher spring rates), sporty/non sporty models. Generally these are one-size-fits-all for any variant of that platform/model.
Good advice! I replaced the OEM struts on my '99 Hyundai Accent about 7 years ago. They had seized up. However, I replaced them with a set of Monroe struts (Made in Spain) using the original Springs and strut mounts. And just for the record, compressing a strut spring is not that difficult. If you take your time and use a quality spring compressor and apply some common sense physics you should be fine. If you do use a ready strut make sure you use one from a quality manufacturer such as Monroe, Gabriel, Koni ,etc. Heck, I've even used replacement struts from a company called Sen Sen (Made in China) and they're actually not bad if you're trying to save money.
its not really the size its how compressed the spring is. normal compressors don't fit into the spring gaps. so u have to compress closer to the center and thus don't compress the spring enough to loosen the hat so another set of spring compressors is needed. cheap compressors will just bend and or fracture.
Since when Monroe struts are the definition of quality? My original Toyota OEM struts lasted 12 years. I replaced them with Monroe struts and they started leaking after 3 years.
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!
When I was a 3 whisker kid at Sears back in the mid 1970’s to early 80’s, it was not uncommon at all to have all cars, but especially GM and Chrysler, to need shocks at 20,000 miles. They sold a “Steady Rider” shock that was quite good with a long warranty. I installed hundreds of them.
yea I'm buying quick struts for front and shocks for rear and all 4 sway bar links for under the price of 1 front strut. can u say ~NO BRAINER~most cars we buying these for are a decade plus old...
My 2001 Toyota Avalon has vibration when applying the brakes at highway speeds. After machining the rotors and replacing the rotors, the vibration was still there. I learned to live with it. At some point in time, my tire guy told me that I may want to replace my struts/shocks to help my car ride better. He said he could replace all 4 for roughly $900. I decided to replace them myself, 2 at a time so I wouldn’t have to spend a much of money at once. I replaced all 4 for around $600. Installing these “quick struts” removed the vibration I experienced while braking. I wish I would have repaired the original factory struts but I was ignorant. I have 427K miles on my car and it’s time to change those quick struts again.
It’s the same rhetoric that Dewalt uses with their tools nowadays. “Made in USA with global materials”. Cheap is cheap. Doesn’t matter where it’s put together.
Not always. For instance, the EXACT same words could be used to describe how so many brands of cars and trucks, whether foreign or domestic, are being made RIGHT HERE in the USA!
@@4orrcountry. Except most of those domestic vehicles are built in Mexico, from global parts. Unless you buy some Japanese cars, like Toyota, that are made in USA from global parts.
Re- cheap DeWalt tools- your right about crap. For about same price I buy Bosch tools. Drill was underwater in a flood and still worked..charger electronics all coated with protective waterproofing tool. Love th3 quality of Bosch tools.
I paid $170 on eBay for set 4 on 01 Corolla. Awesome did all 4 about an hour. Rides like brand new car. Better handling and even better in snow. Scotty think your problem you only did half job.
Richard McConnell. I paid about the same for mine. I even did my sway bar end links on a budget. Got an alignment and my car rides great. I have to disagree with Scotty on this one.
It fits right because in the first place because Corollaa back the. We're built with the same cheap parts, even tho it's one of the best cars I've seen ride for over 200 thousand miles.
Well it depends on the kind of car you have and what it was originally designed to run on. Like the Lexus you’d probably want the Lexus part to match what you’re used to. They probably work just fine but wouldn’t be the same on a Lexus. But for something like my little dodge neon or Toyota Corolla ... they’re perfectly fine. Haven’t had an issue but then again I’m not very picky.. as long I’m not bottoming out on bumps and they’re not snapping I’m happy and so far they don’t. Moog and Monroe are probably the best aftermarket choices out there. But if you want an OEM ride buy OEM parts that’s the easiest way to get those results.
Sanctus19 I’m pretty sure you’d be happy with Moog or Monroe for your Impala!! Just keep in mind they could be different or feel a little different than what you’re used to. I haven’t ever had a problem though!
Don't know about you, but I bought a full set of cheap AutoShack struts and shocks for my daughters 2001 Rav4, and they are perfectly fine. After driving for a couple weeks, they settled just fine. Especially since the old struts were not only bad, but the isolators and bushings were all cracked and getting old, and hardened bushings on the rear. I bought a whole front and rear complete set for $200, and replaced all in 2 hrs. Drives fine, and will last more than long enough for the needs of an old used car.
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 finally changed mine with a quick strut after almost 150k miles and the ride is much more comfortable. I guess I now have 2 things Scott hates and I am loving...quick struts and a Volkswagen Passat.
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.
I replaced my OEM rear struts with some unity Chinese ones. They lasted less than a year, and are knocking from the mount. Not only am I out the money, but I have to do the job again!
My 2012 Chevy volt has a KBB value of $2000 and I was offered $1500 for trade-in. I shopped around and the best price for a new (high quality) front-left strut assembly was $800, installed. They also highly recommend doing both sides for $1500. I'm putting a cheap one on because this car is paid off and I genuinely expect it to explode any day now. I also know as soon as I spend $1500 to fix it, something else will break.
I would agree with ya Scotty - except for some applications like my son has a car to just get him by for a little while (2000 Solara) with 254k miles on it, a pair of cheap quick struts will do, and is what he's getting.
only thing I've noticed is the paint/powder coating is thin so if you live in a snowy area, I would keep an eye on rust and touch them up or just grease them up before you install them.
I got the Monroe Quick struts for my wife's 02 Protege, good value at under $100 per unit and you get new springs, boots, top bearing, etc. Only issue was on one of them, the center bolt was loose after installing it on the car. But after tightening that down, car rides great and no squeaks or other noises. Also, note that to do the rear struts on cars like this, you must do some interior disassembly, since the rear struts are mounted to the metal under the rear package shelf. Our rears are still riding OK, so we kept the originals in place. Finally, remember to get a wheel alignment after installing the new Quick struts.
Same good experience with Monroe quick struts; I would of saved money and bought the parts needed if the whole thing on my 99 Nissan Altima wasn’t corroding. a little upset Scotty used some aftermarket China made cheap product to form his opinion on quick struts when he already made a video about buying cheap China made parts.
I used to buy Nissan Genuine Struts, but these were too expensive, hah guess what, KYB makes struts for them, so I directly buy from them at half the price!
Eman 08 I know, but if it does last long enough, I am happy to trade off ride quality with something that is going to do its job plus it's much cheaper than OEM part!
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
When the beginner does this repair it can be tempting to tilt or swing the spindle / rotor assembly out at the top to get it out of the way. But doing this can pull the axle CV joint out of the transmission coupling, causing a lot more work to re install
Not me i payed $127.00 for a pair of quick struts for my 2009 Acura TL SH-AWD and i can't tell the difference between the factory and the after market.
lunisce For a good reason that is. A lot of third party parts manufacturers are outputting garbage and Scotty is simply calling them out on their inferior parts.
Thank you. Now I have something to watch out for. 2000 Park Ave. Bought in 2018 with 78K on it. I'm a career truck driver. I want air ride on a semi, not my car. So I got a Monroe conversion kit all the way around. I had a good mechanic install them. 50K later still good. I will find those sealed bearing though.
17-year-old springs will sag due to wear and tear. Those new Quick Struts have new springs which will result in higher ride height. One way to be certain is to measure the ride height according to factory specifications.
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!!!!
6:00 My favorite is "Assembled in America", which could mean Guatemala as easily at Ohio. Anyway, it sounds as if the most important thing is to look for honest reviews when buying any aftermarket parts. There is no law against making quick strut assemblies that match the OEM versions and some might even like the ones with stiffer springs, but just know what you're getting. Given how long struts can last, there is also the option of grabbing the whole assembly from a junk yard.
I waited until I could find a low mile used 2004 Bonneville and scored some used one for $20 bucks each (new was $250 each!!!! and cheaply made) and now is driving amazing!
6 років тому+37
Who else would pay good money to sit in on that conversation between Scotty and his Mrs?
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
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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
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
@@elliothm8370 we make more money when we dont do the quick struts you just save money on labor when we do
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.
@@Mybwain 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.
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 don't understand
I put over 200k on my last set of monroe quick struts and put them on many other vehicles with absolutely no issues what so ever. I really like them.
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
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.
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 installed Monroe quick struts on my 2009 grand caravan and in my 2013 ford edge and they greatly improved the ride in both vehicles.
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.
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.
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
Going to order mine from them now, thanks for the suggestion, how are they working now?
@@johnny.futsal still doing fine
Same here
Legends, thanks for the comments!😎
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
I also used Monroe - correct ride height, feels the same as the original Ford - no complaints. Haven’t had them long enough to say they’ll prove to be as durable, but it’s a cheap car and I’m not expecting another 14 years out of it.
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
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.
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.
That's why I buy Monroe brand. 230k on a 06 Saturn Vue. Had no problems with new strut assemblies and shocks.
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.' 🏍️
He grated me at first but then grew on me. LOL!
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*
used 1A Auto to replace the struts on my 233,000 mile ford explorer. I wasn't about to replace them with $1000 struts that were OEM. $284 replaced them both and I'm happy. Install was easy as hell.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with quick struts per se. In fact, you are probably a whole lot better off replacing your old, sagging springs along with your worn out struts. The key point here is that you don’t want to buy cheap, no-name quick struts. But this doesn’t mean that you need to pay big bucks for dealer parts. Rather than getting cheap junk, get a name brand such as KYB, Monroe, or Gabriel. Much of the time, the dealer part is just one of these brands sold at an inflated cost. For example, many Asian makes use KYB shocks and struts as the OE part. And although a KYB quick strut will be more expensive than a cheap knockoff, it will still be FAR cheaper than the dealer.
Kyb is Chinese trash
I can't even get a strut assembly in America for my 2008 Suzuki sx4. KYB struts are aboit $175 a piece after tax+shipping. I might need about an hour of labor to get them in, and the mechanic might charge a premium on new nuts & bolts on installation. I do not have any other options unless I want to pay $300 for an individual strut, without a spring through an oem dealer like subaru.
I always go with KYB
@@mcchimpinI just got new ones for my 2002 Camry, any advice for making the most of them?
@@spooky5338 A year later, but I just checked the assemblies for your Suzuki at RockAuto, $140 each + tax + shipping for the KYB. They also have FCS for $60-$65 each. I don't know FCS, but folks have written about having good experiences with them. Those are the whole assembly, not just the strut.
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 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 $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
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?
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?
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Had a shop not listen to me and and just throw on some quick struts without using my original springs. They were Monroe’s. They lowered the car about 3 inches up front and made creaking noises while turning. Ended up buying some used OE ones with lower mileage and they have been great.
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
I’ve used the KYB complete struts. They are good quality.
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.
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.
I bought a set of speed struts for my 05 corolla. Work well, drives amazing. Paid 100 buck for pair with replacement links. Speed struts have new mount, new bushings, new dust sleeve, new hardware.
$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.
I bought a set of kyb quick struts for my 06 f150 4x4, much better ride afterwards, plus a set of kyb monotube rear shocks. Quality units, yes, they're from japan, but the new coil springs were much more substantial than the factory units. The new ones had more turns in the coil. Many of the factory coil springs on these trucks weakened over time, and either cracked and broke, or adversely affected the alignment camber tearing up the inner edge of both front tires. Kyb parts are quality.
Eman 08 I completely agree, I shopped around for these parts, could have gone with motorcraft replacements, but as I stated, ford had problems with these coil springs weakening and cracking as they aged. I wasn't looking for super smooth ride, it's a 4x4, I'll take lasting durability instead. I was not aware that kyb was an arm of toyota. They were priced reasonably, and they perform well. The truck rides like it should, and my front tires aren't paying the price with abnormal wear patterns.
More turns for a given spring material diameter results in a softer ride. It has nothing to do with how "substantial" they are.
@@paulverizzo6199 if you saw the difference between the stock coils and the kyb replacements, you'd understand what I mean.
So if I understood correctly, you bought the assembled kit.
@@WPHSBandGeek yes, it’s all assembled as a unit. Remove the factory spring/strut assembly, replace with new one . Rockauto had a good price per component, so I ordered a full replacement for each axle.
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.
I learned this the hard way recently on my chevy Malibu. Switched out struts at les Schwab and i tell ya it took me 2 months of taking my car back every week because the new struts rode horrible and it made a nasty popping noise at every turn. They kept switching them out with 3rd party parts and greasing and blah blah that did nothing. I got fed up and told them i wanted my old parts on and my refund back. But the manager spoke to me and told me they would order gm dealership parts for my csr and guess what? They fit perfectly, rides better, steering is solid, and the big plus no more popping noises whatsoever.
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.
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.
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
Bought cheap quick struts off Rock Auto for my V6 Accord and rides great. It does sit a little higher but doesn't bother me, it's just a beater
What year? A coup or 4 door?
@@Trendinlikeash 2014 sedan
@@fzr1000981 why is it a beater? Because it’s old
@@Trendinlikeash sits outside, I have a new Audi RS3 too
@@fzr1000981 cool, I have a v6 coupe that sits outside but is a daily
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.
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.
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.
So wick brand is good?
@@jayneron7300 KYB should still be on the list regardless, but it should also depend on what kind of driving you do, how old the ride is and how long you plan to keep it. If you're just trying to keep an old car on the road, Gabriel would be another brand. The ride won't be as firm and sporty.
I've used KYB Struts-Plus with luck. Our 2003 Honda Odyssey had leaking rear shocks at 40k, and again at 80K, both times replaced under an extended warranty. But the front's started leaking at 130k, so we replaced them with KYBs all around, and they've worked great. In fact, it rides better than when new, and we have 60K on the new KYBs.
I do agree with Scotty on his complaints about Honda Odysseys. I've done a lot work on the vehicle, including having the transmission rebuilt. Great vehicle in many ways, but in others, ugh! The list is endless to keep them running. But, still cheaper then a new model with all new problems. I didn't buy KYBs to save money, it's because next to Bilstein and Koni, KYBs reputation is pretty solid.
But who knows? I mean, who knows what a brand name means today?
I've used Monroe quick struts many times with no problems. Interesting he can R&R the struts on that Lexus and not leave any witness marks on the heads of the bolts. (see frame at 2:38)
Hmmm....the bolt heads do look undisturbed!
I recently replaced the struts on my 2004 Honda Pilot with Monroe quick struts. (355k miles) I had the opportunity to see this video beforehand and was this video that sent me to Monroe. I compared the new struts to the factory struts and they were identical. The smoother ride was immediately noticeable. Thanks for the education.
I’ve got the same vehicle, year and mileage and put the same struts on 😊 No problems
@@cw5118 great minds think alike 😁
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
I broke my stock drive wheel strut when I first bought her.. Replaced both front struts with cheap internet front struts, and bent the right drive wheel spring after I got Tuned.. Then I went looking for another set on the cheap.. And I found these NO Named Brand cheap FCS loaded struts 3 years ago. After breaking and bending 2 drive wheel struts prior. I found these and they are still going strong.. I bought the pair of them for $150 plus tax and free shipping.. ((And they turned out to be the best out of them all, And 3 years later They are Now selling for $270 to $300 for the Pair.. So the word got out that these Cheap Loaded struts, were really MacPherson struts and way better than stock for half the price!!))
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!
Wow. 17 years with the same struts? Lucky guy. The shock absorbers usually go, not to mention you lose spring height.
electronicsNmore my previous LS had 160K miles after 13 years and was running on the original suspension. The only things replaced after the 50K mile mark were the timing belt and water pump and one cooling fan and 2 door speakers.
My Acura is 15 years old and still on the original struts with 191K miles.
My car is 15 years old and has done 254000 miles and is still on the original suspension system, it could do with replacing though its getting a little spongy.
depends where the car was used and what type of roads
not a matter of being lucky , all depends on who drives the car , and the climate where the car is being driven , 2 things engineers cannot control when they build the car.
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.
I wish I had seen this video before I bought Carquest aftermarket struts from Baxter. I replaced both of mine and it was almost terrifying how poorly they were made. They rattled and popped and clunked constantly. Baxter replaced them. Same issue. Finally went and just paid to have the originals rebuilt at Les Schwab, problem solved. Baxter refunded me 100% for the Chinese Carquest strut assemblies.
KYB makes high quality quick struts i highly recommend them. I installed them on my 2010 Lexus RX 350 and rides like new again and have held up perfectly one year later so far.
What about monroe....Monroe.... say Monroe are better for smooth air like rides
@@skyiestosunsetrise2886 monroe is no good they are cheap which is exactly what Scotty is talking about in this video.
@Josh Fog $180 is very cheap for suspension components which are usually expensive. On Rockauto the KYB are like $300 for FRONT AND REAR quick struts which is amazing so no need to settle for Monroe. Ive owned both and the KYB are much better quality overall and better ride quality.
Kyb makes the oem struts.
@@jontestory2628 yes but unfortunately as I'm sure you know these parts get rebranded as "Lexus parts" so if you don't know this you'll pay triple the price for these struts without even including the springs/entire unit.
Thanks Scotty! Its kind of hard to tell if you need new springs though, unless its sagging a lot. I always wonder when I change struts how good the springs still are. Any ideas?
shop manual should have the height that everything should be at
I haul 400lb girls around alot. I just change everything out no questions asked.
johnny diy all you need is what the height measurement is and where it is measured from,some might be measured from a frame point or a wheel well.
your local parts house may have the info or even the strut and spring manufacturer
Thanks, that makes sense 😀
If your car bounces like a basketball, it's time to replace.
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.
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.
Springs are not supposed to "settle". If they do, they just suffered permanent deformation. They're supposed to be elastic and keep their dimensions.
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
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.
Cars always sit higer and ride firmer when you put new struts on... Especially after 17 years. There is no way that 17 year old struts are still good. Unless that car only has 50,000 miles on it. She just got used to the sloppy soft feel of the old struts. They should be replaced. But yes use quality parts.
David Taylor good point thanks... Interestingly I think my 2007 GMC CANYON SE/4 Cyl did some even at 65,000 and ,es than ten years, the Monroe’s seemed to be great : front struts,and rear shocks,... etc,
@@opera93 Monroe shocks and struts are "hit or miss". For some applications, they work great. Others, they completely ruin ride quality and handling.
Aaron Thomas thanks, interestingly, used Gabriel Red Rydermon Córdoba Chrysler, KONI ON77 Trans Am ( really stiff most settings?), otherwise basically MONROE SYRUTS/ Shocks... So,expensive I hate to do,it, but 70,000 mi on my 2015 Journey 4 CYL... NEEDS PRETTY SOON: interestingly the new Nokian STUDDed HAKKEPILITA, &;, Summer SUV TYRES seem to be excellent handling , etc. hard to,get good info concerning much aftermarket.
@@opera93 Yeah, that's a problem I run into regularly. Try buying shocks/struts for a 2014 Dodge Dart aftermarket.... Plenty of options for front struts. Only options I've seen recently for rear is FCS, MOPAR, Monroe and Unity. So far, I've been informed that the Monroe shocks and struts result in the car feeling like it's floating. Can't find any reviews for the FCS or Unity shocks on the Dart, but found reviews concerning other vehicle models that were positive. Sometimes, you just have to risk a few bucks and hope for the best or spend the extra and buy from the dealer....
The problem is there are different trim levels, engine options (weight on front uses higher spring rates), sporty/non sporty models. Generally these are one-size-fits-all for any variant of that platform/model.
I just used the Monroe quick strut for an 08 Prius. So far so good.
KYB parts are by far the best bang for the buck.
Good advice! I replaced the OEM struts on my '99 Hyundai Accent about 7 years ago. They had seized up. However, I replaced them with a set of Monroe struts (Made in Spain) using the original Springs and strut mounts. And just for the record, compressing a strut spring is not that difficult. If you take your time and use a quality spring compressor and apply some common sense physics you should be fine. If you do use a ready strut make sure you use one from a quality manufacturer such as Monroe, Gabriel, Koni ,etc. Heck, I've even used replacement struts from a company called Sen Sen (Made in China) and they're actually not bad if you're trying to save money.
Sen sen sound awful on the pair I installed.
for yor car maybe try compressing a strut spring from a crown vic. probably break the spring compressor your first try...
its not really the size its how compressed the spring is. normal compressors don't fit into the spring gaps. so u have to compress closer to the center and thus don't compress the spring enough to loosen the hat so another set of spring compressors is needed. cheap compressors will just bend and or fracture.
You can buy Monroe quick struts so not all are unknown cheap ones.
Since when Monroe struts are the definition of quality? My original Toyota OEM struts lasted 12 years. I replaced them with Monroe struts and they started leaking after 3 years.
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!
When I was a 3 whisker kid at Sears back in the mid 1970’s to early 80’s, it was not uncommon at all to have all cars, but especially GM and Chrysler, to need shocks at 20,000 miles. They sold a “Steady Rider” shock that was quite good with a long warranty. I installed hundreds of them.
A '3 whisker kid'......???
I just see the reviews on that part and if I see a 4 or 5 star I buy it.
bought 2 quick struts for my 2010 silverado they work perfectly!
What Brand was?
yea I'm buying quick struts for front and shocks for rear and all 4 sway bar links for under the price of 1 front strut. can u say ~NO BRAINER~most cars we buying these for are a decade plus old...
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?
My 2001 Toyota Avalon has vibration when applying the brakes at highway speeds. After machining the rotors and replacing the rotors, the vibration was still there. I learned to live with it.
At some point in time, my tire guy told me that I may want to replace my struts/shocks to help my car ride better. He said he could replace all 4 for roughly $900.
I decided to replace them myself, 2 at a time so I wouldn’t have to spend a much of money at once. I replaced all 4 for around $600. Installing these “quick struts” removed the vibration I experienced while braking.
I wish I would have repaired the original factory struts but I was ignorant.
I have 427K miles on my car and it’s time to change those quick struts again.
It’s the same rhetoric that Dewalt uses with their tools nowadays. “Made in USA with global materials”. Cheap is cheap. Doesn’t matter where it’s put together.
Not always. For instance, the EXACT same words could be used to describe how so many brands of cars and trucks, whether foreign or domestic, are being made RIGHT HERE in the USA!
@@4orrcountry. Except most of those domestic vehicles are built in Mexico, from global parts. Unless you buy some Japanese cars, like Toyota, that are made in USA from global parts.
I bought a brand new DeWalt saw that had a broken trigger in a sealed box. So much for quality control.
Re- cheap DeWalt tools- your right about crap. For about same price I buy Bosch tools. Drill was underwater in a flood and still worked..charger electronics all coated with protective waterproofing tool. Love th3 quality of Bosch tools.
I paid $170 on eBay for set 4 on 01 Corolla. Awesome did all 4 about an hour. Rides like brand new car. Better handling and even better in snow. Scotty think your problem you only did half job.
Richard McConnell. I paid about the same for mine. I even did my sway bar end links on a budget. Got an alignment and my car rides great. I have to disagree with Scotty on this one.
It fits right because in the first place because Corollaa back the. We're built with the same cheap parts, even tho it's one of the best cars I've seen ride for over 200 thousand miles.
I agree
I got some on my beater corolla also, they are doing ok after 20k miles.
Moog, Monroe, or OEM only(especially on imports) ... they cost a lot more but they’re the only ones that’ll give you what you want...
Are the Moog quick struts any good?
Well it depends on the kind of car you have and what it was originally designed to run on. Like the Lexus you’d probably want the Lexus part to match what you’re used to. They probably work just fine but wouldn’t be the same on a Lexus. But for something like my little dodge neon or Toyota Corolla ... they’re perfectly fine. Haven’t had an issue but then again I’m not very picky.. as long I’m not bottoming out on bumps and they’re not snapping I’m happy and so far they don’t. Moog and Monroe are probably the best aftermarket choices out there. But if you want an OEM ride buy OEM parts that’s the easiest way to get those results.
How about a 2010 Impala?
Sanctus19 I’m pretty sure you’d be happy with Moog or Monroe for your Impala!! Just keep in mind they could be different or feel a little different than what you’re used to. I haven’t ever had a problem though!
Don't know about you, but I bought a full set of cheap AutoShack struts and shocks for my daughters 2001 Rav4, and they are perfectly fine. After driving for a couple weeks, they settled just fine. Especially since the old struts were not only bad, but the isolators and bushings were all cracked and getting old, and hardened bushings on the rear. I bought a whole front and rear complete set for $200, and replaced all in 2 hrs. Drives fine, and will last more than long enough for the needs of an old used car.
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.
Used Monroe on 1997 Camry, they work perfectly
F Qop Same here. 50k on the new set and the Monroe part is holding up well
F Qop are they a smooth ride? I’m thinking of using Monroe quick struts on my 99 Lexus es300. Or should I reuse the springs 🤔
Springs get fatigued over timed, if you think it will add value to your ride sure, if you are thi king about selling it don't buy new springs.
The car had 150k miles when we switched to Monroe, so anything made big improvement which is now working better than my 2011 65k Camry
yeah monroe you can count on for decent quick struts but I just buy the strut part.
BUY CHEAP QUICK STRUTS FOR THE PARTS REMOVE NEW SPRING AND PUT IN OLD SPRING
ITS CHEAPER TO BUY AS WHOLE UNIT
THAN SEPARATELY
typical American thinking?
HUGO CHAVEZ thanks, interesting thought..see my problems 2015 Journey due, always spec Monroe’s
I just finally changed mine with a quick strut after almost 150k miles and the ride is much more comfortable. I guess I now have 2 things Scott hates and I am loving...quick struts and a Volkswagen Passat.
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.
"When it comes to buying a quick strut, hey, ya gotta do some research ... buh fore hand."
Yeah. Good advice.
I replaced my OEM rear struts with some unity Chinese ones. They lasted less than a year, and are knocking from the mount. Not only am I out the money, but I have to do the job again!
Then, which quick strut do you recommend?
My 2012 Chevy volt has a KBB value of $2000 and I was offered $1500 for trade-in. I shopped around and the best price for a new (high quality) front-left strut assembly was $800, installed. They also highly recommend doing both sides for $1500. I'm putting a cheap one on because this car is paid off and I genuinely expect it to explode any day now. I also know as soon as I spend $1500 to fix it, something else will break.
I would agree with ya Scotty - except for some applications like my son has a car to just get him by for a little while (2000 Solara) with 254k miles on it, a pair of cheap quick struts will do, and is what he's getting.
Monroe quick struts are a little expensive but they have quality quick struts, from my experience at least.
ltwargssf R I agree, never had a problem with mine
only thing I've noticed is the paint/powder coating is thin so if you live in a snowy area, I would keep an eye on rust and touch them up or just grease them up before you install them.
I got the Monroe Quick struts for my wife's 02 Protege, good value at under $100 per unit and you get new springs, boots, top bearing, etc. Only issue was on one of them, the center bolt was loose after installing it on the car. But after tightening that down, car rides great and no squeaks or other noises. Also, note that to do the rear struts on cars like this, you must do some interior disassembly, since the rear struts are mounted to the metal under the rear package shelf. Our rears are still riding OK, so we kept the originals in place. Finally, remember to get a wheel alignment after installing the new Quick struts.
I've had good experiences with Monroe Quick Struts. No issues.
Same good experience with Monroe quick struts; I would of saved money and bought the parts needed if the whole thing on my 99 Nissan Altima wasn’t corroding. a little upset Scotty used some aftermarket China made cheap product to form his opinion on quick struts when he already made a video about buying cheap China made parts.
I used to buy Nissan Genuine Struts, but these were too expensive, hah guess what, KYB makes struts for them, so I directly buy from them at half the price!
KYB is excellent and Monroe is decent enough. Anything else is crap though.
fisqual Also bilstien is an awesome shock if you have a euro car :)
Eman 08 I know, but if it does last long enough, I am happy to trade off ride quality with something that is going to do its job plus it's much cheaper than OEM part!
Mohammad Azhar I like KYB and Bilstein
Monroe is nice though had them replace the original hyundai coupe 1999 ones could corner allot better with more speed :D and less noisy bumps
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
When the beginner does this repair it can be tempting to tilt or swing the spindle / rotor assembly out at the top to get it out of the way. But doing this can pull the axle CV joint out of the transmission coupling, causing a lot more work to re install
This exact thing happened to me. A ton of swear words escaped my lips as CV sat limp.
I made this mistake with the same brand. They suck really bad..
Not me i payed $127.00 for a pair of quick struts for my 2009 Acura TL SH-AWD and i can't tell the difference between the factory and the after market.
What brand and website did you buy from? I need to change out my 2005 Acura TL with new struts.
@@warpshield
I can't remember but i found them on eBay a couple of months ago as of now i haven't had any problems with them.
I like the number of shots Scotty fires at other brands and manufacturers LOL
lunisce For a good reason that is. A lot of third party parts manufacturers are outputting garbage and Scotty is simply calling them out on their inferior parts.
Anthony A Thank goodness we have honest and true old school mechanics like Scotty. They aren’t trying to rip ppl off. His advices prove it.
Lunisce Scotty is no hypocrit! I like that!
Thank you. Now I have something to watch out for. 2000 Park Ave. Bought in 2018 with 78K on it. I'm a career truck driver. I want air ride on a semi, not my car. So I got a Monroe conversion kit all the way around. I had a good mechanic install them. 50K later still good. I will find those sealed bearing though.
17-year-old springs will sag due to wear and tear. Those new Quick Struts have new springs which will result in higher ride height. One way to be certain is to measure the ride height according to factory specifications.
too much thinking involved here.... This is Scotty were talking about. Common sense forever eludes this old man.
Good point, people always complain about quick struts making the ride higher, it might be that the oem springs may have sagged.
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!!!!
6:00 My favorite is "Assembled in America", which could mean Guatemala as easily at Ohio. Anyway, it sounds as if the most important thing is to look for honest reviews when buying any aftermarket parts. There is no law against making quick strut assemblies that match the OEM versions and some might even like the ones with stiffer springs, but just know what you're getting. Given how long struts can last, there is also the option of grabbing the whole assembly from a junk yard.
I waited until I could find a low mile used 2004 Bonneville and scored some used one for $20 bucks each (new was $250 each!!!! and cheaply made) and now is driving amazing!
Who else would pay good money to sit in on that conversation between Scotty and his Mrs?
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
I usually like Scotty's videos, I was hoping he would advise us on some quality brands, all well. I'll keep searching.
BILSTEIN
What about Monroes and Moogs?🤔
MAD PEOPLE THINGz
My Michanic recommended Monroes, but I read some bad reviews about them. Don’t know which one to get for my Toyota Camry 2007. 🤔
Moog is cheap junk, honestly. Monroe, KYB, Sachs, Tokico, Ranchero, Eibach and Koni are the most reputable brands of shocks and struts.
@@Izm100 Buy KYB.... They made the originals.