Shock and Strut Replacement -- Cheap, OEM, or Upgrade?

158 messages, Last post on Nov 04, 2009 at 7:41 AM

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What is this discussion about? Performance Mods, Suspension

This forum is to discuss shock/strut problems and how to best deal with what is becoming a rather expensive replacement item on cars approaching 60K-80K miles. Are products sold by chain stores just too cheesy to give decent performance? Is it worth upgrading shocks and struts if you are a more or less docile driver? Is OEM a rip-off for what you get?

Let's hear your ideas and experiences.

Outline

Messages Page 9 of 17: 1; ...; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; ...; 17; Prev; Next; Last

#74 of 158 Re: All four struts frozen (mechanic caused?) [kennyd1] by kennyd1 Sep 18, 2007 (5:54 pm)
Replying to: kennyd1 (Sep 14, 2007 4:39 pm) Update: Took the car to another mechanic and he said that because the shocks were weak (80000 miles) when the car was lowered from the lift at the other shop all of the springs were binding on a tapered part of the strut. (my understanding) If the first shop had put the car back on a lift and really looked at the problem he should have found it. He just quoted the $800 price tag. The second shop replaced all four shocks\struts with Mcpherson's for just over $500. Thanks for the responses this one had me stumped. Replies to this message: burdawg (Sep 18, 2007 7:06 pm) kiawah (Sep 18, 2007 7:58 pm) burdawg (Sep 19, 2007 5:45 am) kiawah (Sep 19, 2007 6:26 am) dag5 (Jan 22, 2009 7:33 am)
#75 of 158 Re: All four struts frozen (mechanic caused?) [kennyd1] by burdawg Sep 18, 2007 (7:06 pm)
Replying to: kennyd1 (Sep 18, 2007 5:54 pm) For that to happen they must have been real bad.
#76 of 158 Re: All four struts frozen (mechanic caused?) [kennyd1] by kiawah Sep 18, 2007 (7:58 pm)
Replying to: kennyd1 (Sep 18, 2007 5:54 pm) This is still puzzling. Have you not had any work done to this vehicle in a REALLY long time, where they would have for instance changed or rotated a tire, or checked/replaced brakes? You can put a car on a lift where the ramps lift the tires up, just as if it was sitting on the ground. Good for basically getting underneath it. Or, you can lift the frame up, so the tires extend down and allow you to work on each of the wheels. I guess it is conceivable that if you have NOT had it up on a lift for a long period of time, that each shock could have gone completely bad over that timeframe, and when they lifted it as each wheel dropped down somehow because the shock was internally broken that it bound up in a fully down position. I guess it is possible, but I would have thought that you would have noticed the shocks/structs bad....making a racket everytime you went over any little bump. Replies to this message: burdawg (Sep 19, 2007 5:45 am) kiawah (Sep 19, 2007 6:26 am) dag5 (Jan 22, 2009 7:33 am)
#77 of 158 Re: All four struts frozen (mechanic caused?) [kiawah] by burdawg Sep 19, 2007 (5:45 am)
Replying to: kiawah (Sep 18, 2007 7:58 pm) I don't think I've ever heard of anything like this happening. I've seen broken springs, shock mounts, any kind of suspension parts, and who knows what else, but for this to happen on all four corners at the same time is quite unusual. It must have been bouncing down the street like a lowrider, or there's something else fishy going on..... Replies to this message: kiawah (Sep 19, 2007 6:26 am)
#78 of 158 Re: All four struts frozen (mechanic caused?) [burdawg] by kiawah Sep 19, 2007 (6:26 am)
Replying to: burdawg (Sep 19, 2007 5:45 am) I agree, seems way too weird. I'm coming back to the theory of a teenager running it in the Baja......or they have one tremendous set of speed bumps at the homestead. I just can't imagine all of those coincidentally going bad at the similar timeframe, and not recognizing any problem along the way. Edit....I wonder if someone had previously replaced the original mfg struts, with an incorrectly sized strut that wasn't the right length, and because not the right length they went bad.
#79 of 158 another thought by wpatters Sep 19, 2007 (6:37 am)
I just wonder if the lift dropped suddenly and jammed the shock/struts? That would be like the whole car being throw out a window. That could cause all four since it would be perfectly parallel to the ground and bamm! The whole car hitting the ground could have done the damage and he certainly would not have told you. Replies to this message: burdawg (Sep 19, 2007 7:19 am)
#80 of 158 Re: another thought [wpatters] by burdawg Sep 19, 2007 (7:19 am)
Replying to: wpatters (Sep 19, 2007 6:37 am) I don't know, but the impression I got was that the struts were jammed in their fully extended position, which would be opposite, wouldn't it?
#81 of 158 Looking for local shop to compress springs by smitty303 Nov 05, 2007 (11:47 pm)
I live in the Denver area and was wondering if anyone could suggest a good shop to bring my front strut assemblies to for spring compression and strut replacement. I'm not brave enough to fool with a spring compressor myself, so I'd like to find a shop/store that I can just bring the strut assembly to and have them remove the old struts and replace them with new ones I purchased. Thanks.
#82 of 158 struts/bushings,etc. by olddog7 Nov 07, 2007 (9:39 am)
My son has a 1998 Sebring convertible, with 115k miles. Yesterday(well with him it could be considerably longer)he heard squeaking on the passenger front side. He showed me how when he pushed down on that side, it made loud squeaking. What do you suppose is the problem? I called PEP boys and was told it could be one of these things: struts, replacement $58 each side/ $150 labor for both, lower idler arm $20 parts/ $170 labor, upper arm $30 parts/ $179 labor(not sure if that includes one or both sides) or possible the bushings need to be lubricated(cost unknown. I'm asking for opinions on this, price wise etc. Also an alignment would need to be done, cost: $69.99. Thanks for the advise. Replies to this message: kiawah (Nov 07, 2007 9:51 am) olddog7 (Nov 07, 2007 11:19 am)
#83 of 158 Re: struts/bushings,etc. [olddog7] by kiawah Nov 07, 2007 (9:51 am)
Replying to: olddog7 (Nov 07, 2007 9:39 am) On the phone diagnosis appears corrects for the symptoms you list. Seems reasonable pricing if you aren't going to do it yourself. Replies to this message: olddog7 (Nov 07, 2007 11:19 am)