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I replaced all four struts with Monroe Quickstruts from Rockauto last spring and have had nothing but trouble with them. I have since replaced front driver's and both rears again (under warranty) due to creaking and rattling issues. The front strut issue was obviously a bad mount as there was excessive play in the piston nut. No more issues up front so far, however the rears are still noisy after replacing again. I know it is fairly common to have issues with aftermarket mounts but does it usually happen this fast or is something else going on with these struts? For the money these things cost I expect zero creaks and rattles. I may try to get a refund and go with another brand for the rears (highly unlikely rockauto/Monroe will do that. Should I just try replacing the mounts with oem? Any advice is appreciated.
I replaced all four struts with Monroe Quickstruts from Rockauto last spring and have had nothing but trouble with them. I have since replaced front driver's and both rears again (under warranty) due to creaking and rattling issues. The front strut issue was obviously a bad mount as there was excessive play in the piston nut. No more issues up front so far, however the rears are still noisy after replacing again. I know it is fairly common to have issues with aftermarket mounts but does it usually happen this fast or is something else going on with these struts? For the money these things cost I expect zero creaks and rattles. I may try to get a refund and go with another brand for the rears (highly unlikely rockauto/Monroe will do that. Should I just try replacing the mounts with oem? Any advice is appreciated.
Which quick struts did you get? There is a set that Monroe themselves say not to buy anymore I believe. I think it's the economy Line of their struts
Yep, poor quality, put them in the fronts. One of the strut tower bolts was stripped. My wife's uncle who was helping said we'd have to compress the spring and use the old tower parts, which completely defeats the purpose of them. Then, we decided to cut the top of the bolt off with a dremel. Rather just use KYB and compress the springs....used KYB in the rears...
So what would you guys recommend? I'm sure the most rockauto will do is send more replacements and I'm done messing with these Monroes. How can I pinpoint exactly which part or parts is the problem. Should I try different struts and/or mounts with these springs? The ride is not horrible (although not the improvement i was hoping for) just a little noisy which drives me batty.
Stick with OE front mounts. I've had issues with Monroe Strutmate mounts they are trash. Swapped them out for the original OE mounts with 155k on them and no problems whatsoever. Suspension work is easy on these cars but it's such an annoyance to go over the job multiple times.
Do these quickstruts come with coil insulators for the springs? There could be metal to metal contact between the spring and the strut, coil bind, bad mount/strut bearing. This assumes that the strut itself is not faulty.
Well I contacted rockauto once again and let them know that I continue to have issues with the rear Monroe quickstruts and do not want to keep repeating this reorder, return, refund craziness. He told me I could return the rears for a store credit and then order a different brand. They also carry Gabriel and Moog assemblies. Thinking about trying out the Moogs although my car will be down until they process my return and ship the new ones. What a PITA! Anyone using the Moog complete assemblies?
I have had Monroe Quickstruts on my car before. The mounts had to be rotated slightly for them to bolt up onto my car but other than that, they were amazing. Car sat high like a boat where the front was higher than the rears and the ride was pretty nice. Could barely feel road imperfections. You might have gotten a defective unit(s) maybe.
I have had Monroe Quickstruts on my car before. The mounts had to be rotated slightly for them to bolt up onto my car but other than that, they were amazing. Car sat high like a boat where the front was higher than the rears and the ride was pretty nice. Could barely feel road imperfections. You might have gotten a defective unit(s) maybe.
yeah same here, I've had no problems other than my car handling like a cadillac lol
time to upgrade my struts/springs etc. i have kyb/gr2's on my max and they're 8 years old, springs look $hitty as well, ( maxspeed ). i did oem mounting plates and never had a problem, did the boots and that little metal ring that helps steer the car. forget what its called.
I had good luck with Gabriel on another car. Gabriel also makes separate left and right rear struts for the Maxima, so you don't have to rotate the mount.
Gabriel is having a rebate until 7/25, and they seem to be cheaper at Autozone than Rock Auto. Also, you get the convenience of a physical store location for easier warranty replacement should you need to use it. Autozone also has a promo code on top of the rebate, making it a great price.
Just too bad KYB doesn't make quick struts for these cars!
kinda related question ---- my 99 maxima, went to someones house that was up a 15 ft hill, turned left drove one car lengths to face his garage, stopped overnight.
Next Am backed out the one car length , and had to back UP the hill further to turn the wheel to go back down the hill forward , as I turned the wheel and straightened to go forward ,rolled forward about one car length got this sproing noise from the front end, like I had run over a 2 inch piece of metal conduit.
this happened the next am also,
is that a strut/spring related problem?
I have had Monroe Quickstruts on my car before. The mounts had to be rotated slightly for them to bolt up onto my car but other than that, they were amazing. Car sat high like a boat where the front was higher than the rears and the ride was pretty nice. Could barely feel road imperfections. You might have gotten a defective unit(s) maybe.
I thought maybe I had gotten defective units the first time too but now that it's happened with the second replacements I'm wondering if the overall quality of Monroe struts has gone south (as most parts have it seems). I just don't think i want to try a third time...ready to be done with it.
I had good luck with Gabriel on another car. Gabriel also makes separate left and right rear struts for the Maxima, so you don't have to rotate the mount.
Gabriel is having a rebate until 7/25, and they seem to be cheaper at Autozone than Rock Auto. Also, you get the convenience of a physical store location for easier warranty replacement should you need to use it. Autozone also has a promo code on top of the rebate, making it a great price.
Just too bad KYB doesn't make quick struts for these cars!
I agree with you on the KYBs. Since my money is tied up with rockauto I'll have to order from them either the Gabriels or the Moogs. Gabriel's are $25 more. May just flip a coin.
One more thing. Most rear quick struts, including Monroe, require you to rotate the top in order to get the correct angle.
The only exception is Gabriel, which makes both left and right versions that are pre-rotated for you.
Originally Posted by kingw323
I agree with you on the KYBs. Since my money is tied up with rockauto I'll have to order from them either the Gabriels or the Moogs. Gabriel's are $25 more. May just flip a coin.
I'm in the process of replacing all four shocks with monroe quick struts in my '97 infiniti. I am hoping they'll feel less floaty than the originals which seem a bit like a '70s cadillac.
Well I went with the Gabriels and just received them. The left side lines up but the right side is way off (rotated about 90 degrees.) I know it's common to have to rotate the rears to line them up but the Gabriels were supposed to come rotated correctly (different left/right part number). What's the best way to rotate this damn thing? Also neither the Monroe nor the Gabriels are marked in/out. Can they go either way (rotated 180 degrees)?
I just used two big screwdrivers and rotated the strut to where it lined up correctly. Hopefully I didn't damage anything. I am still a little confused on how it should be positioned on the car. Seems as though since it is symmetrical it could go on two different ways (spin the entire assembly 180 degrees). I don't see it marked anywhere.
I had the Monroe's and they were just OK for me and rode hard.
I replaced all four 18 months ago with Moog Problem Solver (P/S) complete replacement strut assemblies. Just about $400 total delivered. Made the more expensive gaskets myself and bought the two cheaper ones at the dealer. You want something there to cut down on the road noise transfer.
Took the ride closer to factory from so many years ago. I'd do them again in a heartbeat. I also did the Moog P/S LCA"s after as well. Another Home Run!
I feel KYB are the best - they are very close to the OEM in ride quality, and quality in general. Compressing the springs took me about 30-40 minutes per axle; it's well worth-while the extra bit of time.
An update: I replaced all four with the Monroe quick struts (with the OESpectrum cartridges) and I'm happy with the ride. It no longer feels like a floaty boat.
I still have problems with one tire causing noise on smooth roads from it being unevenly worn due to misalignment, but i'll be replacing all four tires soon.
I also have a problem (still) with noise transfer from rough roads. I'd expect a new set tires will take care of some of it, but I'm really frustrated that something like an infiniti would be that noisy regardless of tires.
The gaskets in the front are new, but I reused the rear ones, as they weren't in bad condition. Should I have put some different material in there to help with the noise transfer? The OEM material is just like a thin stiff piece of cardboard.
An update: I replaced all four with the Monroe quick struts (with the OESpectrum cartridges) and I'm happy with the ride. It no longer feels like a floaty boat.
I still have problems with one tire causing noise on smooth roads from it being unevenly worn due to misalignment, but i'll be replacing all four tires soon.
I also have a problem (still) with noise transfer from rough roads. I'd expect a new set tires will take care of some of it, but I'm really frustrated that something like an infiniti would be that noisy regardless of tires.
The gaskets in the front are new, but I reused the rear ones, as they weren't in bad condition. Should I have put some different material in there to help with the noise transfer? The OEM material is just like a thin stiff piece of cardboard.
I doubt using a different material will make a difference if the originals are in good shape. I made some for the front and rear with gasket material from advance auto. Couldn't really tell a difference with or without.
I replaced my rear struts three times because of rattling and clunking noises. It's now louder than ever. Driving me crazy! I've taken everything out of the trunk, sprayed rear bushings with silicone, banged around on everything...I still think it's something with the struts. Thought about taking an impact to the piston nuts. I'm stumped.
I doubt using a different material will make a difference if the originals are in good shape. I made some for the front and rear with gasket material from advance auto. Couldn't really tell a difference with or without.
I replaced my rear struts three times because of rattling and clunking noises. It's now louder than ever. Driving me crazy! I've taken everything out of the trunk, sprayed rear bushings with silicone, banged around on everything...I still think it's something with the struts. Thought about taking an impact to the piston nuts. I'm stumped.
My case too. It's most likely the Rear Axle Beam bushings and maybe corrosion by the welds where all the linkage goes together. I already bought a new Link and aftermarket Control Rod. Now I have to buy a used, but not compromised Rear Axle Beam and do the trailing Arm Bushings and sandblast and paint. Just like jholley did.
All the clunking and boing rattling drives me NUTS!
My case too. It's most likely the Rear Axle Beam bushings and maybe corrosion by the welds where all the linkage goes together. I already bought a new Link and aftermarket Control Rod. Now I have to buy a used, but not compromised Rear Axle Beam and do the trailing Arm Bushings and sandblast and paint. Just like jholley did.
All the clunking and boing rattling drives me NUTS!
So what exactly should I be looking for? I don't have a lot of rust although the last few winters have been pretty harsh. We get the best of both world's here in KY. I'm not seeing anything that looks too bad. The beam itself seems to be in pretty good shape. I'll have to take a closer look I guess. Is there a good way to test the bushings?
After further inspection, this lateral link bushing looks to be toast. This is the one on the far passenger side.
Trailing arm bushings don't look bad. Don't have car jacked up so it's hard to get a good look. They both look about the same.
Which lateral link and control rod did you get? It seems the ES trailing arm bushings for the sentry will work on our cars. I've read through several threads including jholley's. So the trailing arm bushings and the lateral link and control rod can be replaced with the axle beam attached?
Rear trailing arm bushings might be worth doing and maybe not, but they are available. That's your call. Usually the other bushings in the parts listed above are what makes the big noise. YMMV.
Rear trailing arm bushings might be worth doing and maybe not, but they are available. That's your call. Usually the other bushings in the parts listed above are what makes the big noise. YMMV.
Thanks. This is helpful. I should probably start a new thread as this no longer pertains to the original Monroe Quickstruts topic. What a journey.
Rear trailing arm bushings might be worth doing and maybe not, but they are available. That's your call. Usually the other bushings in the parts listed above are what makes the big noise. YMMV.
Noticed at courtesyparts that the control rod for the SE (55120-43U02) is discontinued like you thought, but available for GLE and GXE (55120-2J000). I called and the guy really wasn't sure what the difference was. He thought maybe the SE bushings were a harder rubber than the GLE/GXE but was just guessing (part description states it also fits SE ). He told me to check maxima.org which I thought was kinda funny. Does the Febest control rod seem to be good quality?
The Febest will be fine. If they have both versions (SE and CLE & GXE), they are also paying attention to the details. Febest is a German Company. They cover this niche of the car parts market respectably.
Stick with OE front mounts. I've had issues with Monroe Strutmate mounts they are trash. Swapped them out for the original OE mounts with 155k on them and no problems whatsoever. Suspension work is easy on these cars but it's such an annoyance to go over the job multiple times.
Do these quickstruts come with coil insulators for the springs? There could be metal to metal contact between the spring and the strut, coil bind, bad mount/strut bearing. This assumes that the strut itself is not faulty.
Well, that didn't help. Replaced lateral link and control rod and still have a god awful clunking/rattling. The only thing I know to do at this point is to try oe strut mounts as that seems to be where it is coming from. If I could fit in my trunk without hurting myself I would go for ride back there and get a better listen.
OUCH! Sorry, it wasn't the cause. Hopefully the rear is tighter and feels like it holds better when pushing the clover leafs, so not done in vain.
Yeah, getting in the trunk and going for a ride..... that never turns out well in the Mob movies. LOL If you find the problem, PLEASE post it so us other never ending rattle searchers can use your experience.
The antenna assembly is always a possibility as is the jack being clamped in tight and no metal on metal (rubber as a damper). Maybe a lug wrench under the spare and/or the spare not clamped down tight enough. I put heavy Bubble wrap around everything before clamping.
GOOD LUCK! Unknown Noises makes me insane!
I'm chasing a loud rattle right front after doing front strut assemblies, Lower Control arm and sway bar bushings and end links.
That'll be a new thread you'll see. Boy this pisses me off. Especially when I bring it to a dealer and ask them to find anything that needs attention and they give me....; everything's fine.
Originally Posted by kingw323
Well, that didn't help. Replaced lateral link and control rod and still have a god awful clunking/rattling. The only thing I know to do at this point is to try oe strut mounts as that seems to be where it is coming from. If I could fit in my trunk without hurting myself I would go for ride back there and get a better listen.
06-01-2016, 08:38 AM
). He told me to check maxima.org which I thought was kinda funny. Does the Febest control rod seem to be good quality?
