I just swaped to my snow tires today, and noticed the following:

-There is grease build up on the drivers-side strut near the bottom
-Both boots are ripped on the rear shocks

I had them installed in Sept 2003, so just over a year, and only 15,000 miles.

Anyone else have a short life?

 

are these GR2'S with aftermarket springs/

 

What kinda boots? I don't have to worry about the struts, but I'll be picking out some boots soon.

 

Yup about a week for me... and its been almost 6 months.

 

KYB shocks/struts with Eibach springs.
The boots were KYB, not OEM.

 

But are they KYB GR2's or KYB AGX's shocks?

 

I've had short life with them too. If you want, I can sell you a good used one. One of mine blew and I put a set of Illuminas in the rear. Let me know and we can work out something.

 

hope you have your orginal sales bill.
Don't they have a limited lifetime warranty on them?

 

yea but the warrenty i think only covers the car if it wa no dropped. they can tell if it was dropped.

 

the eibachs are in the 1.5" drop warranty.

you can see if the strut is leaking. look at the bottom of the piston where it enters the body of the strut. If its wet then yes, you have a leaking and potentially blown strut.

KYB boots rip very quick. They stink.

What strut has the build up? if it is the front, it could be the CV boot or maybe a brake line.

 

I wish I could return them for warranty but I dont have any struts to put on the car in the mean time and my drop isnt covered. Honestly I dont care anymore... air suspension is coming soon.

 

your B&G's blew your GR2's? I thought it was just a 1.6" drop and could handle it.

 

Not with NYC streets, I've already cracked a rim with my 17's

 

Grease build up on the lower part of the strut is usually from a torn axle boot, not a blown strut. Struts & shocks leak a thin oil, not grease and it's found around the top where the piston seals to the strut body.

 

I can't believe none of the other people in this thread noticed that.....


Anyway, grease at the bottom = torn axle boot

Torn strut boot = torn strut boot

Neither of those problems indicate a broken strut.

 

^ oh and I didnt mention the CV........?

 

Good point, I actually had my brake lines drained and SS lines put in.
Won't have the brake fluid peeled the paint on the struts?
I will have to wipe them and keep an eye on them
The fluid build up is actually where the bottom of the spring meets the strut, where it sits, and the bottom one or two coils of the springs.

At least I can replace the rear shock boots without a spring compressor.