Front Strut Replacement
08-17-2017, 06:33 AM
#1
Newbie - Just Registered
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 4
Front Strut Replacement
I've got an '01 Maxima in need of some new front struts. It's got 140k on it, and I'm a student hoping I can make this baby run for a while more yet. I just commute on it, I drive it pretty normal/easy.
That being said, I'd like recommendations on the age-old desire for a cheapish part that will be reliable. I'm also going with the strut+spring assembly for a little easier time replacing them.
Currently skimming RockAuto gives me these options:
Ultra-Power ~$70
FCS ~$82
OSC ~$88
Monroe Econo-Matic ~$99
Monroe Quick-Strut ~$140
Gabriel Ultra-ReadyMount ~$142
Any particularly impressive or particularly terrible options here? Worth sinking a little extra money into it or could I look more on the low end?
Thanks for the help in advance!
That being said, I'd like recommendations on the age-old desire for a cheapish part that will be reliable. I'm also going with the strut+spring assembly for a little easier time replacing them.
Currently skimming RockAuto gives me these options:
Ultra-Power ~$70
FCS ~$82
OSC ~$88
Monroe Econo-Matic ~$99
Monroe Quick-Strut ~$140
Gabriel Ultra-ReadyMount ~$142
Any particularly impressive or particularly terrible options here? Worth sinking a little extra money into it or could I look more on the low end?
Thanks for the help in advance!
08-17-2017, 08:07 AM
#5
Another option would be to buy the strut and have a shop install it in your assembly.
If a shop has a proper spring compressor they can do it in a few minutes. You may be surprised if you call around to some shops and offer to bring the assemblies to them.
It'll most likely be cheaper than buying the whole assembly and less of a pain than borrowing a compressor and doing it yourself.
Call tire, alignment and underbody shops. They do a lot of suspension work.
You might also mention that you'll be bringing the car in to them for the alignment afterward.
If a shop has a proper spring compressor they can do it in a few minutes. You may be surprised if you call around to some shops and offer to bring the assemblies to them.
It'll most likely be cheaper than buying the whole assembly and less of a pain than borrowing a compressor and doing it yourself.
Call tire, alignment and underbody shops. They do a lot of suspension work.
You might also mention that you'll be bringing the car in to them for the alignment afterward.
Last edited by Derrick2k2SE; 08-17-2017 at 08:14 AM.
08-17-2017, 05:55 PM
#7
I've got an '01 Maxima in need of some new front struts. It's got 140k on it, and I'm a student hoping I can make this baby run for a while more yet. I just commute on it, I drive it pretty normal/easy.
That being said, I'd like recommendations on the age-old desire for a cheapish part that will be reliable. I'm also going with the strut+spring assembly for a little easier time replacing them.
Currently skimming RockAuto gives me these options:
Ultra-Power ~$70
FCS ~$82
OSC ~$88
Monroe Econo-Matic ~$99
Monroe Quick-Strut ~$140
Gabriel Ultra-ReadyMount ~$142
Any particularly impressive or particularly terrible options here? Worth sinking a little extra money into it or could I look more on the low end?
Thanks for the help in advance!
That being said, I'd like recommendations on the age-old desire for a cheapish part that will be reliable. I'm also going with the strut+spring assembly for a little easier time replacing them.
Currently skimming RockAuto gives me these options:
Ultra-Power ~$70
FCS ~$82
OSC ~$88
Monroe Econo-Matic ~$99
Monroe Quick-Strut ~$140
Gabriel Ultra-ReadyMount ~$142
Any particularly impressive or particularly terrible options here? Worth sinking a little extra money into it or could I look more on the low end?
Thanks for the help in advance!
08-17-2017, 06:19 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 373
Can you wait a couple weeks? (until September)
Because Monroe and Gabriel will have their annual rebate buy 3 get 1 free after rebate. This will make the premium Monroe and Gabriel products priced similar to the cheaper Chinese units.
The cheap struts like FCS and OSC rarely make it more than 10k. The Econo-matic usually won't last 30k.
The premium Monroe quick strut and Gabriel Ultra readymount are good for at least 50k
Because Monroe and Gabriel will have their annual rebate buy 3 get 1 free after rebate. This will make the premium Monroe and Gabriel products priced similar to the cheaper Chinese units.
The cheap struts like FCS and OSC rarely make it more than 10k. The Econo-matic usually won't last 30k.
The premium Monroe quick strut and Gabriel Ultra readymount are good for at least 50k
08-17-2017, 08:12 PM
#9
Member
Join Date: May 2017
Location: NYC
Posts: 125
ncwoz,
I installed KYB GR2 Shocks and Struts @ 72k miles myself back in 2011 and I am very happy with them. Be very careful if you do this at home with a spring compressor. This job can be very dangerous. I used the Hanes manual and shift_ice overview on this topic for the 5th Gen which I found on this forum. Good luck.
Link to the shift_ice overview:
http://www.shiftice.com/spring_strut_decision.html
I installed KYB GR2 Shocks and Struts @ 72k miles myself back in 2011 and I am very happy with them. Be very careful if you do this at home with a spring compressor. This job can be very dangerous. I used the Hanes manual and shift_ice overview on this topic for the 5th Gen which I found on this forum. Good luck.
Link to the shift_ice overview:
http://www.shiftice.com/spring_strut_decision.html
08-17-2017, 10:57 PM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: California
Posts: 1,445
Another option would be to buy the strut and have a shop install it in your assembly.
If a shop has a proper spring compressor they can do it in a few minutes. You may be surprised if you call around to some shops and offer to bring the assemblies to them.
It'll most likely be cheaper than buying the whole assembly and less of a pain than borrowing a compressor and doing it yourself.
Call tire, alignment and underbody shops. They do a lot of suspension work.
You might also mention that you'll be bringing the car in to them for the alignment afterward.
If a shop has a proper spring compressor they can do it in a few minutes. You may be surprised if you call around to some shops and offer to bring the assemblies to them.
It'll most likely be cheaper than buying the whole assembly and less of a pain than borrowing a compressor and doing it yourself.
Call tire, alignment and underbody shops. They do a lot of suspension work.
You might also mention that you'll be bringing the car in to them for the alignment afterward.
Forget Monroe/other, they are not worth the money. Go with the KYB. It's a quality strut (OEM quality indeed, I have them), and at $82/strut the cost is very reasonable (see here: http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo....374533&jsn=448 ).
You can buy a spring compressor from Harbor Freight for a few dollars, and do it yourself, or find a shop as Derrick suggested. There is a HOWTO on this forum, but you need to search. Also, the FSM (link in my signature) has instructions.
No matter what approach and which part you choose, you'll need an alignment. An alignment runs about $80 where I live.
Good luck!
08-18-2017, 08:50 AM
#12
The above is the best option, IMHO.
Forget Monroe/other, they are not worth the money. Go with the KYB. It's a quality strut (OEM quality indeed, I have them), and at $82/strut the cost is very reasonable (see here: http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo....374533&jsn=448 ).
You can buy a spring compressor from Harbor Freight for a few dollars, and do it yourself, or find a shop as Derrick suggested. There is a HOWTO on this forum, but you need to search. Also, the FSM (link in my signature) has instructions.
No matter what approach and which part you choose, you'll need an alignment. An alignment runs about $80 where I live.
Good luck!
Forget Monroe/other, they are not worth the money. Go with the KYB. It's a quality strut (OEM quality indeed, I have them), and at $82/strut the cost is very reasonable (see here: http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo....374533&jsn=448 ).
You can buy a spring compressor from Harbor Freight for a few dollars, and do it yourself, or find a shop as Derrick suggested. There is a HOWTO on this forum, but you need to search. Also, the FSM (link in my signature) has instructions.
No matter what approach and which part you choose, you'll need an alignment. An alignment runs about $80 where I live.
Good luck!
Another thing I forgot before. You should be able swap the rears without a compressor. There's not much tension on them and they'll be loose before you wind the nut off.
The cheap spring compressors work but they're slow and really a pain to use. Especially the first few times. A shop with a proper compressor can do it in a few minutes with little effort. I have a cheap compressor and I've used it several times over the years. If I had to do it again now I'd take the assemblies to a shop. As long as I could find one that could do it cheap while I wait.