Its time to replace my wheel bearings, so I'm going to do struts at the same time.

I usually use Bilsteins, but it doesn't look like they offer them for this car.

What are you guys using, and where are you buying them?

I'd like a little added performance, but not looking to spend a jillion bucks on my daily driver. Don't plan on adding wheels or lowering at this time unless the price difference is marginal.

 

Monroe shocks & struts. I got them on amazon.com

 

you dont really have a choice by KYB GR2s.

Koni stop producing them, if you do get a hold of Konis you need to modify the struts housing so that it accepts it.

AGX for the rears must also be modified from a 300zx.

I have a custom set with AGX all around,

Your other options is Monroe (which I heard is pretty decent ) and GR2s

 

Monroes are about twice as much as KYBs.

Are they that much better?

 

I'll be looking at doing this similar task down the road in this coming year so I'm interested in this too. I heard the Monroe is more of a soft "mushy" ride and not "sporty". I'm looking for something in the middle. Something that handles good but you won't feel all the bumps in the road.

 

Not if they're Sensa-traks, and you'd rather have a little more performance.


Have you looked for Tokico Illuminas? There's definitely more control with them than with the OE, although they are a little harsh in certain situations (at-grade railroad crossings if the rails stick up a bit). I have these on the 5th Gen and also on the Mazda.


Norm

 

Monroes = stock height
KYB's = Dropped

 

I can't seem to find them for the 6th gen - does anyone know if they make them?

 

There aren't anymore adjustables for the 6th gen - they stopped making the KYB AGX's for it. I have KYB GR-2's and I like it.

 

Has anyone had experience with both the KYB GR2 and the Monroe's? Taken a ride on similar roads in both?

If there's not a huge difference I may go with the KYB's when the time comes due to price.

 

Personally using the KYBs. At first they feel quite stiff, but once you break em in they don't feel too bad…

 

They never release a Tokico For the 6th gens

No they dont

Again The fronts where KONI's yellow adjustables. They are INSERTS, the reason they stop making them was the cost and time , you need to modify the housing on a strut for the inserts to work

For the Rears , 300zx can work BUT you must fabcrate them to make them work.

If your only looking for bolt in replacement , KYB GR2 or Monroe.

Here some pics of the rear




Agx rear 8 way adjustables

Here is the front , alot of welding and fabbing here.
4 way adjustable

 

KYB GR-2 here with Eibach, rides great to me.

 

Monroe Sensa Trac. Better ride quality than stock and handles the twisties with a very sure grip- I don't feel the car squirming or skipping over road bumps. Very much worth the price.

 

I just installed Monroe's. I was turned off because of price at first. I ended up getting them from www.rockauto.com . It ended up costing me $290 shipped and that included all 4 struts bellows. Plus there is a $50 mail in rebate right now, so I actually spent $240 and if you get the bellows (and you should) it's actually a little less than KYB. It's a no-brainer.

 

i personally have kyb but i heard monroe was the way to go with our struts...i've replaced both fronts within 10k..they both blew out but luckly i was under warranty

 

Lowered on teins. The monroes I have seem to have gotten smoother over the time of 1k miles. they are very smooth overall I believe.

 

Good looking out on the price - thanks!

 

check amazon.com i got mine there, and i paid $260 shipped, plus i sent in the rebate for $50 so thats $210 total. thats 2 struts 2 shocks, and 2 strut boot kits.

 

They should be. Monroes, meaning Sensatraks, are designed specifically with ride comfort being top priority.

However, since their internal valving varies with suspension position and is "softest" with the suspension at OE ride height, they work best with stock ride height cars. I'm betting that they rebound a little higher on lowered cars before they snub the vertical body motions.


Norm

 

how difficult are these to change? I bought some KYB's and plan on changing them next weekend. I read the manual and it looks pretty simple, just compressing the spring, taking out a few bolts replace. Is there anything to look out for?

 

The direction that the bolts go probably matters.

You will not get an accurate bolt torque setting by torquing the bolt head instead of the nut due to the unknown amount of friction between the bolt shank and the holes in the strut ears and knuckle.

It's worth at least checking the alignment any time you replace any part of the suspension linkage (the strut is partly an extension of the knuckle and partly a substitute for the upper control arm in suspensions that use upper and lower arms). Small changes in camber cause changes in toe.


Norm

 

the bolts do really matter for the bolts will not line up in any other way other than how is was originally.... you wont be able to put it back at all if the bolts are not aligned originally...

 

Monroe = stock height
KYB = dropped

 

Couldn't agree more. Since KYB is stiffer with double chambers, they will outlast the Monroe's. No idea why people say that KYB is a stock replacement. Before I installed the Eibach's, i ran them on the stock springs and the ride was not the same as stock, stiffer. I think Monroe's should be a stock replacement since they are softer, like stock.

 

KYB typically offers two levels of shocks/struts for most cars. Apparently not all, though . . .

GR-2's are valved about the same as stock, perhaps a little stiffer to account for suspensions loosening up a bit by the time the average car owner finally gets around to replacing the originals. They are mass-market replacement shocks/struts after all. BTW, it's not the number of chambers as much as it is when various internal fluid orifices open and how big they are.

KYB Gas-A-Justs (never mind what the name suggests, they are NOT adjustable) are valved with a bit more performance or heavy duty use in mind than GR-2's, and are somewhat stiffer.


Monroe Sensa-traks are the mass-market comfort-oriented choice and would be expected to ride a little softer than GR-2's as long as your ride height isn't much different from OE. Different priority, different valving (and that position-sensitive part of the overall valving that other shocks/struts do not use).


Norm

 

is there validity to this?

 

User adjustability is reserved for the AGX line. There may be fewer AGX applications than exist for the Gas-A-Justs.




I have run G-A-J's on one of my other cars and can tell you from direct experience that there is no provision for user adjustability whatsoever. (Swapped them out for Bilsteins, but that's another story.)


Norm

 

Plus a lifetime warranty. I also used the Monroes when I was dropped and they controlled the rebound better than the OEM's. But since I live in Cleveland, being dropped can sometimes be hell so thats why I went back to stock springs.

 

KYB GR2. OEM were making noise and were blown. (3 out of 4).
Good ride, no problem.