Hey im getting new springs and shocks this week and had a question for people who have already gotten aftermarket shocks and springs. Do I need to also buy the strut mounts and boots?


HERE IS WHAT TIRERACK SAYS:
While not always apparent, as the vehicle’s mileage climbs, its strut mounts often deteriorate. Therefore, when the struts are being replaced (especially on high mileage vehicles), it’s also the perfect time to replace the strut mounts in order to help restore the vehicle’s like-new ride quality.

KYB strut boots feature a "bellows" type boot that provides effective protection from dirt and moisture by covering the entire piston rod. They include an integrated compression bumper that is bonded to the bellows to act as a "bump stop" that helps prevent metal-to-metal contact of the suspension during severe impacts. New KYB Strut Boots and Bumpers exceed original equipment requirements, are easy to install and provide a low cost insurance that protects the struts from dirt, moisture and severe impacts.

DO I NEED TO BUY THIS STUFF TO OR NOT ? THANKS

 

I replaced my boots and left the mounts.......I would think it's the minimum that shoudl be done with new AGX's b/c the lowered car would have a greater chance of bottoming out. As far as the mounts go, look at the old ones, my were fine after 100k......I did hear that a lot of people that replaced the mounts were much happier w/ OE than KYB (the bearing in KYB seems to be failing often)

 

it depends boots most likely you may need to replace. Sometimes what needs to be repaced is obvious at other times it may not be as obvious. Your strut mounts dont need to get replaced unless they have been installed improperly causing them to get scraped up and damaging the strut bearing and thats what they are talking about. Dont bother with that unless your having terrible clunks and noises with your stock set up. I am posting this since I had this nice kid come over my place with well over $200 worth of replacement parts and only ended up replacing the red gaskets and boots. Guess he was very pleased and happy hes getting money back since everything was left in the OEM packaging.

 

this will be my first spring and strut upgrade and i dont want to spend unecessary money. if these replacements are much better than oem or needed then its all go with me .. a bit clueless of it ..thanks for the replies and hope to see a few more..

 

you can just jack up the car and inspect your boots. Most likely they will be dry rotted and ready to be torn. Replace them

 

Dry Rot big time, you are correct !

 

Are you going for AGX's or GR2's?

 

KYB AGX

 

I replaced tha mounts anyway. The car has a 190k and have never been changed. I bought new mounts from foriegn auto for $23 each. They camwith new strut bearings also. For only $46 dollars it is worth doing.

 

adam, would you get the kyb replacements if you were me, from tirerack ?

 

I sapped suspension at 90K....bump stops were fine and I used aftermarket dust boots... they were of much better quality than OEM, longer and more durable. The stock boots were trashed.
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Acording to their website they are $35 for the front and $4 for the rear. To me that doesn't seem like a bad price but I am not sure the quality. I say go for it because you are going to have to remove the old one anyway mine as well replace it. I would try to get more information on the product to see if that mount comes with the strut bearing. Mine was called a strut mount kit which included the bearing. I was stupid and never opened the package(so I never knew they came with it) and my auto parts store couldn't get me the bearings in time so I went and bought them at the stealership. They charged me $41 each(for 2 little plastic rings ). I then found out that I already had them and then returned the dealer ones the next day.

 

foreign auto? can you give us some details of how to contact them please.

 

Foriegn Auto Parts is an auto parts chain in the Massachusetts area. I don't know if they are nationwide. You should be able to get something similar at any auto parts store.

 

If you wanna be ghetto and cheap you can fix dry rotted boots as long as they're not completely rotted away.

Get some epoxy or silicon and apply a very LIGHT coating to the affected areas, from the outside. If you dip the boots in epoxy they'll come out stiff as a log when the epoxy cures all the way. Silicon keeps the flexibility in check but has a hard time binding properly to the rubber as compared to the epoxy.

 

I have heard that the KYB mounts are horrible and that the integrated bearings fail prematurely. I would ask around before I bought those...

 

thanks for the warning ..with a post like that , im not going to touch them !

 

I may be recalling that information incorrectly, but I am 99% sure that the OEM ones are recommended over the KYB, as far as strut mounts are concerned, at least for the front. The rears may be different. I know that the KYB or TRW dust boots are preferred, but their strut mount w/ the integrated bearings are rumored to have a high failure rate. Just post a thread asking people for their experiences with the KYB mounts.

 

that is a HUGE deal. Strut bearing cost $25 a piece at the dealer...

Anyways, if your car is 5 years or older, I would definitely replace the mounts and get new bearings. A year after I did the spring/strut change, I am hearing what I think is spring clunking on one side. It'll be a pain in the butt but I will need to redo them with new mounts and bearings.