I have a 2003 SEL.

I am told this came stock with 'sport-tuned' suspension.

The ride is TERRIBLE.

I think the only thing it could be is worn / bad shocks.

Is it normal for these to wear out after only 47k mikes?

Installation will be easier with what I have heard called a 'quick-strut' assembly that comes with the strut and spring together as one unit.

Can anyone recommend a source for these quick-strut assembly parts, or other options for a replacement that will provide as soft a ride as possible?

 

I don't believe quick strut is available for this car. Probably a good thing.
What are your symtoms of "terrible ride"?

 

I have to watch for EVERY tiny bump so I can slow down. If I do not slow down for every tiny bump, it feels like the hit is so hard that it could shake the car apart. Kinda like it is bottoming out.

When I hit an uneven spot in the road / highway, the car bounces and bounces and bounces.. I feel like it could shake and bounce me out of the driver seat. REALLY annoying and could NOT be normal in my opinion...

 

How long has the ride been terrible? Did it just start all of a sudden? Or has it been gradual? Also does it make a difference of which side the bump, dip or pothole is on?

 

I do not see a difference from one side to the other. The ride has always been pretty 'hard' I am not sure if it has gotten worse, or if my tolerance has just gotten worse. If I had to say one way or the other, I would say the ride has gotten worse.

I have owned the car since sept or october of 2010. Ride has always been rough for my taste. I'd say rough to the point where it is not normal and could not have been manufactured to be this way.

 

Is the car stock? Stock ride is not all that stiff at all

 

Time for new ones...47k does sound kinda low tho....do other people drive this car and don't avoid potholes? When my struts on my 2000 gle started bottoming out around 130k it sounded like what you were feeling too. I got 4 used struts with 60k from A member that was selling em from his 2003 Infiniti I35 for A 100 bucks and was good to go.... was on A low budget and was not gonna spend 115 dollars on one strut. Go stock for comfort imo.

 

Ok well if its always been stiff for you yes, the se has a stiffer suspension setup, i believe that the extra stiffness is negligble however. If you want to 'fix' this problem, get some Koni yellows you can adjust stiffness, and then get a new set of stock springs, from a gle maybe.

 

Turn your front wheel and look at the springs. See if there is an aftermarket name on them.

It sounds like your car has aftermarket springs with blown factory struts.

 

That's sure what is reads like. If you're bouncing on the dips, it's likely one or more struts are shot, meaning the car is just floating on the springs. And if you're banging on the potholes, those springs are probably lowered aftermarket parts.

Yes, it's low mileage, but it's also 8-9 years old. (What's a 2003 SEL, anyway?) It's time for a new suspension, Tony.

I see another "analytical" thread in your future.

 

I think the springs are stock and not lowered.

I am looking at couple options on Ebay.

Set of four Tokico costs $310 plus $30 shipping
TOKICO HP SHOCKS, HB3188, HB3189, HU2943, STRUTS

Set of four KYB GR2 costs 319.98 and includes shipping.

Which should I get?

 

Those are both marketed as OEM replacements, and intended for stock springs. From what I've read, they're of equal quality and design... all things relative to OEM parts on one end of the scale... coil-overs on the other end. If those two are your choices, that makes it easy enough for you to research and make your best guess.

 

Tokico.

 

GR2s have read about the same...you are going back stock...so just get whats cheaper and call it a day. only difference you are going to tell is from what you have now to a better/new strut

 

On my 4th gen, I had to replace my struts at 203k miles. Your mileage is way too low unless those are not oem struts/springs.

 

I feel like a broken record by now, but I purchased the set for about $275 shipped from a local .org vendor about two months ago. importrp

 

4th gens are lighter and have a higher suspension life expectancy. 4th<>5th

 

OP, where are you located?

 

I'm going to go out in a limb here, but I'm thinking Tony lives in Clearwater.

...which is either Minnesota or Florida.

C'mon, DJ. You silly mechanic.

 

or he could just like clearwater...

 

True enough. But that would be TonyDrinksClearwater, TonyBathesInClearwater, or maybe TonyPissesClearwater.

The combinations are endless.

 

Lol.

Too lazy to look it up / don't like making assumptions.

Plus, I'm no mechanic. Weekend wrencher at best.

 

Humility FTW

 

It's in his user name.

I still think he is rocking aftermarket springs. No way those OEM struts should fail that quickly unless the previous owner raced the car in the WRC races.

 

Agree, something not quite right there.

 

Here's a chart I pulled out of my dookie. Feel free to correct it.

In full disclaimer, I based this on nothing what-so-ever.

 

Mileage definitely sounds low to me but I guess it all depends on where the car is driven/condition of roads? My car has 117k on the stockers but I live in NH/Mass which have notoriously sucky roads. The car has ridden like absolute **** for the last 35k easily but I've been lazy about replacing the struts, I know they are blown as the ride in the front is horrendous. I have a full set of GR2's sitting in the garage just waiting to find their way onto the car, I am envisioning the car riding better than it ever has since I've owned it.

 

Get after it man!

 

I used a set off Ebay...Staggs. They seem to be doing a good job.

 

I've got some used oem struts for sale if you're looking for a low cost replacement, just to see if struts are your issue. Let me know.

 

Lol...this needs some work. Ksport and d2 are similar, lowest end coilovers, then Megan and BC.

 

yea its alright, my right left strut was blown at 45k, so i just replaced them all.

 

In defense of ignorance (can I do that?), everything to the right of the Blues is kind of a blur to me.

I probably shouldn't have thrown that together, knowing it would be wrong and misleading. Oh well.

 

I know for a fact it is time for me to replace the shocks and struts on my 4th gen. Mine rides like sh*t when i go over bumps. It's terrible!! Struts Mounts need to be changed too. Everything suspension wise is OEM on my Max and I now have 177k on it. Are Monroe good shocks to go with?

 

No. KYB GR-2's, Moog strut mounts for front only, and OEM dustboots all the way around.

If you're feeling ambitious, change your sway bar endlinks to Moog as well. While you're at it change your sway bar bushings to Energy Suspension.

That should take care of your suspension nicely

 

^^ Exactly what I did over the weekend, but went with Tokico Ill/Eibach combo, what a world of difference it made.

 

Stay away from Monroe. I put them on my Max and the ride is terrible. Thinking about eating the cost after 20K miles of Monroe and putting OEM in.

 

KYB GR-2.