Replacing struts reddit. com is a great inexpensive site to order parts from.


Replacing struts reddit The most dificult and dangerous part is the spring. I could buy kyb but they are $400 for the pair where Gabriel are $280 for The original struts were way overdue for replacing. 2L) with the magneride air suspension. Lots of creaking and groaning, likely partially a shop issue. The spring doesn’t quite rotate smoothly and subtly pops with every couple degrees of rotation. A worn strut increases your stopping distance by up to 12-ft from a high speed stop and worn struts ruin your tires. I would still recommend one, but the work shouldn't have really affected your alignment at all. These are Brand new struts as well. Can I just bring the strut to a shop and have them repack the assembly with the new struts using my existing coils and other parts, or do I need to replace the entire assembly? For a 2000 era honda civic, have I done my research right?: -Shocks ~$600 for parts and labor per set (you have a front set/back set) -Struts: ~$600 (a bit more) for parts and labor per set you have a front set/back set) Q: How much would it be to get all the shocks done at once? Cheaper? Same question about all shocks and struts together ? Thank you! Edit: in Michigan and do not foresee Replacing struts, should I ask for control arms and ball joints too? My struts need to be replaced. I am planning on doing it myself. Wondering if I should be replacing 12 as well. I decided on KYB struts, that is if I am getting just the struts and not the whole assembly, after watching Scott Kilmer videos. questions about replacing struts so I'm planning to replace my struts since the strut mount seems to be going out. They're still not cheap and will require some labor to swap your springs and mounts over, but don't be paying the $900+ MSRP per corner that GM dealers are quoting for parts when the same exact Replacing front struts (shock absorbers?) and Radiator leak Long post, looking for recommendations on how to proceed with radiator leak and front left shock absorber leak. Did I ever need new struts. Quoted $720 to replace the strut boots on my 2010 Honda CRV with 99k miles. The car is nearing 200,000km (125,000miles) and has never had the shocks or struts replaced. Saved THOUSANDS from the dealers quote. For context, I live on a dirt road. Almost always more performance based, lighter, more compact than the oem parts. so yeah, replace them One week after getting struts replaced, it sounds like scrunching rubber, metal on metal when going over bumps, and I’m not quite sure what parts to replace. With the tires off, the shop showed me the struts, and I saw there are some grease on the exterior of the front driver side strut, maybe it's leaking lubricant? They also pointed out rust on the other 3 struts. I took my 2010 GX w/ 130k miles to an independent shop (Navy Exchange on base here in California) to have the spark plugs, coolant, and brake fluid replaced. If you can, get the complete strut assemblies with new strut plates/bearings, and buy good quality units. What brand of struts did you put in? Were they quickstruts (spring and strut assembly) or did you use a spring compressor to take the old struts out of the springs and reuse the spring? Did you reuse the strut mount bearings, bushings etc (whatever was there) or replace them? How hard is it to replace shocks/struts? I've got a 2008 Mazda 3, bit of a beater but I'm not looking to buy a new car while in school. I have a 2013 Mazda 3 sedan and need to replace all four shocks. I’m driving a 2014 Honda CRV with MacPherson suspension, and 4 tires which will need to be replaced soon anyway. control arms, sway bar link, tie rod ends 2014 X1 here. Make sure you get a good brand. I was quoted $1200, is this a fair price? Is it worth it to get my shock struts changed on my 2008 crv that has 234997 miles on it local shop quoted me $1300 usd for all four? I went in for an oil change and was recommended shock/strut replacement quoted for a little over $1,000. The only extra danger would be accidentally removing the center nut on the top that holds the spring compressed. So ya you are massively getting raked over the coals on this one. Typically with these assemblies you can either replace individual components or complete assemblies. Are these parts You're probably due to replace all the bushings and shocks/struts if you can feel your car doesn't feel as 'tight' as a newer car. com is a great inexpensive site to order parts from. I took it back and they tightened everything and said it was good to go but obviously that was not the case. 2012 Honda Civic. Struts and Shocks cost Hello, I was wondering how much a pair struts would cost me and if any of you had an idea of how much it would be to replace them? I drive a 2014 Hyundai Sonata and the 2 front struts have gone bad. however after replacing rear struts, three months in after the change (left some time for them to break in just in case before making Honestly, if you are paying someone else to do it, just tell them to replace whatever is worn out. My right rear strut is leaking a bit, and I’m ASSUMING that one should replace the shocks along with the struts. So I just replaced the struts+sway bar links in a 2016 Escape last weekend and there has still been a slight clunking noise going over large bumps. To do just mounts you have to remove the entire strut assembly, mount it in a jig, remove the mount, install the new one, then reinstall the assembly. Recently replaced the shock/struts on my 08 outback. My car certainly needs new struts but I took it to a shop and they quoted me for a lot of additional parts like Control Arm, Tie rod end, sway bar link. 0T Ltd which I took in for an oil change at Midas, who generally never seems to fuck anything up when they're working on my car. Am I getting taken advantage of? mechanic said "FRONT STRUTS ARE WORN NEEDS TO REPLACE TWO FRONT STRUTS AND TWO FRNT SWAY BAR LINKS"wants 1200. 0 Automatic w/ Pony Package, 93k Miles. I'm seriously debating whether it's time to change to a new car instead of spending 2k on just replacing the front and another 2k for the rear. I drive a 2011 Mazda2 with 160k miles. Honda Accord 2007 V6 Engine with 250K miles on it. They recommend replacement if the ride gets worse. what should I do? If you don’t have a good spring compressor to replace just the strut insert, you can sometimes get the entire strut assembly still cheaper than taking it to a shop. For the sake of saving money, how bad would it be to just replace the rear pair and delay replacing the front until about this time next year? The car is a 2009 Lexus RX350 with about 120,000 miles on it. There are cheap ones like FCS and PRT for $100. When i replaced all 4 strut assemblys on my 02 malibu i got the trq ones off 1a auto and they were "lifted" like yours. Struts and Shocks: What are these, and is it necessary to replace? It was recommended to change my struts and shocks. . I would replace the shocks and struts/mounts together, meaning all at the same time, along the the sway bar bushings, end links, and spring pads both front and back. Might as well replace them and enjoy the improvement while the car still has plenty of life left. Sep 4, 2025 ยท The question of whether you need an alignment after replacing struts is a common one, often debated on platforms like Reddit's r/MechanicAdvice and other automotive forums. I recently moved somewhere with terrible roads and within a month I now have to replace the struts. When struts need replacement due to maintenance it is recommended to replace them in pairs. Quick struts, or preloaded struts, are relatively easy to install. hi so I needed to replace rear struts due to them being old and having a leak that was noticeable. Can I wait to replace them for a month? Is it a safety issue or a comfort thing? He says tires should also be replaced. Is this normal? : r/AskMechanics Go to AskMechanics r/AskMechanics r/AskMechanics MembersOnline • throwawaytime222222 I have a 2011 Hyundai Sonata 2. Definitely don't remove the nut until the assembly is out of the car I have been struggling with noise over bumps since I replaced my front struts (fully assembled, all parts new), I did re-tighten a few times all nuts and bolts but no luck. This is because it typically takes heat (not always) to get the nut to spin free and it burns up the plastic housing that the sway bar link ball sockets are housed in. The strut has to be removed from the vehicle and disassembled in order to replace the mount. Mechanic says car needs new shocks, struts because they’re leaking. What are my options in terms of repair? $1600 is not looking to attractive right now. It's a trivial nuisance for the majority of people and so the suspension bits that don't tend to cause noticable, acute issues with NVH just get neglected. $650 a set is a very good price to have it done at a shop. The car was making noise after hitting road bumps but the ride quality was tolerable and nothing that would make me hate to take detours around uneven road areas. Replacing the struts takes about an hour. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. How long realistically do you think something like that would take for someone with 0 experience replacing those? We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Archived post. Just wanted to see if it would be worth the replacement or if they really actually needed replaced. You can get preassembled kyb struts and shocks on RockAuto which saves on the hassle. The shock and spring is usually removed as a unit, then the spring is compressed with a tool so the strut can be changed. Also what would happen if I didn’t replace them. How does the car ride? Why is the mechanic saying they need to be replaced? Struts and shocks typically last a lot longer than 50k. Parts cost more this way, but labor is dirt cheap. That being said, a quick Google search reveals that a set of Monroe quick struts, which are complete, ready-to-install strut assemblies, go for about $200 a set. If the strut is leaking oil (evidenced by oil staining over the part of the strut under the springs), then it's time to replace them. Actually settled a little after driving it a few thousand miles but no diffrence in drive quality as they drive perfectly smooth and handling is top knotch im pretty impressed for the cheap price. I bought it used one year ago in great condition. I have a 2015 Yukon Denali (6. Will make the job much simpler than disassembling existing strut assemblies and reusing old parts. If the tool slips and the spring gets loose, body parts can be lost too. How important are these to replace ? Bad struts/shocks make for a longer braking distance. How long can I realistically expect it to last before needing to replace struts, shocks, etc? The vehicle isn’t floating or anything now, but it’s definitely noisier and rougher going over the garbage roads in my city. Thanks! Yes, coilovers replace struts and shocks because they are struts and shocks. Do you think this is a fair price for front and rear strut replacement on a 2012 Subaru Forester X? 11 votes, 34 comments. Unless the struts are otherwise new, I would replace the strut as well unless you have to do it the absolute cheapest way. There is knocking and whenever I go over a bump you can hear the squeaking. Installing quick-struts are going to be less labor intensive and you know that it was all new parts now. Get a balance and rotation on the tires. I also recommend a torque wrench and using locktite blue. Am I being overpriced or is this typical? What are the dangers of having worn out struts? Replacement shocks/struts? Did you use OEM, Bilstein or something else? Curious to hear about installation experience and ride feel after. If it's a small amount of oil and hasnt effected ride quality and makes no noise over bumps, leave it be. Do I really need to get an alignment when the tires are almost done for? What are the consequences of not doing the alignment? What if I The useful life of a strut is somewhere between 80,000 and 125,000 miles depending on the road conditions in your area. When replacing them because of When replacing struts, is it necessary to replace these other parts listed? ie. Need new struts. (My '15 has almost 150k miles on it and they are on the original struts and shocks still. If you buy quick struts ($115) that have the spring installed on the strut, about 40 minutes to install on the vehicle. You want struts/shocks on an axle to be at optimum performance because they do affect your handling and your braking so when replacing them because of maintenance definitely recommend doing the pair. Replacing struts/shocks ($2,800) or buying a used car instead? Hi, my 2012 Honda Civic LX (~130K miles) is in need of new struts/shocks for the entire vehicle, front and back. Dealership wanted $3100 to replace the struts. Well, strut assemblies have multiple components that work together, one of those being the hydraulic struts themselves as well as bushings, insulators and other components that wear out along with the hydraulic struts. The shop that told us we needed to replace our struts basically said that they shook the wheels and whatnot and there was play coming from the struts (??) didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. front struts pathetic from day one …. 2013 Hyundai Accent hatchback Hi everyone! My car had been pulling to the right for a while and my steering wheel would be resting too far turned to the right as well, it got more significant quickly. Spending 4-5k maintenance on a car that's worth 10k doesn't seem like a good idea as more parts might need to be refreshed. Terrible vibration when hitting bumps. 5L DOHC. It seems like oil is leaking too when I did a walk around. What kind of experience did you have after the recommendations given on this format? I own a 2013 outback with 166k miles. I have a 2013 GS F Sport RWD and my Independent service shop (not the dealership) says that the rear shocks (for the adaptable suspension feature) leak early but won't deteriorate the ride too much. Does this look like the top nut on the strut assembly might not be torqued correctly? I used a quick Like the others have said, replacing struts is pretty straight forward. Take note of the area it happened and take a picture too. I am having a hard time finding loaded OEM struts. Is this about the time where these items need to be replaced? The fronts are always easy, in sedans the rears can be hard sometimes because the top of the strut is hard to access depending on the design. Ride is decent but I would actually like a smoother ride. Replacing struts and the right brand. I just watched a video of someone replacing the rear struts on a venza and the rear struts are incredibly easy to replace my god. The average cost for quick strut replacement at my shop is $800-$900 per axle. No reviews but saving $2k on the parts was worth If I buy KYB struts and shocks for my 2007 Honda Fit Sport, about what would would it cost for a good shade tree mechanic to install them for me? I found a guy last year to install an Exedy clutch kit for me for here in Tennessee for $500. Everything is good and now I have to track down a much smaller clicking. it's making an obnoxious squeaking/rattling/loose noise. They’re the original ones and the car has about 165,000 on it. Was wondering if anyone has experience with Gabriel ultra struts. This is normal? My car used to drive very smoothly and I really want my car to feel like that again. Then you replace the bent component and perform additional alignment to verify repairs. The reason is because when one wears out the other one is not far behind. I'm stuck as to what to get as a replacement. The reported that a strut was leaking and they need to be replaced in pairs, then quoted me $1600 for the cost of repair. Getting back under it today, I took this video. I car already drove rough on the new struts and I feel as if it still drives pretty rough on the new struts. When replacing struts, local dealerships gave me part number which shows me 11 in the diagram. Mechanic sent this video to me of my front absorbers, telling me to replace it. First question: Should I just replace the front struts like the inspector and one mechanic said? Or should I listen to the chain auto shop guy and replace them all? Did a google search for ideas on what to use for replacement on some shocks & struts that are (presumably) still stock from ‘02. Are changing the struts and shocks necessary in a 15+ year old vehicle? Does this affect wheel alignment and/or tire wear and tear? Replacing older shock and struts that haven't failed? Suggestions on getting a more comfortable ride? Does it make any sense to replace shocks/struts while they are still functional? No leaks or sagging, maybe a little more bouncy than brand new. Can I space these items out over time? Replacement on all items was straightforward after having studied the writeup on the clublexus forum. I just had new front struts put in my 2009 kia rio by a shop and this clunking noise has been happening as soon as I left the shop. Which strut assembly brand should I get from Rock Auto? I am looking at replacing my struts in my 2012 rav 4. If you cheap out you will be doing it again next year. The sway bar bushings are not expensive or difficult to change. also ride quality is a bit harsh. Noise seems to come from the top of the struts so I put a camera where the strut is mounted to see if there was something loose while driving over some bumps. Look on YouTube to see how to ck shocks and struts! $1200 is insane! Is that at a dealership? Do I need to replace springs with my struts? 2003 GMC Envoy, SLT 4WD I did the shock absorbers on the back of my vehicle a while back, and I plan on doing the front end with some Bilstein 4600 series struts. I recently got an estimate by my local dealership for $1245 to replace my rear shocks and struts w/alignment on my 2012 Toyota Camry. Personally, I've spent a lot more owning European brands, it got so bad it forced me to sell/trade. They are charging you up the ass for the struts, go to TireRack and buy them yourself, KYB full strut assembly's are $254 each, for a total of $508 for the front suspension, basically the cost of 1 strut they are quoting you. From my understanding, this has to do more with the ride of the vehicle, rather than performance. My partner noticed that my car was making a bit of a creaking sound at slow speeds. rear shocks still good as well … Think KYB may have been your original brand. One of the auto shops told me he wouldn't recommend replacing the rear struts unless they were leaking, soft, or hard. Is that a fair cost? It seems outrageous to me but I am no expert. On my 2005, rear coils with shocks absorbers separate (so not MacPherson struts unlike the front) so no boots back there. I’ve called around to several local shops, and for the same job nearly every quote has been $300-400 cheaper, but some are saying the shocks don . The cost to replace is 700$ for the front and 400$ for the rear struts. So recently my car got it's struts and end bar links replaced at last after 226K miles. Is it really worth it to replace? From the photo that looks like a perfectly fine strut. Questions: How important is a swift replacement? In other words what are the dangers for delayed replacement? How much is a reasonable asking price to replace all struts on my vehicle? Background: I have LPT: Make sure to check and/or replace the shocks/struts on your car every 50-75k miles. For Lexus, the $2k is a drop in the bucket Today a mechanic told me struts cost $600 per axle, not including labor. Does it make sense to replace my shocks and struts at 125,000 miles? Maintenance manual recommends every 50,000 miles but is that really necessary? New struts on a double wishbone setup will not affect an alignment. I am going to replace the stock struts with Monroe Quick Struts. Now I am not sure which brand to go with. Some rust is probably normal on 10 year old struts. The short answer is: almost certainly, yes. ) Unless the car is very bouncy, tires are wearing oddly, or there is a significant clunk then they are probably fine. Was able to flex the rear assembly with leverage by sitting on a 2x6 seesaw-style enough to remove/replace strut/spring unit, thus no need to loosen/separate ball joints. A good service manual with step-by-step instructions is essential. Do I Really Need to Replace Shocks/Struts? I just bought a 2009 328i last week, and brought it in for an oil change at the dealership today. Obviously less if done together because it would only be aligned once. If you do the repair at any point I would stay away from Gabriel, Monroe, etc. I have a 2004 Toyota sienna. Is there ever a reason for replacing springs, other than just not having the tool to mount your new struts onto the springs? The bottom line is if the strut has lost enough oil that it is hanging off the bottom of the strut, dripping, or has coated the entire part in oil: replace it. Do I need an alignment after strut replacement? 2006 V6 Mustang 4. Seeking advice on whether I need to replace my front struts. Fair Price for Strut Replacements This is an independent shop, not a dealer. I looked on Rock Auto, and they do not have the front left in the KYB brand (which I believe is the OEM brand for toyota). for those interested, the Duralast struts are in, along with new Tie Rod ends and she went off for a front end alignment. Is there anything else I should do now so I don't have to take the car back in a year? Should I also have them replace the ball joint and control arms? 2012 corolla EX Archived post. We used to replace shock absorbers every so often; how often do struts need to be replaced? Growing up and doing our own wrenching and maintenance on cars, putting on new mufflers etc. which did have the struts replaced and felt terrible. How does the car drive? This generation Mazda3 eats suspension for breakfast. I commute about 100 miles a week. More than alot of other repairs people complain about the cost of Archived post. Do I have to have an alignment after the fact? Archived post. I’ll replace the front strut assemblies if absolutely needed but the ride feels great compared to the Lexus that I traded in. questions: I’m planning on getting some new shocks/struts and lowering springs and want to replace them myself. So r/cars, what apparent rip-offs/dumb mechanics have you ran into? The cost of parts vs labor in replacing just strut mounts vs entire strut assemblies isn't viable tbh. It's been great. Yukon XL Denali Struts I had to replace my struts for a second time on my 2016 YukonXL Denali. A mechanic quoted me $2000 to replace the front struts on my car. Spring compressors can be rented from Autozone for free, and RockAuto. Since OEM wasn't holding up to my expectations I decided to go a different route. I do not experience any abnormal driving or “symptoms” but I believe they probably need to be replaced. Always replace in pairs. Airmatic strut is bad. I found the parts online for half what they Replacing Struts/Shocks/Coil springs on Honda Civic I need to replace the struts/shocks on my 2007 civic ex coupe as the thing is practically a bouncy house driving down the road. I really just want the OEM ride quality restored have no interest in tracking it ever. A mechanic is recommending that I replace both my rear and front shocks/struts. I actually feel comfortable taking this thing on the freeway at 65 and hitting bumps without cringing. I purchased Arnott struts for the front and TRQ for the rear from Parts Geek. Extremely long lasting! Struts/shocks life can vary greatly, currently have about 201k miles on my 4wd 4runner…. The dealership advised that they replace the front shocks and struts along with the lower control arm and bushing. Also they cause irregular wear on your tires causing you to replace them sooner. I asked Hyundai and they said the whole thing would cost me about 1100 for them to do it. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Quoted $1,800 total to replace front and back. I never noticed a leak but I noticed a fair amount of nosing up when accelerating and nosediving with braking. You can opt to not replace them, but realize that there is a good chance they will be damaged when replacing the struts. If you don't have an impact gun and a vice, you should break the center top nut loose while the strut is still installed in the car. Just had two struts replaced last week, and the shop told me I should come back in a week for an alignment or my tires could wear prematurely. I have done my own on several cars for years. Went in for alignment, told I need new struts, after replacement car still going to the right. Is there any risk in not replacing the front shocks, which do not make noise but do feel bouncier than other cars? Finally, they noted that the bushings may need to be replaced as well. If it's higher mileage, you'd be best off to replace strut, top hat, end links, LCAs, and possibly sway bar saddle bushings if needed. Any advice on this would be good as well. All in it’s going to be $1800. The engine is 4-1498 1. I don’t think yours will have boots on rear either. To replace the whole assembly, it's quite literally only 4 to 8 bolts (depending on vehicle) and the unit is free; replacing the assembly means you'll have a new strut, coil spring, and mounting plate. I don't know what the upper mount access is, but the lowers look super accessible and easy. With the cost of complete struts what it is today, a lot of shops won't even do just mounts as the cost in labor will often outweigh just I had a similar quote for my 2017 Denali w/ a leaking strut at 60k miles and some quick searching told me the dealer quoted ridiculous prices for parts. I think this means they want to do a test drive and look for any symptoms after replacing the shocks. They thought it might be an issue with the suspension and took it to the mechanic, who confirmed that the front struts were Should I buy just the strut or the whole strut assembly? I went to a mechanic and they said I need to replace my front struts and quoted me $600. I nose drive when I break hard and crosswinds are a huge issue on the highway. should I do it? When having struts replaced by a shop should I have them reuse the old springs or have those replaced along with the struts? Do you have a written estimate? There are a lot of factors that can affect the price like quality of replacement parts and the cost of living where the work is being done. It can lead to a bunch of other problems The initial alignment tells you that front camber is excessively negative, which points to either the strut or the knuckle in most cases. Also, if there is a knocking noise when going over bumps, it is possible for the upper strut mounts to be worn out. Shocks and struts replaced at 50k miles or so can be quite expensive. They said that I had a strut that was blown out and leaking oil, and that it would cost me $2,500 to replace both in the front. wqhcf euxfh mwvvbcl kged ebwuu bcvmx iwyuf cxxzb rjfdmrww yetpbr mnzeuuc blaze wiojlrc iygc hylh