YES, NO? Thoughts on Monroe Quickstruts?

The_Roadie

Lifetime VIP Donor
Member
Nov 19, 2011
9,957
Portland, OR
That's a pretty good price for a pair of Monroe Quickstruts. Easier to put in than compressing the springs and replacing the shocks only. HOWEVER, Monroe only offers one spring stiffness for all the vehicles in the platform, and you have one of the heaviest with an EXT. GM offered 10+ stiffnesses of springs, so the one-size-fits-all Monroe unit might leave you drooping a bit in the front. All depends on how you value ease of installation over matching the spring strength.
 

Steve A

Original poster
Member
the roadie said:
That's a pretty good price for a pair of Monroe Quickstruts. Easier to put in than compressing the springs and replacing the shocks only. HOWEVER, Monroe only offers one spring stiffness for all the vehicles in the platform, and you have one of the heaviest with an EXT. GM offered 10+ stiffnesses of springs, so the one-size-fits-all Monroe unit might leave you drooping a bit in the front. All depends on how you value ease of installation over matching the spring strength.

So the front end will be lower then what its at right now? If that's the case, then I am all for ease, since I am not 100% sure about doing compressing springs and such on my own...
 

The_Roadie

Lifetime VIP Donor
Member
Nov 19, 2011
9,957
Portland, OR
You could spend $120 on a pair of the optimum Bilstein replacements, and then pay another $200-300 to a shop to change them. You run the slight risk that the Monroes allow the front to sag so much over bumps that your wife notices them hitting the bump stops, and you have to adjust the headlights. Take before and after measurements. Only you know whether the risk of $144 is worth saving $400+ to do it right. On a SWB vehicle, it would be a much easier decision. Or you could call shops and see if they know trailblazers and can give you a quote on replacing the shocks if you provide the parts.

It's also not unheard of to take the struts off the vehicle yourself, and take them and the new shocks into a shop, and have them use their beefy wall-mounted spring compressor to do the swap for $50. Call around.
 

DJones

Member
Jan 21, 2012
701
St. Petersburg, Florida
Searching car-part.com, I find pairs of them going for $100 locally or $50 at farther away places, although used, and sometimes with low mileage. I wouldn't consider your ebay purchase a bad buy.

Edit: 3 new posts since I sterted my reply.
 

dave_stumph

Member
Dec 5, 2011
25
Just put these on mine. height from ground to bottom fender is 34 1/2" Feels great and a lifetime warrenty. Took me 1 hour for the first side and once I new what I was doing......only 1/2hr for the other side. Got the set for $250 locally, mind you this is Canadian prices :sadcry: The shop I took it to for a safety wanted $500 FOR 1 SIDE parts and labour. FK that!
All in All im happy with the results and piece of mind that I can do this my self! :smile:
 

HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
I think they are a great way to get a stock replacement and save some dollars. Good price.
 

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