Is there a bumper in the strut assembly, and if so has anyone replaced it?

[6716]

I'm at 188K. Bought the vehicle at 85K 4 years ago. If the previous owner didn't do anything with the suspension, then nothing has ever been done, because this is the first time I've taken any of it on.

UBJs arrived yesterday, UCAs due today.

Looking to get as much done in this downtime/alignment as possible without taking too much on.

Most likely to order Bilsteins for shocks/struts, plus mounts.

Probably go for stabilizer bar bushings & links as well, since the roll is worse than the bounce.

Thoughts on doing the springs? 99.99% of my driving is pavement, don't tow, typical daily load is at most 350 pounds driver & equipment. And what's the difference between the $35 Moog and the $118 Raybestos or ACDelco? I would save some time if the springs and struts were already together when I started taking everything apart.

 

[The_Roadie]

Monroe Quick-Struts are probably the ideal product for you. One size fits all, plug and play, upper mount and new springs included. Just not good for offroaders with heavy bumpers and a winch.

 

[v7guy]

The quick struts are nice and they would without a doubt save a good lil bit of time. Maybe cut the whole procedure in half depending on your experience.
You can save a decent chunk of money though by just replacing what you need to.
Basically it comes down to how much is your time worth?

If you take the strut apart i don't see any benefit from changing the springs for your intended use.
As far as brands go, I've always had a pretty good experience with MOOG.

 

[6716]

Monroe Quick-Struts are probably the ideal product for you. One size fits all, plug and play, upper mount and new springs included. Just not good for offroaders with heavy bumpers and a winch.

You know, I started out looking at those, but then spark plugs, throttle body, thermostat, serpentine belt, and pads and rotors needed to get done first, and I forgot about them.

When I went back through old threads looking for reviews, I found your initial OS post from 2009 when they first came out, and you were a fan of them then.

Those may well be the ticket.

Thanks.

 

[6716]

The quick struts are nice and they would without a doubt save a good lil bit of time. Maybe cut the whole procedure in half depending on your experience.
You can save a decent chunk of money though by just replacing what you need to.
Basically it comes down to how much is your time worth?

If you take the strut apart i don't see any benefit from changing the springs for your intended use.
As far as brands go, I've always had a pretty good experience with MOOG.

At 188K, it could likely all stand replacement. I'm not getting any noise, but it's getting harder to ignore the way the vehicle rocks like a hobby horse over bumps, braking, starting off the line .... or especially braking in the corner over bumps with ABS noise because the tire won't stick.

My time in this repair will be worth a fair amount, with UBJs and UCAs for sure, and possibly stabilizer bushings and links if I'm real ambitious. I've got to get as much done on the weekend as I can for a Monday morning alignment and then back to work.

Some posts I've read suggest that springs are shot after 100K no matter what, and some suggest springs only go bad if you've overcompressed them.

i don't know which it is, or if I've ever overcompressed them, either.

 

[Tofer76]

how about these???


Front Complete Strut Shock Coil Spring Quick Unit | eBay

 

[The_Roadie]

$80 with free shipping? Please don't tell me you're serious. CCC.

Friends don't let friends buy CCC. :banghead:

 

[deepblue]

$80 with free shipping? Please don't tell me you're serious. CCC.

Friends don't let friends buy CCC. :banghead:

Ditto

 

[Tofer76]

or monroes?? for someone on a budget


MONROE 181341 Front Strut & Coil Spring Assembly | eBay

 

[The_Roadie]

[Rant mode on] I didn't know MONROE had also sold out and offered a cheapie alternative to the Quick Strut. I repeat, how much of a shock do you think you're going to get in an assembly that includes a spring and upper mount as well as the shock, all for $85 SHIPPED? Good SPRINGS alone are more than that.

Folks can search and search all they want for the cheapest crap out there, even if it isn't 100% Chinese in origin (although it may be). And they can ask me all they want if it's OK to buy the cheap crap. And I'm going to be a broken record.

We attempt on GMTNation to be an enthusiast forum. We try to appeal to folks who care about the performance of their trucks and notice the difference when they install parts having good value for the buck.

Admittedly, I use low-cost tie rod ends ($20 instead of $100) because I typically break them before they wear out, and I know the low cost isn't the reason they break. That's an informed decision that comes from experience.

But low end shocks can wear out in 10K miles and you don't want to have to go back in there and replace them again. Unless it's your grandparent's truck and they are clueless about performance or emergency reaction dynamics.

My 2c. YMMV.