New addition to the fleet!

brick_and_motor · Post by **brick_and_motor** » 12 Feb 2017, 05:46

Hey all,

Just purchased another 98' to add to the fleet. S70, NA with options (sunroof, alloys, TRACS, heated seats, leather), 107K, it is pristine and everything works. All it appears to need is new shocks and that's my question to you all - which brands, and preference on quick struts for the front? I like the ease of not needing a spring compressor but there is a real cost difference.

Thanks for any advice!

Matt

Post by **j-dawg** » 12 Feb 2017, 06:07

I've heard that many shops will assemble struts for you if you just chuck some money at 'em. That's probs pretty cheap, so it seems worth doing the struts with legit parts, if you're planning to keep the car more than a year or two.

Post by **rspi** » 12 Feb 2017, 14:32

j-dawg wrote:I've heard that many shops will assemble struts for you if you just chuck some money at 'em. That's probs pretty cheap, so it seems worth doing the struts with legit parts, if you're planning to keep the car more than a year or two.

This, the quick struts are not really the way to go. Get the good stuff and have a lifetime warranty.

brick_and_motor · Post by **brick_and_motor** » 13 Feb 2017, 03:14

Thanks guys! It seems I have a handful of options for shocks as far as brands: Sachs (oe), Gabriel, KYB, Sen-Sen, Monroe and Bilstein. Bilstein are out because of the price and the Sen-Sen are appealing because of their price ($125 for all four). Let's also assume the Sachs are a safe bet. Anyone else have experience with these brands beyond Sachs?

Post by **850 LPT** » 13 Feb 2017, 06:11

I would stick with Sachs or Bilstein and stay away from the cheap stuff. Never pays in the long run in my opinion.

Post by **bmdubya1198** » 14 Feb 2017, 15:47

If you're not looking to shell out the money for Bilstein or Koni, definitely go for Sachs. I just put Sachs struts in my cousin's car this past weekend (using my spring compressor, it was a quick and easy job after doing mine a couple months back) and the ride is incredible. His original struts were shot, and the ride is awesome now. The car holds the corners much better than before.
I have Monroe OESpectrum struts in my car, and they're alright, but they aren't the smoothest. The Sachs are not gas charged, and the naturally ride feels much better with them than my gas charged Monroes.

Post by **j-dawg** » 14 Feb 2017, 19:09

If you're going for the cheaper brands, I'd pay a little extra for KYB. Monroe and Gabriel will do the job, but the Gabriels on my car when I bought it were worn out just ~30k after they'd been installed, and I've heard similar about Monroes. Probably fine for daily use on a beater, but if you plan to keep the car for tens of thousands more miles, the better shocks will pay for themselves. The Sen-Sens will be junk from day one.

If you're spending Sachs money, I've got Koni STR.Ts on my car and I like 'em. They cost less than $400 for all four corners and the ride is well-controlled. They also have a lifetime warranty, which I'm not hoping to use, but which bodes well for the quality of the product.

Post by **theWIFES_S70** » 14 Feb 2017, 19:28

I read somewhere that Sensen struts and shocks are OE for Volvos in Asia. And they have lifetime warranties... I'd love to read how they hold up to 10,000 miles or more. Do shocks and struts really go bad on these cars? Aren't the spring seats where you should REALLY spend your bread?

I've had Gabriel Readystruts in the front and Gabriel shocks for about 8000 miles of NYC driving (albeit a big chunk of that at the 25MPH speed limit...). No problems as of yet. I believe they have a lifetime warranty from Autozone, too. So if (and when) they go bad, I wouldn't be against installing another pair.

brick_and_motor · Post by **brick_and_motor** » 16 Feb 2017, 04:17

rspi wrote:
j-dawg wrote:I've heard that many shops will assemble struts for you if you just chuck some money at 'em. That's probs pretty cheap, so it seems worth doing the struts with legit parts, if you're planning to keep the car more than a year or two.
This, the quick struts are not really the way to go. Get the good stuff and have a lifetime warranty.

The quick struts I'm referencing are the Gabriel ones. I was just cruising the forum and came across a post from Nov 2016 where you said they are good. Has your opinion changed?

Sachs are competitively priced against bare shocks from other manufacturers, but when added together with new bump stops, bearing plates and spring seats, the cost nearly doubles. Given that this car has 107K and 19 years on it, it probably needs those things, too. Indeed, the strut mount kit offered by FCP is $270 on top of $284 for the 4 Sachs struts, for a grand total of $554. The Gabriels are $380 priced through Autozone for the quick struts and rear shocks, and do not need a spring compressor to install.

Post by **bmdubya1198** » 16 Feb 2017, 07:36

What I did about the mounts and spring seats is ordered them from eBay from AMAutoparts. The kit cost something like $67 and the parts are good quality. Plus a 10 year warranty. Yeah, it sounds risky, but I have yet to have any problems with them.
As for bellows and bump stops, order the Sachs set on Rockauto. Around $16-$18 shipped with discount code. It comes with the set of both bump stops and bellows.
I got a really good rebate on my Monroe shocks/struts at all four corners, but if I did it again, I would go with Sachs at least for the struts. By the time I replace them again, I'm leaning towards Koni or Bilstein.
All in all, you're paying less than $300 for the struts.