850 struts: "OEM" vs. Gabriel Topic is solved

Clay Nemitz · Post by **Clay Nemitz** » 07 Nov 2016, 09:43

Hi,

I've read many threads regarding front struts (including recommended brands and such), but have a particular question that I haven't found an answer to. Now, I want to keep costs down in replacing my struts, so I was going to go with Gabriel Guardian, which I can get from Autozone for $60 each. (Monroe can be had from Amazon for about $54 currently, but reports seemed varied, and people seemed to like Gabriel a bit more across the board, hence my decision.) However, I found struts on myswedishparts.com (here and here) for $83 each.

Many places, people said something like "Sachs/Boge are considered to be the most OEM-like". Does this mean that Sachs made the original struts for the 850, or just that they are very similar? I ask because I never saw anyone mention getting Volvo-made / OEM struts themselves, so I was a little surprised when I found the struts mentioned above, which claim to be made by Volvo.

In addition to clearing up things with OEM/Volvo/Sachs, would the Volvo-made ones linked above be worth the $23 more each than the Gabriel struts? (Lastly, if so, is there a difference between the #271831 and #271833 that I should care about)?

Thanks!

Post by **benpineapple** » 07 Nov 2016, 09:49

Sachs are OEM, yes.

Don't use Gabriel. I had Gabriel struts on my old Vovlo 240, and they were going bad within 12 months.

Clay Nemitz · Post by **Clay Nemitz** » 07 Nov 2016, 10:03

Okay, thanks for clearing that up.

Sachs are available on RockAuto for $81 each. I suppose I should probably just go for those, but it is always tough for me to pick something more expensive when there are several other options that are cheaper (KYB $64, Gabriel $60, Monroe $54, Sensen $31). But it seems those brands are all recommended against fairly strongly. Thank you for your input!

101 · Post by **101** » 07 Nov 2016, 11:18

I've used KYB on two non-Volvo vehicles and have been very dissatisfied with them. And save the Gabriel / Monroe / cheap ones for a car that you can change them out in 5 minutes - not for a strut that requires a lot of effort and needs an alignment after replacement.

Sachs are optimum in my opinion, and are what the car was engineered for.

For performance, Koni or Bilstein. Im my opinion P80 platform rides rough enough that I would think twice about using them on the roads in my area.

Post by **shaker_chi** » 07 Nov 2016, 11:55

I put some Gabriel shocks on a 1994 850 once. I replaced them the next year. “The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”

Jaguar xjs · Post by **Jaguar xjs** » 07 Nov 2016, 16:14

I recently replaced the original shocks and struts on my 850 which has 150k. I found the Sachs to be a very nice ride once replaced. I'm sure the Koni's or Bilstein ( I have Bilstein on my Jaguar and love them) would provide a tighter ride but that type of ride is not what I was looking for on the 850 considering we spend a lot of time traveling over long distances. Nothing more jarring on the kidneys than a "sporty" suspension setup.

If your looking for the Luxo barge ride I'd go with the Sachs. If your looking for a sportier ride then you'll need to decide between the other options available.

Gordon

Post by **rspi** » 07 Nov 2016, 19:16

If you plan to keep the vehicle for a while, Bilstien has a (your) lifetime warranty and usually last several years and 100,000 miles. KYB Gas-A-Just are good for these cars and may also carry the your lifetime warranty.

Post by **cn90** » 07 Nov 2016, 20:41

1+,

I have Bilstein TC strut (I think it is about $120/each).
Not a bad price at all, and the Bilstein lasts for years.
LT warranty.

You may save some money with Monroe but when it fails in 1 year, that saving actually costs more money for new struts (hopefully not Monroe) and alignment.

I understand the car is not getting any younger, these cars are now some 20 years old, the incentive to spend money is not there but even if you keep the car for > 2 years, Bilstein is worth it.

Post by **erikv11** » 07 Nov 2016, 21:20

Check out the reports about the Monroe struts in the forums, from people who have actually used them on these cars. Their longevity is good, so is the ride damping, but on stock springs they are squishy and provide poor handling. Like a boat, especially if you drive a wagon. Many performance-minded people really like them with sport springs.

My preference is Bilstein TC or Sachs OEM.