New struts needed with drop?

[Nick_Wa]

Ok, my car has about 42,000 miles right now, I plan on putting some Canuck Motorsport springs, 1.75" drop I beleive, on it this year. I am just wondering if I need to replace the struts or are these new enough that it should be fine? They seem fine while driving but Im not sure how the drop will affect them. What do you guys think?

[Big Joe]

replace them

[bballr4567]

Check out AJ Usa.

They got KYB GR2s pretty dang cheap.

[norbit2]

When I did my springs(sprint springs) i just replace the struts while i had it all apart, that was like 57,000 or so miles. I used monroe sensatrac struts, knock on wood, know problems yet! and it rides very smooth for a dropped car. :)

[Matt95GT]

Your stock struts are old enough that they should be replaced when changing springs.

[jonnythan]

I agree with these guys.

Your struts are old enough that it makes sense to just go ahead and replace them while you have the springs off.

They're so cheap you can do it without really thinking about it. $140 for a pair of struts, no big deal, especially since you won't have to worry about it again for many years.

[03graystone]

ive heard a lot of people say change them around that mileage if ur gonna drop it... but i was told by my mechanic that they are fine up to 100,000 miles. and this is comin from someone who could easily try to make money and say replace them. so depending on what i find, i may leave them in and let you guys know how it feels and handles. i believe struts are fine as long as they arent leaking or sagging.

[Blackhawk]

100,000? lol, mine are stock at 130,000. I've got the replacements in my garage right now, just have no time to replace them.

[bballr4567]

Originally posted by Blackhawk
100,000? lol, mine are stock at 130,000. I've got the replacements in my garage right now, just have no time to replace them. Got the stocks still on at 152k miles. They are far far far far gone.

[Blackhawk]

Like hearing clunking on bumps that goes louder than your stereo? I've got a siezed strut mount bearing too so turning in parking lots is a bitch.

[bballr4567]

Yea I gots the clunk clunk going on in the passenger front. Parts are being shipped as we type. lol

[Blackhawk]

I did the Monroe "Safety Roadtrip Summer" or w/e it was called, basically buy four struts or shocks, get a check for the cheaper one five years down the line. But $220 for struts isn't bad when you can pick up the last of that model at the store.

[Nick_Wa]

So im hearing a couple different answers, change them is the majority but also should be fine to 100,000+. I enjoy taking my car apart and doing jobs, already have had the front left strut assembly and spring apart, so maybe ill jsut keep stock, try it and then redo if needed. Or maybe, if by the time I get the springs, I find a good price or sale on some new struts/shocks, I will just do it all at once. THanks for the input , its good to hear people doing it as well as not.

[Nighthawk243]

Generally, if you're going to have it torn apart, you might as well. Plus new shocks will look better anyways.

[bballr4567]

Trust me its far better to do it now then to just tear it apart again when the stock ones fail.

[Matt95GT]

Originally posted by bballr4567
Trust me its far better to do it now then to just tear it apart again when the stock ones fail.

x2. And they will... quickly. I left the stockers on when I got the lowering springs... a decision I regretted for years.

Do it right, do it once.

[jonnythan]

Originally posted by Blackhawk
Like hearing clunking on bumps that goes louder than your stereo? I've got a siezed strut mount bearing too so turning in parking lots is a bitch.
That clunk might not be your shock.

Check the bushings on your lower control arms. The rear bushing looks like this:

http://www.partsamerica.com/product_images/img/mcq/fb782-4.jpg

Which is a really odd design because the arm pivots up and down, not around the center. I started getting a clunk and it turned out that these bushings on both sides were completely worn away. The control arms had torn away from the rubber and they were clunking against the frame.

The control arm itself is easy to get off once the strut is off. It's only two (huge honking) bolts.. but getting the old bushings out is stupid hard. They're just held in by friction, and the rubber was torn away from the steel edge, so there was nowhere to press. I took it to the local NAPA machine shop and they somehow managed to press both of them out for about $20.

My front lower control arm bushings were OK.

[Blackhawk]

Nick, those of us with 100,000+ have stock suspension. Lowering springs will kill your existing struts.

[Bouchie11982]

replace them because you will have to after you lower it.

[RickHigginsHtbr]

actually i'm now in the market for new struts myself. change them if your going to lower it. I put eibach's on my stock springs on my 03 around 20K miles, i'm at 86K now and they are shot, along with the front mounts and some other bushings.

[350F]

Don't forget to get an alignment right away afterwards.