Quickstruts and my 2007 Escape....

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My original struts have started to wear to the point that the bushings have been overstressed and now they make noise when going over bumps while turning. with 115k miles and having to drive over the most uneven and jolting railroad track crossing in the USA SEVERAL times a day, I think I got my money's worth.

I know quickstruts have been talked about a lot. I think everyone seems to agree they are a superior replacement product. Is that true? Any downside to them? Anyone used them before on an escape?

If no objections, I have two options. Monroe (http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=2998833&cc=1433430) and Raybestos (http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=3823458&cc=1433430). The Raybestos are about $10/ea more. The monroe has lifetime warranty vs Raybestos 24 month/24k miles warranty. Anyone think there is a better choice from these two?

Now, last question. I am a super novice with DIY. The most complicated DIY project I have done would be the fuel filter replacement and/or replacing the spark plugs. I do have access to a heavy duty floor jack and a torque wrench. Is removing old struts and installing the quickstruts a DIY type project for a novice? I'm worried about the springs when removing the old assembly.

Thanks for all the input I know I'll get.
 
I forgot to add my trusted local mechanic will install these for $155/each. Seems a bit high to me.

Would I need to do an alignment check after this? I just had the car aligned last week.
 
Yea that is high for a quick strut. Maybe $155 for both and even then that is still more than fair.

Yes you will need an alignment. You can mark the old strut but it still may be off a little.

And I am not a fan of the quick struts. They seem to be the bottom of the barrel when it comes to quality.
I just did 12 struts and just bought new mounts and new struts. But I am also a tech so easier for me to say that then someone else.
 
Very easy to do....most times you are pretty much bolting them on and off....

That is the plan with my cars......
 
Take a look at the KYB Strut plus unit, the Excel-G is a better strut than the others.
$155 ea is high on this one $155 for both is about right. Yes get an alignment.
 
Monroe's are decent but KYB's are better. The matching shocks for the rear make the prices almost a wash (at least at Rock Auto's current prices) between the two.
 
I didn't notice the KYB as an option but it looks like it is. I'll look into the KYB versions. They are about $10 more each. I would prefer a firmer ride and it sounds like KYB typically has that.
 
DIY, but usually need 2 people if you want to be able to do it fast (1 lift the strut into place while the other bolting it down). The hardest part was to compress the spring and line it up, and you don't need to worry about that with quick strut.

One concern I have with most quick strut type of assembly is they may not use standard sized mount / spring / strut, so if you decided to just replace 1 of them in the future and you already tossed the old one, you will be forced to replace all of them together.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone. I got the KYBs ordered. $135/each plus $30 shipping for both. Total of $300 for parts. I got the 5% discount from Rock Auto to make it $287 shipped. I also get 5% cashback on all online orders right now, yay! So that is another $14 off.

I think I'll have my shop install them for me since it will need to have alignment checked. $155/ea for installations seems high but I know they do good work and I owe them a few for some free things they have done for me in the past.
 
If you have a laser level you can check your own alignment. Your concern will be camber, but camber throws off toe if it's the only thing messed with. Put the level on your tire at 4 and 8 oclock and aim the laser at your rear wheels, should miss by 1/4-1/2 inch. That's the distance between the laser head and the front sidewall, plus a smidgen. You can check this and record your readings before you take it apart, too.

If your steering wheel is centered when you go down the road and you have no pull, you did well.
 
Yeah, $155 each is way high, maybe they're pricing them as a strut and spring replacement instead of a quick strut which takes less time as there's no need to compress a spring. Ask them if they can do better. Last time I had a mechanic put in quick struts, he only charged me $100 for both. Just a little over an hour to do both sides too. Oh, the other possibility would have been to get Moog, they also make quickstruts now and while KYB has been good in the past, they've been going downhill lately just like Monroe.
 
Originally Posted By: PandaBear

One concern I have with most quick strut type of assembly is they may not use standard sized mount / spring / strut, so if you decided to just replace 1 of them in the future and you already tossed the old one, you will be forced to replace all of them together.

Not a real issue. When the strut is worn its good to change the top mount/bearing anyway along with the bumper and boot.
All these aftermarket parts will fit on the OE strut and work fine.

Changing the springs is not a bad either, unless you have a sport suspension with special rate springs or want really high end struts this is a very good way to go for a daily driver.
 
Gabriel and MOOG are the only other options I can find. MOOG is by far the cheapest and that concerns me a bit.
 
Go ahead and order those rear KYB shocks (unless you've replaced them already) while you're at it. $19 closeouts!

DIY the rear, see how you do, then maybe tackle the front. $155ea must be for a strut only replacement - as said, these are much easier on the mech. DIY preferable, and if you're lucky you can get a re-alignment at the shop you just went to, or at least a discount.

This is a great job to dip your feet into, if you're so inclined. Good DIY (at least CA cars aren't bad for suspension work!).
 
Originally Posted By: badtlc
Gabriel and MOOG are the only other options I can find. MOOG is by far the cheapest and that concerns me a bit.

Gabriel isn't a bad unit but Moog? No thanks, I'll pass on them. God only knows what they are and who made them and where.
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
Originally Posted By: PandaBear

One concern I have with most quick strut type of assembly is they may not use standard sized mount / spring / strut, so if you decided to just replace 1 of them in the future and you already tossed the old one, you will be forced to replace all of them together.

Not a real issue. When the strut is worn its good to change the top mount/bearing anyway along with the bumper and boot.
All these aftermarket parts will fit on the OE strut and work fine.

Changing the springs is not a bad either, unless you have a sport suspension with special rate springs or want really high end struts this is a very good way to go for a daily driver.


True. If you have experience and can tell that they are all OEM dimension instead of those custom dimension like wiper blade inserts from different manufacturers, it isn't an issue if you decided you want OEM for one particular part later on (i.e. if Monroe bearing cap is bad and you want to go back to OEM).

Boots are usually torn anyways, but bump stop shouldn't be bad if you don't lower, race your car, or ride on bad struts for a LONG TIME.
 
I'm struggling with the idea that someone wants to charge you $155 a corner to swap in a quick strut assembly.

I like to imagine that it wouldn't take a professional more than an hour per corner, working at a painfully leisurely pace to install these. With air tools I'm guessing a good mechanic could easily have all four installed in less than two hours.

I just installed a set of Gabriel Ultras on the Camry. It rides nice, and the handling is better than I expected.
 
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