Originally Posted by maintenanceMan
I bet your top mount bolts aren't tight. When I install struts, I find that after driving for the first time, I often need to tighten things up.
Unfortunately, it seems all bolts are tight. What jumps around (a little bit) is the strut's rod. The same number of threads are visible on both rods, so I guess that similar torque has been applied to both struts.
Anyway, the problem started after 12,000 miles, many of which included spirited driving on curvy mountain roads, so I guess if the bolt had got loose it would have happened earlier.
The mount's rubber externally seems in almost perfect condition, but I'm not sure if that means it's the same on the other side which I can't inspect without removing the strut.
By the way, the mechanic had used the old bearing, because the one included with the KYB mount was not fitting in tightly. I wonder if the play can be a result of a failed bearing and not the mount itself.
Originally Posted by GZRider
Do believe Sachs is OEM on American built Toyota,seems like the route to go if you cannot get OEM at a reasonable price.
I find Sachs and Lemförder in almost double the price compared to other aftermarket brands. I'm not sure if the quality is much better than the other brands though, but my impression is that the generally produce quality parts, like TRW which all are part of ZF group. Anyway, KYB mounts are also OEM for some car brands and also Monroe for other brands, but that's not a guarantee that aftermarket parts will be of the same quality. Definitely, I'm disappointed with the KYB mounts. The bearing they included in the box was lose, it didn't fit properly and that's unacceptable for me. Also I read bad reviews in 2 different Toyota forums for the KYBs so I don't think I will use them again.
Originally Posted by Jimzz
Most are made in china. So its a crap shoot at best.
What I have done that seems to work well is take them apart and put better grease in them. The ones I have opened had very little grease and it did not look that good as well. Cleaned the bearings and pack them well with a good grease. Marine grease works well due to its wash out resistance.
Some are sealed so those are a bigger gamble.
If you read my reply to maintenanceMan the mechanic used the old beraing which were the OEM, because the one's included with the KYB mounts were loose. That makes me wonder if the problem is with the old bearing and not the mount itself.
The KYB struts and rear shock absorbers I purchased were made in Japan, but the mounts were made in India, as far as I can remember. But that's something normal I guess. I changed an outer tie rod with a Lemförder and it was made in Korea, not in Germany, so as I said that's something that tends to become standard. The thing is if the company enforces strict quality controls to overseas factories. If the answer is yes then I would think that there wouldn't be any difference regarding their quality.
Originally Posted by DukeOfFrontenac
Not sure what to suggest in your case but the last couple sets of KYB shocks and struts I bought were a complete disappointment. Blew their guts out rather quickly. Sure, they are warrantied - send the dead ones back to them, they will inspect it, and let you know. While you wait for their answer, your car is up on jack stands going nowhere.
Years ago, KYB was my 'go to'. Not anymore.
Well, I now have KYB struts and shocks isntalled on my car and everything seems good so far. I'm not impressed with their mounts though which were made in India. Their struts and shocks were made in Japan, if that has any significance.
Originally Posted by Dave9
I'm seeing a Sachs part # for that so that is what I'd get if available in Greece.
Yes, they produce strut mounts for my Lancer. I don't know if anyone imports them to Greece, but I can order them from abroad. No problem with that. See my answer to GZRider about them.
Originally Posted by The Critic
High temperature friendly brake pads are generally terrible when cold. When driving around town or on the highway, good performance at cold temps is critical.
Very very few mainstream cars have Bilstein B6 struts available for their application. It is generally limited to high-performance cars or high(er) performance German Cars. Most of the time, aftermarket is in reference to white-box branded parts or junky Monroe/KYB.
EBC Yellostuff and Ferodo DS2500 have a high friction coefficient even in cold temperatures. Manufacturers always give a warning for pads that don't have a good bite when cold, saying that they are only intended for track use. The downside with this pads is that are dusty and have a shorter lifespan than pads that are intended for normal use.
About B6 struts you are wrong. They are available for almost every European car. I had a Ford, 75 horsepower, and the yellow Bilsteins were available for it. I just checked the Mercedes A-Class A 160 with 10p hp horsepower, same as my Lancer, and they offer a coilover adjustable strut for it.