Experience/Opinions on Monroe Sensa-Tracs

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BBuzecky

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I own a 2004 Mazda 3 with about 82,000 miles. As with any suspension it has gotten worse over time, and I feel this spring it's time for some new struts/shocks. I am considering going all OEM from my online Mazda dealer who gives solid prices, or Monroe Sensa-Tracs. Here are my pricing options..

OEM = $435 shipped

Monroe Sensa-Tracs from RockAuto = $242 Shipped

Monroe Sensa-Tracs from Advance Auto = $175 including taxes, shipped.

The Advance auto price takes into account these crazy 40% off coupons they've had for so long, so it makes for one sweet deal. So my question is has anyone dealt with Monroe's in the past, and what are your experiences?

My goal is to get the most forgiving/softest ride I can get. The Mazda 3 is never going to ride like it's on a cloud, it's not supposed to, but I'd like to get as close as I can realistically. Please give me your thoughts.
 
I bought some for my Jeep. They were extreemly soft and bouncy. It would bottom out on small bumps and keep bouncing like there were no shocks at all. I pulled em off and got 2 more under warranty.

No difference. Returned them and got Gabriels.
 
Got some on my Jeep 94, my Sierra, my Focus, and I used to have some on the corrola. I like em, good ride, increased the steering on my sierra quite a bit. For offroading my jeep, gotta see how long they will last, I had some rancho shocks previously.
 
Any new strut is going to ride better simply because it's new. However, this does not mean it is the best choice for the long run. Aftermarket struts are not tested specifically for your vehicle and the ride characteristics may not be desirable. The durability may not be as good, either. I would just buy another set of OE struts.
 
I have Sensa Trac on the back of the Cav, and they seem to be doing very good, even on the potholes.

Will be puting them on the front of the car this spring.
 
One thing about Bilstein is they don't require frequent replacement! They're stock on my car and after nearly 60k HARD miles they are as tight as can be.

Don't think they are known for riding 'like a cloud', though.

I don't ever recall any real problems with Monroe shocks. Too soft for my tastes, but should ride softly.
 
Deffinatly get them from AAP!

I have used Sensi-Trac(and many other MONROE shocks/struts) and they seem fine. They're new! They are also an exact replacement(or as close as your going to find) for each vehicle. It's a replacement part, nothing more! They're going to be stiff for a while til they settle down. Monroe is pretty much all I have ever used with the exception of Gabriel's in the 70's.

Any other shock/strut such as KONI, Bilstein, KYB etc., may only give you a firmer ride(with better handling of course) but, may also cost more and may ride harsher over time. These other brands may or may not take pot holes and street ruts better when new but, key word, "when new"! You'll never know until you install them.

I'm not pro-Monroe by any means(except for price) but I have used them with good succuss. And also, I have never replaced shocks/struts and achieved a better ride. EVER! I don't care what anyone says.
Better controll...Sure! But not better ride especially because the vehicle was old. All of the susspension bushing and rubber mounts/dampers are now old. You want better/new ride, change those.

You install you shock/strut of choice and let me know if the ride is actually better.

And another thing. Once I replaced with MONROE, I never had to replace them again. And the Monroe's that I bought were Lifetime replacement. Never used the warranty! And as many of you here know, I keep my vehicles into their teens(16-18 yrs) with the Monroe's on them for at least 10-11 of those years.

I still have the Monroe Radial Tuned Shocks on my '80 Firebird FORMULA that I installed in '88.
 
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If you're not bottoming out, your worn out dampers are probably going to give you as soft a ride as you can get. If you want to replace them and still have a soft ride, Monroe is probably your best bet. They have so little damping that I've bounce-tested an almost new pair and declared them worn out!
 
Originally Posted By: rpn453
If you're not bottoming out, your worn out dampers are probably going to give you as soft a ride as you can get. If you want to replace them and still have a soft ride, Monroe is probably your best bet. They have so little damping that I've bounce-tested an almost new pair and declared them worn out!


I agree! Also, I wouldn't change out you struts til you need'em, or you have other issues in that area such as mounts or springs. Or you can get them at a wonderful price for good struts(4)

Prior to replacing any shock/strut, I had the best ride with the ones in the car that needed replacing. I usually had 1 shock/strut go bad which is why I replaced all 4. I have even had them go, kitty corner(one F and one R). This is just what happens!

I have had springs only break(shocks were OK) and not only changed the springs but the shock/struts too. Why not? If I'm going to tare everything apart, I'm changing everything! Different subject though!
 
When I installed Sensatracs on a 2003 Malibu (last year of an ancient body style) at about 60k, I was surprised at both better ride and better control.

I suspect Monroe, like others, has a few "templates" for strut or shock valving that they use, and vary the rest with the exterior mounting specifics.

In my case with the Malibu, which I'd had from day one as a company car, replacement was a distinct improvement. I traded the car at about 83k but the struts were still doing great.
 
Thanks for the responses. It seems you guys have a generally positive outlook on the Monroe's. The biggest thing for me is the price, which for less than $200 I think is very good. I've heard great things about Koni, Bilstein, etc but those kits are generally $600+ at the very least. Price is pretty important to me in this.

Is it a smart idea to change out the strut mount while I'm at it? I've heard the OEM bumpers can get pretty degraded over time, as well.
 
I understand the price motivation, but keep this in mind:

You might be saving some money now, but how are you going to feel when you need to change out these shocks in two years? It's not like it's easy to do, and you have to ask yourself how much your time it worth.

I've been down this road too many times... I bought cheap shocks and cheap suspension parts only to have to replace them WAY before I should have.

This afternoon, in fact, I'll be changing all 8 of the control arms on my A6 because I cheaped out on parts. I saved a couple bucks, but then I lost all the savings because I have to buy the parts all over again. What should have lasted 8 years (oem parts) lasted 18 MONTHS. And I get to repeat all that labor.

I put SensaTracs in a Saab once. I thought they sucked... they were harsh on small stuff and soft on big stuff, kind of the opposite of what I was looking for.
 
I've currently got Sensa-tracs on the front of the Jeep. They were on it when I bought it, and I'm not sure how many miles they've got on them (at least the 12k I've put on it in the last year). They work fine, and ride ok. They're a little soft for my taste, but not mushy or anything.
 
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