Do I need new front struts?
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 233
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From: Mooresville,NC
Do I need new front struts? Hey guys hope you can shed some light on this for me. I have a 1995 Z28 with 172,000 miles on it. I put Eibach Prokit springs and Monroe struts in at 100,000 miles. Now some 70,000 miles and almost 10 years later I have a squeaking in the front end. I can hear it whenever the car is moving. Today I just tried to push down on the front end and it finally made the sound with the car sitting still on both the driver and passenger sides. Does this indicate the struts are wearing out? Is there any other place in the front suspension to lube up besides the sway arm bushings? Can the struts be lubed up?Thanks for any help.
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 233
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From: Mooresville,NC
thanks for the replies guys. what are the most common parts that are usually replaced in the front end? I'm kind of a dummy when it comes to suspension stuff. Are bushings the main things that usually need replacement? I think I'll need rear shocks as well. I can push on the rear of the car and it bounces up and down about 3-4 times. So I assume the rear shocks are worn as well.
OP: Your rear shocks are shot.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,798
Likes: 16
From: St.Charles MO
thanks for the replies guys. what are the most common parts that are usually replaced in the front end? I'm kind of a dummy when it comes to suspension stuff. Are bushings the main things that usually need replacement? I think I'll need rear shocks as well. I can push on the rear of the car and it bounces up and down about 3-4 times. So I assume the rear shocks are worn as well.
Second the monroe shocks are total garbage, new or used, and even worse when paired with lowering springs. A cheapo off the shelf replacement or stock replacement isnt going to get you anywhere because you need a shock that is valved for a higher spring rate and less travel. Bare minimum would be something like bilstien HDs or KYB AGX's, but still neither offer optimum dampening for lowering springs.
The squeek noise could be bushing up from, my guess would be the sway bar "D" bushings that are between the mounting bracket and the swaybar.
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Verdad Gallardo Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 233
Likes: 0
From: Mooresville,NC
well I've already greased the front and rear sway bar bushings. they both need to be replaced but i thought greasing them would buy me a little time. I know there are better choices out there than Monroes but at that time that was all I could afford(about to start college). So that being said, are KYB rear shocks and front coil over shocks pretty good for the money? I'm planning on getting a set of tubular or boxed LCAs from BMR. Also, what would you guys recommend for a bushing kit, the Energy Suspension master kit?
well I've already greased the front and rear sway bar bushings. they both need to be replaced but i thought greasing them would buy me a little time. I know there are better choices out there than Monroes but at that time that was all I could afford(about to start college). So that being said, are KYB rear shocks and front coil over shocks pretty good for the money? I'm planning on getting a set of tubular or boxed LCAs from BMR. Also, what would you guys recommend for a bushing kit, the Energy Suspension master kit?
Are you still on stock ball joints and tie-rod ends?
The master kit is ok, but you'd probably be just as well off just buying replacement sway bushings and end-links and new OEM rubber (poly is evidently known to bind) front control arm bushings.
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 233
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From: Mooresville,NC
so do you think new stock front and rear control arm bushings and a prothane or energy replacement part for the other bushings? i see that byunspeed has front and rear SLP Bilsteins for $403.70 right now. that sounds like a good deal. i might only be able to swings the KYBs though. Do you recommend the Gas-A-Just or GR-2 KYBs? I have replacement tie rods, about 4 years old and stock ball joints(i beileve).
so do you think new stock front and rear control arm bushings and a prothane or energy replacement part for the other bushings? i see that byunspeed has front and rear SLP Bilsteins for $403.70 right now. that sounds like a good deal. i might only be able to swings the KYBs though. Do you recommend the Gas-A-Just or GR-2 KYBs? I have replacement tie rods, about 4 years old and stock ball joints(i beileve).
One thing to look at on the shocks, the SLPs only have a 90-day warranty (something short like that), while the HD Bilstiens have a much better warranty. I think Strano has HDs for about $420 or so. He'd be able to tell you the difference in valving between the two, also. Couldn't tell you the difference between the GR2s and the others, although I think the GR2s are the better of the two.
If you've got stock ball joints at almost 200k miles, that's definitely something to look into replacing.
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 233
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From: Mooresville,NC
element, thanks for helping me out with this. i really don't know a lot about suspension stuff. i'm also trying to spend my money wisely. about the LCAs, i was considering just getting a set of non adjustables. I saw J&M has a set of non adjust with the "poly-ball" ends through byunspeed for $108. I figure just about all of the non adjust LCAs are about the same quality. i was just concerned about what bushings each company uses, if one company has a better and quieter bushing. who sells the bilsteins with the longer warranty?
element, thanks for helping me out with this. i really don't know a lot about suspension stuff. i'm also trying to spend my money wisely. about the LCAs, i was considering just getting a set of non adjustables. I saw J&M has a set of non adjust with the "poly-ball" ends through byunspeed for $108. I figure just about all of the non adjust LCAs are about the same quality. i was just concerned about what bushings each company uses, if one company has a better and quieter bushing. who sells the bilsteins with the longer warranty?
I'm sure there are different "blends" of poly, but I've never seen much comparing the poly bushings between different vendors. I'd imagine if you keep them greased, any of them will work well enough.
Sam Strano, at stranoparts.com, sells the HD Bilsteins.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,798
Likes: 16
From: St.Charles MO
I know there are better choices out there than Monroes but at that time that was all I could afford(about to start college). So that being said, are KYB rear shocks and front coil over shocks pretty good for the money? I'm planning on getting a set of tubular or boxed LCAs from BMR. Also, what would you guys recommend for a bushing kit, the Energy Suspension master kit?
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 233
Likes: 0
From: Mooresville,NC
Q1: yes i removed the bushings and greased them and put them back on
Q2: if i can afford the shocks and LCAs at the same time i'll do them both but for sure the shocks will be next. did you guys notice a big difference after putting on new shocks or installing a new bushing kit?
Q2: if i can afford the shocks and LCAs at the same time i'll do them both but for sure the shocks will be next. did you guys notice a big difference after putting on new shocks or installing a new bushing kit?
Q1: yes i removed the bushings and greased them and put them back on
Q2: if i can afford the shocks and LCAs at the same time i'll do them both but for sure the shocks will be next. did you guys notice a big difference after putting on new shocks or installing a new bushing kit?
Q2: if i can afford the shocks and LCAs at the same time i'll do them both but for sure the shocks will be next. did you guys notice a big difference after putting on new shocks or installing a new bushing kit?
Sway bushings are going to help, but shocks would definitely be the first thing to do, then bushings and LCAs.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,798
Likes: 16
From: St.Charles MO
Q1: yes i removed the bushings and greased them and put them back on
Q2: if i can afford the shocks and LCAs at the same time i'll do them both but for sure the shocks will be next. did you guys notice a big difference after putting on new shocks or installing a new bushing kit?
Q2: if i can afford the shocks and LCAs at the same time i'll do them both but for sure the shocks will be next. did you guys notice a big difference after putting on new shocks or installing a new bushing kit?
For me putting on just koni SA's made a bigger difference than both my springs and swaybars (35mm front / 22mm rear swaybars, not just the bushings) combined.
