Struts - boy, am I confused
#17
Pole Position
Looking forward to hearing your opinion after you do it; I hope the Moog springs satisfy you as they did me. The price was great, but even besides that I could not find anything else in stock height for this car other than OE.
#19
Intermediate
OK. I've been following my own thread and here's what I've come up with so far in regards to replacing the struts:
Go with KYB's Excel G-2 front and rear, new strut bellows and bump stops front and rear, Moog CC273 springs in the rear (even though they're for Avalon and Camry), and reuse all other parts. does that about cover it? If so it looks like about $540 total.
Go with KYB's Excel G-2 front and rear, new strut bellows and bump stops front and rear, Moog CC273 springs in the rear (even though they're for Avalon and Camry), and reuse all other parts. does that about cover it? If so it looks like about $540 total.
#20
Pit Crew
Thread Starter
Fortitude: I had some other major expenses come up so I've had to put this project off til spring. I will post after it's done and will try and compare before and after ride quality.
#21
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Mar 2016
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Replacing struts, what else I need.
Seems like my rear struts are too soft and bouncy and have ruined my tires, so got new tires. Now I need to replace rear struts, I would like to order online and have narrowed it down to KYB Excel g, the mechanic that is doing the job suggested that I might as well change the entire assembly since car has already 130,000 miles, and labor would be the same. I have checked the threads here but too much info and I get lost. Can you guys narrow it down for me as to what should I order for the mechanic, since it is an online order we don't have a chance to check what is good and can be reused, and what is bad and needs to be replaced.
#22
Pole Position
A few comments:
Based on what you say, I would suggest ordering rear KYB quick struts and some new bellows/boots if not included with the quick strut kit. Pretty sure they are already on the unit as assembled IIRC. You should need nothing else. Your links and bushings, etc. should not be worn out in a non-salt state (FL), but you never know for certain until you put hands on the patient.
Be aware lots of people report issues with both the Monroe and KYB upper mounts ( and other lower-grade replacements, too) later down the road when using the quick struts. NOt all, but a good percentage. This is mostly in the front I believe and I would not worry so much in the rear. I would not "quick strut" the front with a unit with non-OE mounts (and such a beast is not available).
Lastly, you did not say what year you are talking about. There are differences in equipment between years. I am guessing if you say your rear is worn out and "soft" with that many miles in FL you have a later model?
Based on what you say, I would suggest ordering rear KYB quick struts and some new bellows/boots if not included with the quick strut kit. Pretty sure they are already on the unit as assembled IIRC. You should need nothing else. Your links and bushings, etc. should not be worn out in a non-salt state (FL), but you never know for certain until you put hands on the patient.
Be aware lots of people report issues with both the Monroe and KYB upper mounts ( and other lower-grade replacements, too) later down the road when using the quick struts. NOt all, but a good percentage. This is mostly in the front I believe and I would not worry so much in the rear. I would not "quick strut" the front with a unit with non-OE mounts (and such a beast is not available).
Lastly, you did not say what year you are talking about. There are differences in equipment between years. I am guessing if you say your rear is worn out and "soft" with that many miles in FL you have a later model?
Last edited by Oro; 03-08-16 at 11:39 AM.
#23
Pit Crew
Thread Starter
Gumel - Oro's been very helpful on the question of struts for my 2003 es300. Here's what I've ordered: Boots by KYB SB101 and SB102, for about $52, 4 KYB EXcel G-2 Struts for $292, and CC273 Springs for $72.25. Total about $412. I'm reusing the Lexus mounts and the front springs. My planned install date is sometime in April.I'll let you know how it turns out.
#24
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Oro and Koreywill, thanks. Oro to answer your question, mine is 2004, you mentioned quick struts (Strut Plus) which I don't seem to find for my car/year. So like Koreywill was saying, probably then buy separate: coil springs, boots, and struts. No mounts/insulator, bearing plate, or anything else?
#25
Pole Position
Oro and Koreywill, thanks. Oro to answer your question, mine is 2004, you mentioned quick struts (Strut Plus) which I don't seem to find for my car/year. So like Koreywill was saying, probably then buy separate: coil springs, boots, and struts. No mounts/insulator, bearing plate, or anything else?
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/es-...de-height.html
18 months/25k miles later and I am quite happy. I cannot say it will outlast the OE springs, but I doubt it could be worse, and there was no way I was putting the mushy OE Lexus springs back in; I'd cut down some Jeep springs before I did that. I did not need new insulators (re-used them), and I re-used the stock mounts (now have ~255k miles on them and work fine -mostly highway miles on good roads, so YMMV).
The Moog coils are not spec'd for this car, but ARE for the same MY Camry and Avalon, which is pretty much identical. I do not know if it is because the spring rate is different, or the nominal height is different. But other applications cross-referenced the same applications between the Camry/Avalon/ES300/330 for the same years so I "gave it a whirl." Very glad I did. The Moog coils were also about 1/3 the price of the OE coils for the best price for each I could find at the time.
If you do need new insulators, I saw some on closeout cheaply at Rockauto recently, you could check there.
Last edited by Oro; 03-08-16 at 01:46 PM.
#26
Lexus Fanatic
#27
Pole Position
Caveat emptor, both with OE rubber and KYB plastic. The OE rubber performed pretty miserably over time in my (relatively easy) application, but I cannot say the KYB plastic will be better until several more years go by.
Last edited by Oro; 03-08-16 at 09:19 PM.
#28
Pit Crew
Thread Starter
Finally got it done
With the help of my son in law (former mechanic with all the right tools) and advice on parts from ORO I finally got struts installed on all 4 corners. Here's what we put in: Boots by KYB SB101 and SB102, for about $52 (not quite a perfect replacement for the original but they work) , 4 KYB EXcel G-2 Struts for $292, and CC273 Springs for $72.25. It doesn't corner like the Porsche 914 I once had but, man, it is vastly improved. I reused the original mounts, lower insulators (which I probably should have replaced), and front springs. I only had one problem and that was a "clunk" on bumps on the way home from where the SIL lives. It was from the first strut we replaced so when I got home I pulled it back out, hit the top strut nut with an impact wrench, reinstalled, and the noise disappeared. There is no way that I can figure out to accurately install that nut to the proper ft/lbs (no way to use a torque wrench and keep the piston from spinning) so I got to a point of a few threads above the nut and went with that. I anticipate that the ride will settle down a bit as we put on the miles but I'm really satisfied with how it all went. By the way it took about 3 hours from the time I pulled into the garage til I pulled out with everything installed. All this on a car that I bought at 273,000 miles which now has 290k + miles. (I think the struts had never been replaced!)
Thank you to everyone that had suggestions. It was greatly appreciated.
Thank you to everyone that had suggestions. It was greatly appreciated.
#29
Pole Position
Did you try torqueing it while installed?
I find the weight of the car on the strut unit will stabilize it enough to get to the spec'd torque (30 ft/lbs or so IIRC). I had the same issue on one side in the rear as you.
I don't like the KYB boots, either, but hadn't found a better alternative. They should do the job, though. Glad you are happy.
Are you getting the alignment checked? Even though when I replaced the front springs it did not change the ride height, but it started wearing the tires unevenly. They say you can't eyeball/measure that accurately enough to be safe and should get at least a front-end alignment right away. I found that to be true.
I find the weight of the car on the strut unit will stabilize it enough to get to the spec'd torque (30 ft/lbs or so IIRC). I had the same issue on one side in the rear as you.
I don't like the KYB boots, either, but hadn't found a better alternative. They should do the job, though. Glad you are happy.
Are you getting the alignment checked? Even though when I replaced the front springs it did not change the ride height, but it started wearing the tires unevenly. They say you can't eyeball/measure that accurately enough to be safe and should get at least a front-end alignment right away. I found that to be true.
#30
Pit Crew
Thread Starter
Hey Oro! I forgot to add that the car's going to the alignment shop tomorrow for a 4 wheel alignment just to be sure. It didn't look like there was anything that we did that would change the alignment but still.... I'll post the results.
We tried torquing the nut while the strut was on the bench, with all 4 wheels off the ground, and with the full weight of the car on the ground. Nothing stopped the piston from spinning. So really, the torque on the four top nuts is just a guess at this point. Again, thanks for all the help and suggestions.
Now on the the pricey front lower control arm bushings. Yikes!
We tried torquing the nut while the strut was on the bench, with all 4 wheels off the ground, and with the full weight of the car on the ground. Nothing stopped the piston from spinning. So really, the torque on the four top nuts is just a guess at this point. Again, thanks for all the help and suggestions.
Now on the the pricey front lower control arm bushings. Yikes!