mzeitlin

Just curious - who has replaced their struts:

1. mileage
2. age

Did you notice a big difference before and after replacement.

I have a 16 year old (2000 model year) ES300 with 96,000 miles. The suspension seems fine when I inspected it (no leaking oil, etc.), but I suspect I just have gotten use to the gradual softening of the suspension over the years. I wonder, however, if I will really notice a big difference if I replace the struts. I'm curious if others who have done the replacement will share their experience with the before and after feel.

Thanks

80es300

Good question... I had the same question about my 98 es300 with 145K miles and original struts and coils. I want to know what exaclty it means when people say the ride is so much better with new struts. Does the steering/handling also become better?
Mine bottoms on speed bumps when car is full, other than that drives okay I guess. I have been driving my car for 10+ yrs, so may be I got used to it and nothing to compare against

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

Age: 16 years
Mileage: 195,000

I got the car at 173,000, so I had no idea what the car was like when it was new. Initially I thought the car just had a very soft ride, but later realized that the struts were worn out.

Main improvements came from body control during braking, accelerating, and cornering. I remember the car would nose dive on hard stops and lean back during highway pulls. I also almost lost control during an emergency maneuver when the car started fishtailing. That was the day I realized it needed new struts. Also the rear end was lower than the front - new struts fixed that.

Go with KYB, they made the original struts.

80es300

Booby, With 18 years and 150K miles on the springs/coils, can they be reused or just replace them also? I have read both opinions - just reuse and replace

koreywill

I got my 2003 ES300 approximately one year ago with 273,000 miles on it. I replaced the struts(KYB) all around and the springs in the rear (I kept the fro. I've now got 300,000 miles on it and the most noticeable change has been the firmness of the ride and definitely more control in the corners. I have no idea what a new Lexus rides like but I certainly like the ride and control I have now. You will find a change for the good in your ride when you replace yours.

speedkar9

I replaced the front struts on my Toyota Solara at around 260Km (161K miles). I used Monroe QuickStruts, and didn't immediately notice any difference in handling or ride quality, except the front right corner wouldn't bounce on the highway anymore. That was 3 years ago, now the springs have settled in and the ride is similar to the OEM struts.

This sounds more of an issue with the springs wearing out and sagging than the struts. Struts are just dampers, they work after the spring has taken impact to reduce the bouncing motion of the spring. New struts alone shouldn't change ride height, or affect handling to the extent that you can feel the difference in corning as much as stiffer springs would. You just get less energy transferred into bouncing motion which gives the perception the ride and handling is more secure.


They can be reused if they aren't sagging too much. Personally I find quick struts easier to work with and replace the entire MacPherson strut assembly.

Oro

+1 and it bears repeating - bad sagging is a spring issue, not a shock issue. Shock absorbers absorb shocks but they don't hold your car up.

To the OP: if you have 76k on smooth Texas roads, you may not need anything yet. The wear rate varies both with usage, miles, and age, in decreasing order of importance. I have seenToyota/lexus suspensions ruined in 80k in constant NYC short trips, but still OK at 150k on smooth roads. Our car was on smooth Texas roads a few years, then smooth western WA state road, mostly highway miles. The suspension lasted until near 200k. I then replaced it with KYB cartridges on all four corners and Moog cc273 springs in the rear. Now at ~260k and very smooth all around.

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

You guys are both correct in explaining the difference between springs and struts.

I may have had a combination of both - sagging springs and worn out shocks. The original struts would take minutes to rebound after being pressed down by hand. After I replaced the struts, the ride height has leveled out. However, whenever it gets cold and/or humid, I get a really loud creaking noise in the back. I wonder if reusing the springs has contributed to the noise.

pauloil

05 Es 330 at 100K all 4 struts: bad struts ruined tires on car after 20K miles

80es300

Thanks for the info guys. Since my struts/springs are not too bad, I will wait for some more time and then probably use KYB strut plus (made for 98 camry v6) but I have read forums that they will work for 98 es300 too. They might not be the exact springs but should be okay for 18+yr car. Like speedkar said, complete strut assembly should be easier to swap out and I am assuming KYB strut plus will last a little longer than some other cheaper full strut assembly sets.

Oro

Problems people have had with the KYB complete units is the upper mounts. A lot of reports have them failing prematurely. When you pull your old ones out, save the OE upper mounts in case you run into this. Also know you must have a front alignment right away or you will ruin the front tires. Even if the ride height comes out identical, you need it checked before it's too late.

chuckerst

I replaced all four struts on my '94 ES300 with aftermarket quick struts-two were made by Monroe-two were purchased on Ebay as for some reason Monroe only makes them for the rear. The rear ones took about three hours but after I learned how to do it the front ones were a breeze and took about 1-1/2 hours. I then had a 4 wheel alignment done and the ride and handling is just amazing. Well worth the cost which was about $500-I am 65 years old and did it by myself so obviously it isn't too difficult!