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Quick Struts

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    So back in July I about a set of quick struts (assembly that has the strut, spring, mounts that come ready to bolt on car). I have no issues with the rears so far but the fronts seem to be cluncking. Changed the endlinks then just lived with the noise. Rather than throwing more parts at it decided to have a shop look at it. Took it to 2 shops over the holiday break and both said the exact same thing.....everything looks good an tight except for a little play in the driver ball joint. One shop wanted $169, the other $400. The tC ball joints looked simple enough and I already had the parts so did them myself. There is too much clunking for it to be the ball joints (it wasn't) but a good catch I guess.

    So my question is.....what makes these quick struts bad? Is it the internals of the struts or cheap mounts? I am almost thinking the mounts are the cheap fail point. The seller sent me another 2 struts as replacements, I felt there was too much play in those mounts, they sent me another pair, and I bought a pair of KYB mounts separately.

    Where is stand now is do I swap in the KYB mounts on to the replacements they sent me (if the mounts are the weakness) or just get some name brand strut and start over (if the internals of the struts are the weakness)

    Thoughts?
    backroad101 wrote:
    So back in July I about a set of quick struts (assembly that has the strut, spring, mounts that come ready to bolt on car). I have no issues with the rears so far but the fronts seem to be cluncking. Changed the endlinks then just lived with the noise. Rather than throwing more parts at it decided to have a shop look at it. Took it to 2 shops over the holiday break and both said the exact same thing.....everything looks good an tight except for a little play in the driver ball joint. One shop wanted $169, the other $400. The tC ball joints looked simple enough and I already had the parts so did them myself. There is too much clunking for it to be the ball joints (it wasn't) but a good catch I guess.

    So my question is.....what makes these quick struts bad? Is it the internals of the struts or cheap mounts? I am almost thinking the mounts are the cheap fail point. The seller sent me another 2 struts as replacements, I felt there was too much play in those mounts, they sent me another pair, and I bought a pair of KYB mounts separately.

    Where is stand now is do I swap in the KYB mounts on to the replacements they sent me (if the mounts are the weakness) or just get some name brand strut and start over (if the internals of the struts are the weakness)

    Thoughts?


    Ive had the quick struts on my project civic car. total junk. They use parts that are the lowest quality (aka cheapest). The clunking from yours on the tC could definitely be the upper strut mount (the bearing moves being a macpherson strut design). On my civic it was actually the piston rod from the shock itself rattling around. The shocks blew with only 4-5 months of driving! And I never hit any potholes!

    If you're already able to see play in the mounts with your hands, just imagine what the 2900-3000lb tC is going to do to them!!? You're smart to say there's something wrong! There is.. The KYB mounts should be better than the quick strut stuff.

    I know that the Toyota front upper strut mounts are about $70-80 each even online with Mcgeorge toyota or sparks toyota. You probably got the KYB for cheaper than that? If the goal is trying to save $$$ then install the KYB and see if the noise is gone. If you want to say screw the whole thing.. Then try a good brand name strut, and check out mcgeorge parts for Toyota's strut, it's not that much more.

    Ok I checked for ya.. front strut is $97 from McGeorge Toyota parts.. on rock auto the sachs is $74. I looked at Sachs because that's what I've had in the project civic for 3.5 years now. No issues at all! The KYB I had before that had two sets both leaking and they hadn't been installed yet! Plus sachs is an oem to Honda in Europe. Sachs makes our tC's rear hatch lift supports.

    Up to you what to do, but that's my options of what you could do to keep it fixed for awhile.
    • Edited 2 times, last by backroad101 on .
    sciontc_mich wrote:
    backroad101 wrote:
    So back in July I about a set of quick struts (assembly that has the strut, spring, mounts that come ready to bolt on car). I have no issues with the rears so far but the fronts seem to be cluncking. Changed the endlinks then just lived with the noise. Rather than throwing more parts at it decided to have a shop look at it. Took it to 2 shops over the holiday break and both said the exact same thing.....everything looks good an tight except for a little play in the driver ball joint. One shop wanted $169, the other $400. The tC ball joints looked simple enough and I already had the parts so did them myself. There is too much clunking for it to be the ball joints (it wasn't) but a good catch I guess.

    So my question is.....what makes these quick struts bad? Is it the internals of the struts or cheap mounts? I am almost thinking the mounts are the cheap fail point. The seller sent me another 2 struts as replacements, I felt there was too much play in those mounts, they sent me another pair, and I bought a pair of KYB mounts separately.

    Where is stand now is do I swap in the KYB mounts on to the replacements they sent me (if the mounts are the weakness) or just get some name brand strut and start over (if the internals of the struts are the weakness)

    Thoughts?


    Ive had the quick struts on my project civic car. total junk. They use parts that are the lowest quality (aka cheapest). The clunking from yours on the tC could definitely be the upper strut mount (the bearing moves being a macpherson strut design). On my civic it was actually the piston rod from the shock itself rattling around. The shocks blew with only 4-5 months of driving! And I never hit any potholes!

    If you're already able to see play in the mounts with your hands, just imagine what the 2900-3000lb tC is going to do to them!!? You're smart to say there's something wrong! There is.. The KYB mounts should be better than the quick strut stuff.

    I know that the Toyota front upper strut mounts are about $70-80 each even online with Mcgeorge toyota or sparks toyota. You probably got the KYB for cheaper than that? If the goal is trying to save $$$ then install the KYB and see if the noise is gone. If you want to say screw the whole thing.. Then try a good brand name strut, and check out mcgeorge parts for Toyota's strut, it's not that much more.

    Ok I checked for ya.. front strut is $97 from McGeorge Toyota parts.. on rock auto the sachs is $74. I looked at Sachs because that's what I've had in the project civic for 3.5 years now. No issues at all! The KYB I had before that had two sets both leaking and they hadn't been installed yet! Plus sachs is an oem to Honda in Europe. Sachs makes our tC's rear hatch lift supports.

    Up to you what to do, but that's my options of what you could do to keep it fixed for awhile.


    I have never had issues with KYB products so I am confident in the mounts I have. May just end up getting KYB strus as well from Rock Auto and call it a day. I could also try the 2nd replacement pair of struts I got just because I have them to use and the mounts seem good, get a lifetime alignment somewhere and go the KYBs struts route when or if I need to. Will see.
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