monroe quick strut - CRV

Hi,

I have a '02 CRV in need of front strut replacement and am wondering if
the monroe quick struts are a good enough product to use for this job or
if I should just replace the actual struts with OEM. Cost is the main
consideration. So, are the quick struts any good? Will I go through 2
replacements in the time 1 OEM strut would last or are they solid?

 

Hi,
What is quick strut? '02 and already needs replacement? When I time
comes I pick from KYB, Koni, or Bilstein and forget about it for the
life of car.

 

Here's what the quickstrut is: http://www.monroe.com/products/quickstrut.asp

as for replacement needed on a '02, not impossible. Driven daily and at
120,000km (74,564 miles) it can start to happen on a 6 yr old car.

 

75K is nothing. What makes you think you need to replace the strut?

 

make that "detroit" car - this is a honda. many people here run their
hondas for hundreds of thousands of miles before shocks or struts need
attention.

 

forgot to say, depending on application, monroe use a different rated
spring to oem. makes for a softer ride, but bottoms out easier.

 

Hmmm,
My runabout '98 had new strut put in all around at 200K Km.
Got a set of Bilstein and Eiback springs from eBay at good rpice.
Lucky I have a friend who is a journeymqn mechanic. He replaced them for me.

 

granted that 75K is a bit low for this to happen. My other car a '96
camry at 140K just had the front struts replaced last month but they had
become floaty.
Well for the CRV, back in the spring on a routing trip to the dealer for
other work they had pointed out that I had "leaking" stuts and quoted me
$700 for the parts & work. I passed on it and now notice a slight sharp
clunk sound at low speeds on larger bumps so I assumed they were right.

 

Are the struts /actually/ leaking? Can you see the leak? If there is no oil
visible on the outside of the strut, chances are it's fine.

When you go over bumps on the side that's supposedly leaking, does the car
feel "rubbery"? If you accelerate hard into a turn towards the leaking
side, does the inside front wheel chatter or hop?

A "clunk" can easily be a bad/broken stabilizer bar link.

 

I had a look and can see no oil around the strut. It is dry and the ride
is pretty firm, not rubbery on the front. Accelerating when turning to
either side is fine, no hop or chatter.

Ok so the clunk is likely as you said. So it would seem the dealership
almost had me in the bag!

 

I don't know how the struts mount in those, but I've seen a clunk caused
by a loose gland nut at the top of the strut housing.

 

what /do/ you know james?

 

He's knows not to be an ass, something you haven't learned

That said, he seems very knowledable about vehicles in general and is
willing to share without going into the tired spiel about "free expert
advice" that you always regress into.

Let's face it, no one was born being a Honda expert, not even you, so
just lay-off before you run everyone out of here.

 

Then the strut and its insert are most likely in excellent condition and
not in need of replacement.

Honda shocks do NOT wear out in 75,000 miles.

Better check ALL the suspension bolts, for torque. This includes all of
them at the top of the strut, and all of them at the bottom, plus the
stabilizer bar's links/bolts.

 

yeah. my penny pinching determination not to upgrade/hot rod anything
until it's worn out or broken and needs replacing anyway leaves me
with my original shock/struts at 180K and apparently they still work.
with the old rocking the end of the car test the oscillation is damped
within like 1 cycle. on the other hand, the car still eats rubber
bushings like candy, so that is definitely where i would look for a
clunk.