I think my struts are bad?

[Bloody Arro]

There's about an inch or so difference in the fender gap between the front passenger and front driver sides. I was told by my dad that my strut is bad but idk. Any imput?

The pics were taken at the wrong angle, it's bigger than half an inch.
Pics:
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z87/Bloody_Arro/100_2122.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z87/Bloody_Arro/100_2120.jpg

[Poison457]

I'd look more towards your springs being shot, springs effect ride height a lot more than your dampener's do

[RedGalant2k1]

Struts don't affect ride height, but if they have more than 50,000 miles on them than they are worn. After 50,000 miles your struts should be replaced for maintenance to improve steering, stopping, and stability. And it looks like you need tires too!

[Bloody Arro]

We will see.. Because if everything pans out, my dad will be going to work a week from tomorrow, meaning I can drop the Galant.
I love that my mom is supportive of me modding the car lol.

[Bloody Arro]

Struts don't affect ride height, but if they have more than 50,000 miles on them than they are worn. After 50,000 miles your struts should be replaced for maintenance to improve steering, stopping, and stability. And it looks like you need tires too!

I'm gonna start to save up for new struts.. Seeing at the stock ones can't handle the the drop, they will need to be replaced any ways..
As for the tires, I was planning on getting new ones last wednesday, but I don't get paid till this wednesday.

[Conjee]

Struts don't affect ride height, but if they have more than 50,000 miles on them than they are worn. After 50,000 miles your struts should be replaced for maintenance to improve steering, stopping, and stability. And it looks like you need tires too!

Do they have to be replaced at 50k miles? I am on stock strut/shock/springs and I am at 132k. Is it recommended that I replace mine? I do not see anything wrong with them.

[RedGalant2k1]

Do they have to be replaced at 50k miles? I am on stock strut/shock/springs and I am at 132k. Is it recommended that I replace mine? I do not see anything wrong with them.

They don't have to be leaking to perform poorly. And yes, at 132k on original struts they SHOULD be replaced for a previously mentioned reasons.

[RAZ_76]

Do they have to be replaced at 50k miles? I am on stock strut/shock/springs and I am at 132k. Is it recommended that I replace mine? I do not see anything wrong with them.

Holly crap!! Have you heard of maintenance?? You should be on your third set by now.

[johnygezony]

oh god....guess i need new struts....

[varroa]

hmm. captain obvious is telling me that at 140000, i need new ones even more?

[Bloody Arro]

Yeah. I'm gonna start saving up or gonna sell my xbox or something probably..

[Conjee]

My struts/shocks seem fine... I am not experiencing any type of problems. I did purchase KYB strut/shocks cause I was thinking of lowering my car, but then I decided against it since I am low on funds, so I have decided to sell the KYB's. I will prob change them later I am a poor college student.

[Bloody Arro]

New springs might be going on in a week or so and I'm gonna start saving up for new shocks/struts. lol

[RedGalant2k1]

hmm. captain obvious is telling me that at 140000, i need new ones even more?

If original, yes, at 140,000 you need new ones even more than someone with 100,000 miles.


My struts/shocks seem fine... I am not experiencing any type of problems. I did purchase KYB strut/shocks cause I was thinking of lowering my car, but then I decided against it since I am low on funds, so I have decided to sell the KYB's. I will prob change them later I am a poor college student.

Irrelevant. The hydraulic fluid wears down (just like your engine oil) and therefore should be regularly changed from time to time. In this case, 50,000 miles is the industry considered norm. I'm willing to bet no one here has ever participated in a 'ride and drive' as I have, regarding struts and shocks.

There is a HUGE improvement to the dynamics of the vehicle under EVERY condition you can drive through or in. Like I said before, replacing your struts and shocks improves your steering, stopping, and stability. Complaining about tire wear? Complaining about worn suspension parts (tierods, balljoints, etc)? Complaining about bent or cracked wheels?

After 50,000 miles your struts/shocks have compressed and rebounded something like 50,000,000 times. Anyone who doesn't believe it, try doing 50,000,000 pushups and see what happens to your arms.

[Bloody Arro]

^ You become Arnold? Without the steriods, of course.

[LatinoX20]

i changed mine at 60k, they arent that hard to do urself, if you dont wanna drop it, just get quick struts, they come preassemble with springs for a easy swap, and might aswell do end links since u might have to cut the old ones out, rockauto.com has some nice mevotech endlinks cheap, i got them for about $40 for both fronts

[varroa]

so ok, i read a lot of threads on the forum about replacing struts, but i came up with a question that none of the threads seemed to answer:

do the springs need to be replaced regularly, as well? what about the spring insulator, dust cover, bumper, spring seat, strut mount? do they wear much or just have to be replaced as necessary?

i read that a lot of people switched to KYB GR2 struts, but 1) they are for lowering the car, right? i want to keep the stock height, and 2) they seem to cost just as much as OEM Mitsubishi, so that's one more reason to stay OEM. <= is that a good decision or do KYB struts offer something OEMs don't?

[Bloody Arro]

From what I understand, the KYB GR2 shocks/struts can handle a drop, but they're more of a OEM performance setting (I guess you could call it that). The most common shocks/struts I've seen on the forum are KYB AGX's because of their 4-way adjustment.
So I guess KYB AGX's are for more of a drop than the KYB GR2's.

[RedGalant2k1]

so ok, i read a lot of threads on the forum about replacing struts, but i came up with a question that none of the threads seemed to answer:

do the springs need to be replaced regularly, as well? what about the spring insulator, dust cover, bumper, spring seat, strut mount? do they wear much or just have to be replaced as necessary?

i read that a lot of people switched to KYB GR2 struts, but 1) they are for lowering the car, right? i want to keep the stock height, and 2) they seem to cost just as much as OEM Mitsubishi, so that's one more reason to stay OEM. <= is that a good decision or do KYB struts offer something OEMs don't?

The answer is yes, those other components also wear. Usually infact those items listed are the indicators that yours struts/shocks have exceeded their useful life. As such if you see that the bump stops, dust boots, strut mount, spring insulators, or even springs are physically worn, or obviously sagging replace them, and the struts.

This is another reason it is best to replace your suspension with a loaded setup. If you are looking to lower the car, its best with coilovers, as this always are all inclusive systems (except the Tein-SS). KYB GR2s are a stock twin-tube replacement shock, and are NOT intended for use in lowering on ANY application. But alas, people want to go cheap, and the majority of people don't actually understand suspension dynamics.

If you lower your car, and use a factory style strut or shock you effectively reduce the dampers useful range of movement. Not to mention you force the internal damper valves to improperly compensate for suspension movements also. Its best served to use the KYB AGXs or a full coilovers system when lowering your vehicle.


From what I understand, the KYB GR2 shocks/struts can handle a drop, but they're more of a OEM performance setting (I guess you could call it that). The most common shocks/struts I've seen on the forum are KYB AGX's because of their 4-way adjustment.
So I guess KYB AGX's are for more of a drop than the KYB GR2's.

The GR2s, as previously mentioned, are NOT for use in lowered applications. Technically, neither are the AGXs, but their valving is different, and can accommodate lowered applications better. The AGX's adjustable dampening effectively halts or reduces dampener rod movement in the strut/shock body. That is how it is a much better application in lowered vehicles. Even still, full coilovers are the better choice.

[Bloody Arro]

I'm cheap and can't afford coilovers atm lol. But that is the final suspension goal.

[varroa]

thanks for all the info, redgalant.

my problem is money. JUST the OEM struts and shocks are about $260 shipped. if i were to add springs and little things here and there, the price goes to $710 shipped (that includes all of the sway bar links, all four springs, the rear sway bar, all minor things).

seeing how i am ready to do the work myself, the cost of parts is the biggest problem. do you know any cheaper way to do this well, but stay with OEM parts?