My 03 wrx has about 114,000 miles so far. I still have my stock struts with Tein S-tech springs on them and i've been running when my car was at about 20k-25k miles. When i get out of my car, the back struts or springs squeak when i bounce it up and down. My question is would it be a good idea to just replace struts and keep the springs or just the springs or both? don't really have the money for coilovers. plus, i'm just a daily driver. thanks for help
replace the struts and the springs. if you keep the S techs and replace the struts it will happen all over agin. get KYB AXG struts and a good set of springs. or just get a nice set of springs that are nice and compatiable with your stock struts..
it sounds like he got about 90K out of his last setup... why not put stock ones back in?? but agreement with above in the sense of, if you are gonna change your struts why not spend a little $$$$$ extra and get soem great quality struts to compliment your springs... then drive with a smile... I need to upgrade my struts and springs sometime this year... the ice race put a couple of nails in the ol suspension coffin....
^^ yeah good point. do what you want but why not have a little better handiling than you do now! I would love to get a nice setup for suspension this summer as well. i think the stock back struts are going and it's really annoying when they squeek and feel like crap when i drive
so how much are kyb agx struts? what i've searched is about $700 for all four. is that right? i might just got with kyb agx struts with s-tech springs again.
yeah look on ebay. way cheeper! i think it's like $400 for a set of struts form KYB and you can keep your springs if you fell like it. the S techs aren't the stiffest but what ever suites you than go for it.
I'd go eBay. $450 But I'm an eBay whore. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/KYB-...hZ019QQitemZ7972423580QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
my car only has about 84000 miles on and i also HATE the sound of it when i go over any bumps or pot holes.....SOME HAVE TOLD ME THAT IS NORMAL????? i still hate it though
its not normal to hear any clunking or squeaking going over bumps. squeaking could be spring perch moved, or the gasket on the bottom is torn, neither is a big deal. resonant sounding clunking with some vibration means you need to replace that strut though.
You know, I'm not so sure a lot of people even know what a faulty strut is. He could have been driving on blown struts for the last 40-60k. Who knows... Just because it doesn't squeek doesn't mean it doesn't handle like a$$. I can't say I speak from experience, but just by looking at what those springs do (lower yet still soft), they sound like poo poo. He's gotta at least upgrade the shocks.
Or you could try CVRMotorsports...I got my set for 425.00 shipped. And FYI, I would find a different spring if you're going to run AGXs. Those S Techs will eat them alive, they don't cope with lowering springs very well at all, and they won't warranty them either. Find something with less of a drop like the Prodrives or the SPT or even a set of STI takeoffs. The struts will last longer and your car will handle better.
I like s-tech springs so if i dont' get the AGX's, i could just replace it with stock struts (if i can find cheap low miles ones) could i? Also, right now the car is bouncy. Not as stiff anymore so that's what makes me think i need new springs and or struts. How could you tell if the strut is blown? or if i need a new one?
I will say this as gently as possible. If springs were religious deities, those springs would be the Devil. In other words, they are crap. Seriously though, the suspension drop those things have murders struts, whether they are stock or upgraded. They also throw your suspension geometry out of whack AND the spring rates are almost as soft as the stock springs in the first place so you're doing nothing to improve the handling. So, as to your original question. Yes, you likely need struts. You've got almost 115k on the stockers and you've been running those springs. I am amazed they held up this long, although I don't know when they started making noise either. The bounciness you're getting is from the struts lack of damping. In your OP, you asked if you need new struts, new springs or both. IMHO, you need both if you want to improve your setup. Stock struts with better springs would give you much better handling, better springs with upgraded struts would be even better. If you enjoy the slammed look then that's your preference, but if you want to improve the car I'd look at something else.
can anyone tell me if this is all i need to switch out my stock struts and put these on with new springs(stock 03 struts. he says it has 17k miles on them)? thanks p.s is there a way to tell if they're still in good condition besides pictures? i don't want to buy em and it end up being like 50k miles on them, how would you be able to tell anyways if they have 17k or 50k....
Are they leaking fluid? Do they sound squishy (trust me, you'll know) when you compress them? Do they rebound well or not at all? Look for those things and you should be ok. I don't think any of us could tell you how to check the mileage on a strut, and it all depends on how they were driven. You could blow a set of stockers on a rally stage in a matter of miles, or you could get 80k on the highway. It's not so much the mileage as how they've been used and with what springs.
