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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Marin County, Northern California
    Posts
    15

    Default Rear Strut and Spring Assembly on Ebay for a 2002 V70XC

    Hello forum member,

    I have a car thats got 250K miiles on original rear shocks and are in need of replacement. Not looking for OEM replacement since I don't know how much longer I will have this car so would prefer a high-quality aftermarket at a lower price. I'm wondering if anyone has had any succcess with full strut assebly units sold on Ebay.. I certainly don't want to install something that will show sign of wear or cause regret after 5K miles of driving. Any first hand experience or recommendation to alternative solutions is much appreciated. Choosing the full assembly replacement route since I don't want to deal with compressing the spring to perform this repair. Thanks much!

    Thanks.
    Hooman

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Finger Lakes, NY
    Posts
    165

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by hrabieh View Post
    Hello forum member,

    I have a car thats got 250K miiles on original rear shocks and are in need of replacement. Not looking for OEM replacement since I don't know how much longer I will have this car so would prefer a high-quality aftermarket at a lower price. I'm wondering if anyone has had any succcess with full strut assebly units sold on Ebay.. I certainly don't want to install something that will show sign of wear or cause regret after 5K miles of driving. Any first hand experience or recommendation to alternative solutions is much appreciated. Choosing the full assembly replacement route since I don't want to deal with compressing the spring to perform this repair. Thanks much!

    Thanks.
    Hooman
    I was thinking about doing the same and decided not to because the merchandise reviews I found elsewhere for same aftermarket brands (in the case of Oredy, Sensen, Duralo) were dismal. Simple but crazy stuff like the spring rates were wrong, various brackets had to be modified on site for fitment, and such. Eventually they will catch up or even leapfrog, but right now not so much and I would expect that they'd focus on solving the issues for newer cars first.

    To get some perspective, check out this web site in Great Britain. https://www.eurocarparts.com/shock-absorber. See what brands they sell across Europe (this site was discussed on thelocal.se as a good place t get discount car parts) Would you believe Monroe struts sell at the price premium they show?

    I suspect that over time the aftermarket brands will catch up to the first and second tier OE, whom produce for the aftermarket as well. It will take some time, during which time the cohort of cars on the road from any given year diminishes anyway.

    And if the pricing tracks "quality" (sometimes yes sometimes no) then Monroe OESpectrum struts from rockauto.com might deserve a second look. Just saying...

    Happy shopping

    Albertj

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Windy Manitoba
    Posts
    631

    Default

    Monroe struts price premium: I bet they are the 4C adjustable shocks (made by Monroe, and yes super expensive) rather than the standard Sachs-made items.

    The Monroe's aren't "better", they are just "fancier". I replaced adjustable Monroe with standard Sachs on my car, and I am much happier.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Toronto, Canada
    Posts
    602

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by hrabieh View Post
    Hello forum member,

    I have a car thats got 250K miiles on original rear shocks and are in need of replacement. Not looking for OEM replacement since I don't know how much longer I will have this car so would prefer a high-quality aftermarket at a lower price. I'm wondering if anyone has had any succcess with full strut assebly units sold on Ebay.. I certainly don't want to install something that will show sign of wear or cause regret after 5K miles of driving. Any first hand experience or recommendation to alternative solutions is much appreciated. Choosing the full assembly replacement route since I don't want to deal with compressing the spring to perform this repair. Thanks much!

    Thanks.
    Hooman
    I went the Sensen unistrut route a few years ago on the front for convenience. They were a complete waste of time and I replaced them two years later with individual parts. If you are up for doing this job, compressing the springs is not a big deal and easily done with the right tool. I was able to borrow a spring compressor from a local autoparts store.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Virginia Beach
    Posts
    4,116

    Default

    Buy quality, name brand suspension components. Volvo, Sachs, Bilstein, Lemforder.

    Skip the Chinese junk and “bargain” lines.

    Or, do the job over next year. Costing more in the long run.
    Current Fleet:
    2016 Tundra Crewmax 4WD 1794
    2005 MB S600 (126K, Michelin AS4, HPL 0W40)
    2005 MB SL600 (55K Michelin AS4, Mobil 1 0W40)
    2004 V70R (143K, six speed M66, HPL 5W40)
    2004 XC90 (235K, HPL 0W30 Euro)
    2002 V70-XC (295K, HPL 0W30 Euro)
    2002 V70-T5 (225K, IPD bars, Bilsteins)
    2001 V70-T5 (125K, IPD downpipe, cat back and other mods)
    1932 Packard Sedan (straight 8, dual sidemounts, original paint and interior, Shell Rotella 15W40)

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