# Do I need new struts?



## 98Midnight (Apr 23, 2004)

I have 92k miles on my 98 Sentra XE. I was looking around under the car and noticed the protective boot on the rear struts is deteriorated. It's that black rubber piece that goes over the strut piston and under the spring. The strut piston is exposed to the elements and probably has been for a while. I still have the original struts installed so maybe I'm due anyway. :thumbup:


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## Nismo1997 (Dec 26, 2003)

98Midnight said:


> I have 92k miles on my 98 Sentra XE. I was looking around under the car and noticed the protective boot on the rear struts is deteriorated. It's that black rubber piece that goes over the strut piston and under the spring. The strut piston is exposed to the elements and probably has been for a while. I still have the original struts installed so maybe I'm due anyway. :thumbup:


Does your car bounce when you hit bumps etc?


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

98Midnight said:


> I have 92k miles on my 98 Sentra XE. I was looking around under the car and noticed the protective boot on the rear struts is deteriorated. It's that black rubber piece that goes over the strut piston and under the spring. The strut piston is exposed to the elements and probably has been for a while. I still have the original struts installed so maybe I'm due anyway. :thumbup:


That stupid strut boot goes after a while. I had it happen to me too. If it's coming apart in rings, you may as well take a pair of scissors to them and cut them off. Otherwise, they might get sucked into the strut mount like with my old suspension system.


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## 98Midnight (Apr 23, 2004)

*NEW STRUTS?*

If I replace my struts what brand of strut should I go with? I want something similar to stock but maybe a little sportier.


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## RBI*04 (Sep 10, 2004)

my 91 sentra has the strut boot-delete option 


all the boots are BADLY worn, but the struts seem to work fine, i love the ride i have, its not bouncy or too harsh...its a good medium. although one of my rear struts has a greasy film all over it (the other three are clean)


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## 98Midnight (Apr 23, 2004)

RBI 04 are you talking about your stock struts? My ride can be a little nerve-racking even as slow as 60-70 mph. I definitely don't love the ride.


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## BadBoy91 (Jan 21, 2005)

OEM is never bad, but for the money you could have a Sweet setup. look into tprices for coil over systems, or maybe just performance struts like KYB and some springs.


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## RBI*04 (Sep 10, 2004)

98Midnight said:


> RBI 04 are you talking about your stock struts? My ride can be a little nerve-racking even as slow as 60-70 mph. I definitely don't love the ride.


my car is completely stock. the rides not the best. but i dont have ANY complaints


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

98Midnight said:


> If I replace my struts what brand of strut should I go with? I want something similar to stock but maybe a little sportier.


KYB GR2's are actually really nice on B14 stock springs. The settings are slightly firmer than the stock ones, so the car feels a lot better balanced in the city and a little less floaty on the highway. The prices are pretty reasonable too. Just don't stick lowering springs or anything on them, or you'll ruin them pretty quickly.


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## 98Midnight (Apr 23, 2004)

Thanks. I'll check Ebay for some KYBs is there another good cheap place to look?


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## 98Midnight (Apr 23, 2004)

Also, who makes the stock B14 struts and springs?


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

98Midnight said:


> Thanks. I'll check Ebay for some KYBs is there another good cheap place to look?


GR2's are $48 a corner from Tire Rack.

You can find the rears for as low as $21 though (rockauto.com, for example).


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

98Midnight said:


> Also, who makes the stock B14 struts and springs?


I could be confusing it with another car, but I think all four struts were made by KYB.


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## jmann98 (Aug 20, 2004)

My memory says the OEM shocks are made my Tokico, but am not sure.

And to agree with others, yes, KYB GR-2s are what you want. And keep your stock springs on there. The GR-2s are similar to stock, maybe a bit stiffer for a bit more control. Aftermarket springs or coilovers will make your car significantly stiffer, and cost $$$. If you don't install the shocks/struts yourself, shop around for a price - it varies a lot, and you can get quotes over the phone.


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

jmann98 said:


> My memory says the OEM shocks are made my Tokico, but am not sure.


Tokico... I think you're right actually.


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## 98Midnight (Apr 23, 2004)

I'm going with KYB GR2. I just bought 4 new ones off Ebay. I can't wait to get them installed! I'll be reusing my stock springs if they're still good. No more highway float.


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## 98Midnight (Apr 23, 2004)

Ok I just had my struts installed yesterday and a wheel alignment. 3 of the struts were dead. The ride is only slightly better.


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## JDM240Turbo (Jan 21, 2005)

ReVerm said:


> KYB GR2's are actually really nice on B14 stock springs. The settings are slightly firmer than the stock ones, so the car feels a lot better balanced in the city and a little less floaty on the highway. The prices are pretty reasonable too. Just don't stick lowering springs or anything on them, or you'll ruin them pretty quickly.


I have a 1990 240 that came with tien lowering springs. I was told my struts were bad, so I purchased kyb gr2 struts. And you're telling me that they're going to get ruined now?!


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

JDM240Turbo said:


> I have a 1990 240 that came with tien lowering springs. I was told my struts were bad, so I purchased kyb gr2 struts. And you're telling me that they're going to get ruined now?!


Unfortunately, that could be the case. This really depends on the spring rate of the lowering springs. If they're noticably higher than stock (in my book, that's like at least a 5~10% difference), you may have problems with wear and tear. Most lowering springs are stiffer than stock springs, so GR2's tend to get worn out rather quickly when paired with these.

Sorry to have to be the bearer of bad news.


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## JDM240Turbo (Jan 21, 2005)

ReVerm said:


> Unfortunately, that could be the case. This really depends on the spring rate of the lowering springs. If they're noticably higher than stock (in my book, that's like at least a 5~10% difference), you may have problems with wear and tear. Most lowering springs are stiffer than stock springs, so GR2's tend to get worn out rather quickly when paired with these.
> 
> Sorry to have to be the bearer of bad news.


Specs: Nissan 240SX TEIN STech Springs 207 lb 1.5 in front / 179 lb 1.2 in rear - S Tech Lowering Springs

It took me a while to find this information, and I'm too lazy to check for the stock spring rates. What do you think of this info?


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

98Midnight said:


> Ok I just had my struts installed yesterday and a wheel alignment. 3 of the struts were dead. The ride is only slightly better.


In regular street driving, the places where you'll probably feel the difference most are:

- When driving over uneven or rough surfaces, or roads with "ripple" patterns on them.
- During highway cruising and lane changes, especially at higher speeds.
- During brake and turn maneuvers, emergency avoidance maneuvers included. This is one of the points where having working dampers on your car can save your life.
- During hard acceleration/braking, hard cornering. Both sudden jerks and sustained periods of hard driving are included.

I can imagine that you might be feeling a bit disappointed because you don't feel a big difference during your daily commute. If it's just you driving to work a few miles away, you might not feel a difference. Dampers are one of those things that work almost all the time but you only really feel some of the time. 

Don't feel like you've wasted your money though. As you can see in the list above, the situations where you can really tell the difference are not all that rare (if you live in a suburban area, it might happen all the time). What you just spent a couple hundred dollars on could end up saving you thousands at the body shop when a deer dashes out onto the street or another car suddenly pulls out of his driveway in front of you.


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

JDM240Turbo said:


> Specs: Nissan 240SX TEIN STech Springs 207 lb 1.5 in front / 179 lb 1.2 in rear - S Tech Lowering Springs
> 
> It took me a while to find this information, and I'm too lazy to check for the stock spring rates. What do you think of this info?


Ack. S.techs tend to be significantly stiffer than stock on most cars. I don't think GR2's are going to be able to hold up for too too long with them installed. The damper I'd choose for those springs would probably be the KYB AGX's (it's a very popular combination), which is the next step up in construction, damping characteristics, and price.


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## JDM240Turbo (Jan 21, 2005)

ReVerm said:


> Ack. S.techs tend to be significantly stiffer than stock on most cars. I don't think GR2's are going to be able to hold up for too too long with them installed. The damper I'd choose for those springs would probably be the KYB AGX's (it's a very popular combination), which is the next step up in construction, damping characteristics, and price.


oh no! I'm such an idiot. I spent 180 on the gr2s and the agx's are about 325. Not only do I need to get rid of what I have now, but I have to drop another 150 dollars to get the right shocks. Anyone need gr2s for a 89-94 240. They're really good!


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

JDM240Turbo said:


> oh no! I'm such an idiot. I spent 180 on the gr2s and the agx's are about 325. Not only do I need to get rid of what I have now, but I have to drop another 150 dollars to get the right shocks. Anyone need gr2s for a 89-94 240. They're really good!


Because you just got them recently, you can still sell them and they'll still be good. Dampers don't go bad immediately. It takes several hundred miles just for the break-in, then wear could take anywhere up to a year to start to show. A year's still very short compared to what a damper really should last, but it does mean that very slightly used dampers are usually still good, even if they've been paired with springs that are a little stiffer than they should be.


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