So, the front drivers' side strut on my truck is shot. Apparently it is cracked and needs to be cut off the truck... I had 2.5" HBS Spacers running on Monroe 'Quick-struts'. This means back to stock. 780 bucks later...

 

well then...dont think I will go with the monroe quick struts after hearing this

 

get the Bilstein 5100s you will love them they perform great on and off road

 

not going to screw with it. I like the lifted ride height, but i am not spending any more on suspension components...

that was the worst phone call ever. The guy calls me, says 'hi' and i responded 'how's it going?'... his response, 'well, i'm good, but you on the otherhand...'

i fully expected him to say the whole front end fell off or something... still, those struts are only a few months old.

 

So what does this have to do with ride height? Sounds like you bought crappy struts and are blaming the problem on the leveling kit.

 

based on the tech's reaction, he is thinking that the way the level had the strut positioned put it in a position susceptible to addtional strain. because of this, the strut couldn't handle this extra force and thus, 'exploded'. Don't get me wrong, I don't think it was completely the leveling kit's fault, struts should be designed to take much worse than that, but perhaps, without it, I wouldn't be pissing away another 800 bucks on new struts... I do know that I will be talking to monroe and letting them know about my dilemma. they should be aware that their struts are not up to quality, and perhaps, i can get some sort of compensation, although I do not plan to receive any.

however, when it comes down to it, I don't feel like incurring additional damages such as this, and I am going to just leave it stock. if it happens again, they won't have a leveling kit or after market equipment to blame when replacing it. These will be all OEM.

 

Leveling kits create suspension geometry that is far from stock, often times leading to the premature failure of parts like struts, CV joints, boots, ball joints etc. It is all part of the risk you take when deciding between a leveling kit and suspension lift. A leveling kit is cheap upfront but could become costly down the road. A suspension lift with proper differential drop is costly upfront but much more reliable down the road...

I hope it works out okay for ya.

 

well, i checked the warranty page on monroe's website, and they have a warranty. just have to take the damaged struts to where i purchased them, with the receipt and I should be able to get new, replacement struts, which I will subsequently be posting up on craigslist / ebay.

 

How did you manage to spend 800 bucks on struts?

"pissing away another 800 bucks on new struts... "

they are 150 bucks each? 200 if you go to advanced. but still, if my calculations are correct, 200+200=400, which is half of 800? just trying to dumb it down some lol. i know you spent too much on your paint but now this?

 

Why not do a 1.5" spacer along with your warrantied struts? Or better yet a OEM coil/strut assembly. I've seen these on ebay (take-offs) for under $100.00, with a lifetime warranty. Mileage is listed on the ad. No, I'm not selling these, just a suggestion. If you go with the 4WD assembly you will basically be sitting 4WD height. Do the 1.5 level with this and your back to your 2.5" lift.

 

The 800 includes the labor needed for them to cut the old strut out and to assemble / put the new struts in. If And since prices for things in affluent areas like this seem to be higher than those in more rural areas, I am kinda screwed paying premium for everything.

Also, the additional labor is because the strut on the truck cracked and can no longer support the pressure of a compressed coil, so it would be dangerous to just disconnect it while the spring is still in there.

Plus, not only the premium cost of everything here, OEM parts are more expensive at a dealer, than anywhere... unfortunately, i'm stuck because I can't really drive the truck elsewhere, and I wanted to have the dealer look at it, since they are the closest service center to my apartment. One benefit though is that I have a free loaner while they work on it, so instead of paying another 200 bucks to rent a car from Enterprise (being under 25 years old makes renting a car for a few days expensive, even for a compact), I get a free loaner, so all in all, It won't be too terrible. Hopefully I'll get the truck back on Friday, they said parts won't be in until Thursday at the earliest. I should be able to take the busted strut into Advance (where i got it) and have it replaced with a new one, and then I will be turning around and ebaying it.

The reason I am complaining is because I just spent around 450 a few months ago for the Monroe's. Saving a few hundred bucks then, ends up costing me more now.

To get the Monroe's would be cheaper (about 230 / each at the local shop for quick struts), but my trust in them is not what it once was.

Again, with the paint? Lay off. I'm happy with it.

Take it for what it's worth: be careful with level's and after market struts I guess.

 

Yeah somebody raped you charging $400-$500 to put struts on your truck. I hope he at least gave you a big wet sloppy kiss to go with it. Around here that would run $200 tops. Most shops here get $50 - $75 per hour. It was a 3-hour job for me with less than perfect equipment in the driveway. A pro should have this knocked out in 2 hours max. Of course part of the problem is what a guy I know who lives there calls "Tax Hell Wisconsin". I'm sure you're probably paying union wages and the shop is paying absorbent taxes. Therefore cost of operation for you and him goes up.

Whatever makes you happy. Don't blame it on the spacers. Too many of those around without this problem. You just got a bad product in that strut.

David

 

it is only like 150 for assembly and install.

the rest of the labor cost is in the cutting of the old spring.

the expensive part is the OEM parts... i think its like 520 or something.

the overall total is 785 - 800.

 

Im just messin with you man. looks great lol. I thought about buying an xl, white with black bumpers, and ptm'n everything to match. I still want to do a white out on mine.


However, i dont know how handy you are with tools and what not, no pun intended, but if the work hasnt been done already i believe i would take it home and try using a few straps and do it yourself. I feel like if you dropped the lower a arm and attempted to pull it off slowly you could get it done. Save you a HELL of a lot of money. Idk, maybe its just because im young and money has been VERY tight lately i would attempt a job like that myself. With that being said, im quite handy with tools. I have been considering doing quick struts up front, but with all this being said, i may test my luck with bilsteins.